And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” Mark 14:36

Passion week is about the love of God through Jesus Christ demonstrated on a Roman cross (Romans 5:8). Everyone needs to be loved. Love is essential to healthy and resilient human existence, especially parental love. Parental love shapes how children respond to life’s circumstances and crises. Hearing the words “I love you” is transformational, both affirming one’s existence and building a character that embodies loving relationships. Jesus went into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray because he was in deep distress. He had his disciples with him, even his inner circle, Peter, James, and John. However, the only relationship that could sustain him at this moment was his desire to hear the affirming voice of His loving Father (Matt 3:17; Mark 9:7) and to please him (John 4:34) ultimately. In the darkest moments of our lives, what should keep us going is knowing that we are under the loving protection of the Father’s will.

Psalm 118:8 celebrates the eternal truth that it is better to put our trust in the LORD than to put our confidence in man. Earthly support systems can be limited and even be exhausted, but our loving Father never sleeps nor slumbers. Everything around us can fail and fall miserably, but our God and Father are the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. He promised never to leave nor forsake us and has a character and reputation that speaks of his unwavering faithfulness and love. Like Jesus, in the Garden, we can be under the pressure of righteous living. Jesus depended upon his relationship with the Father that was beyond words. Yes, even in the Father’s silence, His perfect will can become clear to listening hearts.

Acceptance by the Father affords us great opportunity to be kind and compassionate to others. Resentment, grudges, and revenge are symptoms of hurt and pain of the past. In the Garden and on the Cross, Jesus Christ remained faithful to his purpose. He demonstrated grace for failure and forgiveness for the spiritually blind and condemned. Forgiven in Christ means the past has no power over us, and the fruit of this new living experience should be kindness with a growing capacity for forgiveness toward others. 

Even nailed to a Roman cross of shame, Christ’s life continued to provide for the world a consistent message of faith, hope, and greater love. His communion with the Father was essential in a crisis. His dependence on the word of God and its promises was living water for his thirsty soul. His appetite was satisfied by accomplishing the Father’s will and finishing all the work he was sent to do. He finished his earthly assignment well and prepared his heart for returning home carried by the Father’s hand. When we are living in the will of God, we can expect distress, struggles, suffering, persecution, and opposition; they are our bitter cup and our cross we must bear. Now thanks be to God that our weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Hallelujah, Sunday is coming!

Because He lives,

Pastor Reggie Sheppard

And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this? Matthew 21:10

Who we follow matters, as it can shape your outlook on life, how you see yourself and how you see your future. If you put your trust in Jesus, a new way of life can be immediately yours. Jerusalem means the city of peace and is also known as Zion. There were days under King David and King Solomon’s rule where some viewed Jerusalem as the center of the world. It was a holy city with the Ark of the Lord’s presence at its center to sustain them. At the time of this text, this city had historical significance but is now under Roman rule, subject to earthly rulers and authorities. Now the Lord commands his disciples to go and bring back a beast of burden. These prophetic words of the Lord were immediately satisfied. The donkey and her colt were on their way to him. We can take comfort in knowing that whatever Jesus says, we can believe it. However, this text has been called Jesus’ triumphal entry mistakenly. His declaration of victory is not going to come by way of a donkey’s colt but nailed to a Roman cross. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem riding on a donkey disturbs the citizens because it challenges the power structure. Later, at his second coming, he will come with all his might riding upon a warhorse. Yet, the King of kings comes in riding on a colt in meekness, not might. Meekness is power under control or power in submission to a higher authority. He is offering peace, not of this world, and leadership that is not threatening but welcoming. 

One’s appetite is an excellent indicator to a doctor of your health. A consistent loss of appetite is an indication of a much deeper problem. The work of God says, if you come to Jesus, you shall never hunger, and if you believe in him, you will never thirst. Jesus coming to Jerusalem exposed the thirst of many people for better days and a better life. They rolled out the red carpet for Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life. Better is on the way; healing is on the way, help is on the way, restoration is on the way when we make room for the Way Maker (Isa 40:1-5). They groaned with hope, shouting, Hosanna, Save now, Son of David. They longed for moral leadership, saying blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. The crowd invites all of heaven to join them in their hopeful praise, saying Hosanna in the highest. To celebrate God’s will done on earth as it is in heaven. They could taste the sweetness of better days and the goodness of the Lord. 

