Good Shepherd Gardendale

Last week we saw that Paul was anxious and worried and struggling, as he wondered if the tempter was going to wreck the church in Thessalonica or would he find out that they were doing alright or better thriving! Today we find out what happens, and in doing so we can ask ourselves the question, "how are we doing?" What would be the report given about Good Shepherd and our life together. This is Part 6 of our series in Living with Eternity in Mind.

What happens when a congregation is experiencing spiritual warfare? What happens when they start to struggle because their pastor was forced out of town? Today we see how Paul's concern for their faith under affliction leads him to send Timothy for encouragement. Today's message explores how God uses trials to strengthen faith, not destroy it, and how He sends "encouragers" into our lives to strengthen our faith. This is part 5 in our series, "Living with Eternity in Mind."

Paul continues today in his encouragement to the church as he recalls his hard work and integrity. Paul says that the Word of God is "at work in you who believe." But what does that look like? How does the Word of God "work in you?" Today we discover that the Key to Living with the End in Mind is to learn how to daily "receive the Word of God". Today we see that faith is never idle, but active in love. God's Word doesn’t just inform, it transforms. May God bless our time together with him!

Paul's ministry isn't about pleasing people but about faithfulness to God. Like a nursing mother, he cherishes the Thessalonians. Paul came to them after experiencing intense suffering and shame in Philippi, so that they too could experience the life transformation of the Gospel. In today's message we see the heart of a leader who cares deeply about his people. This is part 3 of our series "Living with Eternity in Mind" may the Lord bless our time of worship.

There is something incredible about being "chosen." When a child walks into an animal shelter and picks out a cat or dog, that animal is excited and thrilled to be "chosen." When a student is selected for a special group or team, there is something special about being "chosen." When an orphan is "chosen" by an adoptive family to come and live with them, they know something life changing has happened, because they are "chosen." Today we see the impact that the people of Thessalonica have when they discover they have been "chosen" by the living God! This is...

Today we begin our brand new series "Living with the End in Mind". In this series we are going to be walking through the book of 1 Thessalonians together. This book was written by the Apostle Church to encourage them as a community of faith and to know what to expect as the end of time neared. Today we begin with Part 1 entitled a "A Church Worth Imitating".

Today we are honored to have the Rev. Tommy Lee from Messiah Lutheran Church in Prattville, AL with us today. Tommy and his wife Irene are both retired Military. They have lived in the Montgomery/Prattville area for 20+ years. They have two children and multiple grandchildren. Tommy is a recent graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis MO as part of their SMP (Specific Ministry Pastor) program. Pastor Dave had the privilege of serving as Tommy's mentor and is excited to have him join us today.

Who is the greatest in the kingdom? How do we deal with temptations to sin? What do you do when you find yourself lost? How do we respond to conflict in the church? Jesus interacts with a series of questions about life in the kingdom and following Jesus. Taking up your cross and following Jesus means something inside of you needs to die so that you can actually live. May the Lord bless our time together.

Today we are blessed to have Rev. Eric Hollar with us today. Pastor Eric is the Executive Director of Shepherd's Heart Disaster Relief Ministry. Shepherd's Heart is one of our ministry partners and was birthed out of the ministry Good Shepherd by Rev. Ed Brashier, former associate pastor of GSLC and now Pastor Emeritus of GSLC.

Jesus comes to the area of Tyre and Sidon; places in the Bible with a rich history and conflicted past. There he meets a Canaanite woman. Canaanites were mortal enemies of God's people, that the Lord commanded they be removed from the land due to their idolatry. And now this woman comes desperate for help. She needs the LORD to save her daughter, and the Lord calls her a "dog" who has incredible "faith". Maybe there is more happening here than we realize.

The seas are often images of chaos and disruption in the Bible. In today's message we see Jesus on the water with his disciples. The disciples are filled with both fear and doubt. How does Jesus meet us in the midst of our fears and doubts to bring us peace in the storm. This is part 8 of our series, "The Way of Jesus".

There are some moments in the life of Jesus that you just never forget and that Jesus will never forget. Today we see what happens when Jesus loses a dear friend, family member, and partner in ministry. First, he spends time alone but then he finds time with others. We Jesus turn his grief into a moment of great compassion. This is part 7 of our series, "The Way of the Master". May the Lord bless our time together.

Jesus loves to use parables to describe the kingdom of heaven. In today's message we will explore three ways to look at the Kingdom of God: Hidden Treasure, an Expensive Pearl and a Net. These three images allow us to see the beauty and value of God's kingdom which is here and now. They show us that we are God's treasured possession worth the most expensive sacrifice. That he will keep us to the end. And that we have a distinct calling as we await his return. This is part 6 of our series The Way of Jesus.

