Kids Sermon;

The Lord be with you.

How many of you know what a shepherd is and what they do?

Well, a shepherd is a person who takes care of animals, keeps them from getting into danger, keeps them in places they can eat and drink, and it doesn’t just have to be sheep. They will also do everything in their power to keep those animals alive.

Now, how many of you have a pet? Dog or cat or bigger?

Does your pet know who you are? Do they come when you call them? You make sure they have food and water, right. Well then you’re a shepherd too.

Did you know that God’s son Jesus Christ is called the Good Shepherd?

We all know what Jesus did for us, right? He was being that Good Shepherd when he gave his life for our sins, so that we can celebrate his resurrection with him.

Jesus knows who we are, that includes you, me, this Church, and the whole world. He knows us by name!

So, listen for Jesus calling your name. “Child of God, come to me. For we know the voice of our shepherd because he knows us.

Adult Sermon

May the words from my mouth be from the inspiration of my heart, Amen.

As we listened to the 23^rd Psalm, what a peaceful picture comes to mind. Still waters to still my soul. My cup overflowing. Fear no evil. Your presents with me. I shall not want. What better diagram of Heaven could we ask for? Now I want you to pick out a word or a phase, close your eyes and listen to this Psalm as I read it again. No napping now.

Psalm 23

 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 

He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.

He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. 

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

Does this Psalm say something different to you now? So, how does the Lord Jesus Christ fit into being your shepherd now.

As we think about what was said in the kids sermon, how many of us are a shepherd?

The one verse that was missing in today’s Gospel lesson was verse 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me. How many of us know this and are being good sheep?

The sheep know whom to follow, the shepherd, but do we ever stop to listen for and to the Good Shepherd voice.

All the farmers know how to get their animals up to “the barn”. Some have a call others have a whistle while others bang buckets together. I know how this works, as a young kid wanting to ride one of our horses, could never go out in the pasture to catch one. I wasn’t the shepherd. However, after learning to use the bucket trick, tried to catch me one to ride. Didn’t work, wasn’t the shepherd! But, when it was close to feeding time. It worked but only for a time or two. Who said animals were not bright?

Now what do we hear from our Shepherd to come to Church? Is it the desire to come and worship, sing songs, hear the word of God, fellowship, and Holy Communion? What makes you decide to Church?

It just might be the Holy Spirit doing what it does best. Leading us to Christ.

Now what about us and listening to our shepherd, Jesus Christ. Do we ever take ourselves out of the rat race to listen? How many times have we just stopped and cocked our heads because we thought we heard something. Did you ever think maybe that was Jesus whispering in our ear?

I think the biggest problem today in our society is the personalized headphones, cell phones and texting, and other equipment that distracts us in our daily lives; we just don’t or just can’t listen or hear.

How can we find ourselves in a refreshing place to enjoy what God has created for us and listen to what is being said. I would like to see each and every one of us set a time and place every day to stop, enjoy, and listen. I know it’s hard to find that quit place, but think about what you might learn. You could even add this time to finish up your prayer time.

If you are already doing something like this, then try sharing that experience with someone else.

While your at it, try telling the Good News about Jesus Christ and what he’s done for us.

How ever I have been involved in studing to become what is called a SAM( Syondical Authorised Minister). In these studies I have been writting sermons and thought that I would share them with all who visit this site.

Any and all feedback would be welcomed.

In  Christ

Todd

My, my, my it seems I take longer to write then what I would like, but I feel I need to put something worth while for any to read.

Talk about a lop sided journey. I’m talking about this week for Jesus.

We start the week off riding a small donkey in a big parade through town on Sunday, have a Last Supper, pray so hard you actually have blood coming out of your pours, get betrayed by a friend, get arrested, get denied by your closest friend, have a court session with the Church Leaders on Thursday, and then, brought in front of the Roman Empire, beaten, mocked, whipped, made to carry your own interment of death, and put to death on the cross on Friday.

This is called Holy week/Passion week. Seems to me this was the week from hell. But this is where Jesus was supposed to be on Saturday, according to the Apostle’s Creed.

Something tells me the were no ice cubes on this trip…

Makes one wonder what could of happened on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday??

I’m sure if I’d go back and reread Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John I’d find the answer, but it’s never really been emphases on what occurred.

What did occur is this.

The Son of God took the cup that was passed to him from his Father. This cup was filled with all of our transgressions. Jesus did this for the sake of us all! In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed for this cup to pass, not of his will, but of the Fathers will.

God, in his very own special way, knew the time was right for all of the Old Testament Prophecies to be fulfilled. That the Lamb was ready, the world was ready, and the people were ready. It just seems that Gods chosen people, the Israelites, were not and still are not ready to accept that Jesus is the one.

Now, what is called Good Friday, Jesus is Crucified for our sins! Not his sins, BUT OURS!!! He does this willingly, for he knows what will happen. It takes some of those who followed Jesus until the day after the Sabbath to find out what has happened. It takes some of the Disciples till the end of the day to figure it out, and one doubting Thomas a visual to understand.

What is there to understand? The fact the Jesus did something that only the Son of God could do. What’s that you say? Jesus defeated death! Yes, he has been resurrected, brought back from the dead, has been redeemed, and last but not least, kicked Satan’s butt!!

Thus we now celebrate this day and call it EASTER.

And you all thought it had to do with a gene modified rabbit who brought in the eggs!!!

Till next time

Yours in Christ

Todd

As we try to make time for all there is to do in God’s plan, I’ve noticed these never enough “time” to do all we want.