Who is this? Answering this essential question will be before every person. When we put Jesus in a box, we can limit our own life experiences with him. We can place Jesus in comfortable categories for us. However, Jesus is to be worshipped as the Christ, Savior, and Lord of all. When we can honestly answer this question, faith has come, and every encounter with Jesus can be and should be a life-changing event. His coming to Jerusalem was greatly misunderstood by many. They asked who is this? In other words, they asked, who is this stirring up all this excitement? They called him a prophet for Nazareth in Galilee. Some acclaimed him the Son of David with royal expectations, but others resolved in their minds that He was a prophet. When Jesus is the greatest, you can expect great encounters with him. Watch out for making your God too small it will show up in your life.

Who is Jesus to you? In Matthew 16:14-18, Peter answered this question correctly, and the Lord answered with these words, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Make room for the Waymaker, knowing who Jesus truly is, and watch the path for greater life experiences and expectations open up for you.

Because He lives,

Pastor Reggie Sheppard

But Jesus said, “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. 8 For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” John 12:7-8

 What if Jesus knocked on your door to come and stay 24 hours with you? What would that look like? Would you get a busy serving, or would you let Him guide and direct what happens? We would get busy for many of us, but we can learn a lot from Lazarus, who was dead four days and raised from the dead by Jesus. Lazarus now knows what it is to be really alive, and it is not busyness but stillness sitting at the table with the Lord Jesus. Jesus has Lazarus’ undivided attention, and we need to know that it is okay to show up to sit and listen to him. As we look to post COVID-19, things will speed up in search of a new normal. Let that new normal be more time with Jesus. Jesus’ coming was that we could come to him and find rest (Matthew 11:28). Even as Jesus prepared for His final week before His death, He was changing attitudes, perceptions, and activities of all those He encountered. He continued to shepherd and give a glimpse of the table He is preparing in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23:5). Submission to the Lord is a good place, but many of us don’t see it until we have a catastrophic life event. 

 When Jesus comes into our lives, it is never an ordinary event. In fact, He brings value to our living experiences that no earthly thing could buy. This truth is demonstrated by Mary’s devotion to the Lord Jesus. She not only anoints Him with costly oil, but she wipes his feet with her hair. Both of these acts exhibit extreme gratitude for the Lord’s value and worth to who she is now. She experienced the truth of the gospel shared and lived out through the raising of her brother Lazarus (Luke 4:18-19). Her sacrifice revealed her reality of Jesus Christ being her King and her Lord, whose gospel feet are beautiful (Romans 10:15). Mary saw that her rightful place was at the Lord’s feet. Our lives are to be a living sacrifice to God and not to money.

The character difference between Mary and Judas is exposed, not to condemn Judas but to reveal an opportunity for Him to grow. The Lord could have sent him away, but any dialogue with the Lord is an opportunity for transformation if our hearts are willing. Judas is known for his self-interest and doing what he wants by any means necessary. Yet, Judas did understand that helping the poor was a good thing and the right thing to do (Deuteronomy 15:11). The problem was that Judas is missing this valuable moment in time to focus on Jesus and misunderstood than any serving we do must be an outgrowth of our devotion to the Lord. Loving the Lord with all of our being is commanded of us. In other words, there must be with an intensity in our loving relationship with God. Judah was invited to a place of humility so that the right elevation and caring can happen for him (1 Peter 5:6-7).

 What does loving the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind look like for you? Our love must be complete and undivided. When all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength express our full devotion to the Lord, we will be free to get in place at His table, at His feet, or in humble service to Him. In His preparation, He continues to prepare others to follow Him. Get in place!

Because He lives,

Pastor Reggie Sheppard

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

There is so much hurt, suffering, and pain being experienced by so many today. How can the Church be ever ready to meet the needs of those who are suffering? It is evident that a competitive atmosphere does not bring harmony to the fellowship. It may be welcome in athletics or other secular venues, but not among the family of God. Our relationship with others must be an expression of the depth of our relationship with God. Irritating and inflaming others so that quarrels and infighting ensue is not keeping in step with the Spirit of God. We must stop comparing ourselves with one another as if one of us is better and worse (Gal 5:27-28). There must be unity and harmony as we witness to the world the power of God and the ministry of reconciliation and oneness he has given us. Social divisions or gender prejudices are not acceptable in Christ’s Church, for we are all one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28).

