Shepherd of the Hills - Winchester VA

Job 19:23-27 The film director Woody Allen once said, "I'm not afraid to die, I just don't want to be there when it happens." Studies have shown that most people fear death to varying degrees. This fear is so common that there is even a field of psychological study called thanatology. It examines human reactions to death and dying. One of the biggest reasons people fear death is...

Today we're observing the Sunday of the Passion. It's a Palm Sunday tradition to read the entire account of Jesus' passion from one of the Gospels in preparation for Holy Week. Today, as we read the Gospel of Mark, we'll see real strength displayed in our Savior as he endures suffering for us. Fixing our eyes on Jesus is in turn what gives Christians themselves their strength.

John 12:20-33 It's natural to assume that Christianity is just like every other religion: just one brand of rules and thoughts about good living among many, demanding commitment and devotion from its followers. There's some truth to that. Christianity is about commitment, and it does require devotion and commitment to be a believer, but that's not the commitment that the Christian fait...

Numbers 21:4-9 Whether they call it sin or not, every religion has the concept of sin. That means every religion proposes some solution. Outside of Christianity, those solutions boil down to the same basic ideas: Try harder! Make up for it! Just deny it! God offers us a solution to sin that might not make sense to our minds, but one that he promises will actually work.

John 2:13-22 Person A never attends worship. He can’t see the point. Person B attends every week out of a slavish sense of obligation. She’s there, but her mind wanders off during the services because she views the activities of worship merely as required tasks for her to complete. Who is worse off? Rather than debating the point, maybe we can just admit that neither person A nor B really understa...

Mark 8:31-38 It would make sense for us to assume that choosing the correct religion means that we should have less suffering and discomfort in our lives, but today Jesus challenges us to rethink that assumption. As awful as it was, it was necessary for Jesus to go to his cross to redeem us. As unpleasant as it can be, it is a necessary part of following Christ to be willing to carry whatever cros...

Genesis 22:1-18 This Lent we are examining some of the assumptions we might be guilty of making when it comes to religion, even our own. “If God loves us, why doesn’t he remove all the trials and tests and temptations that we face?”  That question demonstrates the religious assumption that those things are bad. The truth is, they’re not. In the hands of a loving God, they are tools by which he ref...

The potential promotion at work. The third date, which will signal if there is real potential in this relationship. The test this Friday, which will determine if you make honor roll or not. The game on Sunday with the playoffs on the line. So many things compete for our attention! It’s easy to think of religion as just another of many activities to cram into our schedules. Sometimes, perhaps, the...

Mark 9:2-9 Do we take it for granted that Jesus is God? Do we realize exactly the magnitude of this truth? It should terrify us that all the glory of God belongs to Jesus as true God, but because of his love, we don't have to fear. Instead, we find joy and hope even in the darkest times when we see Jesus' glory on display.

1 Peter 5:6-11 It's important to know your own strength! As we learn more about Jesus we learn more about ourselves as well. When we look at Jesus, we see our strength.

Mark 1:21-28 No one likes to be stuck with a customer service agent who doesn't have the authority to actually fix the problem. We hate to do it, but that's when we have to ask for the manager. Early in his ministry, it became abundantly clear that Jesus had the ultimate, unlimited authority that can only belong to God. When we see Jesus, we see a Savior who has the authority to command de...

2 Corinthians 5:14-21 "What was I made for?" is one of the biggest questions in life. Not knowing an answer to that can cause serious pain and even hopelessness, and so many of the things we find meaning and purpose in are only temporary. Knowing Jesus is knowing a Savior who doesn't just reconcile us to our God, but who lovingly gives us a mission and purpose that is constant. Knowi...

Romans 6:1-11 Often, substitutes are not quite as good as the real deal. When you arrive at a show and find out that the lead role is being performed by the understudy, you might feel a little disappointed. If you're going on vacation and need to leave someone in charge of your responsibilities, you might be a little worried that your job won't be done as well as it should while you're...

