Pastor Taylor Shippy's Sermons: Recent Episodes

Taylor Shippy

Sermons by Pastor Taylor Shippy of Gibbon Baptist Church

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 11:1-13

More than any of the other Gospels, Luke is captivated by the prayer life of Jesus. It was not a trivial detail to Luke that Jesus, even as God the Son, frequently prayed to God the Father. And Luke’s not the only one fascinated by this. The disciples were too.“Lord, teach us to pray…” (Lk 11:1). It’s not to say that the disciples do not know how to pray; rather, they were impressed with the example of Jesus’ prayer life. And they want to pray like He prayed.

And a part of teaching His disciples to pray like He prayed, Jesus revealed the character of the One they were praying to: The Father whose name we hallow as holy. The One whose will we are content may be done on earth as it is in heaven. The One we can ask for daily bread from. Through a brief little parable Jesus reveals who is the One we are praying to... Someone who is more than a friend and more like a Father.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 10:25-47

What if I told you we don’t often read "The Parable of the Good Samaritan” how Luke likely intended us to… It may be the most memorable and compelling story Jesus shared, but we so often forget it’s actually a story within a story. And what if it was never meant to be told by itself; rather, Luke intended for us to read it as part of a larger story unfolding in the life of Jesus.

What if we've been reading Jesus’ little short story about a neighborly Samaritan not necessarily incorrectly but incompletely. That there’s more going on here. And we need to read it as Luke intended… In concert with what comes before and what comes after… Perhaps Luke has something for us to see this morning...

Pastor Taylor - Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21; Luke 12:13-15; Philippians 4:10-13; Colossians 3:5; Hebrews 13:5-6

This morning our conversation is going to center around watching out for the 'Green-Eyed Monster' that often knocks on the doors of our lives, deep in our heart of hearts. And if we given it space and freedom in our lives -- it won’t simply make it impossible for us to adhere to the other nine Ten Commandments -- rather it has the capability to deform us so that we live less than how we were created to be. Devoid of joy. And far removed from theabundant life Jesus wants for us

As we conclude our series looking at the 'Big Ten,' we’re gonna take a look at this 'Green-Eyed Monster' inside each of us. An ancient 'monster' that has tempted humanity since practically dayone and is still wielded by the Enemy to drive each of us away from our Creator God and further apart from our neighbor. We are going to look at the 'Green-Eyed Monster' of coveting.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 20:16; Proverbs 6:16-19, 26:24-28; Matthew 12:36-37; Ephesians 4:25-5:2; James 3:2-12; 4:11-12

For the past few weeks, we’ve been talking specifically about the later half of the Ten Commandments. These terse, pithy, often only two or three word sayings in the original Hebrew. Sayings aimed toward honoring and loving our neighbor. So far, we’ve looked at honoring the sanctity of our neighbor’s life, and honoring our neighbor’s dignity, and honoring not only our neighbor’s property but their right to own and possess things.

Today we will be talking about honoring our neighbor's reputation. As author Jen Wilkes summarizes, we are not to take our neighbor’s life, spouse, or stuff. And the ninth commandment will charge us not to take his or her good name.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 20:15, 22:1-15; Leviticus 6:2-5, 19:11, 13; Matthew 6:19-21; Ephesians 4:28

Why do you think stealing is in the Ten Commandments? Why did God feel the need to include, in and among the Top Ten things He wanted the ancient Israelites to live by, something every civilized society recognizes as a crime? Why is taking something that doesn’t belong to you, without the consent of your neighbor, so near and dear to the heart of God? This morning we are seeking an answer to these questions...

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Matthew 7:24-29

As part of our 'Back to School' Sunday, where we recognized and blessed our students and teachers ahead of a new academic year, we also consider how we can continue to be students and apprentices of Jesus.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Genesis 2:18-25; Exodus 20:14; Job 31:1-8; Matthew 5:27-30; 1 Corinthians 7:1-11; Ephesians 5:21-33

This morning Jesus makes a similar move with the Seventh Commandment as He did with the Sixth. Another two word phrase in the original Hebrew: ‘No adultery.’ Like last week with anger, Jesus sees a virtue or value behind sexual desire. A good that has unfortunately been spoiled by sin. This week we will work to discover what Jesus sees as the good to avoid the bad as we strive to see our neighbors, particularly those of the opposite gender, as God sees them: not as objects but as persons.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Genesis 4:1-16; Exodus 20:13;

Matthew 5:21-26; Ephesians 4:31-5:2; Romans 12:14-21

C.S. Lewis once wrote that“your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.” And today, through the Sixth Word, we are reminded and invited to honor the sacredness of the lives of our fellow human beings. Image bearers of God Himself. To honor the sanctity of human life and flourishing.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 20:12; Leviticus 19:3; Proverbs 23:22-25; Ephesians 6:1-4; Colossians 3:20-21

Perhaps you’ve familiar with the prevailing theory that the Ten Commandments can be neatly divided between the first four and the remaining six? That as you make your way down the ‘Big Ten’ there is a momentum shift part way through where the language seems to pivot from talking about our relationship with God to talking about our relationships with our neighbor.