The weight of real struggles can fall upon any one of us, and a defeated brother or sister in Christ should be a problem for every believer. Sometimes we all can become overwhelmed by our circumstances, and our faith starts to shrink, causing us to lose hope. We can grow weary and even begin to wonder if going on is worth it. We long for the better day and life we hoped for, but the pressures to give up are coming from every side. As we wait on the Lord sometimes, we must encourage ourselves in the Lord, like David. But for those of us who are well, we must help those who are overwhelmed—letting them know that these light momentary afflictions are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory. Love never gives up on anyone, and for this reason, we help carry the heavy load of our brothers and sisters. Gospel Fellowship lightens the heavy burden of those suffering and in sin without condemning them. He who is without sin let him cast the first stone; correction is not to punish anyone but that they may be restored to the fellowship (John 8:2-11). 

Unhealthy pride is a problem in the community of faith; it elevates self over others and creates the false narrative that similar shortcomings and failures are no longer possible for some. Conceit and selfish pride are an evil trap, and we can become so consumed with self and spiritually blinded. We can become unresponsive to the reality that there is none good but God and that all have sinned and come short of His glory. Any success and elevation that has come our way are only by God’s gracious and all-powerful hand and not of ourselves. It is a trap that all of us can fall prey to, that somehow we have arrived at a place where we can no longer be tempted to sin and fall. Yet, as we access God’s grace, our strength and pride are redeemed in his power made perfect in us to sustain and keep us. Gospel fellowship lifts others, knowing it could be any one of us in the same’s shoes. All of us can be tempted and fall (1 Cor 10:12-13). Member’s and leader’s community responsibilities do not replace a person’s responsibility for personal decisions and actions before God. It is everyone’s responsibility to do our creative best where we can with our own life! It is a sin to avoid your responsibilities while seeking the help of others.

Bear one another burden (weight of suffering and sin) and so fulfill the law of Christ (Gal 6:2). The Church is where we model Christ’s love as we help share the heavy load through encouragement by coming alongside one another. We don’t pick up stones to condemn; we help each other stand up from underneath the weight pressing you down and cause you to stumble and fall. When we come together is to help lighten the heavy load that may be on someone letting them know that they are not alone. Sometimes the weight is an overwhelming thought or feeling that you can’t get up from under. Sometimes the weight is discouragement because there are too many things for you to carry all at once. Love gives balance to our community and individual responsibilities (1 John 2:14-17). You are not alone! Turn from loneliness, turn from fear, turn for guilt and shame, turn from the love of this world. Turn to the love of God in Christ Jesus. Turn to the love that never gives up on you. Turn to the love that will never fail. Turn to love! Gospel fellowship is a faith community turning to the power of Christ’s love to bring unity and harmony among us.

Because He lives,

Pastor Reggie Sheppard

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

 A saying comes to mind, “fruit does not fall far from its tree.” In other words, you can know children’s quality of character by their parental influences. You can realize one’s behavior from their source of guidance and direction. Loving one another is the Christian brother and sister’s proof that we are of the Father stock and Spirit. However, living right cannot be carried out without help, nor can we produce what is required of us to be fruitful in our relationships alone. Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing (John 15:5).” Instead of producing gospel fruit in relationships, we can become consumers; instead of givers, we can become takers until we are nothing (Galatians 5:15). The effects of sin disconnect us from the fellowship and sweet communion with Christ the True Vine, who is the source of our living union with the Father.

What is holding back gospel fruit and breakthroughs in many people’s lives and relationships is a denial of the corruption that is still present with us. Our old sinful nature is showing up when it wants and demanding satisfaction. The presence of sin in us can cause us to condemn ourselves even though we have been changed in Christ Jesus. But our God is Alpha and the Omega. He is the God who helps us deal with our past, helps us stay grounded in our present, and helps us to be filled with hope for our future; there is no condemnation in Him (John 3:17; Rom 8:1-2). Our new pattern of life is fresh and young, but our old ways are stubborn and resistant to the needed change happening within us. We are no longer spiritual cannibals and can look up now from the lowlands of despair, hungry and thirsty for our spiritual food and the life that it brings. We have learned that prayer works, love works, forgiveness works for the peace, and other gospel fruit to be produced in us and made effective around us.

