Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Leaving what is comfortable can be scary. This week, Pastor Alex uses the story of Abram & Sarai (Genesis 12:1-9) to explore what it looks like to say “yes” to God's plan, even when we don't know how it will all work out.

“Mountaintop moments are not meant to be an escape from the world—they are meant to prepare us for the work that is in the valley.” – Pastor Melinda What are your mountaintop moments—those times when you felt uniquely close to God? Pastor Melinda reminds us how these moments show us whose we are—beloved children of God—and how they prepare us to share a different kind of love that moves toward the world, even when the world pushes back.

“The world is desperately in need of people who want to promote peace, of people who will refrain from judgment, hold back wrath and violence, and instead bring out something good in the midst of challenging times.” – Pastor Alex Jesus calls us to be like both salt & light, but what does that mean? In today's sermon, Pastor Alex explore what Jesus is telling us when He says we are like salt & light (Matthew 5:13-16), explains why those two descriptions are actually quite similar, and how living into these two qualities helps bring God's peace, love, and grace into a world that needs it.

“The church doesn't exist to escape the chaos and the cruelty and despair of the world. The church exists to show the world that while it's falling apart, blessing still is relevant. Hope is still accessible. Love is still possible.” – Pastor Lorne How can you respond to the hurt, injustice, and suffering of this world? Pastor Lorne encourages to answer the pain of the world as Jesus did—with blessings, love, grace, and compassion so that our actions will help write a different story in the world.

“I want to invite you to do something very Jesus-shaped: rest, retreat, renew your spirit. Sit in the quiet. Let the snow fall. Let the world be hushed.” – Pastor Lorne There is always something to do. As many of us are hunkered down during this large snowstorm, Pastor Lorne encourages to take advantage of this time—not to clean the house or try to tackle the never-ending “To Do” list—but to enjoy the break and experience the quiet. It's in these moments of retreat where the light of Christ often breaks through.

“Do we seek to, like Jesus, point out the absurdity of violence for peace?” – Pastor Alex There is no shortage of injustice in the world. And while it's important to respond that each of us respond to this suffering, the way by which we do is just as important. Join Pastor Alex for an exploration into how we can follow Jesus' example and not respond with violence, but rather with compassion, grace, mercy, and love.

"What if the motivation behind [our success] was less about proving and more about living into sacred identity?" - Pastor Lorne Hlad In this week's sermon, Pastor Lorne explores how many of us are motivated by things like anxiety, fear, or proving ourselves and encourages us to reorient our drive from our identity in Christ.

“As we walk into this new year, we are not asked to banish out the darkness. But we are asked to trust the light remains - the one true light that has been there since the beginning of time.” – Pastor Melinda Regardless of where you find yourself at the beginning of this new year, Pastor Melinda encourages us to remember that Jesus, the true light of the world, was here before us, is already ahead of us, and is with us now.

“Be soft. Be weak. Be humble. This is how Christ comes – not just into a manger, but into our hearts.” – Pastor Lorne A medical diagnosis, the loss of a job, a strained relationship - the world gives no shortage of reasons to want to protect our hearts from hurt and pain. On this Christmas Eve, Pastor Lorne encourages to navigate the seasons of life as Christ did – with humility, openness, and love.

“Sometimes there is power in just showing up - just being present. And I have to wonder if that's not the ministry Joseph provided for Jesus.” – Pastor Lorne Do you bring a lot of expectations into the season of Christmas? Pastor Lorne encourages us to leave the expectations of perfection behind and focus our efforts on showing up and being present to whatever the season brings.

“The good news is that in the roller coaster of our lives, when we don't feel as steady, we have a God who is.” – Pastor Lorne Hlad Are you in a season of uncertainty? There are times when each of us grapples with uncertainty – even doubt! During those seasons, Pastor Lorne encourages us to remember that this is a normal part of the faith experience and that we worship a God that is always with us, shining His light, so that we can get to the other side.

“Wilderness is a place of testing and revelation - a place where distractions stand out, where pretenses fall away, and where people often become more open to God's guidance.” – Pastor Melinda Are you wandering in the wilderness? Feeling lost or uncertain can be a signal you are in a “wilderness season” of life. In today's sermon, Pastor Melinda explores the Biblical concept of wilderness, what being in the wilderness might mean for you, and how you can find hope when you feel lost or uncertain.

“What we are called to do in this season is the same thing we've been called to our whole lives, which is love your neighbor, grow goodness, and practice forgiveness.” – Pastor Alex What does it mean to prepare for the Lord's coming? Pastor Alex explores Matthew 24:36-44 and ways we can prepare our hearts & minds for Christ's return.

God's Gifts Fill Us with Gratitude | Pastor Melinda Garza Moran by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

The Gifts of God Flow Through Us | Pastor Alex Hoops by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

“We are called to be caretakers of what has been given to us. And when we begin to see our lives in this way, everything changes.” – Pastor Lorne Pastor Lorne explores what role money, wealth, possessions play in our lives, how we can right-size our relationship with these resources, and how we can use our gifts so in service of something greater.

God's Gifts Unite Us | Pastor Melinda Garza Moran by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

“Grace is decidedly, unapologetically, definitively…by definition, free.” – Pastor Alex Pastor Alex explores the amazing truth that God's gift of grace is freely given to all people, not just a select few.

“Jesus comes to show us that the God of the universe is a God of grace, of love, of blessing, of healing.” – Pastor Lorne Pastor Lorne reminds us that God's love and grace is a gift freely given to all people, regardless of what we do or achieve.