If that’s the case, what better ‘neighbor’ to start with than with the ‘neighbors’ who produced us… The first neighbors, most of us, ever knew… Our parents. This morning we're exploring and talking about the first humans we are meant to honor: our parents.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Isaiah 58:13-14; Mark 2:23-28; Hebrews 4:1-11

Out of all the 'Big Ten,' the fourth one is the longest and most detailed. It’s also the most hyperlinked and referenced commandment throughout the remainder of the Bible. Why is that? Further, it is the only one charging God’s people to remember something… It’s as if God is subtly hinting that keeping the Sabbath is a detail that can be easy to forget...

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 20:7; Matthew 5:13-16; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; 1 Peter 2:11-12; 3:15-16

As we are continuing in our summer series through the Ten Commandments, last time we were together, we talked about God caring about His image. This week we now see that God cares about His name. A name that He has given and pronounced over those whom He’s saved and called. A name that is above every name! A name He asks of those who have been called by His name... To use it well.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 20:4-6, 32:1-8; Deuteronomy 4:15-20; Mark 8:27-30

This morning, as we continue our summer series through the Ten Commandments, for a lot of people this week’s ‘word’ from the LORD may seem a tad redundant. Last week, we talked about having no god but God, and God’s insistence on having no idols is essentially communicating the same thing; however, while there is definitely significant overlap in the first two commandments, there are deeper dimensions to the Second Commandment... The Second Commandment is the linchpin to the entire Ten Commandments. It circles back and reinforces the first while simultaneously influencing the remaining eight!

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 20:1-3; Mark 10:17-27

John Wesley once said, “Whatever is loved, feared, delighted in, or depended on more than God that we make a god of.” Today, as we examine the first 'saying' of God from Mt. Sinai, the first of the 'Big Ten,' we meditate on having no other gods but God and the potential for us to create other gods either besides Him, before Him, beside Him, or against Him.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Hosea 2:2-20; Ephesians 5:21-32

Last week we began our summer-long conversation through the Ten Commandments. Some of the most iconic, most recognizable, and perhaps, for some, the most venerated verses in the entire Bible. But also, we began talking about last week, some of the most misunderstood…

This week we are continuing that conversation, picking up where we left off, trying to discern what do we call the ten things God says to the people of Israel because the Bible never calls them 'commandments.' Why do we call them the ten ‘commandments’ when the Bible never does? Does that influence or sway our understanding of their role or function in our lives?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 19:1-8, 16-19; 20:1-21; Matt 5:17-20

This morning we are beginning our new summer sermon series entitled - "The Big Ten: A Survey of the Ten Commandments" - where we are going to strive to figure out the function of the Ten Commandments in our walks with God. To discern, with God’s help, what is the role and purpose of God's Law not simply for ancient Israel but also for us, as His people, now 2000 years later.

We begin with discussing the Ten Commandments, or better yet the Ten 'Words,' as a whole, unpacking that they did not appear in a vacuum; rather, they are presented to us in a narrative. How does this story inform how we are to understand their function? Perhaps we are to read and interpret the Ten Commandments in light of the story?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Genesis 2:4-8; John 20:19-23

Today is ‘Pentecost Sunday.' ‘Pentecost’ is a transliteration of the Greek word pentēkostē (πεντηκοστή) which simply means ‘fiftieth.’ For Christians is the fiftieth day after Easter when remember the Holy Spirit descending upon the followers of Jesus after His Ascension.

The tricky part is, if you’re reading the New Testament, there isn’t one Pentecost but two. Luke tells us one (cf. Acts 2:1-41) and so does John (cf. John 20:19-23). One is a loud and large worship service; the other is a small and quiet prayer meeting. And we need to both.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Acts 1:3-9; Hebrews 4:14-16

For many of us, when we retell the story of Jesus, we’re really good at talking about when He was born. We’re eager to share about the Cross. And we're pretty good at talking about the resurrection. But we almost never talk about the Ascension, and perhaps that’s why we forget and forfeit what our risen Lord is doing right now out of love for us… Among many things the risen Lord is doing is interceding and mediating as our Great High Priest in the heavenly places. On this Ascension Sunday, let's remember, celebrate, and proclaim what Jesus is doing right now out of love for us!

