William E. Keeney

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me — just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. (vv. 14-16)

Easter is a season of new life and that which guides the church into new life. All three texts point in this direction. What congregation or church leader is not in need of new ideas and directions for life in the history or their ministry?

Acts 4:5-12
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.

Contents
“Trusting in God” by Peter Andrew Smith
“The Power of a Name” by David O. Bales
“Through A Dark Valley Toward the Table Of An Enemy” by David O. Bales


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.”

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

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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.

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Reading:
John 10:11-18

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?

Sometimes it just takes boldness!

"Tell me what my dreams mean," 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 dreams meanings, Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar about the future.

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.