Shepherd of the Hills - Winchester VA

Philippians 3:17-4:1 There is always the temptation to take the easy way out. Whenever difficulties and crosses com our way, that temptation will be even stronger than ever. We want to have a comfortable Christianity. The bad news? There are no detours allowed. Trying to avoid the difficulties that come from following Jesus can even make us unwitting enemies of the cross. The good news? We have a...

1 Samuel 17 The story of David and Goliath is one of the most popular stories in Scripture, but do you really understand it? It's not a story about personal perseverance as an underdog against your enemies. It's not a moralistic tale to teach us to " just have faith like David" and God will give us the victories. It's a story of a champion who steps in and fights a battle no...

2 Samuel 12:1-13 Lent can be a difficult time for people because of how somber and self-reflective it is. Lent begins with what might be the most painful and blunt day in the entire season: Ash Wednesday. Ashes remind Christians that every person is doomed to return to ash and dust in death. Death is the inescapable proof that we are sinful and deserve punishment. However painful God's law mig...

2 Corinthians 3:7-18 We are naturally inclined to try to find peace, perfection, and fulfillment by doing the right things or taking the right steps. Our final "epiphany moment" is that true glory can't be found in our own actions. Instead, it's found in the gospel.

Luke 6:27-38 Humans are naturally wired to be very concerned about fairness. The Golden Rule seems to be an excellent way to ensure fairness. (What's more fair than treating people the way we'd want them to treat us?) Jesus, however, calls Christians to something even higher than a focus on fairness.

Luke 13:1-9 It's easy to see how badly others might need to repent, and even get caught in the comparison game. Even when we do recognize how desperately we need to repent, there's always the temptation to procrastinate. As he urges us to repent, Jesus shows us that there's no better time than right now to turn from our sins and trust in him. Thankfully, his patience and love are every...

2 Corinthians 12:7b-10 We feel like we're pretty good at judging what's good for us and what's bad for us. In his grace, God reveals to us that sometimes the things we think might be best for us can come with hidden dangers, and that every evil think in our life comes with hidden blessing.

Luke 5:1-11 In a world where we have all sorts of experts and specialists, we're used to looking for the best and most qualified people for the job, especially for particularly important tasks. We'd expect God to do the same when it comes to the crucial work of sharing his gospel. Not so! No matter how qualified (or unqualified) we may feel, God chooses all believers for his gospel ministr...

Luke 4:16-30 This week's epiphany moment is all about rejection. Normally, we think being rejected is a painful sign of failure. Watching Jesus get rejected by his own hometown, however, we see that this might not be the case!

Ephesians 3:14-21 So often, the temptation is to think that God offers us less than we ask or disappoints our expectations. However, God is capable of giving us even more than we could ever ask or imagine. What if, in our search for fulfillment and joy in life, we're actually guilty of setting our sights too low? God gives us more than we ask, not less!

Titus 3:4-7 Throughout the Epiphany season, we are letting God's light shine in the darkness and give us "aha" moments, or epiphanies. Today's epiphany has to do with identity. We struggle to define ourselves in an ever shifting and ever changing world. God's light shines on his gift of baptism to show us that as baptized believers, we never need to suffer any identity crisis!

Luke 1:68-79 Have you ever waited patiently for something, only for it to underwhelm and disappoint? Sometimes we might feel dissatisfied with the fulfillment of God's promises. Looking at Zechariah's joyful song helps us see the wonder of God's faithfulness and leads us from being underwhelmed to overjoyed at God's promises that fully satisfy!

Luke 2:41-52 "If only there were backups in real life." An TV ad campaign suggests that it's just a dream, and that the only consolation is good rates on home and auto insurance. As we look at the only event from Jesus' childhood recorded in Scripture, we see that this isn't just a wish, it's the reality of God's gift at Christmas! Jesus is our perfect real-life backup, the substitute we so desper...

It's a special Christmas episode of the Shepherd of the Hills podcast! Listen to the nine readings from the Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols, and a Christmas message from Pastor Wilde about the confidence we can find in all the unlikely details of the first Christmas!

Luke 1:39-55 Everyone loves an underdog story! We might even adopt an underdog narrative to describe our own life stories. The truth is we are all underdogs, but maybe not in the sense we most often think. Mary's song of praise, the Magnificat, tells the greatest underdog story ever. At Christmas, God lifts up the lowly!

Luke 3:7-18 The holiday season isn't always merry and cheerful. Many people suffer this time of year, under the pressure to be happy. The celebrations can feel hollow and empty. If you're struggling this time of year, there is good news, because a real Christmas, a Christmas that God's word prepares us for in the season of Advent, is one that brings real joy–joy that is deeper than nostalgic Chris...

Luke 3:1-6 Are you ready for Christmas? It's a question that nags at the back of our minds this time of year. There's just so much to do! If you listen to John the Baptist, though, you realize there's only one thing needed to be really ready for Christmas: repentance. Better yet, God's call to repentance isn't one more burden at an already difficult time. It's a call that frees us!

Jeremiah 33:14-16 If Christmas only offers the shallow comforts of nostalgia, pretty decorations, nice gifts, and time with loved ones, you're missing out! If that's all you get, you're not even really enjoying a real Christmas, because you could have so much better joy and peace! Remembering why Jesus came in the first place is the secret to celebrating a real Christmas!

Mark 13:26-37 Even a brief moment of distraction can have disastrous consequences. Jesus calls believers to faithfully watch and wait as Judgment Day draws closer and closer. We live with our eyes on the skies, eager for our Savior's return!

Hebrews 9:24-28 What would life be like if you didn't have to worry about being judged? Even though it seems hard to imagine, this is the blessed reality every Christian enjoys. Those whose names are written in the book of life, who are waiting for the return of their Savior, have no reason to fear judgment of any sort. They know the judge, and the verdict is set! Living like you're going to live...

Mark 12:38-44 Do you ever dream of the amazing good you could do if only you were rich? If only you had the means to be as generous as you want to be! Today we see that all of God's people already have the means to be incredibly generous. It's not the size of the gift itself, or even the size of the gift in proportion to what one has that matters. It's the heart God wants, and he'll do amazing thi...

Daniel 3:1-30 When POWs face physical torture, their tormenters do their best to remove any hope of rescue and to make their victim feel alone and hopeless. As much as we love heroic stories of resistance, the unhappy truth is that the question isn't if a person will break under pressure, it's when. Everybody breaks. It's just biology. As a Christian, you are the exemption! Even though the devil i...

1 Corinthians 9:7-12,19-23 “What’s in it for me?” It’s easy to look at life through the lens of that question, to make decisions based on perceived personal benefit. Perhaps at times we look at Christianity through that lens, wondering what we will gain from following Christ. “What’s in it for me?” Jesus first disciples asked that question. They hoped that following Christ would bring prestige and...

Mark 10:17-27 With God's law written on our hearts in our consciences, it's only natural for us to assume that knowing right and wrong and living a good life should be enough for us to earn eternal life. A rich young ruler in Jesus' time thought the same thing, but even though he felt he had followed God's laws perfectly, he still wasn't sure he had eternal life. Something was missing! Jesus gave...

Ephesians 5:21-6:4 Everybody, believer and unbeliever alike, knows that they should love their family. The problem is that even though it seems like it should come naturally, it isn't actually that intuitive. Pain and strife in families is unfortunately all too common. Everyone knows they should love their families, but followers of Christ have the "how" revealed to them. Disciples of Christ know...