The enemy of God's people likes to come around like a thief in the night to steal, kill and destroy. What happens when you wake up and realize the enemy has been in your home, your church, and your life? How do you respond to the enemy and how do you ensure that the enemy's deception doesn't cause you to hurt others? This is Part 5 of our series, "The Way of Jesus".

There are four kinds of soil in this world. Which means there are four ways we can receive God's Word. What kind of soil are you right now? How are you hearing God's Word? Do you have the right soil to be fruitful? This is part 4 of our series "The Way of Jesus". May the Lord bless your life in Christ today as you are led by the Spirit of God!

We are honored to celebrate the freedom we have in Christ which allows us to honor the freedom we have in this Country. Today, Cody, one of our lay preaching students will be sharing today's message on "do you love God or do you love the world?" The world will tempt us in three ways to love it with our flesh, eyes, and pride, and all three end up unsatisfying. But Jesus shows us a different kind of love, a sacrificial, unconditional love for the world that only he can offer.

The way of Jesus can be challenging because it means dying to oneself. We die to our selfish ambitions. We die to our greed. We die to always being right. We actually have to lose our life so that we can find it. And that may mean walking away from people who can't support and encourage our journey with Christ. This is Part 3 of our series: The Way of Jesus.

Today we continue our series called the "Way of Jesus." In this series we are exploring the teachings of Jesus and how they impact our lives today. In today's message we are going to focus on "word of wisdom" when life is hard. Jesus gives His disciples some very practical wisdom for when life is hard as they are trying to live out their faith. These words of wisdom will be very encouraging to our Fathers today.

Today we begin our brand new Summer Series called The Way of Jesus. On multiple occasions we are encouraged to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Why? Because Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and Life and we are to walk in His ways. This Summer we want to focus our attention on the miracles, ministry, and teachings of Jesus found in the book of Matthew. We are going to listen to Jesus, we are going to ask questions of Jesus, and we are going to learn how to walk in the Way of Jesus.

Today we are honored to have Pastor George Murdaugh with us again. Pastor Murdaugh will be leading us in worship and the celebration of communion. With Pastor Murdaugh today we are excited to have Seminarian Nick Ford. Nick is studying for pastoral ministry with our sister church body the AALC (American Association of Lutheran Churches). May we give both a warm Good Shepherd welcome.

Today is a special day in the church. It's both Trinity Sunday and Confirmation Sunday. Trinity Sunday is a day we recognize the uniqueness of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Confirmation Sunday is a day where several of our teens are confessing their faith in that unique God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. May the Lord Bless this day to His Glory.

One of the most profound changes that took place with the death and the resurrection of Jesus, is the sending of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God now lives within us as we are united in Christ. The Spirit of God is the guarantee of our salvation. As we celebrate Pentecost today, we are invited to think about, "What Does the Holy Spirit Really Do?" How do you see the Holy Spirit impact your life each day? May the Lord bless your life in Christ today as you are led by the Spirit of God!

Thank you for joining us for this service as we continue our worship series for the Easter season called "Resurrection Realities." Each service in the series focuses on a portion of the book of 1 Peter and looks at the new approaches St. Peter says we all should have toward these realities we still face in this life. Today's service looks at the reality of evil and how we deal with Satan and the powers of evil differently in light of the resurrection of Christ.

Thank you for joining us for this service as we continue our worship series for the Easter season called "Resurrection Realities." Each service in the series focuses on a portion of the book of 1 Peter and looks at the new approaches St. Peter says we all should have toward these realities we still face in this life. Today's service looks at the reality of identity and how the ways in which we identify ourselves shift in light of the resurrection of Christ.

Thank you for joining us for this service as we continue our worship series for the Easter season called "Resurrection Realities." Each service in the series focuses on a portion of the book of 1 Peter and looks at the new approaches St. Peter says we all should have toward the realities we still face in this life. Today's service looks at the reality of evangelism and how the ways in which we share the Gospel with others reflects the light of the resurrection of Christ.

Thank you for joining us for this service as we continue our Easter worship called “Resurrection Realities.” Each service in the series focuses on a portion of the book of 1 Peter and looks at the new approaches St. Peter says we all should have toward the realities we still face in this life. Today’s service looks at the reality of relationships and how our interactions with one another change in light of the resurrection of Christ.

Thank you for joining us for this service as we continue our worship series for the Easter season called “Resurrection Realities.” Each service in the series focuses on a portion of the book of 1 Peter and looks at the new approaches St. Peter says we all should have toward the realities we still face in this life. Today’s service looks at the reality of lifestyle and how the way in which we live changes in light of the resurrection of Christ.

