Sermons @ Shepherd

Regardless of the divisions in our church, community, country, and world, we must live into the reality that there is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Ephesians 4:1-16

David, slayer of Goliath and greatest King of Israel commits a triple-play BIG time sin. Even through his condemnation, David finds grace and forgiveness when he realizes the jig is up.

After the feeding of the 5000, the people are still “wowed’ by Jesus’ power. They want to see more. Jesus’ power, even his power to heal, however, are for a higher purpose. Jesus is inviting people into kingdom living, where our priorities are determined by the eternal, timeless, kingdom of God. 

From lust to murder: had David made better decisions, or had his friends stepped in to stop him, he may have had a different story. But he did not avoid temptation, and his friends sat silently by. However terrible David was, God still finds a way to redeem him.

After Jesus fed the 5000, an act of both generosity and power, the people wanted to make him king. They wanted him to exercise “power over” others. But, Jesus was not that kind of king. He rules as a servant, not as a tyrant. 

God is the originator of “tough love.” God does not spare us the earthly consequences of our sin. That is not what grace means. Grace means that we are not defined in God’s eyes by our sin, that God will always provide a “righteous branch” to save God’s people. Will we have eyes to see? Jeremiah 23:1-6

David loves God so much he decides (without asking) to put God in a box, or literally, to move the Ark of the Covenant from a tent to a temple. As we, the church, emerge into a post-Covid era, we do not know what church will look like, but we know we need to ask God in prayer before we move. 2 Samuel 7:1-14

Jeroboam was doing a good job: expanding the kingdom, making the wealthy wealthier, appeasing Baal. In comes an outsider - Amos - who tells the king and his priest that God is taking the full measure of their work, and finds it lacking. Amos 7:7-15.

When David was dancing before the Ark, he went all in (well, except for his clothes, which went out!). What does it mean to worship without worrying about how it looks or feels to others. How do we respond to God with our whole selves? 2 Samuel 6.

We begin a new series this week looking at some of the words of the prophets and how they provide both a comfort and a challenge for us as we emerge into a post-Covid era. Ezekiel 37:1-12