Musings From Pastor Kevin Austin

I read a book this week entitled Broken Promises, Mended Heart by Joel D. Block, Ph.D.  It is a really interesting book on trust within the contexts of relationships.  As I was reading through this, I began to wonder what are the things within our relationship with God that help our trust in him.  How do we work on trust within our relationship with God?  I think that we think about trust in a way perspective a lot of times.  What do I have to do?  What does the person have to do?  But Dr. Block so aptly points our in the midst of his book the two sided nature of trust and mending broken hearts.  I encourage you to spend some time thinking about what trust looks like in the midst of your relationship with God.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

I have to say this is a really exciting time here at Shepherd of the Hills. It is also a sad time in that we are in the process of saying goodbye to a man who has poured his heart and soul into SOTH and guided it for about half of its life (15 years) in Pastor Mike. It is going to be sad and difficult to say goodbye to Pastor Mike and Roberta as they have meant so much to so many people over their time here, but we will enjoy the time that we have left with them and wish them God’s richest blessing as they venture forth into new adventures wherever God may lead them. It is an exciting time though as it is a time to think and dream as individuals, as families, and a congregation about all that God already has in store for us. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “for I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” I believe this is true for Shepherd of the Hills as well, especially as we move through this time of transition. Even in the midst of transition, as hard and as difficult as it may be, we can rest assured in the knowledge that God already has plans for us. God knows the future. God already knows what He plans to do in our midst, and that is a beautiful and good thing. We also know that God has promised to “never leave us or forsake us” no matter what the situation might bring.

If God already has plans for us then what does that mean we should do?  I believe that we as God's people in this place are called to be vigilant.  We are called to be vigilant in prayer seeking God's face, seeking God's will for our lives, and listening.  So often in the midst of prayer it is a one way conversation in which we talk and just expect God to listen.  God does listen, but God speaks as well.  We are called to listen to our God who will be speaking to us even in this time of transition even though it might be in that "still small voice".  I believe we are called to come together as a community, a family of faith.  Jesus says in Mark 3, "And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand."  We are called to come together, band together as brothers and sisters in faith and unite as one that we may withstand the attacks of the devil even in the midst of this time of transition.  I believe we are called to be in God's Word.  God speaks to us through His Word which is living and active, sharper than a double edged sword.  If God speaks, we are to listen.  We are to be in His Word seeking to learn more and more about our Savior and to grow in our relationship with Him. God’s Word also serves as a guide to guide us through the midst of all that life might throw at us in the coming years.  God's Word truly "is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."  And finally, I believe we are called to not only pray, unite, and be in God's Word but also to follow God by faith wherever He may lead us.  It is one thing to pray and unite and study but if we don't listen, obey, and follow by faith, are we being faithful to what God has called us to do?

I am truly excited to see what God has in store for all of us both as individuals, as families, and as a congregation at Shepherd of the Hills.  I believe it is an exciting time and that God is already at work in us, among us, and through us as He has been throughout the 31 years of Shepherd of the Hills.  God has been working through the Godly leaders that He has raised up within Shepherd of the Hills and will continue to work through His people here at this place to proclaim the name of Jesus and changes lives.  As I look out over the next couple of years, I see God doing magnificent things that are beyond our wildest dreams and imaginations and I believe we have a lot of preparing to do as we anxiously anticipate God's work among us, in us, and through us in our homes, our community, and the world never forgetting those words from Jeremiah 29, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Dear Wives of Shepherd of the Hills,

I would like to take this opportunity to personally invite you to consider joining us for a Married and Alive weekend that I will be hosting at Shepherd of the Hills this summer. With all of the things that are going on in the midst of the hustle and bustle of life it is often difficult to find quality time to spend your spouse much less spend time concentrating on your marriage. These weekends will be a chance to spend some time together as husband and wife digging into God’s word and studying what God’s Word has to say about marriage and your role within your marriage. We will spend some time on some of the fundamentals of marriage. It will be a fun weekend with your husband and some other couples from Shepherd of the Hills. I promise you that I will do my best to make sure these weekends are not corny or cheesy or fluffy, but to make it productive and fun and relevant to your life and marriage.

Some have asked me who these weekends are really intended for. I tell them that these weekends are designed for couples at all stages of life. It is designed for the couple who has been married two weeks and the couple that has been married 50 years. It is designed for the couple that has a better relationship than they could have ever dreamed of, the couple who has their bumps and bruises, and everyone in the middle. Really, the only couple this weekend is not designed for is the couple that has already concluded that they are getting a divorce, because there is not much we can do in a weekend if the decision has already been made and if both partners are not committed to the relationship. You do not wait until you have problems with your car to go and get an oil change. You do not wait until your body is having problems to go in for your yearly check up with the doctor. The same should be true for your marriage. My hope is that these weekends would be a chance for you and your husband to spend some quality time together concentrating on and recharging your marriage whether there are issues that you are working on or if you couldn’t imagine your marriage being any better.