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Acts 16:16-34

While ‘a magician may never reveal his secrets’... A preacher does. It dawned on me this week that this whole episode wasn’t an escape; it was a rescue. A rescue of not only this single jailer but also his entire family. Not to mention the slave girl from earlier that afternoon. And how about us?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Acts 8:26-40

I think Philip demonstrates or exemplifies what I’m growing convinced all followers of Jesus ought to strive to be: Verbal Disciples. And when I say ‘verbal’ I don’t mean in the sense of making a lot of noise, I mean being characterized by an array of Christlike verbs. That when people think of Christians, they immediately think of the verbs they inhabit and act upon… That our verbs join and accentuate and compliment the good news we preach!

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 24:1-34 - Easter Sunday 2024

So often we have this tendency to rush Easter, to get to the ‘good’ part, the ‘happily ever after;' however, the Gospels are not so quick to jump ahead. They linger. Stubbornly. Content to take it at a much slower pace, and as a result, force us to sit in the tension and unease and discomfort and pain of how frigid that first Easter morning felt. It’s almost like they want us to capture the slowness of Easter dawning on those present that day… And they’re forcing us to journey with Easter at the same pace as the original recipients of Easter… Whether we want to or not… And this got me wondering… What if that is how Easter is supposed to feel like? That it doesn’t occur to us on our schedule, it occurs on Someone else’s?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45; Colossians 1:19-22; Hebrews 10:19-23

Good Friday 2024

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 19:28-40

On the precipice of Jesus ushering in the new Creation in a one week’s time… On this Palm Sunday morning... Consider Church that God has been partnering with humans, not as slaves but as friends, to work with Him in rehabilitating and redeeming all of Creation. God doesn’t want to do this creative endeavor alone. He wants to collaborate with us. Partner with us. In whatever capacity and role we may find ourselves in… One donkey at a time.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 19:11-27

There’s a great deal of excitement in the air this morning. You could practically also taste it. Everyone. On the edge of their seat. Eagerly anticipating what’s gonna happen when they reach where they’re going. Especially given the season they’re in! They're all asking the same question: "Is the ‘Kingdom’ gonna begin right when they get to Jerusalem?" Jesus, on the other hand, is asking a different question. And it's the form of a story. One you may recognize. And it goes a little something like this…

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 13:18-30

Jesus was known to also use object lessons. We often call them parables. These earthly stories with heavenly meanings. They’d often incorporate common household items Jesus’ listeners were familiar with. Things from their gardens and kitchens and so on… Now what tends to happen is one of the two things: Either folks don’t always understand Jesus’ object lessons at all or other times some folks have a follow up question, perhaps like this guy this morning… “Lord, will only a few be saved?” (13:23). If you’re saying the inception of the kingdom is tiny will the eventual membership of the kingdom be tiny as well? If the beginnings are small but the result is great, will many be saved or just a few? Not a bad question. Let's examine Jesus' answer together...

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 9:51-62

“The world behind me, the cross before me; no turning back…” That’s Jesus’ mentality going into our reading this morning, along with the reminder of Luke’s Gospel. The momentum has taken a cosmic shift. The continental divide of the narrative is slanted perpetually towards one fixed point: Jerusalem. Where a cross awaits Jesus. All roads now lead to that ancient city. Cause the time is nearing for Jesus’ departure. His crucifixion. His resurrection. His time to be ‘taken up’ (9:51a).

And Jesus has made up His mind to face His destiny. He has - Luke says - “set his face” (9:51b, NRSV). From this point on, in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus will be ‘facing’ Jerusalem and all that awaits Him. His mission His sole focus. Everything else in the rearview mirror. ‘No turning back…’ And the question our text asks: How about everyone else that’s tagging along and following Him… Including you and I?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - John 12:1-8

I think Mary washing Jesus' feet exemplifies or symbolizes a spiritual practice we can do during the upcoming season of Lent. Traditionally, the season of Lent has been marked by incorporating fasting (or the giving up of something or the abstinence from something for the purposes of spiritual formation). And just like Mary, I want to invite you to practice Lent this year by doing something out-of-the-ordinary for you to prepare Jesus for burial. Sacrifice something. Something costly. At Jesus' feet. Temporarily during Lent. That helps you remember the 'reason for the season.' Do something that smells like Lent…

Pastor Taylor Shippy - John 6:1-14

Whenever we hand over whatever it is we got, Jesus is capable of taking that, blessing it, and multiplying it to nourish and sustain and help people greater than we could ever imagine… Whether that be multiple people or perhaps a single individual in multiple ways… Whatever our loaves and fish might be is capable, in the hands of Jesus, is capable of being multiplied 5000-fold or more! When Jesus takes your lunch… things happen… We may not always see the miracle right away… or even ever… sometimes we do… But when Jesus takes our lunch miracles happen…

Pastor Taylor Shippy - John 1:35-42

Beauty was in the eye of a different sorta Beholder in our text. He takes one look at a different kind of ‘rock,’ and He sees a masterpiece! Jesus isn’t simply giving one of the friends He’ll pal around with a funny sounding nickname. No despite Simon’s frailty, his nickname signals Jesus’ vision for what Simon will become. Peter.