Take for instance, this summer.

I took a journey to a program from the South – Central Illinois Synod, the Northern Illinois Synod, and the Metro Chicago Synod called Leadership Lab. This program is designed for young adults, from freshman in High School through College, along with older adults to teach, show, and provide guidance to become leaders in the Church and in life.

This was my first time going to this lab (older adult group), but not as a student, as a guider/teacher. Boy did I learn something..

As we go through life, we are challenged to learn/adapt to the world, people come into our lives who make us see things differently. I had the great opportunity to “adapt” at this Lab by all the people I met.

What made me “adapt” the most, was the group of “kids” I had the opportunity to learn from. It’s amazing what one can see about the world when one sits back and watch and listen. Here I thought I had started a good Faith Journey, but these “kids” have passed me by. It was great to see that when all we hear about is doom and gloom about how the Church is dieing. Well, with this group (Daddy Rabbit) the Church is very much alive!!

It just amazes me how when a group of people who all have been “in” the Church, can have such a grear time with total strangers.

How interesting it was to was all these peolpe come from diffrent areas in a State, diffrent Church upbringing, and diffrent lifestyles to look at each other on Monday. Watch them through the week and then on Saturday, act like they are lossing the best friend for live…

I hope and pray that all those involved, keep each other in mind each night as they say their prayers, and try to stay in touch.

I see that two people from “Lab” have signed up as members, I hope that they add to the jopurney.

Now, hopefully next insalation won’t be 10 months from now!!!

Till next time

Yours in Christ

Todd

Now, for the tough question! How many know what the best Christmas present there is?

Give up?

Well in my humble opinion. Christ, himself, is the present we all should have jumped up and down for JOY about.

How many kids today don’ even know what the true meaning of Christmas is all about? But think all December 25 means is presents under an evergreen tree and what goodies am I going to get.

I hope that I’m getting the true message behind Christmas, too my kids.  I hope that thy just don’t think, well, we gotta go do some sort of show at Church again.

That the Christmas Tree, the songs sung, and the gifts exchanged all have a part in trying to understand what God did for us when Jesus came to Earth to become a human being. What it means when Jesus walked among us not as God, but as a human. When Jesus answered the call from above and became the most prefect sacrifice for us all.
What happened when Jesus died upon the Cross for our sins. What the meaning of the resurrection is all about and how Easter Sunday has the better present.

I hope that all who read this enjoy my ramblings and just might get something out of them.

May this day of Christmas find you with peace and joy.

Till next time.

In Christ
Todd

As we think like a child, we tend to do as a child!!

As a parent, this becomes more clearer every day!!

We try to teach our kids the right way verses the otherway(wrong) depending on which side your sitting on?!

I think that the most simple commandments are the ones we tend to forget.

The 1st; I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other before me.

How many of us have allowed another one before the Father?

Who, who read this blog, have let things of this world control them?

The story we were told about, you can not serve two masters. have we disregaurded, and are trying to serve the two!

Are we so wrapped up in trying too keep up with the Jones, we have left the important one behind?

But, let me pull back a little, and bring up one more of those easy songs, that as a kid I thought was great, “THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE”

 

If you have never heard of it, or have forgotten.

This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine. This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine, Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Hid it under a bushel, NO, I’m going to let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel, NO,. I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

I’m pretty sure there’s a third and fourth verse, but CRS has set in!!!

How easy it is for us to hide under a bushel, not let it be known what we believe in, and to speak out against what we know to be wrong.

Well I hope that this story and others to come, as time permits, will let my light shine, so other might see the way.

I hope this isn’t the blind leading the blind…

But, I know my path, and yeah tho I walk threw the valley of death, NO FEAR GOT FAITH!!! ;~)

Todd

 

 

My faith journey start like this;

 

In a galaxy far far away. no wait, wrong start ;~D

I guess my journey begins way back to my Sunday School days of my youth. Vivid images of learning the stories of how God created everything there is, The story of Adam and Eve in the garden and how the whole plan was thrown out of wack with the bite out of the forbidden fruit. How sin came into the world and has grown ever since.

I remember the other stories as well, but the story that hit home is how God had his own son, Jesus Christ, become human, grow with us, be one of us, and then DIE on the cross for our sins.

I remember the songs we all just had to learn. Yes Jesus love’s me was one of the easiest and one that is hard for some people, I have learned, just can’t seem to grasp.

Because the Bible told me so… How many wonderful things has the Bible told us that we just can’t seem to grasp?

Maybe this is the reason Jesus gave us the parable of, unless you become like a child, to be abel not to question the why, just to accept what we are taught to do!!!

More to follow in part two.

Todd

 

Faith; noun 1. Belief in God, revelation or the like; as, soundness of faith; esp, orthodoxy in theology; in a practical religious sense, trust in God.

2. Fidelity to one’s promise or allegiance to duty, or to a person; loyalty.

3. That which is believed; esp a system of religious beliefs.

4. Complete confidance, esp in someone or something open to questuions or suspicion.

Wow!, that’s from the 1956 edition.

Looking on the internet under Faith, the def is still pretty much the same.

I have intended for this site to utilize the 1st def!! ;~D …

I would hope that other migth add their own ideas about

Faith Explained.

Till next time.

Todd

I would welcome you to sign up and post your own Faith Journey stories and any other thoughts about Faith; when, where and how you came to this site.

The way we have it set up, your post must be reviewed prior to being posted. This is to prevent any links or other non appropriate material, for this site is designed for giving Glory to God through your Faith statements.

Thanks for sharing.

Todd