The Married and Alive Weekends will take place at Shepherd of the Hills the weekends of June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16. The weekend will start on Friday night at 7 PM and run until Saturday night at 8 PM. The cost for the weekend is $50. Unfortunately due to the nature of these weekends and the length of time, childcare will not be able to be provided at church for this event. Registration for these weekends is required as they are limited to only 10 couples per weekend (so register soon). Registration can be done online at www.soth.org under the “Family” section (look for the link that says “Click here to register for a Family Life Cycle Course.” If you have any questions about these weekends please feel free to contact me or the church office at 909-989-6500 or by email at kaustin@soth.org.

I invite you and your husband to prayerfully consider attending a Married and Alive weekend together this summer. May God continue to richly bless your marriage and family.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Pastor Kevin Austin

Dear Husbands of Shepherd of the Hills,

Every spring baseball teams go to Arizona or Florida for a thing called Spring Training to prepare for the season. At Spring Training, guys who are some of the best baseball players in the world spend days and weeks going back to the very basics, working on the fundamentals of the game as well as getting themselves in shape for whatever the season might throw at them. They do not do this because they are bad players or because they have forgotten how to play or are that much out of shape (ok, some of them might be that out of shape but that is the beauty of baseball), but they know that in order to have a successful season they have to have the basics down if they are going to play well or even be better than the year before. The same thing is found across all sports whether it be the NHL, NBA, or NFL with their mini-camps and training camps.

I would like to invite you to consider a spring training for your marriage. I know what you are thinking: “Not another marriage weekend that my wife wants to go to that I really don’t think we need. Our marriage is really good already.” “I don’t want to go sit around with a group of people and talk about our dirty laundry. “I don’t want to go and get in touch with my feminine side and hear how bad a husband I am.” “I don’t want to go and talk about my feelings for an entire weekend.” Ok now that we have those over with (because they all sound miserable to me too), I would like you to put down your gut reactions and your excuses for just a minute and invite you to consider the Married and Alive weekend that I will be putting on at Shepherd of the Hills this summer. These weekends will serve like Spring Training for your marriage. Many of you I know have wonderful marriages and can’t imagine them being any better. Many of you are already experts in this field and don’t need “marriage counseling”. Many of you are entering into “a season” of life in which you might be able to use a little time refreshing on the fundamentals or just could use some time to reconnect with your wife from the hustle and bustle that is your life with a wife, kids, soccer, dance, school, and work. These weekends are designed for couples at all stages of life. It is designed for the couple who has been married two weeks and the couple that has been married 50 years. It is designed for the couple that has a better relationship than they could have ever dreamed of, the couple who has their bumps and bruises, and everyone in the middle. Really, the only couple this weekend is not designed for is the couple that has already concluded that they are getting a divorce, because there is not much we can do in a weekend if the decision has already been made and if both partners are not committed to the relationship.

These spring training weekends will offer you a chance to reconnect with your wife. It will be a chance to spend some time together digging into God’s word and studying what God’s Word has to say about marriage and your role within your marriage. We will spend some time on some of the fundamentals of marriage. It will be a fun weekend with your wife and some other couples from Shepherd of the Hills. I promise you that I will do my best to make sure these weekends are not corny or cheesy or fluffy, but to make it productive and fun and relevant to your life and marriage.

The Married and Alive Weekends will take place at Shepherd of the Hills the weekends of June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16. The weekend will start on Friday night at 7 PM and run until Saturday night at 8 PM. The cost for the weekend is $50. Registration for these weekends is required as they are limited to only 10 couples per weekend. Registration can be done online at www.soth.org under the “Family” section (look for the link that says “Click here to register for a Family Life Cycle Course.” If you have any questions about these weekends please feel free to contact me or the church office 909-989-6500 or by email at kaustin@soth.org.

I invite you and your wife to prayerfully consider attending a Married and Alive weekend together this summer. May God continue to bless your marriage and family.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Pastor Kevin Austin

ESV Matthew 26:17-29

Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?" 18 He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, 'The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'" 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.

20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve. 21 And as they were eating, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I, Lord?" 23 He answered, "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, "Is it I, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You have said so."

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."

ESV 2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

And we too are called to be Theotokoi, God-bearers. We are, in ways that we will explore later, called to be those through whom God’s redeeming love will still come to birth in the world. For that reason, and because of the model we have in Mary, we are not to be amazed if at the same time a sword should pierce our hearts also. This is by no means a sign we are on the wrong road. On the contrary. It is when we share the groaning of all creation that, according to St. Paul, we hear the Spirit groaning yet deeper within us, assuring us that we are the children of God, heirs of God, fellow-heirs with the risen Christ. Better to be puzzled, like Mary (in the temple in Jerusalem when she found Jesus there at the age of 12), at the strange things that Jesus is doing to me and in me than settle for an easily grasped half-truth with neither depth nor power. We are called to be the bearers of God-in-Christ to his world, pondering in our hearts the mysteries we do not yet understand, seeking him in and through our own sorrow, ready to search for our young Lord wherever he may be found, whether discussing with the learned, partying with the riffraff, or dying with the outcasts.

