Shepherd's Gate Church

God places us in specific communities to love and serve our neighbors. Our faith shapes how we interact in neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and public life. In today’s message, we’ll see how, despite sin leading to selfishness and disengagement, Christ teaches us to live with self-giving love in all areas of life.

God works through ordinary people—not just in what we do, but in how others serve us. Every meal, home, and act of care is a reminder of the gifts God gives us. Discover how God invites us to see our roles—and the people around us—as part of His purpose and care for the world.

The sun rises. Do you see it? The ground shakes. Do you hear it? The empty tomb stands before us. On the third day, everything changed—death defeated and life redefined. Easter isn't the end of the story, but the re-beginning of ours. Our lives are raised from death to life with Jesus, forever changed by the empty tomb.

In a simple meal with His disciples, and through His miraculous body and blood, Jesus shared a part of Himself before He went to the cross. This Maundy Thursday, we come to the table of Jesus and experience His presence together. Can you see the visible elements? Dou you see others in the body of Christ gathered together to share in this experience? Can you taste in the bread and wine, the body an...

The Messiah that had been prophesied throughout the Old Testament, the Savior that they had waited for, the One they had only heard about is now here. This Palm Sunday, we celebrate the King who came to earth for you and me. Can you hear the celebration from the crowd? Can you you hear the palm branches? Can you see King Jesus riding on the colt of a donkey? 

It's time to close the book on the story of Joseph and on Genesis. As Joseph takes stock of his life and all that has happened to him, he comes to the conclusion that God has used his suffering for the good of himself, his family and for all of Eygpt. Does God truly use the bad times, even evil times in our lives to bring about positive growth and change? How is this possible?

As Jacob nears the end of his life, he blesses each of his sons with unique words, some good and some bad. Jacob certainly doesn't pull any punches. What was the purpose of these blessings? What about when we are the recipient of bold...but true...words from others? Is there a way we can benefit from times when people speak the stark truth about us, even if it hurts to hear it?

As the story of Joseph begins to wrap up, he finds that he cannot control the future for his own two sons. How many times do our plans get distorted and changed? Why is it that life doesn't go the way we want? While this may be inevitable, what if there were a deeper truth...that God uses the unexpected and the weak things of this world to show us His power and give us His blessing?

Joseph's stewardship of the resources of Eygpt saves everyone from starvation and death, including his own family. It's so important to steward the resources we have, whether they are many or few. How do we do this today for ourselves, our family and for our church community?

While many of us struggle to forgive others, accepting forgiveness can be even harder. Consider Joseph's brothers, who couldn't believe he truly forgave their betrayal. Similarly, we often find it difficult to accept God's forgiveness for our mistakes. Yet when we finally embrace forgiveness—both giving and receiving it—it can transform our relationships with God and others.

On Ash Wednesday we pause to prepare for Easter week. The ashes we receive on our forehead remind us that we have a problem with sin only Jesus can fix. Join us as we take a look at the miracle of repentance and forgivenss God gives to each one of us!

Family bonds can be both a source of deep comfort and intense pain. As the fundamental unit of human connection, family challenges us to our core. The biblical story of Joseph reveals a radical model of reconciliation—choosing love over justified anger. How far would you go to heal a fractured relationship? What might we discover about forgiveness by looking beyond our own hurt and seeing the deep...

Family bonds can be both a source of deep comfort and intense pain. As the fundamental unit of human connection, family challenges us to our core. The biblical story of Joseph reveals a radical model of reconciliation—choosing love over justified anger. How far would you go to heal a fractured relationship? What might we discover about forgiveness by looking beyond our own hurt and seeing the deep...

Feast & Famine | Tim Bollinger by Shepherd's Gate Church

Our instant-gratification culture demands immediate results, but life rarely cooperates. Character, integrity, and good deeds often develop slowly, out of sight. We grow impatient waiting for change, justice, or reward. Yet the most profound transformations happen as God works quietly, beneath the surface. The challenge is learning to trust Him—not as passive waiting, but as active, expectant hope...

Wrong & Right | Tim Bollinger by Shepherd's Gate Church

We don't like to talk about it, but there are sins we return to again and again. There are even sins that get passed from generation to generation like a family curse. Why are we trapped in hurtful and deceptive cycles that make a mess of our lives and the lives of those around us? Is there a way out? Find out as we continue to explore the fractured family saga of Jacob and his sons in Genesi...

Dreams and Schemes | Tim Bollinger by Shepherd's Gate Church

Hatred & Jealousy | Tim Bollinger by Shepherd's Gate Church

Planning for the new year usually includes a list of goals reached and goals lost for the current year and an ambitious list of resolutions and goals for the new year. What's the list look like for you? What's it look like for Shepherd's Gate? What is God's resolution for us in 2025? You may be surprised to learn how simple is really is.

You're invited to experience Christmas at Shepherd's Gate! This year, we're focusing on angels, specifically the angel Gabriel, and what we can learn from his story. Everyone is welcome to join us as we celebrate Christmas together. If you're seeking a fresh perspective on Christmas and your own faith journey, this is the moment—come share it with us!

John The Baptist | Ben Marsh by Shepherd's Gate Church

Simeon and Anna may appear briefly in the Christmas story, but for them, it was the fulfillment of a lifetime of waiting. They waited patiently and held onto a promise that they would see the Savior, Jesus, with their own eyes before they died. Discover how prophecy is still alive today and how it plays a part in our lives.

The Christmas Story is full of miracles that seem almost magical in hindsight. Let's take a closer look at Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist—two women through whom God did the impossible. See how the same God who worked in their lives still does the impossible today, bringing amazing things to us as well.

There are few topics more personal to us than our identity. How do we define ourselves? Does anyone have the right to tell us who we are? In Biblical times, names had important meanings and your name was often part of your identity. We may think there are things about us that will never change...but with God it is possible, even if He must give us a new name!