Matthew 2:1-12 Does the joy of Christmas seem to end too quickly for you? If so, there is good news! This Epiphany season we are looking at who the Bible reveals Jesus to be. As we do that, we'll see that it's impossible to know Jesus without also knowing true and lasting joy. Today, we're talking about the three wise men. Do they really belong in your nativity? No! But should you keep...

Luke 2:22-40 The angel choir at Bethlehem sang to the shepherds about peace on earth, but it sure doesn't seem like the first Christmas actually accomplished this. Peace is wonderful and powerful and life changing, but it's hard to find and even harder to maintain... ...that is, if you're looking in all the wrong places like we so often do. In the gospel for the first Sunday after Chri...

Isaiah 61:1-3,10,11 Christmas is a time of joy, but so often our joy fades quickly. The excitement of new presents fades, the company of friends and family turns into a burden and a lot to handle, the decorations eventually go back in their boxes. True, lasting joy is hard to find. But not with Jesus! Our king comes to bring us perfect joy. Joy that never fades because it's connected to the lo...

2 Peter 3:8-14 When you have a guest on the way, it's nice to have an ETA. That way you can be sure to be prepared for their arrival. In Advent, we anticipate Jesus' arrival, but just like he didn't reveal exactly when he would be born in Bethlehem, Jesus hasn't provided an ETA for the last day either. The devil and our sinful nature would love for us to be unprepared for Jesus&#39...

Mark 11:1-11 How should we feel in anticipation of Jesus’ arrival? When you’re expecting someone’s arrival, your attitude and preparations will vary greatly depending on who they are and what they’re coming to do. As we begin another church year and prepare to celebrate the fulfillment of God's promises in Jesus' life and ministry, we can get a glimpse of the big picture in the Palm Sunday...

Matthew 25:31-46 On the last Sunday of the church year, we look forward to the Last Day. It could easily be a day we anticipate with fear, anxiety, and desperate acts of self-preservation. Thankfully, our Judge is also our Savior, who tells us exactly to expect. This knowledge turns the "time in between" from a time of dreadful anticipation to one of eager yearning and joyful service.

Luke 7:36-50 Thanksgiving Service at Shepherd of the Hills What are you most thankful for this year? Americans set aside the fourth Thursday in November every year as a special day to focus on being thankful. Depending on how your life is going on any given Thanksgiving, you may find it easier or harder to do that. When things are going great, it’s easy! When you feel lonely or have a tight budget...

Matthew 25:1-13 The third in a worship series looking at the "time in between," the end times in which we look forward to Christ's second coming. It's all too easy even for Christians to get complacent as we wait for Jesus' return. Jesus uses the story of some bridesmaids who foolishly were found unprepared for their role in a wedding to warn us about the importance of stayin...

Revelation 7:9-17 The second in a series in which we are looking at what God's Word says about life in our time: the time in between. It's all too easy to get caught up in the moment, especially when the moment is full of challenges, heartbreaks, and suffering. Christians aren't left to simply take life moment by moment by moment or one day at a time. God gives us the example of the sa...

Daniel 6:10-12, 16-23 The first sermon in a worship series looking at what God says about living in the "time in between," the time between Jesus' first and second comings. For believers in the time in between, steadfast faith is an absolute necessity. The devil, the world, and the sinful flesh constantly attack and try to destroy faith. By God's grace, believers can follow the e...

Romans 13:1-7 As citizens of the United States, we don’t support the government because those we voted for were elected or because we approve of the current tax policy or even because freedom of religion is enshrined in the First Amendment. We support our government simply because it was instituted by God. Jesus himself taught that we owe respect and obedience to our government, even when it doesn...

Matthew 22:1-14 Some invitations would be crazy to accept: an invitation from your bully to hang out one on one under the bleachers after school, for example. Others would be crazy to reject: an opportunity to go to a dream destination for free. Whether an invitation is easy to accept or decline often depends on our personal interests and relationships. Today Jesus tells us a parable that describe...