- N.T. Wright, The Crown And The Fire

Getting Ready

As many of you know, Aldebaran, Hannah and I are getting ready for a new addition to our family. It is an exciting time. The last few weeks and months have been spent in eager preparation and expectation. We have been getting the house ready. We have been getting the baby’s room ready. We have been preparing ourselves and Hannah for the changes that are to come. In the last few days things have even gotten crazier as I write this we are only about two weeks away from Aldebaran’s expected due date. This means that it could really happen at any point now. This means that life has changed for me. The time for preparing is really coming to a close for the baby could be here at any point now. Everywhere I go I carry with me my cell phone knowing that at any point I could get that phone call and half to drop everything and go. I have been working ahead at church knowing that when that time comes I am going to have to leave everything behind and go and be a dad. We do not know when that day will be. We do not know what surprise that day will bring. We do not know for sure what kind of changes that day is going to bring to our life, but what we do know is that we have to be ready and that what God does in our lives on that day will forever change our family and will be wonderful.

As I reflect upon this experience once again of preparing for the birth of a child, I am reminded of Christ’s call to the church to prepare for and be ready for His second coming. Christ tells us in Mark 13, "But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.” Christ is calling for all of us to always be about this business of preparing our hearts and lives for his arrival, just as we have been preparing our lives and our house for the arrival of our new child. We are to be watchful and vigilant anticipating his coming knowing that the time could come at any hour, knowing that when it comes we have to be ready and go. We are called to be ready and prepared. For me as I experience, the preparation for the birth of a child, I feel like I am experiencing first hand what our lives are supposed to be like as we prepare for and await the coming of Christ. After all we know that when Christ comes our life will be changed forever and even though we don’t know fully what that day will bring we know that it will be wonderful.

This call of Jesus to be watchful and prepared is not just one for us individually but one for us as a church as well. It is a call for us to all remember the urgency of the business we are about in all that we do. This forces us to evaluate where we are at and make decisions based upon our mission and ministry so that we might best prepare for the coming of our Lord. This last December the church took some time to evaluate where we are at and took steps to move forward in mission and ministry that we might further our work in spreading the Gospel as well as plan and transition into the future of Shepherd of the Hills. One of the steps that was taken at the December Voters Meeting was to decide to sell House 2. Another of these steps was announced this last fall as Pastor Mike announced his retirement at the end of 2008. Pastor Mike has already begun this transition as he has moved into a part-time role at Shepherd of the Hills. As we move through this time of transition and change at Shepherd of the Hills it is pivotal that we keep our mind and hearts on the mission and ministry that God has given each of us individually and as a church not losing sight of the urgency that Christ has given us. Please keep the church in your prayers as we move together through a time of transition into a future that is exciting and bright as we seek to spread the love of God by being a beacon of hope where people discover God’s love and share it in the home, community, and world. This is an awesome opportunity for us to unite as a congregation with urgency to prepare for the future that God has in store for us at this place as we seek to expand His kingdom through His work in, through, and among us. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11

I hope this post finds all of you doing well having had a wonderful Valentines Day.

1 Peter 2:25- For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Why sheep?  Seriously.  All throughout the Scripture we have examples of God being called the Good Shepherd and us being called sheep.  I don't know about you but I don't have that much interaction with sheep on a daily basis, yet I am told that I am like a sheep.  In the time in which the Scriptures were written people knew a lot about sheep.  At the entrance to almost every town were Shepherds grazing their sheep. 

So what do we need to know about sheep that helps us to understand who we are and better understand who God is?  Sheep are some of the least intelligent of animals.  They are always wondering off.  They need someone to guide them wherever they are going or else you will have a herd of sheep going in about eight different directions.  They are scared to walk into dark places including shade because they don't know what might be lurking.  Without a shepherd, sheep would not be able to eat because the Shepherd is the one who leads them to water and to green pastures for them to eat. 

Any of this sound familiar at all?  I think the point Peter is making with sheep is that left to ourselves we are a lot like sheep.  We go off on our own way.  We do our own thing.  We follow other people going off on their own.  We are all in need of that Shepherd to come and rescue us from the precarious position we have put ourselves in.  Peter is telling us that Christ rescued us and has brought us to pure food and pure water.

Spend some time today thinking about sheep.  Google it or look it up on wikipedia and see what we might learn about ourselves from some animals.