“The mission is not optional. It's our identity. It's who we are as the people of God.” – Pastor Melinda Pastor Melinda reminds us of our calling to live out Christ's mission each and every day by using our gifts to share his grace & love with the world.

“When we come together and we work as one body with Jesus at the center, we become part of something that is greater than ourselves.” – Pastor Melinda Pastor Melinda explores how God's impact is multiplied when we do our part and serve together.

“God has not called some perfect, wise version of yourself – God is calling you now”. – Pastor Alex Pastor Alex reminds us that no matter how prepared we feel, God has already given us everything we need to serve people today.

“The church is a community of people, broken and redeemed, that together orient their life around the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus for the sake of healing the world.” – Pastor Lorne This week, Pastor Lorne reminds us that God's call to serve is inclusive of all people, regardless of age or ability.

“God is searching for you. Not to blame, but to bring you home – to bring you into a community of grace.” – Pastor Melinda This week, Pastor Melinda reminds us that even though we may feel lost, God is constantly seeking to bring us back to a place filled with His abundant love and grace.

"We are called to take our faith outside these walls - every one of us, every day of the week." - Pastor Lorne This week, Pastor Lorne reminds us that the true power of the Good News lies in how it equips each of us to share hope, love, and grace with the world around us.

“The Gospel sets us free in a way that orienting our lives around being better people never can.” – Pastor Lorne This week, Pastor Lorne reminds us that we are set free not through our own doing, but through God's vision of a world where all are seen, all are fed, and all are blessed.

“There are many things in this world that we can put ahead of our compassion. – Pastor Alex. This week, Pastor Alex encourages us to choose compassion in all we do, even if the world says it's okay to do otherwise.

“It's a disruptive love that asks us to let go of control and to place our hope in God's promise for the world and for ourselves." – Pastor Melinda This week, Pastor Melinda explores the ways Christ's love disrupts the status quo by calling us to protect the vulnerable, feed the hungry, care for creation, and welcome the stranger.

“Readiness is a reorienting of our priorities.” – Pastor Alex This week, Pastor Alex reminds us Jesus calls us into a readiness that is always seeking to serve our neighbor today.

“There is a way to live and a way to love that is wholly different than how society packages happiness and success.” – Pastor Lorne This week, Pastor Lorne explores what it means to live generously towards God and God's people.

“Prayer is a conversation with God. It can be formal. It can be intimate. It can be spontaneous.” – Pastor Melinda This week, Pastor Melinda reminds us that persistent prayer deepens our relationship with Christ and brings us closer to God.

“In the stillness, in the quiet, Jesus speaks.” – Pastor Lorne This week, Pastor Lorne invites us to put down the “to do list” and see where we experience God in the stillness of our lives.

“When tragedy strikes... love, compassion and action should be our only response.” – Pastor Melinda This week, Pastor Melinda explores how Christ compels us to move across tribal boundaries to share compassionate with all people.

“I don't think Jesus was sending them to do anything for him... I think Jesus was sending them to teach them a more important lesson.” – Pastor Lorne This week, Pastor Lorne explores how Jesus' call to share our faith out in the world is less about what we do and more about how we do it.

“If you have a feeling that something is absolutely right…I would ask: have you scrutinized it in the light of who we know Jesus to be?” – Pastor Alex This week, Pastor Alex challenges us to examine the beliefs that we hold and examine whether they are rooted in the teachings of Christ.

Liberated by Jesus | Pastor Lorne Hlad by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

"The spirit of Truth reminds us that when we look beyond the smoke and the mirrors, that God is still in control." – Pastor Melinda This week, Pastor Melinda reminds us that even when life feels aimless or challenging, we are not alone because God's Holy Spirit walks with us, revealing God's presence and purpose in our journey.

"The question for us is: do we heed that call to pursue something that we don't know where it's going?"– Pastor Alex This week, Pastor Alex encourages us to follow the places where we feel the Holy Spirit calling, recognizing that the Spirit calls us to new paths in partnership with God.

"It's Jesus' prayer coming to life that we may all be one in dignity, hope, and love."–Danette Miller This week we are joined by Danette Miller, Executive Director for the Haitian Timoun Foundation, who shares how the CLM program in Haiti transforms shame into dignity, showing us all what resurrection hope truly looks like.

"The peace of Christ is there even when we can't see it or feel it."– Pastor Melinda This week, Pastor Melinda reminds us of our calling to share God's divine peace with the world through our service, love, and compassion.

Pastor Alex explores Jesus' command to "love one another" immediately after Judas leaves to betray him, highlighting how this timing reveals the core of Christian discipleship. While we often view Judas as uniquely sinful, we are all capable of betrayal and sin, making us more like Judas than we care to admit. Through this realization, we're challenged to consider who our personal "Judas" might be and how we might practice Christ-like love and forgiveness, even toward those who have deeply hurt us.

In this Mother's Day sermon, Pastor Melinda explores Jesus' promise that no one can take believers from his hands. Through her story of losing her mother unexpectedly, she addresses how doubt is part of faith. Drawing from John's Gospel, she reminds us that salvation remains secure amid questioning, and that eternal life begins now through our relationship with Christ.

Pastor Lorne reminds us that forgiveness is not the end of our spiritual journey, but rather the beginning of renewed calling to share the Good News in our homes, workplaces, and communities.

"If the church is defined by [its] love, then forgiveness is our main export. That's our business." - Pastor Alex Hoops In this week's sermon, Pastor Alex reminds us of Christ's call to share forgiveness with those around us.