A glimpse at Sunday services
to come … and past messages
December 15, 2024
Ready to Be an Ambassador?
Good morning, faithful flock! Ten days and counting until Christmas morning, but fear not. The light has dawned and life has come, and if you are reading this message the Lord has your attention.
Yesterday a word and concept hit me afresh: Ambassador. It’s biblical and political. In terms of faith, to be an ambassador is to embrace and represent the message, method and character* of Jesus, and to take His kingdom into some hostile places, all the while exhibiting His graces.
(*If you are regular reader of author Paul David Tripp’s NMM—New Morning Mercies—you will recognize this language from his December 14 entry.)
As an ambassador, there is a swearing-in ceremony, which I found instructive in a world where we are often sworn at rather than sworn in!
If you are curious, tune in for a Sunday of songs of the season, and teachings on the truth for which Jesus was born to testify (paraphrased from John 18:37).
Grace and peace,
Pastor Jay
Updates:
December 8, 2024
TNT—More Treasure in Surprising Places
Good morning friends and followers of the Shepherd. I hope that this email finds you well and full of light in the midst of the darkness of the season of the year, and of trials and travails in our world. I also hope that you save your local appetites for the lunch and gingerbread craft tables at COGS after worship today. Even if you have overlooked this opportunity, there will be plenty, so fret not and come hungry.
Today’s message stays in the powerful “TNT”—the Time Now to Trust realm of 2 Corinthians. We will also revisit the ”Principles of the Path,” and resume our exploration with this potent promise:
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NIV)
That’s easier heard than lived, right? Do your troubles feel anything but light and momentary? Does your burden instead feel heavy and eternal? You are not alone, and I invite you to come and see.
Come and see:
Mary, Joseph and their infant son go down the path beyond Bethlehem to Jerusalem to meet two who will encourage and bless their journey.
Paul, who will reflect on his troubles with an expectation that as a co-worker with God he who has nothing possesses everything.
Yourself in a mirror faced with the question from 2 Corinthians 6:3: Am I, a servant of God, putting a stumbling block in the path of another’s path?
Heavy questions with weighty answers that by God’s grace bring light and joy to life. See you soon!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Updates:
December 1, 2024
Let Us Give Thanks
Ongoing blessings during your Thanksgiving weekend! On Sunday, December 1, we embark on the road toward Christmas. We will begin to celebrate in a fresh way the miracle of incarnation—God in a body coming to bring grace and truth and a tangible expression of His person, purpose and provision.
All of Scripture ultimately reveals that God is, God loves and God can be found. This is such a gift! But gifts sometimes come in strangely wrapped packages, right?
Our series out of 2 Corinthians continues in chapter 4, which reveals how God’s treasure often comes in surprising methods and moments.
I invite you to join us as we explore how we receive the intentional investment of the God of the universe and all eternity in our finite little worlds. It’s a big gift in a little package (think engagement ring).
Come for some unwrapping on Sunday!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Updates:
November 24, 2024
New Creations in Christ
Good morning friends and families in the COGS community (near and far). Grace and peace to you all this Thanksgiving week on your …
Travel plans
Table times
Trials and travails
Sorry to conclude that list with the heavy note. But, to repeat one promise of the Gospel that was shared upfront last week at COGS by Bo Brooks as he gave a message on 2 Corinthians 3:16: “The veil is lifted when we turn to God and in the Lord there is freedom.”
As I will share this morning, as “new creations in Christ,” we have freedom from fear and wounds of our past, and freedom for being agents of hope in the face of hardship.
Today’s fireside chat will challenge you and me not to be the turkey at the table of our Lord, as we are given the ministry and message of reconciliation. To reconcile is to take an action between two parts or parties that have lost their harmony or essentially are broken. Think of a lock and key as one example.
It’s a vital message, and I need it and am compelled to be an ambassador of the Lord’s mercy every bit as much as you are.
Can’t wait to gather.
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
P.S. Stay tuned for a follow up email on COGS opportunities and activities moving toward the Christmas season!
Updates:
November 10, 2024
More Love Letters From Christ
Grace and peace to all on the eve of this Veteran’s Day. On 11-11-1918, at the 11th hour, the armistice was signed to end the Great War (which we know as World War I), and a naive belief followed that this was the war to end all wars. Within 20 years a greater and more comprehensive conflict would follow. Even so, I—with you—am indebted to military veterans who have served for the cause of freedom. And I am fully aware that human wisdom about how to handle conflict is often misguided!
This all ties into the two passages that we will consider today at Church of the Good Shepherd, and in which I go back and forth in the fireside chat audio message (available for listening at the bottom of this post).
We will take up the triple-fret teachings in Psalm 37:1-9, as well as the six pockets of power in 2 Corinthians 4:1-6. There is such beauty and consistency in the totality of the Word of God, who calls us consistently into the light of His glory and grace, and as you will read and hear, to renounce secret and shameful ways. We are to be servants to a fretting world preaching not ourselves but the gospel of freedom, which transcends any and all earthly concerns and calamities.
If you trust the Lord, please read His love letter to you, and if you choose to tune in or attend, I promise to handle this treasure with care and reverence.
Hoping soon for a face to face!
Blessings to all,
Pastor Jay
Updates:
November 3, 2024
Love Letters From Christ
On this morning of Friday, November 1, I am straightening up a bit at home after Halloween last night, and after hosting 517 smiling faces (sometimes under ghoulish masks) for trick-or-treat in our local neighborhood of Smallwood! Jeanne and I had to call in the cavalry again in the form of seven supportive souls to help serve and encourage our guests over three hours. Once again, we experienced such joy as a cross section of Beaufort County paraded across our porch with almost universal cheer, thanks and well wishes. To say “Happy Halloween” is a slap in the face of our accuser, but makes our Lord glad as His people and image bearers act as ambassadors of kindness.
