Shelbyville Community Church

As Jesus prepares his disciples for life without Him, He spends significant time emphasizing one important point. Before we are asked to do anything for God, He invites us to be with Him. Intimacy with Jesus is the goal. But so often, sitting with God takes a backseat to performing for God. There is work to be done, accomplishments to be won… and we forget the truth of Psalm 46:10 — that we know G...

In John 15, Jesus teaches us the secrets of the vine. In verse 5, He says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.” (John 15:5, CSB) This passage is often taught as if there is only one condition for fruit bearing: remaining in Jesus. But notice that there are two conditions to growth and change here,...

Every good thing you have in the Christian Life comes through the Holy Spirit. Throughout Scripture and history, the Spirit of God has been actively at work. In the second verse of the Bible, we read these words: “The earth was formless and void and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” (Genesis 1:2) It was out of that hovering of the Spirit that Creation burst forth. The rabbis in Jesu...

Baptism is a picture of a new life! This weekend we have the amazing opportunity to celebrate what God is doing here at SCC through the ancient practice of baptism. We’re used to thinking that baptism day is about us or the other people who made their declaration of faith alongside of us, but nothing could be further from the truth. Baptism is a celebration and picture of Christ’s loving work of s...

This Sunday, you don’t want to miss a powerful message about peace in troubling times—the kind of peace that doesn’t depend on what’s happening around you, but what’s happening within you. In a world filled with chaos, worry, and uncertainty, God offers a calm that defies all understanding—and we’re diving deep into how that actually works. If you’ve ever wondered how to hold on to peace when life...

Why do 4 letter words have such power, and yet bring such confusion? I remember a time in my marriage that I believed I was “Help” my wife, only to realize what I meant by “Help” was not the same way she was defining “Help”. I had to learn what this 4-letter word meant for her and learn how to live in that with her. Love is another 4-letter word that has the same impact. I can say I “Love” someone...

I don’t know if you’ve ever heard the story of the football game between the large animals and the small animals. It was incredible. The large animals, as you might imagine, were just cleaning up on the smaller animals. It was no contest. They would kick the ball off to the rhino, he would receive the ball in the end zone and just rumble down the field. Nothing could stop him. Squirrels were hangi...

There's an old story. A Sunday school teacher is explaining to children how they cannot get to heaven through human effort. They can't earn their way. So she begins by asking them some questions. "Can you get to heaven if you go to church often enough?" They said, "No!" "Can you get to heaven if you give enough money?" Again, they all say, "No!" &q...

In John 12, Mary, having witnessed Jesus raise her brother Lazarus from the stench of grave, brings a very expensive perfume to dinner and pours it over Jesus’ feet. She then bows and begins to wipe His feet with her hair and her tears. What is Mary doing exactly? What is the point? Well, it’s certainly an extravagant act of worship. That is clear. She loves Him. She believes He is the Christ, the...

This Sunday, we're stepping back into our study in the Gospel of John! And we're picking back up with one of my favorite stories in scripture, the resurrection of Lazarus. The last time I taught from this story was when I officiated my grandma's funeral. And this story is so powerful when it comes to finding hope in a season of grief. But more than that, it's a story of how Jes...

People sometimes say and do stupid things. Larry Walters was a truck driver who wanted to be a pilot, but he couldn’t pass the eye exam. So one day he went down to the local army navy surplus store and bought 45 weather balloons and a tank of helium. When he got home, he attached those balloons to a lawn chair, anchored the chair to the bumper of his jeep, and inflated all the balloons with helium...

In Colossians chapter 2, Paul commands us to be a people who are gentle with one another. He begins the command to gentleness this way: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy, and dearly loved…”. We are told three things about ourselves here as followers of Jesus. We are chosen. We are Holy. We are dearly loved. I don’t know if you feel chosen today, but God has chosen you. I don’t know if you f...

