Shepherd Of The Desert Podcast

Have you ever been so caught up in something that you can't get away? Distracted by some project or need that you feel trapped? The truth is, we all have a hard time escaping what has us under its control - and at the root of it all we find sin inside us. But Jesus has a plan for victory, accomplished in His own life and ministry, His death and resurrection. This freedom is ours through Him! Join us as we hear about this cosmic conquest from Matthew 12!

Have you ever been a part of something that took time as well as effort? This weekend we hear a very short story from Jesus with a very deep application into the way God works. Though we hear of extraordinary examples of miracles and conversions, it is important to remember how God works every ordinary day, too! Join us for worship as we explore the impact of something as small as a pinch of yeast when God is doing what He does!

This Father's Day weekend we continue our journey through stories and sayings of Jesus. In just two short verses we are given a picture of the Kingdom of God that flies in the face of our expectations - a tiny seed planted into soil. How might this simple picture reveal a complex and beautiful reality of the reach and reign of God’s authority? 

For the next installment in our series on Jesus’ parables, we turn to one of his familiar sayings. Join us in worship as we explore how Jesus unpacks the reality for us that being transformed by Him comes from the inside out, rather than our external efforts to bring about internal change! 

Have you ever seen someone work shorter hours, have less skill, and achieve less for the supervisor just to be rewarded more than they should be? Jesus uses this kind of story to teach us an important lesson in the first week of our Summer Series Planted: Jesus' teachings on life and the Kingdom of God. We will be hearing from the Great Teacher as he opens our eyes, hearts, and minds to the beautiful and wonder-full wisdom of God's grace! Let's grow deeper and be planted more firmly together over the next few months!

Pentecost is one of the "big" Sundays in the church year - the day when the Holy Spirit kicked off the movement we call the Church all across the world! What began with twelve people following Jesus exploded into thousands and thousands trusting in His message. This weekend, join us in worship as we dig into the story of Pentecost, and see how it still matters, even today!

This week we are spending a lot of our time together in the narrative and story of Acts chapter 1. We will learn about the desire Jesus has for His church to live and move in unity, and how that looks in real life. The disciples had to adjust and adapt to changing circumstances - and we have a lot to learn from their example!

This week in worship we hear the familiar account of Paul in Athens. When faced with the marketplace full of different idols and ideas, he speaks the truth in love and witnesses effectively. What we learn from his message is the importance of listening to understand, and speaking to be understood.

This weekend in worship, as part of our "Toward the Dawn" series, we step further into the 1st Letter of Peter who was an eyewitness of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.  Peter challenges us to consider what it means to live as Easter people.  Hint:  It's about transformation!

Shepherd’s Easter services were an amazing gathering of over 1000 souls. The celebration continues this week as we open up the resurrection letter of First Peter and dive into the faith of a church scattered by internal and external threats. Sound familiar?

He is risen indeed! We remember and rejoice in the victory Christ has over death once and for all. We celebrate the life that is ours because of the faith God gives, a faith that endures through all the darkness and difficulty of life, bringing us into an eternal glory beyond our imagination! Alleluia!

This weekend we hear the familiar story of Jesus coming into Jerusalem to cheering crowds on Palm Sunday - but we notice how some out of town visitors are caught up in the excitement! Why did Jesus come? What was his purpose? What does that mean for me? 

Pastor Scott wraps up our study of David with a message appropriate for the season of Lent and simply titled, “Whoopsy, Davey!”

Zadok was an Old Testament priest.  So what’s the point? Today we finish our examination of the life and ministry of Zadok and his descendants as part of our “Cast of Characters” sermon series.  In this final segment on Biblical priesthood, Pastor Alan will help us see from Scripture how the “point of it all” centers on Jesus.

People often speak of leaving behind a legacy when they pass from this life – a desire to make some sort of positive “imprint” on the world.  Legacies can take many different forms and can arise from a variety of motivations.  Today we continue our exploration into the life and faith of Zadok from the Old Testament, we take particular note of his legacy and what we might learn from it as we consider our own lives of faith.   

This Sunday in worship as we continue our “Cast of Characters” sermon series, Pastor Alan will present part 2 of our focus on the Old Testament priesthood with a close-up look at one particular priest – a man named Zadok.  As we examine the life of this Bible character, we’re challenged to examine our own.  Character matters.  What of Zadok’s character is worth emulating?  More importantly, in what way does Zadok point us to Jesus, the purifier of our character?  After all, it’s all about Jesus – the true Prophet, the faithful Priest, the righteous King.

Pastor Alan begins a 4-part deep-dive into the Biblical priesthood and an examination of the life and character of one of the men who served as a priest – Zadok.  Haven’t heard of him? Come meet him.

Do you like to hear a story you already know the ending to? What about a promise you KNOW is going to come true? Jesus is the answer to many of the questions and fears in Isaiah, and the fulfillment of the promises. This week we hear a beautiful and poetic description of who the Savior is and how He carried our burdens on His shoulders.

Our journey with Isaiah takes a big turn - we’ve learned his language, we’ve heard his law, and now we explore the great promises found in his prophecies. “Zion,” or “Jerusalem” plays a central role in the covenant God has with his people, and for good reason!