Shepherd of the Hills - Winchester VA

1 Kings 19:19-21 When Elijah cast his cloak of Elisha, the farmer responded immediately. He slaughtered his oxen and burned his plowing equipment, leaving now possibility to return. This unwavering, no looking back, kind of commitment is what Christ looks for in all believers. Do you have what it takes to answer Christ's call for your commitment?

2 Timothy 1:3-10 Your neighbor’s house is on fire. Would you stand by and watch, or would you act? God's Word challenges you to see the urgent mission field right outside your door. Discover how the Holy Spirit gives power, love, and courage to speak up and share hope—right here, right now. Don’t wait for a perfect moment or faraway opportunity. The mission is right in front of you!

Romans 5:1-5 In a world filled with distractions and noise, what truly deserves our undivided attention? On this Holy Trinity Sunday, we reflect on Romans 5:1–5 and see how the majestic and mysterious Triune God commands our focus—not through fear or force, but by giving us peace, access to grace, and a hope that will never disappoint. Join us as we explore the comfort of a God beyond our understa...

Acts 2:1-21 On Pentecost, the Spirit came with wind, fire, and foreign tongues—a spectacle so powerful, it’s easy to wish we could’ve seen it for ourselves. But what if the greatest miracle wasn’t the flames or the languages, but something far more familiar? As we conclude our Easter series  Because He Lives… , we see that the risen Christ still sends his Spirit through simple, ordinary means. And...

Revelation 19:11-16 Where is Jesus right now—and what is he doing? On Ascension Day, we don’t just remember that Jesus went  up , but that he reigns and rules  for us . In Revelation, John paints a vivid picture of our ascended Savior not as distant or disengaged, but as a triumphant warrior riding out to fight on our behalf. When life feels overwhelming, and when it seems like darkness has the up...

Acts 16:6-10 The world values diversity and longs for unity, but can never seem to achieve both. Jesus offers the impossible: he leads us to deep and lasting unity in diversity.

John 13:31-35 How far does your love reach?  We all have limits to how far we'll go for someone else—comfort zones we prefer not to cross. Today, Jesus shows us the kind of love that has no boundaries or limits. We'll discover how Jesus' radical, limitless love—revealed through the cross and resurrection—not only saves us but also transforms our own capacity to love others. Because he...

John 10:22-30 Can you really trust what Jesus says—even when his promises seem almost too good to be true? This week, we explore why believers have every reason to trust Jesus completely, Jesus' words aren't just comforting—they’re trustworthy and life-saving!

John 21:1-14 Most people know what a difference a pair of glasses or contact lenses can make. Things that were blurry and unclear come into sharp focus as quickly as you put them on. Life becomes easier (and safer) to navigate. Jesus' resurrection is like a pair of glasses for us. If Jesus hadn't risen life would be an uncertain and blurry place, devoid of real meaning. But Jesus has risen...

Colossians 3:1-4 The eggs, chicks, baby bunnies, and flowers at Easter aren't just cute mascots. They teach us something about what happened on Easter morning. Jesus rose with new life! Because he rose, you have a brand new life too!

Galatians 3:10-13 All humankind should be under a curse. Even though God's law promises a path to heaven, its demands are too great for anyone to achieve: constant faithful perfection. On Good Friday, Jesus offered himself as the sacrifice to pay for all of our failures to achieve perfection. He willingly took the curse that we had earned on himself, for no other reason than his love. Now, ins...

Jeremiah 31:31-34 You were born locked in a contract with God. Obey him, be completely perfect, and he will love you and bless you. The problem is that this contract is impossible to keep! You can't be perfect like you are supposed to be for your end, so you can't expect God to love you and accept you either. That's just the deal. Holy Thursday provides us an opportunity to celebrate the new coven...

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the final week of Lent, Holy Week. In worship this week we observed a tradition called “Passion Sunday.” Since we don’t have the midweek Lenten services in which these sections of Scripture are usually read, Passion Sunday gives us the opportunity to hear, in one service, all the events of the final week before Jesus’ crucifixion. For those unable to attend this...

Philippians 3:4b-14 Have you ever wished that you suddenly discovered that you had something super valuable just lying around the house? Reading Paul's words to the church at Philippi leads us to realize that we have the greatest treasure ever–it's just not where we might always think to look!

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 In a story about two sons, we learn a lot more about the love of the father.

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!