Sermons @ Shepherd

There is an almost certain fact about your life - you will never be the greatest at anything. For followers of Jesus, this isn't such a bad thing. Even being the greatest in small things often leaves us feeling empty. True greatness is all about being the least, about living a life of character that points to God. Matthew 4:1-11.

So often the church is all about saying "No! Don't do this, we don't like that." But what if church was saying "YES" to loving God and loving neighbor, without exception? Come and see! Romans 10:14-15 & Matthew 25:34-40.

During the time of the early church, Saul wanted to put an end, a "period" so to speak, to the Jesus movement. But just as the crucified Jesus was resurrected, the persecuting Saul becomes the proclaiming Paul. God is at work, in good times and bad. Acts 8:1-8.

In the Parable of the Talents, we often conclude that God wants us to "do" something big, something that changes to course of the lives of hundreds, thousands. In the parable, we see that so much of "doing" is wrapped up more in our attitude rather than our doing. Having a faith based in love over fear is the key to a life in Christ. Matthew 25:14-27.

One of the last parables told by Jesus is the Parable of the Talents. In the parable, a "talent" is not some skill that God gives you. Rather, it is ALL that God gives you: the Gospel, hope, purpose, your very life. No matter how little or how much you are given, God has one expectation - use whatever you have to glorify God. Matthew 25:14-27.

Being "brutally honest" is a daring action; it is a great way to lose both business and friends. When Jesus is tested by the religious establishment, he is brutally honest when pressed to answer "Who is my neighbor?" Luke 10:25-37.

Our familiarity with the parable of the Good Samaritan sometimes causes us to miss the point; asking "who is my neighbor" is really asking "who can I ignore." In sharing both the Law and the parable, Jesus reminds us that God's love eliminates boundaries and calls us to love all - no exceptions!

When the church receives power from the Holy Spirit, sometimes we feel like we can (and should) conquer the world. But maybe God is calling us to ministry right here, in our own neighborhood. Acts 1:6-9.

The disciples are wandering, hungry. They know it's brushing up against the law to pick grain on the sabbath, but they do it anyways. Jesus reminds us that what God desires is not strict adherence of the law but mercy. Sometimes we have to go in through the out door. Matthew 12:1-8.

When our neat orderly lives are disrupted, we often find ourselves in chaos. The same was true in Jesus' time; the religious leaders certainly had plenty of ideas about what one could (or couldn't) do on the sabbath. Jesus walks in through the out door and sets them straight - the sabbath is a time to rest in God. Matthew 12:1-8.