Shartel Church

Sheep don't try to battle their enemies. They let the Shepherd take care of that. They trust the Shepherd to surround, protect, and watch over them. When Jesus stood trial before Pilate, He didn't even need to answer him. He knew His destiny was not in the hands of any man. Neither is ours. This message will look at the power that comes from trusting God instead of feeling like we have to take on...

Death. Disaster. Heartbreak. Those are the times when it seems like the light has gone out in our lives, and all seems dark and foreboding. Those are also the times when were the most likely to feel very alone. Interestingly enough, the psalmist reminds us that in those dark valleys of death, we don't have to be afraid because our God is NEAR! This message will look at the promise of God's presenc...

Shepherds lead. That's a basic part of the function of being a Shepherd. But, what happens when sheep run ahead on their own? What happens when they ignore the Shepherd's lead and run off on their own trails? Well, that's when the trouble begins! This message will look at how we can let the Shepherd take the lead and the benefits of following the Shepherd.

Our Shepherd is a God who renews us. He's a Creator who is so smart that He commanded that we regularly take breaks to enjoy the life He's given us. He also invites us to spend time in His presence so that He can recharge our spiritual batteries. He's not a Shepherd who wants His sheep to run at a frantic pace. Instead, he desires to restore our souls.

One of the names for God in scripture is Jehovah-Jireh, which means our Provider. And that He is! Jesus backs this idea in Matthew as He talks about how God cares for us as His Children. God does more than meet the bare necessities of our lives. He meets those deeper needs we have as well. God meets the needs of our soul and provides all we need to be WHOLE. He IS our Provider. He is all we need.

David begins with a very subtle but powerful thought, MY shepherd. In a culture that almost always approached God as a nation, David makes God personal. He was marveling at the fact that the God whose hand is upon US is upon ME! This message will look at how we allow a Powerful Lord to become a Personal Shepherd.

One of the hardest forms of tough love is the ability to draw good boundaries and not become enablers in people's lives. Sometimes what we think is the kind or helpful thing to do, is the thing that we shouldn't do! Some people need us to stop bailing them out or making life easy for them so that they can grow up, straighten out, or begin to take responsibility for their own lives. Jesus didn't ch...

Tough love doesn't ignore the truth. In fact, tough love speaks up. Sometimes the people we love need to be confronted. Sometimes the people we love need someone to hold a mirror up to them for them to see themselves. While a lot of us are pretty good at criticizing others, the art of speaking the truth in love evades many of us. This message will look at the balance between boldness and gentlenes...

How do you love your spouse for a lifetime? In a culture where one in two marriages end in divorce, some would say that it's not possible. But "agape" love is an eternal love. It's the love God wants us to have in our homes. This message will look at the ingredients to having a long, lasting love. Not an "every day is our honeymoon" love, but a love that can navigate the difficult waters of a life...

Have you ever had people in your life that you didn't want to love? Most of us have. They're obnoxious. They're mean. They're mouthy. They're selfish. Some people seem to go out of their way to drive people away, and many leave them alone. But Jesus calls us to love the unlovable. He calls us to love the evil, the difficult, and the repulsive just as He did. Just as His love looked past OUR faults...

Memorial Day weekend is when we honor those who gave their lives for service to our country. We honor them because there is something special about sacrificial love. Many of us are called to that kind of love in a different way. It’s loving a special needs child. It’s loving an aging parent. It’s loving a spouse with a lengthy illness or disability. This message will focus on the perspective and g...

Do you know who we struggle the most to love? Ourselves! We know all of our flaws and all of our secrets. Many of us can love everyone but the person we see in the mirror. If we're going to love others the way God wants us to, we have to love ourselves the way God desires!

Keith Thomas joins us as Pastor Steve is out sick this Sunday. We'll share about the message that changed the world and the four ALL statements that comes with it.

The story of Hosea is not only a story of God's love for us; it is a story of God's ability to heal a home. God restores a marriage. He restores a mother to her children. God reunites a home that had been shattered apart. We need those kinds of miracles today! This message will look at how God can heal and restore our homes if we're willing to give him all of the broken pieces. We're praying for m...

The story of Hosea is not only a story of God's love for us; it is a story of God's ability to heal a home. God restores a marriage. He restores a mother to her children. God reunites a home that had been shattered apart. We need those kinds of miracles today! This message will look at how God can heal and restore our homes if we're willing to give him all of the broken pieces. We're praying for m...

Peter was finished. Just as Jesus predicted, when Peter was confronted about being a disciple of Jesus, he denied he even knew Him. Thankfully, that wasn't the end of Peter's story. On the day of Pentecost, Peter boldly preached, and 3000 people were saved. Peter's miracle comeback reminds us that no matter who we are or how badly we've failed, God still has a plan for our lives! We, too, can be a...

The greatest miracle EVER is the miracle of Christ's resurrection! That miracle changed EVERYTHING for EVERYONE! Christ didn't just raise from the dead to prove what He could do. He rose from the dead to LIVE ON in us! Through Him, our homes can be different. Our lives can be different, and WE can be different! Christ is the Living Miracle that makes all things possible in our lives today.

Sometimes we have to take the first step for God's miracle to happen. That's what happened with Joshua and his people. Unlike the Red Sea where the water parted and the people crossed, God required the Priests to put their feet in the water FIRST. Then the waters backed up. This message will challenge us to consider what steps of faith God might be waiting for us to take before He gives us the mir...

Paul's conversion is one of the most amazing stories in Scripture. He goes from a persecutor of Christianity to a promoter of Christianity. Paul's conversion gives hope to all of us who have individuals in our lives that have hard hearts and are a long way from God. There are some that we know will take a miracle to reach. Paul reminds us that God performs those kinds of miracles!

For many people, it's not what is in front of them that's causing them to struggle. It's what's behind them. They're stuck in their past failures. They're running from their past wounds. They're living in the past glory of their successes. The problem is that ALL of these things keep them from claiming the future that God has for them. This message will look at how we let go of our past and take h...

Everyone is tempted even Jesus. But not everyone wins over temptation. This message will look at what we need to do to keep ourselves strong and secure. The Enemy will seek to find our places of vulnerability and exploit them, but greater is the one who is in us than the one who is in the world! We can WIN over temptation!

Is there anything more debilitating than worry? It steals the joy out of today by causing us to focus on tomorrow. Worry magnifies our fear. It diminishes our faith. Worry causes physical, emotional, mental, relational, and spiritual problems, but Paul reminds us that we can WIN over worry! This message will look at claiming the promises of God and the practices that help us let go of the worry, t...

Guilt is a weight that weighs many people down. For some, its a guilt that God's Spirit has given them to draw them home. For others, it's guilt the Enemy puts upon them to make them feel useless and ashamed. In this message, we'll look at how to address both forms of guilt, how to walk in the freedom that Christ has promised us, and how we can win over guilt!

In John 14, Jesus said that we were destined for GREATNESS! If God's Spirit lives in us, we need to reach higher and dream bigger than the rest of the world. This message will challenge us to not settle for mediocre lives, mediocre marriages, or mediocre dreams. In all that we do, whether at home, work, church, or school, we need to show the world the excellence of Christ and win over living in me...

Our problem is not our problem. Our problem is how we think and respond to our problems! When we focus on the obstacles, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and discouraged, but when we keep ourselves focused on the power of God and the possibilities, we stay encouraged! This message will be about developing a healthy way to face and deal with the troubles that come our way and winning the battle over...