Welcome to Good Shepherd!
Whether you are new to the area, the United Methodist Church or new to being a Christian, there is something here for you.

We glad you have chosen to spend a few moments discovering our church family. As we describe Good Shepherd to people, we use words like...Belong...Believe...Become.

We are a group of people devoted to showing radical hospitality, having passionate worship, becoming fully devoted followers, serving together in mission, and giving extravagantly. That means we love people where they are no questions asked. Our hope is that all people will feel loved and belong at Good Shepherd.

And once here, we pray that you will meet God and as a result of meeting God, give your lives to Jesus Christ. We want that for you. Come as you are. Check us out. Come home.

And now the 40 days of the Lenten season began as we gathered on Ash Wednesday. This Sunday is the first Sunday of Lent and we will have ashes once again from those who were unable to be there. The purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer for Easter through prayer, doing penance, denying the flesh, repentance of sins, almsgiving, and denial of ego. On Ash Wednesday we heard the words of John 3:30 He must increase so I must decrease.

Lent is a time of preparation to encounter Jesus once again in the last days of his life and his triumphant victory over death giving us new eternal life on Easter. To increase Jesus in our lives and let ourselves decrease.

Our main focus during Lent will be based on a new book by Max Lucado, the writer of Before Amen, which everyone found so powerful in the fall. His new book is Jesus: The God Who Knows Our Name. Join us and Max Lucado as he explores the journey, life, and character of Jesus.

dyk?: And Max makes a point that I had never thought about and maybe you hadn’t either. Because the rest of that verse says in the wilderness for 40 days, being tempted by the devil. And maybe and probably that Jesus didn’t just face temptation for one day out of those forty days but all 40 days.

pj point: And remember from the beginning of Luke 4 that God knew what God was doing when the Holy Spirit sent Jesus to the wilderness. Satan didn’t come to the desert looking for Jesus. Jesus was sent their looking for him. And it was in the wilderness that the devil tempted Jesus with things that looked like faith but played on his fears

pj point: As one of my friends said It’s like we are mocking one another saying, surely if you took the risk of meeting God would save you. The faithful would come to no harm. Remember 2 Timothy 1:7 also says given us a sound mind. And what we shall do as people of faith? We prepare and protect where appropriate...follow our God on faith...and make sure we don't forget the faithful.

pj point: Satan didn’t denounce God, he simply raised doubts about God. Is God’s work and word enough? That is the attempt that evil makes in us. To shift our source of confidence away from God’ promises and toward what we can do with our own power.

dyk?: Do what Jesus did. Rely on scripture. Doubt your doubts before you doubt your beliefs. When Jesus told Satan, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God Matt 4:4. The verb proceeds literally means pouring out. Max suggests that God is constantly pouring out and communicating with the world through God’s word.God is speaking still.

pj point:That root is the source of the branches being It brings life from the soil to the branches. And Jesus is saying I am the real root life Max says. If anything, good comes into our lives, Jesus is the conduit. And who are we…we are the branches. We bear fruit even in times like this .

pj point: How do we bear fruit Max asks? Try harder? No hang tighter. Our assignment is not fruitfulness but faithfulness. The secret to fruit-bearing and anxiety-free living is less about doing and more about abiding. We are going to have to abide during this time more than ever. In this passage in John Jesus uses the world abide 10 times in 7 verses. That seems pretty important to him and what Jesus wants for us.Our goal needs to be right now not so much bearing fruit but staying attached and holding on for dear life in this crazy chaos of COVID19.

pj quote: Hold the hand of the One who does, and to never, ever let go.

pj point: Their victory was over another disease, a virus that is every bit as deadly and contagious: the unseen contagion of anxiety. Kent and Amber were prime candidates for panic, yet they reacted with the same resolve that enabled them to battle Ebola. They stayed connected to the vine. They resolved to abide in Christ. Kent opened his Bible. Amber meditated on hymns. And they filled their minds with the truth of God.

pj final point: Keep Calm wash your hands and worship God wherever and whenever you can. God is with us. We are not alone. Thanks be to God.