My hope for the next week is that you, the body of Christ and followers of Jesus—who is full of truth and grace—can smile as His love letters to a culture losing its mind and manners over another contentious and vital election. I use this language of “love letter” by design, as it comes straight from the quill of Paul or his scribe in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 (NIV):
You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
I confess to a temptation when dealing with someone at a point of struggle to recommend a book or something to read. (And there is no substitute for reading God’s Word). But many times, what is the best gift is a face-to-face with a friend, foe or fellow traveler to offer care and kindness. What would our world look like if that were our primary action in moments of contention?
Let’s explore this more on Sunday!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Updates:
October 27, 2024
The Fragrance of Christ
Get ready for a stinky Sunday! Our passage for the message this week comes from 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (NIV):
But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?
As you will note in verse 15, “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” Furthermore, from verse 14, we note that the aroma is of the knowledge of him—Jesus. It concludes, “And who is equal to the task?”
With that truth as a backdrop, we are going to pursue an aromatic inventory of how we represent our Lord and Savior to the world around us. This is always a high calling, but perhaps even more vital in another divisive election season.
Remember friends—our primary citizenship is in heaven, and one mark of godly and humble leadership is to be the non-anxious presence in the chaos of our culture. Because of your faith and trust in Jesus and his care for you—we are up to the task.
Come explore this more on Sunday.
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: View the Facebook Live stream of today’s worship service (you will need to log into a Facebook account for this).
October 20, 2024
… As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us …
Good morning COGS friends and families. It’s me again … sigh (wink!). I have heard from many of you, and rightly so, of the blessing of Jeanne’s message last week. She spoke about 2 Corinthians 1:1-11 on comforting others out of where you received comfort—and more specifically the nature of divine forgiveness.
That theme continues this week as we look at the nature of the enemy’s schemes and the power we have to outwit by forgiveness.
This is not the message that many of us want to hear or are ready to embrace. Your inner speak may be saying, “Forgiveness is okay in certain circumstances, but you don’t know my story.” This is partially true. I don’t know many of your stories, but I’ve extracted some consistent truth from the source that without forgiveness you will not have peace.
There’s more. The writer of Corinthians not only calls this the “forgiveness test of obedience,” but in another of his letters, Paul tells the Ephesians that they have a tool belt of armor to stand up against these divisive schemes. Don’t miss this essential encouragement on our paths.
If I had any doubts that this was the message to bring, it is reinforced by this brief teaching from friend and pastor Scott Sauls that I got today. Click here here to read his blog, “Why Loving Your Enemies is the Hardest—and Healthiest—Path.” It’s timely!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Updates:
October 13, 2024
Comfort for the Uncomfortable
Good morning friends and family of the Good Shepherd!. Buckle up today as we dive into one of the most assuring and weighty passages of scripture in the entire Bible.
2 Corinthians 1:3-11 is a call to be comforted, and to extend comfort in the worst of circumstances, especially those beyond our control. This is a call to be “hope with skin on” for others going through adversity. This is a reminder that you are not alone in your present and past challenges.
There will be some surprises and more. Trust the Lord this morning with your time and your trials.
Hope to see many of you soon!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Updates:
October 6, 2024
Grace and Peace This Sunday Morning
Did you know that the root word for dynamite came from a common reference point in our scriptures? Dunamis is a Greek word that means power. In the New Testament writings of Paul, this dunamis power was the Holy Spirit power that raised Jesus from the dead, and yes—it is available for all who place their trust in the Gospel.
Furthermore, the abbreviation for dynamite is TNT, and you know me—that means an acrostic for the theme of this series we are resuming out of Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth!
TNT = Time Now to Trust
Of course I know that it is always time to trust. But between election infection, horror of Helene, and missiles in the Mideast, are we not at a very unsettled time where we need a reliable source of trust?
Today in the attached garden talk, and in the gathered worship at Church of the Good Shepherd, we will have a “trust talk,” and consider the source and certainty of the message of deliverance and hope in an equally troubling time.
Thanks for tuning in, and hope to see you soon!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Updates:
September 29, 2024
Grace and Peace This Sunday Morning, Friends and Families
As with most of our lives, events happen week to week that we could never have predicted or expected. Some are glorious, and others are catastrophic, and often it’s a mix.
This morning, I texted my dear friend and Pastor Richard White at Christ Community Church in Montreat, NC. There has been truly unprecedented flooding and damage following the rain from hurricane Helene late in the week. You all are seeing images from Asheville and Boone, and Greenville, SC, and so many other sites beyond our imagination. Hurricanes have different types of impacts in the mountains as we all are seeing.
Richard replied to me in this way:
Thank you, Jay. Disaster is the word for this region, but we are choosing to rejoice in God’s goodness and mercy. I’ll try to remember to keep you posted with links. At this time we have no power or water, and cell service is spotty. Assessing damages is going to take a long time. Grace to you, my brother. Thank you for praying for us.
Another friend and pastor, Rusty Douglas, who with his amazing wife Betty are neighbors in the mountains, has been texting us for the past three days with updates. Just minutes ago, he reported this:
We took a sponge bath using creek water in our shower yesterday, and poured a bucket of cold water on our heads! And then washed dishes in our little creek with the bear horn nearby, cause the bears have been so active lately. A regular pioneer couple! You cannot believe how much water went down Assembly Drive, it looked like a river. And that water is going to end up in Swannanoa, which some places were eight feet underwater there. It looks as if it’s going to be a minimum of weeks before we have either power or water.
There is such need, and such faith and resolve.
For this morning, I want to point you to Acts 3, which will be the text for the morning message at COGS. The theme once again is, “When we say yes, Lord.” The word from Acts is the familiar story of the healing of the beggar at the Beautiful Gate in Jerusalem.
I will be sending more reports from points west in coming days, but if you are motivated to give to a trustworthy entity, go with Samaritans Purse out of Boone, NC. Click here for the website.
