Summit Church Kansas

Dear Church Family,

Isaiah 53:6 tells us that “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way. . .”. We can usually assume that if there are sheep, there is also a shepherd presiding over them. Together, both are mentioned close to five hundred times in the scripture. The relationship between a shepherd and his flock is a perfect metaphor, because we—as followers of God—manifest similar behaviors. Most troublesome is a sheep’s tendency to wander away and become lost, injured, or attacked by predators. And the same thing happens with us.

Our tendency to act like sheep and wander away from God prompted the words of Isaiah the prophet, when describing the coming Messiah: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way. . .”. It reflects the actions of Adam and Eve, who chose their own way, instead of God’s. And it reflects our actions too. Thankfully, God sent His Son to be the Good Shepherd, who will lead, protect, and provide for His sheep. We must guard against our human tendency to wander, by staying close to the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

If you have wandered away from God—maybe a little, maybe a lot—let today be the day you return to God’s Good Shepherd. This week, I’m reminded of a hymn we’ve sung during praise and worship, “Come though Fount Of Every Blessing” by Robert Robinson. There’s a particular verse that reads, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above”.

This coming Sunday I will begin a series entitled “Please Pass the Fruit Salad”. This sermon series is a good chance to follow the instructions of 2 Corinthians 13:5, which says to “Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Test yourselves. . . Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” Those are sobering words. Don’t miss Sunday services, and invite others to attend!

Never forget how much you are loved!

Bro. Joe