Jonathan Sprang - April 17, 2016

The Sheep Whisperer

Identity Crisis

Our lives are busy and hectic, and at times we feel as though there’s no hope. How do we remain faithful to God when life gets out of control? The early Christians found they needed to hear the voice of their shepherd and follow him. Spiritual practices are more than just things to do, they change who we are. They form us into people that are at peace, even in the midst of the storm. And when we are at peace, we can hear God’s voice and follow faithfully.

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We are, by nature, relational creatures. From the time we’re born, we’re in relationships with other people. And it doesn’t matter if you’re extroverted, like me, and have a wide pool of relationships, or you’re more introverted and have a few, deep relationships. We all have them. We need them. We were created for them.

So we all know relationships are hard work. Especially the more you get to know someone – you start to realize they’re not like you. They don’t see the world the same way you do. They don’t think the same way. And it causes conflict.

In the first church where I was a youth pastor, I had a parent who was that person for me. From the day her family joined the church, it was clear she did not like me or the way I pastored our teens. And she wasn’t shy about letting me know. Barely a week went by that she didn’t send me an email, call me or come to my office. And of course, this was church, so I couldn’t kick her out or anything. But honestly, if that was a relationship I could have walked away from, I would have in a second.

I don’t think that’s just me. It sure seems like a lot of us treat relationships as more disposable the older I get. Rather than work hard on our relationships, we ditch them – whether it’s a break up text, icing out a coworker, the cold shoulder to a spouse, ghosting on a friendship or avoiding family reunions.

Easter proves that God cares about relationships. And Easter matters especially when our relationships get hard. So if you have any relationships in your life that are hard right now, you came to the right place.

God raised Jesus from the dead, and that’s very good news for our relationships.

Join us Sunday as we learn how God’s faithfulness enables us to be faithful.

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