There is a song by Rev. Timothy Wright that says, “trouble don’t last always, and weeping may endure for a night, but keep that faith it will be alright.” God promised never to leave nor forsake us, not that we won’t have problems. He is not taking the problems away but proving himself faithful with us through our trials. The most important thing we must recognize is that the change in us as we walk and talk with him through our problems is producing spiritual fruit in us (Gal 5:22-23). Through all of your difficulties, the gospel fruit produced in you shows your spiritual diet and whose Spirit you are walking.

What Scripture are you turning to help guide you to produce the character you need in your situation? The truth about Christ’s love and personality is express in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 saying, “love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things; love never fails.” Keep in step with the Holy Spirit, applying God’s wisdom as He fills you and enables you by producing gospel fruit in you. He will produce in you the qualities necessary for your spiritual life; the love, the joy, the peace, the patience, the kindness, the goodness, the faithfulness, the gentleness, and the self-control you need as followers of Christ and children of God.

Because He lives,

Pastor Reggie Sheppard

Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4:7

Freedom from bondage and oppression can ring hollow when the provisions needed for redemption and restoration are lacking or nonexistent.  Yet, when the needed provisions are found, life can be enjoyed with freedom being the boundaries upon which we experience the favor of God.  Freedom by the way of the gospel message forecast the will of God that we can align ourselves with His purpose and plan for our lives. As we respond in faith to God’s word and His redemptive plan for us, He makes the needed provision in us and around us. Gospel freedom is a new living experience we are born into through faith in the Lord and wrought of God’s powerful presence transforming us from the inside out. However, as we mature with God’s help, we are both learning to live free and unlearning to live in bondage (Galatians 4:1-3).  As God’s word takes root in our hearts we begin to grow up and into our spiritual garments fashioned for us even before we were born.

There is an old saying, “you can teach and old dog new tricks.”  It suggests that those who have had a traditional pattern of life cannot learn new or are reluctant and refuse to embrace a new pattern of living even though it may be prescribed and fruitful. In the United States there are over 400,000 children in foster care and about 115,000 of them are waiting for adoption having no families to return.  Adoption means a new parental experience and relationship, a new identity, under a new authority, and a new life and future. God prepared the world for His Son, so that all who receive Him would have a right to become children of God (Galatians 4:5-5; John 1:12). Gospel freedom is shaped by the word of God releasing us from the shackles that once limited us and begins the essential healing to become who we are destined to be in Christ Jesus.

As children of God, as we grow in Christ, we are maturing to receive our new freedom with appreciation and gratitude. Rules and regulations are not what make us free, but it is our growing relationship with the Father through Christ Jesus.  Therefore, we must watch and pray for the flesh is weak, but the Spirit is strong (Matthew 26:41). God has loving patience as we grow, be patient with yourself and watch Him provide all you need to keep moving forward.  Christ’s coming marks the time in redemption history that the opportunities of the Law have past and the opportunities of God’s grace have come to all who believe.

You may have thoughts and feelings of discouragement because things are taking longer than you would like them.  Use your gift of time wisely remembering that distractions can come disguised as opportunities. Remember, the more seasoned you become in Christ the more you will be able to recognize and weigh the difference between good ideas and God’s ideas. Embrace each opportunity to share your hope.  Why, because giving an on-time word to those who need us the most is how breakthroughs happen. Be courageous watching God turn the bitter waters sweet. Pattern your life as the Father sees you not as slaves or outsiders, but as both sons and heirs of the promise through Christ Jesus.

Because He lives,

Pastor Reggie Sheppard

just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. (Galatians 3:6)

Being right in the sight of God requires faith. Faith has a wide range of meanings biblically; faithfulness, firmness, reliability, fidelity, confidence, commitment, stability; assurance, oath, troth; proof, pledge, persuaded; trust, confidence, faith; the body of faith. Faith is both the deliberate and divinely inspired actions that demonstrate your belief in God and in what He has spoken. God is so trustworthy and so reliable that if you trust and obey His word that His perfect will can be experienced in your life. The woman with the issue of blood touching the hem of Jesus’ garments (Mk 5:24-34). The blind man near Jericho is sitting by the roadside crying out to Jesus as the Son of David to have mercy on him (Luke 18:35-42). They reached and cried out in faith and experienced God. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrew 11:6), yet many of us still live as if what we do and accomplish is what will please Him. God wants us to be right with Him before he asks us to do right for Him.

