Good Shepherd Lutheran Church - Cincinnati

Pastor Heidi likens repentance to road construction - we need to fill our potholes, smooth out the rough patches, and deal with the crooked spots. Regardless of the orange barrels in our lives, God does come! And when God comes, God will tell us "I love you".

This week Pastor Heidi asks us how we respond to calamity in our lives. Do you duck and cover? Or do you stand up as Jesus encourages us to. We are reminded to have faith in the fact that the ending of our stories are not yet written.

Pastor Alex is reminded of westerns when thinking about this week's sermon when Pilate and Jesus are discussing the concept of kingdom and truth. As in any western, there's a showdown. Only in this western, the hero doesn't walk in and save the day with a shootout, but by selflessly giving His life so that we may be free.

How can we provoke others with love? Pastor Heidi ponders how we can use our power of provocation for good in this week's sermon.

Pastor Alex struggles with how we respond to the widow that gave away what little she had to help others. He asks how do we see all the people in our community - the poor, the sick, the people in need?

On this All Saint's Day, Pastor Heidi reflects on Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in this week's sermon. She reminds us that our lives are connected to God's bigger story and that in Jesus, death does not have the final word.

As part of confirmation, we renounce the devil - and not the pitchfork and horns version - but the one that we always have within us. In this week's sermon, Pastor Alex challenges our Confirmands and the rest of us to seek freedom from our own devil - sin and fear. Many of us live in bondage to that fear - how would our actions look different if we were truly free? Pastor Alex reminds us all we ca...

Pastor Alice asks us how we are called to act in this world. Is it as simple as seeking forgiveness or are you called to help establish a new ministry. God calls each of us in big and small ways - and it's important to listen for when the call comes.

Pastor Heidi asks us this week what is holding us back from following Jesus? Is our backpack too heavy? Sometimes we surround ourselves with things and people that get in the way of hearing how we are being called to act in this world.

Pastor Heidi tackles the tough subject of divorce in this week's sermon. How the death of a marriage can bring pain and grief, but that can see each other's humanity through the process. To be broken is to be human and to be human is to be loved by God. God has gifted us with each other, and while we may be broken, we are also blessed with the relationships and community that supports us in the da...

In a time when politics and opinions are so divisive - enough to have friends and family cease talking to one another - Jesus' teachings continue to light the way for how we should respond. Pastor Alex reminds us that sometimes the problem with our anger at others is our own anger and that we are called to remove those parts of us which cause sin, sadness, and hatred in the world.

Pastor Heidi talks about how Cincinnati is ranked number 2 in the country with the most number of children in poverty. And how when confronted with these hard-to-hear facts, we are called by Jesus not to bury our heads in the sand - but to confidently act with Him by our side.

In this week's sermon, Pastor Alice ponders the difference between sin and Sin. It's the difference between the little things we do every day and the impact that all of our sin has on the world. Thankfully, it doesn't have to be like this - we need to open our hearts and arms to all and accept that freedom and joy that comes with it.

While Lutherans believe that it is the grace of God that save us, faith without works is also not enough. Pastor Heidi reminds us that it is not enough to simply share the peace, but we also are called to share our gifts, time, and talents with others and to help those in need.

Pastor Pat reminds us that faith is difficult and delicate all at the same time. That it's okay to get muddy in this thing called life, because God has our backs.

Pastor Alex explores how when we are trying to keep up with all the ways society is telling us to be success, we may be ignoring the ways that Jesus invites us to imitate him.

What would you do with another minute, hour, day, or week in your life? We are all work with such a small amount of time in this life and Pastor Heidi reminds us to look for the ways we are being call by God to use that time.

As Pastor Alice returns from her sabbatical, she reminds us that a little weeding in our lives is not the worst thing in the world.

In this week's sermon, Pastor Heidi reminds us that following Jesus is not about filling our bellies with fish and bread, but about relationships and the spiritual nourishment that are provided by Jesus.

This week, as we examine the story of Jesus feeding the multitudes, Pastor Heidi reminds us that there is joy in sharing our abundance with others; that there are many that are hungry for not only food, but grace, love, and forgiveness.

In this week's sermon, Pastor Pat reminds us that we are called to rest with Jesus. Our lives can be filled with meetings and tasks, but that we are commanded to take time every week to honor the sabbath and restore ourselves.

Pastor Heidi speaks to us this week about how being introspective shows that we aren't always measuring up to the standards God calls us towards. The truth can hurt, but our inaction to ignore the places that we can improve and help our community can hurt ourselves and many others more.

In this week's sermon, Pastor Alex reflects on the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering and how the only thing we need to do to see God's Kingdom is look around and listen to the prophets among us.

Pastor Heidi tackles the tough subject of loss of a child in this week's sermon and reminds all of us that God's plan is not death, but resurrection and life.

"What are you so afraid of? You've got Jesus on the boat!" As our students prepare for their trip down to the 2018 ELCA Youth Gathering in Houston, TX, Pastor Alex reflects on how new experiences can bring fear into our lives. But also that we should not be afraid, for God is with us.