Thank-you for joining us for today’s worship as we start a new series for the season of Easter called “Resurrection Realities”. Each service in this series focuses on a section from 1st Peter as he guides the post-Easter church on how to look at the complexities of life as we follow our Resurrected King. In part 1 we will look at the “reality of suffering and trials” and how we approach them with Jesus in mind.

Happy Easter Friends! The celebration of Easter is about one thing…Life! Christ has risen from the dead, he has destroyed the power of sin, death, and the devil, and today we celebrate that He is alive, and that because He Lives so shall we! May God bless your life in Christ, and may you experience the life he gives.

Welcome to this Palm Sunday service. In this service we remember that when Jesus enters Jerusalem for the last time amid palm branches and praises, he knows the suffering that awaits him there, yet he does not turn back. He willingly chooses the path of suffering because of his deep love for us. We therefore can embrace moments of suffering today, because we know that the Lord will bring joy in the morning.

It's not uncommon to see people who call themselves Christians but who don't act like Jesus. If we're not careful, we can find ourselves doing the work of God without bearing the fruit of the Spirit. Instead of focusing on production, we need to focus on connection with God. This is part 6 of our series Christian-ish. In today's message we will look at what happens, "When We Get It Wrong - How to Bear Fruit the Right Way."

In our world we are kind of used to the idea of "transactions" when it comes to relationships. It's where we get the idea of, "you scratch my back, and I scratch yours." Sometimes it's easy to treat our faith like a transaction—doing our part and expecting God to do His. But this creates a distorted belief that turns our relationship with God into a contract and we miss the heart of God. But faith works differently. Faith means trusting God and stepping into something much greater than a simple exchange. In Part 5 of our Christian-ish series we wi...

One of the classic Christian slogans when you are struggling or going through difficult moments is "Put God First." There is something in us that tells us "Put God First," but then we look at life and how we spend our time, money, and relationships and realize we "don’t put God first." We don't as Luther says, "fear, love, and trust" in God above all things. And the problem is that we have this heart that produces idols and clings to idols 24/7, 7 days a week, 365 days out of the year. And for the Christian-ish this becomes even more pr...

One more bite. One more episode. No big deal, right? The everyday choices we make might not feel important, but they shape our future more than we realize. Discover how we can break the cycle of choices that keep us stuck from living the life we want. Join us on this Lenten Journey for Part 3, “Small Choices That Keep You Stuck”. May the Lord Bless our Time Together.

"Christian-ish" means having a half-hearted faith or wearing the label of Christianity without truly following Jesus. God describes this way of life as being "lukewarm". In today's message we will explore the 5 signs of being lukewarm and how the Gospel can reactivate our faith when we are lukewarm. May the Lord bless our time together during this Lenten journey.

God's vision for the church has four foundational pieces: 1. It's a GIFTED church; 2. It's a UNITED church; 3. It's a POWERFUL church; and 4. It's a WISE church. Today we explore how God's wisdom is needed for the church as we learn to navigate the changing culture in the world. We need wisdom to express God's truths in a way that is authentic. We need wisdom to make good decisions and not compromise on who we are. We need wisdom to know when the "law" is needed and when the "gospel" is needed. May God make us a "wise" church.

What is God's Vision for His church? What is the foundation and pillars of the church? What is the picture that God has for His church? In this series based on 1 Corinthians 1, we are given four pictures of the church: a gifted church, a united church, a powerful church, and a wise church. In today's message we will explore what it means for the church to be powerful in a way that is completely different from the world's image of power.

Last week we saw that God has a vision for his church. First, that vision is to be a church that is built around God's gifts. The second part of that vision is Paul's appeal to UNITY! That the church is one heart, one mind, and one faith. God doesn't desire the church to have any divisions but rather we walk together, in unity. This is part 2 of our series Called to Be Different, "A United Church."

What is God’s vision for the church? What does the church look like when it is fully engaged in God’s plan and mission? St. Paul in his letter to the church at Corinth paints a beautiful picture of the church in chapter 1. In this brand-new series, we will look at 4 images that Paul uses to paint an image about God’s Church. A church that is called to be different in the world. A church that is gifted, united, powerful, and wise.

Today we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus. Jesus' baptism is a unique moment in his life as He first receives the blessings of His Father and second he fulfills as in his own words, "all righteousness." As we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus we take a moment to remember our Baptism and how our Baptism, according to Romans 6, 'changes everything' in our lives! This morning we are going to explore how our Baptism changes everything in our lives so that we can celebrate what God has done.