“Trusting God gives His love time to take root.” – Robert W. Kellemen

The Apostle Paul makes some amazing statements concerning Abraham’s faith. First, in Galatians 3:1-5 he asks the Galatians whether it was the law that caused them to received the Spirit of God or was it through the hearing of faith. Later in Galatians 3:8, he declares with reference to Genesis 12:3 that Abraham received the Gospel before he believed (Gen 15:6). Therefore, the grace of God through faith preceded both circumcision and the law. Gospel faith establishes who we are, it is not what we do, but in whom we believe. Trusting the promises of God’s word to make the right decisions establishes who we really are in Christ Jesus and the generations after us. Too many believers today are frustrated and giving up because we forget that it is by grace we are saved and delivered. It is God’s grace that is sufficient for us in our weaknesses. We need God’s hand on things, not our hands. We need God’s powerful Spirit guiding us, not our limited abilities and street smarts. We must be confident that faithful is He who called us who also will do it. Gospel faith places us in the family of God, not our cultural or ethnic origin, religious acts, or ritual observances (Eph 2:8). No one is ever an outsider or an outcast in Christ Jesus. There is only one way to be right with God whetherJew or Gentile and that is by the hearing of faith through the gospel message.

Last, remember to walk by faith and not by sight. God has put in you the faith that you need to run your race. Keep your eyes on Him and His promises and watch Him keep you as you trust Him with each step you take. Each trouble you must face will move to yesterday’s news as you continually draw nearer to Him each day. If you trust and never doubt God will surely bring you out. Your faith is enough to please God no matter its size. Your faith is enough to be right and to live right. Your faith is enough to overcome every challenge. The same gospel faith that saved you, will keep you, and will lead you home victoriously.

Because He lives,

Pastor Reggie Sheppard

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Living (doing) right in the sight of God requires accountable relationships who are qualified. Without accountability, even the most season saints can stumble and find a disconnect between our heart desires and our actions (Romans 7:19). No one should ever think that you are too grown-up or too spiritually mature to ask the Father for His help. What will sustain us when trouble comes is our LORD’s helping response to our humble cry (Psalms 34:17). Augustine once said, “O Lord, everything good in me is due to you, but the rest is all my fault.” If we start with a humble and righteous heart, it can overflow into righteous actions. In other words, as our redeemed hearts cause us to practice righteousness, the fruit of that will be righteous living.

Our greatest accountable relationship is to Christ Jesus and this relationship will guide us in growing in favor with God and men. However, without this shepherding relationship with Christ, we all can transgress into the hypocrisy of preaching one way and living another. When we give in to the pressures of the crowd or peers and not our heart’s convictions we can unknowingly damage our witness to the world causing others to be carried away with the same hypocrisy. Living right must always be in response to the Father’s all-seeing eyes. Character is living life knowing that the Father is watching. Additionally, without accountability to Christ, we can get so high minded thinking we have arrived and forget that the same blood that saved you is the same blood that is keeping you. We are not to lead or invite people to be like us and to think like us according to the flesh, but to invite them into the same redeeming relationship with Christ that saved our wretched souls as His ambassadors. To lead people into a religious system and its practices rather than to Christ can frustrate their way by holding them to double standard. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life whose precious blood can make all of us clean inside, and restore us to live our best life. We must not frustrate the gospel of Jesus Christ!

On a final note, our associations, those we connect and agree with can reveal what we believe is important in life. We have witnessed recently how once again the increase of social, cultural, and political identities have fractured the Christian community’s witness, but in Christ, we have a greater identity. Our God is a holy and righteous God and we are called to be like Him. To be Christian is to be more than black, white, brown, republican, democrat, more than a branch of service, lodge, fraternity, or sorority because Christ is added into who we are. He now complements, completes, and seasons our lives. It is His powerful presence that is the glue that can forever unite us. He is inseparable from us. Our greatest association must be to Christ Jesus to live right in the sight of our God!

Because He lives,

Pastor Reggie Sheppard

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel (Galatians 1:6)

Chaos and confusion can be happening all around us, but that does not mean they should overtake us. Who we are on the inside determines our ability to respond to the pressures and circumstances around us. As Christians and children of God, we are being built up a spiritual house for God. Our lives’ structure is being erected, supported, and sustained by the gospel message so that we don’t implode and collapse by the pressures coming from this world.