My abbreviated garden talk was recorded in a home with friends sleeping, so I spoke much softer, and you will have to turn up your volume.
See you all soon!
Don’t lose hope, and ask yourselves: “What good reason to I have to be anything but joyful today.”
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Updates:
September 22, 2024
The TNT of Jesus
Good morning, friends. I am so excited about worship today and leaning into a new series of messages out of 2 Corinthians. I am working on coming up with a catchy title to the series, but all I have so far is “TNT”—Total Name of Truth—just powerful.
Today we go into chapter 1:18-23, in which Paul writes that Jesus is the “yes” to the promises of God.
Future weeks will feature themes like:
Comfort for the uncomfortable
Standing firm against evil schemes
What’s that smell?
Love letters of life
Treasure in surprising vessels
And that’s only four chapters out of 13! I welcome your input on future messages
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Updates:
September 15, 2024
COGS Homecoming Lunch and Worship Plans
Sunday will be a busy day, with three opportunities for fellowship and faith for the flock of the Good Shepherd.
10:10 A.M.: Guest Speaker at Worship Services
Our wonderful friend and speaker, Jodie Berndt, will be here this weekend, along with her husband Robbie of 39 years (this Saturday is their anniversary). Jodie will have different messages in the morning and afternoon.
Her message for COGS on Sunday morning is: “Make Your Home in Christ’s Love.” You can view the flyer for more details.
After worship, be sure to stay and join us for our …
Homecoming Lunch
Thank you all for your goodness and hospitality! Already, 30 folks and families have signed up for lunch after worship services this Sunday. Grilled chicken will be the main course. Thus far plenty is on board, but if you would like to bring a dish to share, please see the signup sheet to review the offerings already promised, and RSVP via email at <jaycogs509@gmail.com>.
A couple of other needs:
Before worship, as you bring food for the meal, I need a handful of folks to help set up for lunch—putting out plates and flatware, and arranging for the spread to follow.
We will also need the room flipped again to the banquet hall.
5:30 P.M.: Guest Speaker at First Methodist Church
Jodie Bernt returns late afternoon on Sunday, when her message is: “Praying the Scriptures for your Family.”
The gathering is downtown at First Methodist Church, and has a modest fee (which COGS can cover if you can’t). For information on how to register, please click here.
Please try to make both of Jodie’s events. I can’t wait for a rich feast of truth and table this weekend!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: View the Facebook Live stream of today’s worship service (you will need to log into a Facebook account for this).
September 8, 2024
Good Morning, Faithful (and Patient) Flock of the Good Shepherd
I am a tad late with the garden talk today, but your God is right on time. I just came in from a chilly porch, having shared such a rich and encouraging and instructive Word from the kindness of the Lord (not from Jay)!
If you are in town today and coming to COGS, we are in 3 John—a little letter from John the elder addressed to a dear friend. In these power-packed 14 verses, we hear John’s heart and prayers for his friend, and his:
health
general life
condition of his soul
This is a pretty solid template for letter-writing. But once again, and hence the title for this two-part mini-series, the emphasis is that in addition to the letter, the writer desires a face-to-face.
In Exodus 33:11, Moses’s relationship with God was described as “meeting face to face as a man speaks to a friend.” How are we doing at “face to face”?
Another point of the letter today was to call out a man in the church who “loves to be first …” (3 John 1:9).
That line haunted me a bit because I love to be first in way too many things.
I hope that piques your interest in digging deeper today. If so, listen to the attached message with your Bible in hand, or better yet show up face to face!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s garden talk on this chilly September morning as he continues his face to face with the elder.
September 1, 2024
Good Morning, Friends!
Grace and peace to you all on this Labor Day weekend. May you find rest from whatever is making you weary, and may you find truth and encouragement from our Lord, who honors His promises to draw near to our cries and our broken hearts.
As September is upon us, I am offering up a mini-series of two messages entitled, “The Elder Wants a Face-to-Face.”
The inspiration for this attention-getting title is two short letters written by John the messenger (apostle) toward the end of the New Testament, called creatively, 2 John and 3 John. One is addressed to “the lady,” and the other to an acquaintance called “Gaius.”
This week we will delve into several aspects of this 13-verse letter, which made its way into the Bible, among them the:
Who? What? Where? When?
And, last but not least, the:
Why?
The message on the value of the face-to-face is in recorded form for you today, but please the find encouragement to be intentional in its teaching.
See you soon—face-to-face, I hope!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s garden talk early on this September morning as he dives into a new series.
August 25, 2024
The Path That Leads to the Feast
For the entirety of this summer, I have had the true joy of shepherding this flock down various paths of the Lord’s direction. We began with the longest chapter of the Bible in Psalm 119:105, with the promise that, “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path.”
Along this rich and meandering journey, we have come to crossroads. Jeremiah 6:16 reminded us that as we encounter daily crossroads, to walk down ancient paths, where we find rest for our souls.
This weekend the path takes us to a great wedding feast, but only after trials and tests. Our primary passage is from the book of Ruth. It chronicles the journey of a young widow and her mother-in-law on the road from loss and despair to redemption, renewal of hope, and ultimately, to the wedding feast of Ruth and Boaz.
At Good Shepherd, we will celebrate the marriage of Russ and Deborah at the close of our worship, to be followed by a great feast and celebration of holy union!
We also will be grieving as a dear brother in the church, Mark Hamblin, has walked this weekend with his joyful bride, Jan, through her earthly death and into the arms of Jesus. This is all part of the same story.
Jesus is our bridegroom, and we as the church are His bride. His sacrifice has made us beautiful, cherished, and chosen, and His love has won victory over sin and death.
Come and join in the feast for the ages!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s garden talk on this cool North Carolina morning as he approaches the end to the “Principles of the Path” series.
August 18, 2024
Psalm 18 on the 18th of August This Week
Sometimes numbers just line up, and this week’s “Principles of the Path” passage comes from Psalm 18, in which the Lord brings the reader fifty verses of hope in hardship. I have a deeply personal connection to this psalm, which I will explain this Sunday.
