The Heart of the Shepherd
Read: 1 Samuel 16:1-12 The LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart. (v. 7) God called his people “sheep” because, like sheep, they did not always know what was best for them, as when the Israelites demanded a king. They did so wanting […]
The Shepherd-Leader
Read: Numbers 27:12-23 . . . that the congregation of the LORD may not be as sheep that have no shepherd. (v. 17 NIV) I was a first-year Hebrew student. My fellow students and I were in over our heads: trying to master a new alphabet and vocabulary as well as the art of reading […]
The Original Shepherd
Read: Genesis 49:22-25 God of your father . . . will help you. (v. 25) I once had a coworker who enjoyed skydiving. On a Monday morning he came to work shaken. He had slept in the previous morning and missed an opportunity to skydive. The person who took his place on the plane experienced […]
Missional
Read: Matthew 28:16-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. (v. 19) As our world changes, we find great comfort in the unchanging truth of God’s Word and his care of the church through all things. As this text says, he is with us always, even to the end of the age (v. 20). […]
Prepared to Praise
Read: Psalm 100 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! (v. 4) Imagine you’ve been given a meeting with your favorite celebrity or someone you’ve always admired. You have an opportunity to be in the presence of this person; both to speak to and hear from that person. But when the day […]
Gracious
Read: Ephesians 4:25-32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (v. 32) When I did youth ministry, we often played a game where players had to avoid being touched while running in a restricted area. Inevitably, the kids would run into each other while trying to avoid […]
Obedient
Read: James 1:19-27 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only . . . (v. 22) Some say that obedience is the repression of the human will. Scripture describes it much differently, including Jesus’ statement in John 14:21 that obeying him is the ultimate expression of love. Here, obedience is described in two […]
Outward-focused
Read: Philippians 2:1-11 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (v. 3) There are a variety of reasons people “choose” a church, and I’ve heard a lot of them. Whatever it is, the reason people come often becomes the reason they leave. When our basis for […]
Generous
Read: Proverbs 11:23-31 Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. (v. 25) Reality check: Every breath we breathe comes from God. Our lives belong to God (“you were bought with a price”; 1 Corinthians 6:20). The church we love is Christ’s body and bride. In short, “The earth […]