Many of us are witnessing too many believers young and seasoned not recognizing or appreciating the time we are living and not seeing the connection between our freedom in Christ and our fruitfulness in Christ even though our lives depend upon it. Martin Luther King Jr. understood that freedom won and experienced are for something in his historic “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincon Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963. He said, “when we allow freedom to ring when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men, and white men, Jews, and Gentiles, Protestants, and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! Free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!” Freedom is the opportunity and new landscape upon which we are to venture out and be fruitful.

Our freedom in Christ remains before us, but our fruitfulness can be hindered if we do not watch out for the detours of temptations, and addictive forces drawing us from the straight and narrow path. We must recognize that unfavorable circumstances can make us all vulnerable enough to think we need another gospel. Why, because our attention is on what is going outside of us instead of what is going on inside of us. When your life is undergirded by the word of god, the sleeping giant in us can awaken in full assurance that God’s love is enough, His mercy is enough, His forgiveness is enough, and His amazing grace is enough in our weaknesses. As children of God, we must reflect His character made alive in us.

Finally, the apostle Paul reminds us that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but those who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18). In times like these, we need the gospel. In times like these, we need the power of God moving in the hearts of his people. In times like these, we need the power of God to renew the minds of his people. In times like these, we need the power of God uniting his people with one voice and one clear message; God loves you. Live with Gospel Integrity!

Because He lives,

Pastor Reggie Sheppard

For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100:5)

God has created every person with the potential to be great through Him, but the measure of one’s greatness is often compared to others. Over the last decade, I have observed the rise and fall of many popular names in sports, entertainment, politics, and the Christian community. These persons were seen as ideal role models. In many respects, they were standard-bearers for those who were looking for a better life for themselves and their families. However, greatness pursued has yet to be grasped. There are still those who are hurting and suffering from injustice by the dominant culture. Families are becoming more individualistic than community-focused as distrust and divisive rhetoric become more embedded in our communities’ fabric. Even as this year 2021 launches, the echoes of 2020 can still be heard. Lives can still be easily led astray without the assurance of divine leadership. The need for our daily guidance remains our greatest concern. King Solomon understood that the potential for greatness in us could not be experienced without the Lord’s help (1 Kings 3:9). He asked, So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and distinguish between right and wrong. For who can govern this great people of yours?” Solomon knew that his position was not what would make him great. The Christian author William Arthur Ward once said, “Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and character.”

As we begin setting goals through 2021, leave room for God to disrupt and shape our plans to His great plan. As we look out at the mounting challenges we must face to raise our children and meet our families’ needs; we can become overwhelmed. Yet, deep within us, there is someone greater than the challenges of this world. True greatness comes from the LORD (Psalm 145:3) and His presence in us (1 John 4:4). There is a call to greatness that calls us to rise from the ashes and mediocrity to live truly. Therefore we must not lose focus and fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith. We must not be conformed to the patterns of this world as the godless and power-hungry rulers who need to be over people for a sense of power and greatness. True greatness is serving others (Mark 10:43). Therefore, as we examine ourselves and those leading us we should see the distinguishing marks of true greatness; doing the will of the Father and helping many people. It is heartbreaking to see the preaching of another gospel in our current public discourse by Christian leaders when our world needs to experience the true gospel message heard and seen by God’s people. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed an increasing lack of common good and goodwill toward one another. The results are proving to be more damaging to the hearts and homes than all previous world wars. In servant leadership influence and intimidation are not synonymous, but one is by choice while the latter is by force. Many of us may doubt whether or not we can make a difference, but doing so is to deny the power and potential living inside of us. As we walk by faith empowered by God’s presence we are destined to do greater works (John 14:12). True greatness is maximizing God’s-given power and potential place inside to glorify God and for others’ good. To live with great assurance that our labors, our worship, and our witness to others near and far are not in vain in the Lord (1 Cor 15:58). The Lord’s great work in us and around us changes things (Psalm 71:19-21). You are already great. You are a child of the living God through Christ Jesus. Rise above the fray, rise above the muck and the mire and rise above mediocrity to heights beyond your comforts. True greatness is the measure of our witness, the embodiment of our living voice for God that sings of his unfathomable greatness. Be truly great for Him and through Him!

Because He lives,

Pastor Reggie Sheppard