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Richard L. Sheffield

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Preaching

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Why Sheep? -- John 10:1-10 (Luke 16:19-31) -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2007
Why sheep?
Fairy Tale Or God's Word? -- Matthew 7:21-29 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Proper 4 | Ordinary Time 9 - A -- 2007
When we ordain elders and deacons and ministers in the Presbyterian church we ask a number of questi
Listen To Yourself -- Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Proper 10 | Ordinary Time 15 - A -- 2007
Sometimes the best way to start reading your Bible is with the footnotes.
How Many Times? -- Matthew 18:21-35 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Proper 19 | Ordinary Time 24 - A -- 2007
I received a piece of mail not too long ago that brought a rather disconcerting message.
Did You Hear What Jesus Said? -- Matthew 21:33-46 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Proper 22 | Ordinary Time 27 - A -- 2007
Did you hear what Jesus said?
Explanations Or Truth? -- Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Proper 11 | Ordinary Time 16 - A -- 2007
So, what's that all about?
More Than Fair! -- Matthew 20:1-16 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - A -- 2007
I ran across a website a while back that said something that we all know, intuitively: "A roll of th
Think! -- Matthew 21:23-32 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A -- 2007
So, what do you think?
Salt And Light -- Matthew 5:13-20 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Epiphany 5 | Ordinary Time 5 - A -- 2007
Sometimes I think preachers would do best by getting out of Jesus' way.
Storytelling -- Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Proper 12 | Ordinary Time 17 - A -- 2007
Jesus loved to tell stories. Much of his teaching was in the form of stories we call parables.
Party Time -- Matthew 22:1-14 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Proper 23 | Ordinary Time 28 - A -- 2007
What kind of story was that? The one Jesus told about the wedding reception?
Faith Like Fanny's -- Matthew 25:14-30 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Proper 28 | Ordinary Time 33 - A -- 2007
I have a little book titled, You Are What You Believe in my library.
Narrow Love? -- Matthew 25:31-46 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Christ The King (Proper 29) - A -- 2007
Okay -- I confess.
What We Have Left Undone -- Matthew 25:1-13 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Proper 27 | Ordinary Time 32 - A -- 2007
There is a mistake in my Bible. Actually, I found two mistakes in the gospel reading this week.

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Think! -- Matthew 21:23-32 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Proper 21 | Ordinary Time 26 - A -- 2007
So, what do you think?
Why Sheep? -- John 10:1-10 (Luke 16:19-31) -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 2007
Why sheep?

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He Ascended Into Heaven -- Luke 24:44-53 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Ascension of the Lord - A -- 1998
I want to take the text seriously this morning.
Lent To Life -- Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Ash Wednesday - A -- 1998
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent.
The Lord Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed! He Really Is! -- John 20:1-18 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Easter Day - A -- 1998
The Lord is risen!He is risen indeed!The Lord is risen!
The Last Beatitude -- John 20:19-31 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Second Sunday of Easter - A -- 1998
What the disciples of Jesus reported to their fellow disciple Thomas they had seen seemed unbelievab
People Die! -- Luke 24:13-35 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Third Sunday of Easter - A -- 1998
"People die.
Why Sheep? -- John 10:1-10 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Fourth Sunday of Easter - A -- 1998
Why sheep?
This Is Certain -- John 14:1-14 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Fifth Sunday of Easter - A -- 1998
Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled.
I Will Not Leave You Alone -- John 14:15-21 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Sixth Sunday of Easter - A -- 1998
There's an old saying about the way you get people to hear what you're saying, that goes something l
What Jesus Prayed For -- John 17:1-11 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Seventh Sunday of Easter - A -- 1998
What do you pray for? Maybe the question should be: "Do you pray?!"
Where, In This Hell, Is The Holy? -- John 18:1--19:42 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Good Friday - A -- 1998
I am convinced that few of us are really convinced that this Good Friday really leads to the first d
Lint -- Matthew 4:1-11 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- First Sunday in Lent - A -- 1998
The topic this morning was not a misprint in the newspaper nor in your bulletin.
The Stealth Disciple -- John 3:1-17 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Second Sunday in Lent - A -- 1998
In the "Science & Technology," section of a recent issue of Business Week magazine, there was an
Water, Water, Everywhere -- John 4:5-42 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Third Sunday in Lent - A -- 1998
Reading the Gospel lesson this week a snatch of poetry I learned somewhere along the way kept runnin
Blind Driveways -- John 9:1-41 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Fourth Sunday in Lent - A -- 1998
King George VI, addressing his subjects at the beginning of a new year, said in his annual message:
Upon Those In The Tombs Bestowing Life -- John 11:1-45 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Fifth Sunday in Lent - A -- 1998
In the Orthodox Church, Easter worship includes the singing of a hymn that goes:
Go Love! -- John 13:1-17, 31b-35 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Maundy Thursday - A -- 1998
Where Is God When I Need Him? -- Matthew 26:14--27:66 -- Richard L. Sheffield -- Passion Sunday - A -- 1998
"Truly, this man was God's Son!" (Matthew 27:54 NRSV).
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I ran across, what sounds to me, like an old legend. It’s a good story, though, and I think it is worth looking at.

Back in the days when the Old West was being settled, a lot of people made their way over the Oregon Trail. When they got to the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains, they found a stream that was too wide to cross by just stepping over it. To get across, they "two-stepped" across by using an ugly lump sticking up out of the water in the middle of the stream as a step.

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Contents
“Trusting in God” by Peter Andrew Smith
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Trusting in God
by Peter Andrew Smith
1 John 3:16-24

Jane handed Mary a cup of coffee. “Is anyone else around?”

Mary shook her head. “No, Ken and Pastor Mark headed off to their meeting so it’s just the two of us at the church until they get back.”

The Village Shepherd

Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. If you want to know him, listen to his voice today.

Invitation to Confession:

Jesus, sometimes we fail to hear your voice.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we wilfully ignore your voice.
Christ, have mercy.

Jesus, sometimes we wander far from the fold.
Lord, have mercy.

Reading:

John 10:11-18

SermonStudio

Donna E. Schaper
What does this shepherd possibly mean? He says he has the power to put his life down and to pick it up again! It is almost like he is saying we can stop breathing whenever we want -- and then begin breathing again. How dare we believe this promise?
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Sometimes it just takes boldness!

"Tell me what my dreams means," bellowed the king. "And I want to know what the dream was, too! It was so terrifying that I can't remember it! Tell me now! If you don't, O wise men of Babylon, I will have all of you killed."

That's the report Daniel heard in his prison cell as henchmen came to fulfill the king's earnest decree. "Wait, there's a God in heaven who reveals mysteries," delays Daniel, and with boldness in God and with confidence that God gives dream meanings, Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar about the future.
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Not long ago I heard about one more study done with rats. This particular study seemed to indicate that the amount of stress experienced by baby rats in their first ten days set their bodies for the rest of their lives as to how the rats would react to stressful situations. As I recall, there are at least two factors at work. First of all, in a stressful situation a chemical is produced that triggers the stress response throughout the body.

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