The exciting dymanic, however, of this week’s reflection on the Word of the Lord is that most of the insights came from the rows and not the pulpit on the platform. This week’s message will be crafted in large part due to a friend in the flock, who took the opportunity to let the Word of God speak to her.
A couple of teasers:
Reading scripture really is an adventure.
It is fun to see what God has done, and realize He is the same God today.
In Psalm 18 (ESV), verse 35 again talks about what God did for David:
Shield of salvation—we have that, too.
Right hand supported me—we have His support.
Gentleness made me great—God is also gentle with us.
In Psalm 18 (ESV), verses 20-24:
David sings about his relationship with God.
David gives this song to the choirmaster.
David wanted his community to know of his relationship with God and what God did.
Note that the introduction to Psalm 18 (ESV) reads:
For the music director, by the Lord’s servant David, who sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord rescued him from the power of all his enemies, including Saul.
What happens next is that the choirmaster taught this song to the choir to sing out about what God did. And they gave voice!
How do we give voice to our faith and His faithfulness? What is your song of rescue?
Come for choir practice this Sunday.
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s garden talk as he prepares to dive into Psalm 18:18 on August 18.
August 11, 2024
Choosing Light When It’s Dark
One of the greatest challenges of life’s journey is to choose light when all seems dark. When there is a light at the end of a tunnel of trial, the world says “it’s a train,” while the Word of God says “it’s a triumph.”
In this worship preview for Sunday, August 11, I have again posted the prayer path planned for COGS in order to remind you of the promises and perils of the path that we choose to walk.
Do you remember the overarching premise of this series of messages? It is: Direction, not intention, determines destination.
In one of the final installments of the “Principles of the Path” series, we go back to the beginning, Psalm 119, and look at the willful way the psalmist handles moments of direction in spite of downcast despair.
We see this in verse 25 (NIV):
I am laid low in the dust;
preserve my life according to your word.
Then again in verse 28:
My soul is weary with sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word.
And finally, in the resolution in verse 32:
I run in the path of your commands,
for you have broadened my understanding.
Choosing to live “according to your word” as we run in the Lord’s path seems to be the answer, right? We all know that such an endeavor sounds easier than practicing the discipline in real time!
Come alongside on Sunday and find the liberating light and life of the counsel of Christ, even and especially in dark places.
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s garden talk on this humd Sunday morning in eastern North Carolina morning as he explores the marathon of the path—the “Principles of the Path”—that the Lord shows us.
August 4, 2024
Good Morning, Friends of the Shepherd Near and Far!
The Lord woke me up a bit earlier than expected, and as such you have my “den dialog” message in your inbox before 7 a.m. EST.
The message is taken from Micah 4:1-5. This is an invitation for us to go back to the mountain of the Lord, which is rich in promises and peace for all who persevere.
An additional resource related to mountain travel is found in this wonderful story shared by author Richard Simmons III.
Finally, I determined that one reason the Lord woke me up two hours early today was to watch and listen to last week’s COGS worship, featuring a great message from my friend, brother and encourager, Bo Brooks. You can watch this as well on the COGS Facebook live stream (and recorded stream) available every week from the COGS website homepage.
Part of Bo’s message was a strong reference to this potent promise of Jesus in John 16:33 featured in the image to the right.
I hope to see many of you at 10:10!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s den dialog early on this eastern North Carolina morning.
July 28, 2024
Good Morning, Families and Friends of the Shepherd!
A hard but necessary question arises from our “Principles of the Path” passage today: Are we placing stumbling blocks in anyone’s path to the Gospel?
2 Corinthians 6:3-4 (NIV) reads:
We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses …
A corresponding—though thought-provoking—piece on confession is helpful. Take the time to read Glenn McDonald’s reflection, ”Coming Clean,” and come and gather at COGS, or your place of worship!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
July 21, 2024
Good Morning, Faithful Family and Friends!
Please listen to this morning’s garden talk, relating to “puzzling paths and the Lord’s presence.” Romans 11:33-36 and Isaiah 42:16 are biblical points of reference.
I really had fun with these powerful truths, and am sending a YouTube film clip that I reference, just to accent the message a bit!
Blessings to all of you, and see many of you soon!
Pastor Jay
July 14, 2024
Navigating the Storms of Life
This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Of course I plan to address the news, as we don’t live in a vacuum and the Lord uses everything.
Several weeks ago, in this summer series on “Principles of the Path,” I looked at the crossroads passage of Jeremiah 6:16. I spoke of the shots across the bow in our ships of life, and asked the two-part question: “Do we pay attention to warning signs, or, do we sail straight into hurricanes of our own making?”
Regrettably, in my journey and perhaps in yours, we choose a happiness quest over a truth quest and wind up in valleys of darkness.
Another shot heard round the world was a near miss yesterday. Other shots in the past were not. I remember from history the assassinations of Lincoln in 1864, and the Archduke in 1914 that triggered WWI. I remember the troubling decade of the 1960s and the assassinations of JFK in ‘63, RFK and MLK in ’68; and, attempts on George Wallace, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan in 1981 during my freshman year at UNC.
Why do these memories matter in light of the morning message? What is the path to peace? By taking out our adversaries?
Luke’s Gospel in chapter 1 contains the song of Zechariah, who is the father of John the Baptizer and ironically also a priest. “Zack” had lost his voice for nine months in a bit of a divine disciplinary move. When he regained speech at the birth of his son, John, his first spoken moment of note was a song, in which he lets the world know that the calling of his son is to point to paths of peace, and ultimately the Prince of Peace.
That’s my plan for the morning as well. Come and worship at COGs, or, listen from a distance. This is the day the Lord has made—what are you going to do with it?
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s garden talk on this humid eastern North Carolina morning.
