Shepherd of the Hills - Winchester VA

2 Kings 6:8-17 Today we're celebrating the Festival of St. Michael and All Angels. It's a lesser-known minor holiday in the Christian church year, but also a great opportunity to celebrate the wonderful truth that God sends his angels to guard and keep his children! Even though we might not always see them, disciples of Christ have powerful allies!

Mark 9:30-37 The discipled argued over which of them was greatest. People today still live lives driven by the desire to be great or end up bitter that they never had the chance to be greater. Jesus turns our expectations of greatness upside down. Disciples of Christ know what true greatness looks like. They see it in their Savior, and they have an abundance of opportunities for godly greatness in...

Ephesians 6:10-18 Soldiers going out on duty have to be prepared for whatever might happen. In a very similar way, disciples of Christ must be prepared. Even though we might not always see it, there is a war going on, and Christ's disciples can expect to be under constant attack, not just from unbelievers around them, but from spiritual forces of evil. The good news? Jesus has equipped every o...

Mark 7:31-37 What kind of report card would you give Jesus for the miracles he performed during his ministry on earth? You'd probably give him high marks! How about his performance in your life? You know the right answer would be to grade him highly, but sometimes it feels like he's not living up to what you might expect from an all-powerful, and infinitely loving Savior. As disciples of Christ, h...

Mark 7:1-8,14,15,21-23 The temptation is always there to make your case for being a good person based on how you live, whether it's by minimizing your sins, taking too much pride in the temptations that are easy to defeat, or comparing yourself to (and judging) others. There is nothing more hypocritical. Truth is, you could do everything right, and still not have all God wants. He wants a clea...

John 6:51-69 Today concludes our three week look at Jesus' bread of life discourse. We look at two questions that Jesus directed to his followers: "Does this offend you?" and "Do you want to leave me too?" These questions are worth considering ourselves as we reflect on what Jesus teaches us about who he is and what he has to offer. Ultimately, as we evaluate our options th...

John 6:35-51 It feels offensive and uncomfortable, but the truth is we cannot come to Jesus on our own any more than we can toss a jumbo jet like a paper airplane or jump the Grand Canyon. We're naturally predisposed to rejecting Jesus and ignoring the wonderful promises he offers. Thankfully, in his love, the Father patiently and gently draws us to Jesus. By his grace, we learn from him and h...

John 6:24-35 Today begins a three week look at Jesus' famous "Bread of Life Discourse." It's a turning point in Jesus ministry. At the high point of his popularity, his teachings suddenly begin to turn many of his followers off. As we wrestle with the challenging teachings he introduces, we can recognize our own temptations to be disappointed in who Jesus is and what he offers. A...

Mark 6:45-56 So often when things get difficult, we get overwhelmed and start acting and thinking foolishly. We fail to see that Jesus is with us. The solution is simple. All we need to do is look and see that Jesus is right there with us. He's by our side as we face all the challenges of life, including the challenges and difficulties in the meaningful ministry he has given us.

2 Corinthians 9:8-11 One of the hallmarks of a child of God is the selfless and single minded generosity in their life of service to God and others. This generosity gives meaning to a believer's ministry, has everlasting results, and is itself fueled by God's great generosity.

Mark 6:30-34 When we look at the world, we see people who are our enemies, who are burdens, who are more trouble than they're worth, who are lost causes. We struggle to minister to them because we're selfish and self-righteous. When Jesus looks at the world, he sees people who are like sheep without a shepherd. It fills his heart with compassion and love. Meaningful ministry is motivated b...

Titus 1:5-9 We naturally distrust self-appointed authorities, and easily question anyone who presumes to speak with any authority. We put them under the microscope and ask, "What gives you the right to say that to me?" While it seems nice to say "to each their own," or "let's agree to disagree," this thinking has led to a world where everyone has their own truths...

