Shepherd Of The Desert Podcast

November is here!  This month, as the days get a little shorter and the weather a little cooler, here at Shepherd we focus on Ephesians 5:20 ~ "Give Thanks In Everything".

Join us for our Reformation Day Sermon from Pastor John.

Do you know the best car brand? Or the most caring pediatrician? What about the best neighborhood? We love to tell people about the great things in life, especially when it comes to things that matter to us. Can we harness that same passion of sharing great things and use it to share the GREATEST thing, our relationship with God our Father? Join us as we explore what it means to go with Jesus on His mission to tell the world about God’s love!

Nobody likes it when a church talks about money - but Jesus talked about money A LOT in His ministry on Earth! What can we learn from our generous God who gives us everything we have? Jesus teaches us how to see the world and our neighbors as targets for our generosity in time, talent, and treasure. When we give our money, it no longer threatens to guide our decisions and endanger our faith. 

Have you ever asked, "what will I get out of it?" when someone approaches you with an opportunity to help them? It's easy to always be thinking about what will get us the best perks, the strong reputation, the high credibility. But as Christians we are called to put ourselves lower on the list. Jesus helps us to think more about how to help others, than about what might be the best for us. Worship with us as we explore the challenge of serving!

We live in a world built around doing things. What will you do to accomplish your goals? What are you going to do in the event of crisis? What are you doing this weekend? As followers of Jesus, though, before we can "do," we are called simply to "be." Come to worship this week to learn more about "being" with Jesus!

Welcome to Worship!  Join Pastor Zach Zehnder for week one of the Red Letter Challenge.  

Readying ourselves for the Red Letter Challenge here at Shepherd. We are not the first to do this. Not just because over 100,000 Christians have engaged this study, but, as Jesus prepared to leave this world through the doorway of his death on a cross and resurrection from a hole in a rock, his disciples had to decide on what place his "red letters" would play in their lives. These red letters, the color of typeface marking the words of Jesus in many Bibles, are the foundation of faith and give rise to the whole of the Church. Are you ready to grow as a red letter Christian?

The book of James is a difficult read - it challenges us to live out our faith in the way we treat the people around us. Caring for the poor, advocating for the widow and the orphan, caring for the alien - all of these responsibilities fall on the Christian individual. How do we handle these tough instructions even in our imperfect state? Come to worship to unpack the beautiful relationship between our faith and the good deeds we carry out! church/blog/

What do you remember about Preschool or elementary school? Even though we learned simple things at that age, those lessons changed our lives and taught us how to be who we are! God's Word has a similar, life-changing and transforming power. It convicts us when we falter in weakness, but it restores us and our hope in him through Jesus! Join us for digital worship as we explore what it means to be transformed by God's Word!

Traditions - we all have them. Even the most free-spirited, spontaneous persons have some traditions, some habits or patterns of behavior that give a sense of order to their lives. Religious traditions can help or frustrate a Christian's walk with God. Pastor Scott tackles religious traditions in light of Jesus' challenging words to religious leaders neck-deep in tradition in Mark 7. 

The fall is upon us, and we are jumping into new things! Ministry opportunities abound, school is starting up again, students are back in class and calendars are filling up! Even in these hectic and exciting moments, God calls us to ask the question - is this leading me to Jesus or away? Join us in hearing from Joshua 24 about clinging to that which pulls us toward Jesus and letting go of that which pushes us away.

There are times when the Christian church just calls it like it is... this is one of those Sundays. Character matters and the character God expects from his followers is unrelenting. This weekend Shepherd studies the call of God in Paul's letter to the Ephesians, especially the call to be gracious to others, kind and humble.

What does it mean to live in a mature faith? The apostle Paul helps us to see past our immaturity and dig into a deeper realization of the gift of faith God gives us through Jesus. Gentleness and peaceful talk guide the life of a mature Christian. Join us in worship this week as we hear about how God provides for His people through the church in the development of mature faith.

Jesus is The Answer: Life throws a lot of different situations at us. When we walk with Jesus, though, we don't have to let fear guide us in those various circumstances! Instead, faith in Jesus as our One Compassionate Lord leads us to step into whatever comes our way in confidence. We might still struggle in our beliefs, question our convictions, but with Jesus our faith is rock solid because he is The Answer to whatever is in front of us!

When we know who Jesus is, it changes how we see the world. Jesus is our Lord, he teaches and cares for us, he is The One who connects us to God the Father, and he calls us to see the world with compassion just like him. Compassion pushes us to sympathy and care for one another - hear how God calls you to compassion this week in worship!

The internet is everywhere, are you thriving online? Do you have confidence in the online presence of your children and their friends? Do you feel safe online yourself? Listen in on this powerful and informative conversation between John Karolus and Shane Watson from notMYkid.  NotMYkid is an organization aimed at inspiring positive life choices for youth. Their comprehensive approach to education allows people in all stages of life a chance at having a positive effect on the world around them.  From internet safety to bullying prevention, with strong support for families impacted by addiction, notMYkid aims to help people in many situations. 

This week in digital worship, we continue our mini worship "series within a series" and explore more from Mark 6 and that Jesus is _________ ?  

July 4th is a civic holiday that falls on a Christian holy day. Today we look forward to thanking God for our nation and the freedom history has afforded us through it to worship with a clear conscience and magnify the Lord Jesus Christ. We'll peer into Mark 6 and think of our "hometowns" where we speak a word of peace and a vision of hope found in Christ alone.