God is Faithful. Do you Believe That? Our first response may be, “About what?” or “Related to what?” The Bible in both the New and Old Testaments just states, “God is Faithful.” It’s one of His attributes that is true about Him all the time! Even when Jesus appears in the end of time, the words, “Faithful” and “True” are tatted on His thigh. Well, they may not be tattoos, but they are visible for...

We are in a series on the “Fruit of the Spirit,” and so far each fruit has looked captivating and desirable. I mean, what’s not to like? We’ve talked about Love. Who doesn’t want that? Joy. We’ll do almost anything for it. Peace. We are desperate for Peace. Patience. I’d like some of that yesterday. Most of us would love to be more kind. But this weekend, we are talking about Goodness—not just bei...

Kindness is both a fruit of the Spirit and a command. It is not optional, because you and I are meant for kindness. In fact, God often uses the smallest acts of kindness to leave the biggest legacy. Take Tabitha, for example. She made clothing for widows. She does the same thing over and over, every single day. She sews. That’s it. It’s not glamorous. It may even be a bit monotonous. But God uses...

Waiting and patience aren’t part of our 2025 culture, which values speed and immediate results. It's about now! We want access now! We want our answers now! We want our deliveries now! We want spiritual growth now! We want weight loss now! (not so much that one) Patience feels increasingly countercultural. Yet Scripture mentions patience over 70 times, highlighting it as a fruit of the Spirit...

I wonder if you’ve ever had a busy season or a busy day and you said something like: ”All I need is a moment of peace!” I remember a funeral for a young man that I was doing many years ago. Unfortunately, this young man had taken his own life. One of his friends just kept looking into the casket and saying, “All he wanted was a little peace.” He said it over and over again. Don’t we all? This brin...

If most people were asked to describe God, they probably wouldn’t use the word “joyful.” But that is exactly who and what God is! There is a great Christian thinker by the name of G.K Chesterton. As he is reflecting on the joy that children can have, he says this, “We have sinned and grown old and Our Father is younger than we.” His point is this: While we have grown old and tired and jaded and cy...

In John 13:34-35, Jesus told His disciples (and us), “ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” We’ve been commanded to love people like Jesus loved us. That is not just a tough command, but in our own resources, an impossibility! The...

Have you ever wondered why people seem to have different personalities? A Greek physician, Hippocrates, lived 300 years before Jesus Christ and was one of the first to put names to the different observable traits. I think he was quite right in noticing different “humors,” as he called them, but quite wrong in suggesting that they were related to various bodily fluids inside us. The Psalmist had st...

Have you ever considered getting a specific model of car? The more you think about that particular model, the more you see it everywhere! The term “SWEET SPOT” has been like that for me the past few weeks! The Pacers were said to be in their “sweet” spot. (I hope they can be there for one more game!!) A singer was singing a song which was in her range’s “sweet” spot. Both of those examples came to...

The opening week of 2025’s Major League Baseball season caused some excitement about the “new” torpedo bat. In the season’s opening game, the New York Yankees scored 20 runs with nine home runs! That was a record of some kind for sure. This “new” bat’s larger barrel increased the bat’s “sweet” spot to add more strength to more of the bat. The teaching time in the services this month will emphasize...

Have you ever played a sport? In many sports they have tools, such as a golf club, baseball bat, or tennis racket. Each one is important for that sport because it helps you succeed. Within each tool is a special area, focused on helping you hit the ball with the best impact and power, called the Sweet Spot. If the ball meets that spot, usually you’ll see the ball go off harder and farther. In each...

As we close out the first half of our study in the Gospel of John, we'll see Jesus respond to the question "Are you the messiah?" Jesus doesn't just answer the question, He makes a statement that will ultimately cost Him His life. This Sunday we get to look at Jesus response to this question, what it means for Him, and the beautiful reality of what it means for us.

This Sunday we are going to marvel at Jesus as the Good Shepherd. But if Jesus is the Good Shepherd, what does that make you and me? We are sheep, the animal mentioned most often in the Bible. The word is used around 200 times, usually in the context of our own need as human beings for a shepherd. When the Bible says we are like sheep, that is not meant as a compliment. Sheep are not very smart, a...