Ezekiel 2:1-7 Christians have the greatest news to share: There is forgiveness, life, and salvation in Jesus! You might expect such wonderful news to be received with joy, eagerness, and thanks. More often than not, however, that is not the reaction Christians experience as they share the life changing gospel that means so much to them. Instead of joy and thankfulness, they're met with rejecti...

Mark 5:21-24a; 35-43 What might cause people to drive more recklessly, to spend more time tanning in the sun, and to be more aggressive toward people who don't share their world view? It's not lead in the water. It might be the fear of death. Some social psychologists believe that the fear of death doesn't just effect our lives, it might sub-consciously be the main driving motivation b...

Mark 4:35-41 Assuming there is a god, there seem to be only two logical conclusions that explain the evils we face in the world. Evil happens because either God doesn't have the power to stop it, or because he just doesn't care enough to be bothered to stop it. Jesus' actions one night on the Sea of Galilee show that neither is true. The "top-down" faith God has given us allo...

Mark 4:26-34 All the great nations of earth have a lot in common in how they were established. It was force, conquest, power, wealth, and strength that built them. We might expect the greatest kingdom of all–God's kingdom–to grow with similar power and strength. In two short parables, Jesus turns our understanding of how an empire or kingdom is grown upside-down. God's kingdom grows in see...

Genesis 3:8-15 From any outside perspective it looked like the devil had won. Adam and Eve had taken his word to heart and chose to disobey God by eating the forbidden fruit. Their act of defiance had driven a wedge between them and God. Thousands of years later, on a hill, it looked like the devil was victorious again. The corpse of the Son of God–Eve's promised offspring–hung on a cross. His...

Romans 8:12-17 Being a member of one family as opposed to another seems like luck of the draw. You might be born with the silver spoon in your mouth. You might be born into abject poverty. Today, on Holy Trinity Sunday, we see that the Triune God himself adopts us into his own family. It's no stroke of luck. By God's grace, we're his children, co-heirs with Christ, empowered by the spi...

John 15:26-27; 16:4b-11 Even before he died, Jesus was busy preparing his disciples for the time when he wouldn't be with them physically. After his ascension, they had to adjust to a new reality–one that today's Christians have known as their entire existence–life in a world without Jesus physically present. Even though Jesus ascended back to heaven in glory, he promised he would not leav...

Ephesians 4:7-16 Goodbyes are hard, and usually not a cause for celebration. The one you love is going to be far away, and you'll miss them, and all the good they bring into your life. When Jesus ascended, it was a serious goodbye. It was the end of his earthly ministry, and never again would his disciples and followers get to see him face to face on this earth. It can seem like he is awfully...

John 15:9-17 The entirety of God’s Word can be summed up in one word: love. God’s Law is all about love:  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…”  and  “Love your neighbor as yourself”  (Matthew 22:37,39). The gospel is all about love:  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…”  (John 3:16). From his compassion for the sick and broken, to his sacrificial death on the cr...

John 15:1-8 Our beliefs influence our actions. Believing in a Savior who rose from the dead changes how Christians think, speak, and act. Our faith is more than a simple belief system, though. It's a connection to a deeper power, power that doesn't just inspire our actions, but motivates and drives them!

1 John 4:1-6 On Good Shepherd Sunday, we celebrate the comforting fact that our Risen Savior is our Good Shepherd. Even though there are countless contradictory voices clamoring for our attention and claiming to have truth from God for us, our Good Shepherd raises up faithful under-shepherds to bring us his gospel in Word and sacrament, and equips us to distinguish between faithful messengers, and...

1 John 1:5-2:2 The world is full of darkness. The ugly truth we have to accept is that we're not just victims of the darkness, we're perpetrators of it too. However, when we face the truth and stop denying, we find wonderful news. God has a solution for us and for all the world! This news is better than any empty platitude or meaningless motto. This news gives lasting hope both now and for...

John 20:19-31 When things seem too good to be true, they usually are. We have to look for proof to know whether or not good news is worth believing. Jesus' resurrection (for which there is plenty of proof) is the proof that we can believe the unbelievably good news that we have peace with God!