Shepherd of the Hills

Habakkuk: I Yet Will Triumph in the Lord

Oh, how we question God’s ways, assuming He’s forgotten us, wondering why things happen the way they do. Little does He stop the violent hurt of our day. The threat of dreadful ilk abounds among our citizenry—not only by our machination but from nature’s forces most unyielding. The world is unequal, as everybody with a smear of experience… [more]
Luke 16:19-31: Rich Man and Poor Man

The Pharisees and scribes slander Jesus as they glance askew at Him embracing untouchables and eating with them. So, He speaks His parables: of sheep, coin, son, and manager, of lost and found, of dishonesty and cunning. Oh, He tells His tales in such a way, so they should glean and learn, not fixate and spurn. This Rabbi finishes—you cannot love… [more]
The Story of Esther

Our pastor's newsletter article for October, 2022. In history’s long arc, the exilers of Jews, Babylon, suffered a humiliating defeat by the Persians in 539 BC. With Jews now free to return home, many still chose not to and remained living within a diaspora. Around 60 years pass, and we learn of a Jewish man, Mordecai, a minor government official.… [more]
Luke 16:1-15: The Cunning Estate Manager

Too well can money morph into a seductive false god, perched upon your slanted shoulders, confiding in your ear. “Listen to me. Only I’m able to ease your strife. Let me be your best friend, spouse, playmate, your dream, muse, and love. Yes, I’ll teach you the things of life and living. In return, I only ask you to hold this relationship in the… [more]
Luke 15:1-7: The Divine Shepherd Restores Lost Sheep to His Fold

Furious, unforgiving, and smitten into stone, the Pharisees rail against Jesus. “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Such sufferings of unbelief as they moan and mutter over God’s mercy. To them, this teacher from Nazareth deserves their hate for befriending foreigners and prostitutes who pollute their society. Such graven mutterings… [more]

Articles

Family Dysfunction

By Pr. Rich Futrell The family is the basic building block of society, where we experience and learn how to love, trust, and respect another. Yet, where do we first suffer pain, hurt, and betrayal? In the same location—our families! For a home, a place aglow with affection and security, likewise, troubles with defect and dysfunction. The Old Testament swarms with such examples. Try to find a … [More...]

Certainty Amid our Uncertainties

Here is our pastor's article for our church newsletter for November 2021. Rich, poor, man or woman, major and minor setbacks befall each and all. How can they not, since we are crestfallen creatures living in a sin-corrupted world? Whenever these certitudes come, events force us to pick up the pieces and start afresh. Otherwise, we withdraw from life. Of course, we might also lie to ourselves … [More...]

Eyes and Ears, Old and New

“Whatever we ask of you, teacher, we want you to do” (Mark 10:35). So, Jesus must again reorient His twelve toward a kingdom opened by His suffering, which He described as drinking from a cup (Matthew 20:22). In God’s kingdom, greatness comes in lowliness, where God gives His grace to the humble. Almost every Apostle of Jesus will, one day, “drink the cup” of martyrdom, beginning with James. Until … [More...]

Lest the Darkness Define Us

Imperfect copies of imperfect copies are we. The fall into sin introduced not only death but also physical decay and disease. Every Sunday, we admit as much in our Confession of Sin, “We are by nature sinful” (LSB 151, 167). All this means we are in a death spiral. Like “sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way, death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans … [More...]

Habakkuk: I Yet Will Triumph in the Lord

Luke 16:19-31: Rich Man and Poor Man

The Story of Esther

Luke 16:1-15: The Cunning Estate Manager

Luke 15:1-7: The Divine Shepherd Restores Lost Sheep to His Fold

News

The Story of Esther

New Year’s Eve Service