Shepherd of the Hills - Winchester VA

Mark 6:30-34 When we look at the world, we see people who are our enemies, who are burdens, who are more trouble than they're worth, who are lost causes. We struggle to minister to them because we're selfish and self-righteous. When Jesus looks at the world, he sees people who are like sheep without a shepherd. It fills his heart with compassion and love. Meaningful ministry is motivated b...

Titus 1:5-9 We naturally distrust self-appointed authorities, and easily question anyone who presumes to speak with any authority. We put them under the microscope and ask, "What gives you the right to say that to me?" While it seems nice to say "to each their own," or "let's agree to disagree," this thinking has led to a world where everyone has their own truths...

Ezekiel 2:1-7 Christians have the greatest news to share: There is forgiveness, life, and salvation in Jesus! You might expect such wonderful news to be received with joy, eagerness, and thanks. More often than not, however, that is not the reaction Christians experience as they share the life changing gospel that means so much to them. Instead of joy and thankfulness, they're met with rejecti...

Mark 5:21-24a; 35-43 What might cause people to drive more recklessly, to spend more time tanning in the sun, and to be more aggressive toward people who don't share their world view? It's not lead in the water. It might be the fear of death. Some social psychologists believe that the fear of death doesn't just effect our lives, it might sub-consciously be the main driving motivation b...

Mark 4:35-41 Assuming there is a god, there seem to be only two logical conclusions that explain the evils we face in the world. Evil happens because either God doesn't have the power to stop it, or because he just doesn't care enough to be bothered to stop it. Jesus' actions one night on the Sea of Galilee show that neither is true. The "top-down" faith God has given us allo...

Mark 4:26-34 All the great nations of earth have a lot in common in how they were established. It was force, conquest, power, wealth, and strength that built them. We might expect the greatest kingdom of all–God's kingdom–to grow with similar power and strength. In two short parables, Jesus turns our understanding of how an empire or kingdom is grown upside-down. God's kingdom grows in see...

Genesis 3:8-15 From any outside perspective it looked like the devil had won. Adam and Eve had taken his word to heart and chose to disobey God by eating the forbidden fruit. Their act of defiance had driven a wedge between them and God. Thousands of years later, on a hill, it looked like the devil was victorious again. The corpse of the Son of God–Eve's promised offspring–hung on a cross. His...

Romans 8:12-17 Being a member of one family as opposed to another seems like luck of the draw. You might be born with the silver spoon in your mouth. You might be born into abject poverty. Today, on Holy Trinity Sunday, we see that the Triune God himself adopts us into his own family. It's no stroke of luck. By God's grace, we're his children, co-heirs with Christ, empowered by the spi...

John 15:26-27; 16:4b-11 Even before he died, Jesus was busy preparing his disciples for the time when he wouldn't be with them physically. After his ascension, they had to adjust to a new reality–one that today's Christians have known as their entire existence–life in a world without Jesus physically present. Even though Jesus ascended back to heaven in glory, he promised he would not leav...

Ephesians 4:7-16 Goodbyes are hard, and usually not a cause for celebration. The one you love is going to be far away, and you'll miss them, and all the good they bring into your life. When Jesus ascended, it was a serious goodbye. It was the end of his earthly ministry, and never again would his disciples and followers get to see him face to face on this earth. It can seem like he is awfully...

John 15:9-17 The entirety of God’s Word can be summed up in one word: love. God’s Law is all about love:  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart…”  and  “Love your neighbor as yourself”  (Matthew 22:37,39). The gospel is all about love:  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…”  (John 3:16). From his compassion for the sick and broken, to his sacrificial death on the cr...

John 15:1-8 Our beliefs influence our actions. Believing in a Savior who rose from the dead changes how Christians think, speak, and act. Our faith is more than a simple belief system, though. It's a connection to a deeper power, power that doesn't just inspire our actions, but motivates and drives them!

1 John 4:1-6 On Good Shepherd Sunday, we celebrate the comforting fact that our Risen Savior is our Good Shepherd. Even though there are countless contradictory voices clamoring for our attention and claiming to have truth from God for us, our Good Shepherd raises up faithful under-shepherds to bring us his gospel in Word and sacrament, and equips us to distinguish between faithful messengers, and...

1 John 1:5-2:2 The world is full of darkness. The ugly truth we have to accept is that we're not just victims of the darkness, we're perpetrators of it too. However, when we face the truth and stop denying, we find wonderful news. God has a solution for us and for all the world! This news is better than any empty platitude or meaningless motto. This news gives lasting hope both now and for...

John 20:19-31 When things seem too good to be true, they usually are. We have to look for proof to know whether or not good news is worth believing. Jesus' resurrection (for which there is plenty of proof) is the proof that we can believe the unbelievably good news that we have peace with God!

Job 19:23-27 The film director Woody Allen once said, "I'm not afraid to die, I just don't want to be there when it happens." Studies have shown that most people fear death to varying degrees. This fear is so common that there is even a field of psychological study called thanatology. It examines human reactions to death and dying. One of the biggest reasons people fear death is...

Today we're observing the Sunday of the Passion. It's a Palm Sunday tradition to read the entire account of Jesus' passion from one of the Gospels in preparation for Holy Week. Today, as we read the Gospel of Mark, we'll see real strength displayed in our Savior as he endures suffering for us. Fixing our eyes on Jesus is in turn what gives Christians themselves their strength.

John 12:20-33 It's natural to assume that Christianity is just like every other religion: just one brand of rules and thoughts about good living among many, demanding commitment and devotion from its followers. There's some truth to that. Christianity is about commitment, and it does require devotion and commitment to be a believer, but that's not the commitment that the Christian fait...

Numbers 21:4-9 Whether they call it sin or not, every religion has the concept of sin. That means every religion proposes some solution. Outside of Christianity, those solutions boil down to the same basic ideas: Try harder! Make up for it! Just deny it! God offers us a solution to sin that might not make sense to our minds, but one that he promises will actually work.

John 2:13-22 Person A never attends worship. He can’t see the point. Person B attends every week out of a slavish sense of obligation. She’s there, but her mind wanders off during the services because she views the activities of worship merely as required tasks for her to complete. Who is worse off? Rather than debating the point, maybe we can just admit that neither person A nor B really understa...

Mark 8:31-38 It would make sense for us to assume that choosing the correct religion means that we should have less suffering and discomfort in our lives, but today Jesus challenges us to rethink that assumption. As awful as it was, it was necessary for Jesus to go to his cross to redeem us. As unpleasant as it can be, it is a necessary part of following Christ to be willing to carry whatever cros...

Genesis 22:1-18 This Lent we are examining some of the assumptions we might be guilty of making when it comes to religion, even our own. “If God loves us, why doesn’t he remove all the trials and tests and temptations that we face?”  That question demonstrates the religious assumption that those things are bad. The truth is, they’re not. In the hands of a loving God, they are tools by which he ref...

The potential promotion at work. The third date, which will signal if there is real potential in this relationship. The test this Friday, which will determine if you make honor roll or not. The game on Sunday with the playoffs on the line. So many things compete for our attention! It’s easy to think of religion as just another of many activities to cram into our schedules. Sometimes, perhaps, the...

Mark 9:2-9 Do we take it for granted that Jesus is God? Do we realize exactly the magnitude of this truth? It should terrify us that all the glory of God belongs to Jesus as true God, but because of his love, we don't have to fear. Instead, we find joy and hope even in the darkest times when we see Jesus' glory on display.

1 Peter 5:6-11 It's important to know your own strength! As we learn more about Jesus we learn more about ourselves as well. When we look at Jesus, we see our strength.