July 7, 2024
Worship on the River at Griffins Beach
*UPDATE: RIVER SERVICE CANCELED*
Good Friday morning, COGS family and friends! Here’s hoping that your celebration of Independence Day is continuing into the weekend. Speaking of the weekend, here is a reminder that we meet at Griffins Beach on the river this Sunday, July 7 for 10:10 a.m. worship. Here is the link to directions.
There will also be loads of activities and water games for younger children. And, remember—parent night out at the church is next Friday, July 12.
On Sunday, we will celebrate that two young adults, Patrick Thompson and Besty Moore, have chosen to be baptized at the end of worship as a sign of their faith in following their Savior and Lord.
The Lee family is graciously leaving up a big tent and chairs from their celebration of the 4th of July, and we also have facilities on board for all who have too much coffee on Sunday mornings, like yours truly. So we will have shade, seats, and sanctuary.
Come casual and cool. Bring your own chairs if you want to, and feel free to linger for river time afterward into the late morning and afternoon. We are not planning a big lunch to follow, as too many of the prep team are on the go midsummer, but please bring your own lunch and snacks if you wish.
I will send reminders out tomorrow and Saturday as well so that you don’t show up on Market Street this Sunday.
Can’t wait for a unique and powerful Sunday morning on the river, where we will continue our “Principles of the Path” series, with this reading from Psalm.
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will 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 your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life and I
will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23 (NIV)
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s morning message no. 186 on this sultry July day.
June 30, 2024
Grace and Peace, This Simmering Sunday
As we gather this morning in person or in spirit, may you walk with the Lord in the cool of the garden and know how much He loves and cares for you.
In preparation for the message this morning, take a minute to read Psalm 25:4-11 and Philippians 3:10-14. And, know how excited I am to bring the good report about the selective memory of our heavenly Father!
Reminder for locals—river service and baptisms next Sunday, July 7.
Let’s all celebrate our freedoms this week. See you soon!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s continuation of his teaching series, “Principles of the Path.”
June 23, 2024
Good Summer Sunday, Friends and Families
The voice of the Shepherd today is calling us to stand, look, and ask for directions at the various crossroads of life. Week four of the “Principles of the Path” summer series takes us to Jeremiah, chapter 6, with the focus being 6:16. I can’t overstate the importance of the truth and direction contained in this teaching! And this is not just a “Jay” thing; it is a gift from on high and the Spirit who dwells within.
Today we lean hard into the principle of the path. Direction, not intention, determines destination. If you want to know how serious this principle is, read Proverbs, chapter 7—that’s enough of a teaser!
I am honored and thankful to walk these paths with you all.
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s talk from the laundry room on this steamy summer morning.
June 9, 2024
Not All Roads Lead to Peace
Listen to Pastor Jay’s talk amid the gardenias and chirping birds of his garden.
June 2, 2024
Principles of the Path—Part One
Listen to Pastor Jay’s garden talk on this lovely spring morning after his return from several weeks of travel.
May 26, 2024
Good Friday Morning, Friends
Grace and peace to you in advance of this Memorial Day weekend! “Memorial Day” by definition involves remembrance of things and people with instrumental impacts on us. In this nation, it was established in 1868 in the aftermath of the Civil War as a proclamation for Americans “… to observe Memorial Day by praying, according to their individual religious faith, for permanent peace.”
Over the course of my lifetime, my father was devout in his remembrance of the sacrifice of the thousands whose shed blood on various battlefields won our freedom. I invite you to practice this prayer for permanent peace by taking the wars with your soul, and with our nation and world, to the Prince of Peace. He alone has won for us freedom from the ravages of death, division, despair and devastation by his singular sacrifice on the cross.
This Sunday’s message comes from the Old Testament book of Esther in which one young woman saves her people from genocide through her courageous actions at the urging of her uncle, Mordecai. Please show up or tune in on Facebook for a memorable morning. The last three Sundays have been standalone messages on Hannah’s faith in Samuel, and the marvelous message that Tom Johnson delivered on Mark chapter 10 last week.
On June 2, I will launch a summer series called “Principles of the Path,” which will begin with Psalm 119:105—“Your word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my Path.”
Summer seems to be the season of journey, whether here in Beaufort County, or on road trips with family and friends. Locally we are considering the curating of an actual prayer path on the green acre behind the worship space. Please open the attached pdf file for a rendering of the proposed path, and the list of nine passages from the Word that relate to path principles. These will be the substance for the series of messages, and your participation is vital in the shared journey.
My summer plans call for missing only Sunday, July 28, and I can’t wait to be with you as we collectively and personally ponder our journeys of faith with Jesus, who never leaves us or forsakes us.
An invitation to you: There are three empty slots in August for path passages. If you have a suggestion, please let me know.
Deepest love and affection for you all this on last weekend in May!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
May 12, 2024
Friday Greetings From the Mountaintop
Jeanne and I and family experienced the richest of blessings over the past week in the celebration of our son Win’s marriage to Emily. And we had the gift of a follow-up week of rest and work before heading back home to Washington tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers, grace and support for us in all of this joy!
This Sunday, May 12, we—the COGS community—move forward in life and worship. We will consider the journey of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1-2, and her season of infertility, and subsequent season of surrender and praise as a mother. Hannah endured this horrible world of barrenness, accompanied by the scorn of a rival and the mocking of a priest, before pouring out all of the pain and petition to her Lord, who remembered her. It is a riveting account, which has application to all of us, and particularly to the journey of motherhood.
I encourage you to read the morning reflection entitled “A Mother’s Choice“ by one of my favorite writers, Glenn McDonald. In it, he explores the journey of a mother’s heart with the harrowing tale of Moses and his arrival in the biblical narrative, which, again, like Hannah’s story, addresses true trials and divine deliverance in surprising servants.
Last, for your delight and enjoyment, here is a little YouTube clip of children's perspectives on their moms.
