Today in the Word for August 17-23
Today in The Word
Tuesday Aug 17, 2021
Have you found yourself believing that you cannot hear the Lord? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Jesus reminds us that he is the ‘Good Shepherd’ and as his sheep, there are things we can do. In John 10:3 he says:
“…the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”
We can hear the shepherd’s voice. We can hear Jesus because he is still calling us. And His communication is not a mass-marketed call. It is individual. He calls you by name. He is a personal voice to you specifically.
If you believe you are unable to hear Jesus, I have a question for you: are you a sheep? If you have accepted God’s grace to forgive you of sin and make you part of his family, then you are a sheep. And if you are one of the Good Shepherd’s sheep, then Jesus’ voice is speaking. And because his Spirit lives in you, you are equipped to hear his voice.
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Wednesday Aug 18, 2021
Have you decided that you are unable to follow Jesus correctly? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. The Enemy can condemn us, and by pointing out our mistakes, try to convince us that we are unable to follow the Lord, and therefore, we should give up.
But the Lord reminds us that he is the ‘Good Shepherd’ and we are his sheep. In John 10:4 Jesus states:
“” When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.””
We are the Lord’s sheep, and we can follow him! Several flocks of sheep might be kept together in one pen for the night in Jesus’ day. In the morning, the various shepherds would station themselves in front of the pen, and the sheep would sort themselves out to the voice of their proper shepherd.
It is the same with us. We can follow the Lord if we invest in listening to his voice. Resist the lie that you cannot follow. We can trust his voice enough to follow where he leads us.
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Thursday Aug 19, 2021
How can we protect ourselves from the seemingly spiritual false teachers of our time? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Jesus as our ‘Good Shepherd’ explains in John 10:4-5:
“...his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.””
There are a lot of fine-sounding gurus and messiahs and politicians and preachers out there. A lot of voices are telling us they have the answer to our questions. But Jesus urges us to spend time getting to know his voice. The more we invest in hearing the voice of the One who loves us the most, the more we become alert to false teaching. Just like those who work for the US Treasury who handle genuine money so regularly that they easily spot a counterfeit, time spent listening to Jesus’ voice is the best inoculation against being sucked in by the patter of the latest ‘holy man.’
As sheep who listen often to our Shepherd, we will wisely run to safety from the spiritual hucksters of our time.
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Friday Aug 20, 2021
Do you feel dried out? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. David sings to us in Psalm 23:1-3:
“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…”
We can keep giving out until we feel we have nothing left to give. Yet the ‘Good Shepherd’ wants to treat us like his sheep. He knows when we lack the refreshment and restoration we need. Trust and lean on your shepherd’s direction. He can help you draw rest and renewal from his care and love.
We don’t need to dry out or run on fumes. We can be restored by the shepherd who knows how to meet what we lack.
And that’s the Word. Tune in Sundays at 10:30 on the Deer Lodge Assembly Facebook page for our Livestreamed service or join us at the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in The Word
Monday Aug 23, 2021
Are you a squirrel or a sheep? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Squirrels are all twitch and chatter as they nervously hide their pine nuts here and there. Then they move them again or forget where they cached them. They know difficult days are coming and they know their survival depends on their frantic efforts. We are not squirrels, but the Good Shepherd’s sheep, as Psalm 23:4-5 states:
“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…”
As his sheep, we can know, even in the darkest times that the Shepherd is not going to leave us for a second. Even in hour before battle, we can peacefully eat in sight of the enemy, knowing that Jesus can protect us with his rod (or club).
Are you frantically running her and there trying to build a hedge against dark times, or are you trusting the One who will never leave and is able to protect? Are you a squirrel or a sheep?
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.