1 Peter 2:24- He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.  By his wounds you have been healed.

This is the time of year in which we spend a lot of time talking about love.  Why?  Valentine's Day of course.  We come up with creative and new ways to show our love to our spouse or boyfriend or girlfriend.  We take them out to dinner, by flower or chocolates or teddy bears.  I even heard on the radio this morning an equation to show your love: detail + time spent = much credit (much love).  Love is all around and on our brains this time of year.

As I think about the word love, I come to this passage as I believe it is the greatest act of love this world has ever seen.  Jesus came to this earth not because He had to, not because we were so good, not because we deserved it, but because He loved us and could not stand the separation that was between us.  Jesus came and not only lived among us but gave up his life in order that "we might die to sin and live to righteousness."  That is love.   That is true love.  In the words of a popular commercial, talk is cheap.  You can tell someone all the time that you love them, but Jesus did not just say that he loved them, He showed us and by that display of love, by his pain, by his suffering, by his death, by his wounds, we have been healed.  That means that he has gotten rid of all of the garbage that we have filled our lives with.  He has gotten rid of all the things we have done wrong.  It means He has given us new life, a new beginning in Him.  That my friends is love.

Happy Friday to all of you.  I don't know about you but this week really flew by.  I wanted to share a great quote with you this morning that I read last night.  It is by Craig Groeschel in his book Going All the Way.  If you are someone in high school or college or a single young adult or in a serious relationship thinking about marriage, I would encourage you to pick it up.  There is some really good and candid discussion throughout this book.

"Sin is like a good sneeze.  It feels good coming out.  Then you get snot everywhere."

Today is the day in the church year set aside to begin our Lenten journey to the cross.  It is a time when we take a good look at our lives and we come in repentance to God acknowledging that we are sinner in need of forgiveness.  Tonight you will have the opportunity come an experience something a little bit different with having ashes placed upon your forehead.  This is a custom that comes out of the early church that reminds us that from dust we come and to dust we will return, that we are sinners in need of forgiveness, and that our hope is in Christ.  I pray that this Lenten season may be a time of reflection and preparation for the great celebration we will have a little over 40 days from now. 

Worship tonight and throughout Lent is on Wednesday nights at 3:00, 5:30, and 7:15.

As we are preparing for Lent  and Ash Wednesday tomorrow, I have been spending some time looking at the hymn "Come To Calvary's Holy Mountain".  As we prepare for worship tomorrow I want to invite you to spend some time reflecting on the words of Isaiah.

Isaiah 25:6-8  

6 On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples
   a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
7And he will swallow up on this mountain
   the covering that is cast over all peoples,
 the veil that is spread over all nations.
8 He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces,
   and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
  for the LORD has spoken.

Every now and then I read something that I find truly profound.  Not because it is something new or something that I didn't already know it.  Yesterday I was reading something and ran across a sentence that really struck me and I would like to pass it on to you and all you chew on for I feel it is really helpful.

"The ascended Lord is the one who disturbs the comfortable and comforts the disturbed... the result is reckless adoration."  -N.T. Wright

Enjoy!

Join us for Men's Bible Study tomorrow morning at 6 AM.  We will be finishing up our series and choosing our next study.

1 Peter 2:21-23- For to this you have been called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you and example, so that you might follow in his steps.  He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.  When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

Who are the examples that you seek to follow in your life?  I believe we all seek someone to follow in one way or another.  This might sound kinda funny if you never thought about it because we live in a society in which everyone claims to want to be an individual, but if you look at the way our society works it seems like we all seek to follow and be like someone else.  Don't believe me, take a look at advertising campaigns.  Does Nike go out and get Joe Basketball Player off the local playground to handle the bulk of their advertising?  Of course not.  Nike spends millions of dollars a year paying high profile celebrities to endorse their products so that you can be just like Mike and go out and by Air Jordan shows.  I think this is seen in the way that we look up to athletes, actors, and even politicians.  I think it is sometime funny who we pick as our examples, but I believe it is part of being human to long for someone to be like. 

Peter knew this well and so in our text for today is calling us to follow Christ as our example.  In these words, Peter is telling us what kind of an example Jesus was and what it would look like to follow his example. 

I want to encourage you to spend some time thinking about who the examples are in your life and what affect they are having upon you.  Then consider Christ and what you might learn from Him.

1 Peter 2:18-20

18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.

What an interesting and difficult calling?  It is easy subject yourself to someone who has your best interest at heart.  It easy to subject yourself to someone who is just and fair.  It is to subject yourself to someone that you know is a person of God.  But what about this?  Peter is calling servants to be subject to their masters no matter what.  If it is a good master great.  If it is a bad master then Peter says it is our cross to bear just as Jesus bore the cross for us.  This is difficult for I know there are a lot of great bosses out their in the world and those folks are easy to follow yet there are a also a lot of not so good bosses out there.  It can be difficult yet we are called to follow them and see it as an of grace on our part in the sight of God.