Enjoy, and come and gather this Sunday. Can’t wait to be back together!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s talk from the laundry room on this lovely Mother’s Day morning, as he re-introduces Hannah, one of the most significant mother figures in scripture.
April 28, 2024
Family Matters
Glorious day of the Lord greetings, friends and family of the Shepherd! This morning in worship, we will consider the family matters addressed by Paul in his letter to us and the church at Ephesus in chapter 6:1-9.
This is a continuation of the series “Foundations of the House and Future of the Home.” The finale is next week on “Home Protection and Full Armor” in Ephesians 6:10.
See you all this morning, or listen to the garden talk, below.
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s garden talk, on a glorious Eastern North Carolina morning, as he explores the dual meanings of “family matters.”
April 21, 2024
The Mutual Submission Competition (AKA “Marriage”)
This week at Good Shepherd, we examine our heavenly bridegroom, Jesus, and consider His heart for His bride—the Church.
In less than two weeks, I will preside over the marriage of Win and Emily. Win is my son, and Emily is his beloved bride-to-be. As deep and devoted followers of Christ, I have invited them to consider which passage of scriptural wisdom will be read before their vows.
Of the myriad of wonderful selections, few choose the passage to be preached tomorrow—Ephesians 5:21-33. It is one of those readings that leads the cursory scanner of biblical texts to conclude that our God is a patriarchal tyrant, with no regard for the full expression of His image in woman.
Consider this verse:
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Ephesians 5:21 (NIV)
While this is not problematic in itself, the words are still laden with the perils of pride in the “who-goes-first” category.
The passage continues with counsel and commands for both husbands and wives, with the parallel understanding that husbands love their wives as Christ loved the church, and that wives respect their husbands. The essence of the teaching is that in marriages submitted to Christ, under His Lordship the curse is reversed.
Which curse? Genesis teaches that in the aftermath of original sin:
… [there will be] enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.
Genesis 3:15 (NIV)
Ya think?
So come and see, hear, and wade into the wedding waters with hope, encouragement, and abundant resourcing for our shared journey!
See you soon.
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s garden talk on this spring morning. Today he dives into marriage, taken in the context of Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus. You can prepare for services by reading Ephesians 5:21-33.
April 7, 2024
Walk Past Emmaus
Good morning lost but found sheep of the Shepherd!
We are a week past Easter, and I would be shocked if we have folks standing in the parking lot again this morning at COGS because there are no seats in the house. But as we all move forward from Resurrection Sunday, the power and the joy and the redeemed life of God remain a gift for unwrapping.
Today I move back into Ephesians, and specifically chapter 4:17-31, as we consider our walk past Emmaus and the principles for the path.
Paul uses the phrase “life with God” as a series of five or six points of contrast and comparison: from a path of darkness and impulsive immaturity, to the abundance and assurance of a life, where we put off the former things and put on garments of kindness, compassion and forgiveness.
The Emmaus Walk was a biblical record of a couple of confused disciples who encountered Jesus on Easter. Their hearts were warmed to the fullness of His Word for the walk. His call was not to be perpetual spectators, but rather to share in the journey. And that invitation remains.
Today part of sharing in the journey in-house at COGS will be to hear from Avril Havlin. He is a pastor with a mission called House of Hope to Central and South American women, specifically in this manner:
Who We Are
House of Hope was birthed out of the tremendous need to help young girls and women, trapped in brothels in Latin America experience transformation. We currently work in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Bolivia with day programs and residential centers to equip women spiritually and vocationally for a new life in Christ.
Mission
Our mission is the integration of women and their children into society, transformed through the power of healing and complete discipleship and vocational training within a safe, loving, and serving community.
Vision
To see women decide to follow Christ and leave behind sexual commerce; women who are transformed personally, economically, in their family life, and are fully equipped to be integrated into society.
Explore their shared website for yourself.
The power of Easter is not just for you or me—it is to overflow to our spheres of influence.
Hope to see you soon!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s fireside worship message on this chilly April morning. You can prepare for services by reading Ephesians 4:17-31.
March 31, 2024
The Saturday Before Easter of “Betweens”
Between the cross and the empty tomb …
Between defeat and victory …
Between death and life eternal …
I hope that this finds you in a place of peace, and with anticipation for a day of passion and celebration. Below are the highlights for Easter at COGS.
Please Bring to COGS
Any light breakfast items to share.
Flowers for the flowering of the cross.
Easter Schedule
6:45 a.m.: Ensemble sunrise service at Festival Park, downtown by the Estuarium. Practice of music this morning was amazing, and the simple service of 30 minutes is come-as-you-are. Bring a chair, unless you are okay standing.
9:30 a.m.: Light breakfast at COGS. Sausage and small pancakes provided, along with fruit and any goodies you care to contribute.
10:10 a.m.: Big Easter service at Good Shepherd. In the event of an overflow, we will open doors and fold out chairs into the parking area.
Directly after worship: Egg hunt for young disciples.
See you soon and often!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s Easter message recorded during services at COGS.
March 24, 2024
Following the King … to the Cross?
This weekend is Palm Sunday, when we remember Jesus as he entered the week a conqueror. He also and exited the week as a conqueror, but by a very different script than any of his followers or bystanders would have expected, even though he had told them multiple times what the Son of Man would endure.
God the Father has been so patient with us the children since the beginning of time. Jesus calls us to remember because we need regular checks to our perspective on our worth, in contrast to His worthiness on our behalf.
So, this weekend at COGS we have four young disciples—Logan, Erin, Blake and Ruth—who have journeyed for six months of table talk time considering the claims and the consistency of Christ. They will publicly profess their faith tomorrow, and remind us all on Palm Sunday that to follow Jesus is to come to the parade of Hosannas and to the pain of the cross, and to accept the sacrifice of our Savior as the moment in history that changes everything.
Come alongside, and read Psalm 118:19-29 and John 12:1-12 in preparation.
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s Palm Sunday message recorded on Saturday from the seashore.
March 17, 2024
Saturday Grace and Peace to You, Friends of the Shepherd!
Feel free to wear your green tomorrow, but no pinching is allowed for those who do not. Actually, I fear that we will all be covered in a glaze of mustard yellow pine pollen.
I don’t recall a recent overlap of St Patrick’s Day and Sunday, but I do know from history that this is not just a hallmark holiday, and also that Patrick had little to do with snakes or leprechauns. He was a prisoner for six years in Ireland, and escaped back to his native Britain only to have his faith in Jesus, which had been formed in confinement, lead him back to bring faith to his former enemies.
This story fits perfectly into the teaching of Ephesians 4:11-16. Come and see and sit and listen.
Also, take note—we will hit pause on the Ephesians series for March 24 and 31, which are Palm Sunday and Easter.
Special seasonal accents will include:
Maundy Thursday, March 28: Communion and foot-washing service at 7 p.m. Please see the three-minute YouTube video featuring the tender and classic Michael Card song “The Basin and the Towel,” which beautifully captures the essence of foot-washing from a Biblical perspective.
Easter Sunday, March 31: Sunrise community service, 6:55 a.m., downtown at Festival Park; and
Easter breakfast and egg hunt surrounding worship on Easter morning, which will also include flowering of the cross up front.
Love and blessings to you all!
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s table talk from his kitchen on this dark morning. For preparation, read Psalm 145.
March 10, 2024
Rainy Saturday Greetings Faithful Friends!
A friendly nudge and reminder that Daylight Savings Time returns overnight, which means the dreaded spring-forward event in which we lose an hour is at hand.
Redemption awaits tomorrow, as does another favorite section of Paul’s letter to us and Ephesus. Read Ephesians 4:1-6 about four huge imperatives for the follower of Christ. And oneness is the promise.
Come and see and hear what the Lord has done!
Also, next week for five straight mornings is the Youth Prayer Breakfast downtown at First Baptist Church with loads of familiar COGS faces. Click here to see the flyer.
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s table talk from his dining room on this cusp of spring. For preparation, read Psalm 46.
March 3, 2024
For This Reason I Kneel: _____
How do you fill in that blank? Paul the apostle begins Ephesians 3:14 with those five open-ended words.
For what reason do you kneel? By kneeling, we show honor, humility, and impactful intent. It is customary to kneel in:
A marriage proposal
A plea to a higher power whom we trust
Desperation
Knighthood before a king
Prayer
Paul’s reason for kneeling is a plea before God the Father from whom he believes that every family derives its very name. And the plea is for a triple dose of power for you and for me.
Has his prayer been answered for us? Do we have power as a foundation for life and faith?
Plug in on Sunday to stay current!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s weekly talk from the echo chamber of his kitchen on this springlike March morning, as he continues his exploration of Ephesians.
February 25, 2024
Mystery Made Known
Some of you are fans of mystery novels, movies and other media. From Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys, in our youth the mystery genre was and continues to be widely popular. I think you will agree with me, however, that the last place you want a mystery is in the foundation of your house or faith.
As a realtor, I’ve had numerous home purchases adversely affected by the discovery of a negative mystery matter in the foundational crawl space that affected the structural integrity of the home, and literally brought the house down in value and desirability.
This week we explore the first half of Ephesians, chapter 3, where Paul uses the phrase “mystery of the Gospel” or “mystery in Christ” four times. Are we to assume that God wants to remain hidden and unknown? Does he require followers and seekers to acquire a treasure map or bring in a magnifying glass in order to discover His treasures of truth?
Paul says—and we receive a resounding no—that God does not want to be hidden, or His ways and plan to be unclear!
The big revelation in Ephesians 3 is that the house that God has been building gets a huge addition, which has been planned from the beginning. The draftsman of the blueprint and architect of the expansion is none other than Jesus, the Christ.
In historical and theological terms, the expansion people for whom there is room in the Father’s house are the non-chosen gentiles, and unless you have Jewish heritage, that means you and me.
Want to know more about this plan for a far greater house party? Come on Sunday, and we will see more about how the mystery was solved.
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s fireside chat on this chilly February morning, as he dives back into Ephesians after a week’s absence.
February 11, 2024
A House Built With Imported Materials
Most of you know that for the past 18 years, I have worn another professional hat as a residential realtor.
I don’t bring that up to self-promote my services, but rather to share that one of my points of reference in home-building is that in premier home construction, often wood floors can come from Brazil, marble from Europe, and tiles from the Mediterranean basin.
In our study of “foundations of the house” and “future of the home” in the letter to the Ephesian church, Paul the apostle (hear “messenger”) uses language of imported materials for the building of God’s house.
Consider this verse:
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:13 (NIV)
And these verses:
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 2:19-22 (NIV)
Premiere homes are not built with damaged goods. In fact, quality controls filter out cracked marble, termite-riddled hardwood, and fragmented tile, which are flagged as sub-par and discarded. God, on the other hand, specializes in remodeling projects using people otherwise rejected or disqualified. In fact, the Lord’s plans for citizenship and oneness as a human race are the essence of the other Lord’s Prayer—Jesus’s calling to the Father for oneness as recorded throughout John 17.
How do we fit into the construction of the house of the Lord? How do we filter fellow foreigners for whom Christ has lived and died?
These are vital questions in our knowing Jesus and sharing the journey. Come and see and bring hearts to hear!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s fireside chat on this balmy February morning. Looking ahead in the week, both Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day fall on February 14, which lends itself to an exploration of the nature of true love. Today’s Bible passage is Ephesians 2:12-22.
February 4, 2024
The Grace That Fuels the Race
As January wound down last week, my intent was to cover all of Ephesians 2:1-10, and then I didn’t.
To give you a glimpse into my inner speak, I had a solid nudge to linger in the early part of the passage. This is where Paul writes about the perils of the human condition in its disobedience and failure to actually lead the lives for which we were created. There is a pivot in verse 4, which reads: “But because of His great love for us God, who is rich in mercy …”
I want to run to mercy and move on, don’t you? I want the old playground handshake, when I have joined in the wild ruckus at recess and just say the big blanket “I’m sorry,” and then return to the scene and the repetition of the crime! I don’t want the consequences of sin, but I do want a fresh start to do as I please.
So back to last week in worship. I got to verse 4, and then recalled chapters 4 and 5 yet to come in Ephesians and found thorough and frankly disturbing lists of ways in which we wander. And as the mirror hung before me, I saw myself still in the middle of the mess I had made.
And thus we went into what I called “sin-ventory” mode, and I asked anyone listening to be thorough with our life’s evaluation and confession. I emphasized that the goal is not guilt and punishment, but rather to clear our frail and faulty foundations of life so that the Lord—the builder of the house—can mold and make us in His image to His glory and to our joy and freedom.
Alas, one week is not enough, so if you don’t want to hear any more about “the wages of sin is death,” and you don’t want to hear any more about rescuing grace, then best stay home or go to brunch.
If, however, you want to join in the triumphant procession of the redeemed, restored and rescued—then come on over to Market Street.
Just one beggar telling another where I found the bread … and then the bread became the King’s table set for you and me!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s fireside chat on this cold February morning, as he continues his exploration of Ephesians 2, two days after Groundhog Day. During services, he will reveal the wisdom hidden in the classic movie, Groundhog Day.
January 28, 2024
10 Verses That Say It All
We now come to one of those “if all you had was this chapter” passages, as we round the first lap of our New Year’s journey through Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church, and consider the foundation if offers and the future it promises. Here is how pastor, scholar and uncle of a man, Eugene Peterson, translates these extraordinary truths in his Bible translation:
He Tore Down the Wall
It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.
Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It’s God’s gift from start to finish! We don’t play the major role. If we did, we’d probably go around bragging that we’d done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.
Ephesians 2:1-10 (The Message)
January 28 is the day between the anniversary of my father-in-law’s death 11 years ago on the 27th, and my father’s death six years ago on the 29th.
We are not haunted by those dates because of the truth of this Gospel message. The promise is death to life, and it begins here and now!
Come and listen …
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s fireside chat on this balmy January morning. Today’s Bible passage is Psalm 19:1-14.
January 21, 2024
Preparing the Site and Restoring Our Sight
For the past two Sundays at Good Shepherd, we have pored over the first fifteen verses of Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus. We have extracted extravagant plans, promises and provisions of God the Father through the Son and by the Holy Spirit. This was and is Gospel good news, and freedom in fact.
We have also framed this conversation around foundations of our spiritual houses and personal lives. I have mentioned more than once the essential reality that a stable house cannot be constructed on shifting sands or faulty foundations.
Last week in fact I did a bit of meddling in the assertion that signs of faulty foundations in our lives can be but are not limited to:
Defensiveness
Pettiness
Impulsive behaviors
Ouch—right?
There are many amazing facets of God’s words to us in Scripture. Among them are narrative accounts of faulty families from the beginning, and the truth that can set families right and redeem broken pasts.
This week we will look into biblical history and see where the following are practices that persist, but that can be stopped under the powerful presence of the Lord:
Favoritism
Deceit
Consistent immoral behavior
You are not alone in the baggage from your past. Abundant life in Jesus is freedom from then for now. Let’s explore these promises together!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s fireside chat on this bitterly cold morning as he continues his exploration of the foundations of faith from Ephesians. Today’s Bible passage is Psalm 27:6.
January 14, 2024
Plans, Promises and Provision
A foundation is not built in a day. This is an obvious statement, whether I am speaking literally about construction or figuratively about footings for life.
More difficult yet is the process of foundation inspection and modification. For many of us, it takes crisis as a catalyst to change anything, and getting to the root cause is an action plan that many of us fail to pursue.
Author and pastor John Maxwell said,
“People change when they hurt enough that they have to, learn enough that they want to, and receive enough that they are able to.”*
The plans, promises and provision laid out in the early chapters of Ephesians offer hope and guarantees even of inclusion in God’s plans. They also ask for agreement and response.
As we continue this new (yet old) study in 2024, my prayer for us all is to be open to transforming truth and connective community, which continues to fulfill the abundant life that our Good Shepherd came and comes to bring.
Come and see, come and listen, come and trust the promises of the Lord!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
*Maxwell, John C. (2000) Failing Forward: Turning Your Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. p. 156.
Update: Listen to Jay’s fireside chat on this crisp winter morning as he focuses on the foundations of faith from Ephesians 1. Today’s homework is Psalm 27.
January 7, 2024
New Series: Ephesus Is Us
Happy New Year, COGS family and friends! For this Sunday and moving forward, we are launching into a series of messages based on the New Testament Letter to the Ephesians. The name for the series could be “Back to the Future,” but has a bit more specific title in:
Foundations of the House and Future of the Home
Ephesus Is Us
Over the past several years, many new faces from new places have come into this faith family. Consequently, we determined that it is vitally important to consider the foundations on which Church of the Good Shepherd is built.
Part and parcel to that foundation is the strength and counsel we draw from God’s Living Word in His Son Jesus, and in the divinely inspired record of His life and teachings that we find faithfully recorded in the Bible.
If you missed New Year’s Eve worship and have access to Facebook, please click here to watch Melanie Stoudt’s brave, beautiful and bountiful teaching testimony. It is a living witness to what COGS is all about.
A faith and family without foundations is vulnerable, as we all know, to floods and failure. But, you and I do not need to create blueprints or pour concrete of our own making to have a stable future! By grace, the work has been done by our Lord, but we must know these truths to be fortified with power for the future.
Come and see and hear this Sunday as we enter a new year without fear!
Blessings,
Pastor Jay
Update: Listen to Jay’s garden talk as he leans into a new message series inspired by Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus.