The Apostle Paul told the Ephesians: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph 2:10).

What masterpiece are you becoming? That God is fearfully and wonderfully making you out to be? What sorta ‘Peter’ (Cephas) has Jesus pronounced over your life?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Genesis 2:4-9, 15-25

I believe in the opening chapters of Genesis we are given the ingredients, clues and hints, to what it means to be fully alive as God intended. We’re told the story of how the Creator God originally ‘fearfully and wonderfully’ (cf. Ps 139:14) made humankind but also how He not only made us but brought us to life… That God knew (and still knows) precisely how to animate human beings… People like you and me… And this is what sets us apart from other creatures that God made…

Pastor Taylor Shippy - 2 Samuel 11:1-27; Matthew 1:1-6

We’ve been talking the last few Sundays about Matthew’s genealogy, or his family tree of Jesus. Matthew has curated his genealogy to stress one major thing about Jesus: His messianic identity (cf. Isa 9:7, Matt 1:1, 16; 16:16). That He is indeed the ‘son of David,' the long-awaited heir to the throne of Israel. So one would expect Matthew to celebrate and idealize Israel’s greatest king; however, it appears that Matthew doesn’t do that…

When we get to the midway point of the genealogy, Matthew says, “[A]nd Jesse the father of King David. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah…” (1:6).Did you notice that our final ‘grandmother of Christmas’ isn’t mentioned by name? Unlike the other women we’ve talked about the inclusion of Bathsheba is not a way of honoring her courage or faith. Bathsheba isn’t mentioned because she is a hero; rather, because she is a victim. A survivor. And Matthew uses her to spotlight the terrible abuse of David who used his power as king to take another man’s wife, conceive a child with her, and then murder the man to cover his tracks. Matthew doesn’t want you to forget that, and that’s why she’s not mentioned by name in the genealogy instead immortalized as “the wife of Uriah” (cf. Matt 1:6).

So I guess the pertinent question is: Why? Why did Matthew do this? Why air out David’s ‘dirty laundry?’ Matthew didn't have to do this, but this is a deliberate choice by the Apostle that he wants us to notice.

To arrive at an answer I think we have to first, briefly, survey Bathsheba and her story cause… the final 'Grandmother of Christmas.'

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Ruth 1:22-2:23; Matthew 1:1-5

Ruth possessed something that kept her from giving up. From ‘throwing in the towel.’ From taking the easy, wide, even safer path of staying in Moab, with Moab’s gods, but instead she opted for the harder, narrower, and riskier path in Israel, with Israel’s God, and she became a part of something bigger and better that she could have ever hoped for! This thing that Ruth possessed moved her. It motivated her. It activated her. Guided her decisions and choices. It propelled her. It helped her not to deny or numb the reality of pain she was in; rather, it helped her to get up each morning to face the day as it was. And I wonder if what she possessed we can also possess as well… This dynamic dimension to what we call hope…

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Joshua 2:1-21; Matthew 1:1-5

In the Bible, Rahab is always identified as a ‘prostitute’ except in one place. Wanna take a guess as to where? Matthew’s genealogy! When she is spoken about in the same breath as Jesus… the One so named because “he will save his people from their sins” (Matt 1:21)... she is no longer characterized by her past identity of sin; she is a mother, a participant in the long story of redemption and new creation embodied in the coming of Christ. What about us?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Genesis 38:1-30; Matthew 1:1-3

Before he gets into the actual story of Jesus, before he even gets to Christmas, Matthew begins His gospel a list of names of the ancestors of Jesus' family tree. Not totally unusual for someone of Jesus’ caliber. But there is an interesting detail, an usual deviation in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus. When listing Jesus’ ancestors, Matthew goes out of his way to include five women in the genealogy, one of which is a woman by the name of Tamar.

I want us to read Tamar's story and seek an answer as to why Matthew picked her and highlighted her story. To recall who she was and how she ended up in this convoluted family tree. And to consider her witness as we journey through advent toward the birth of Jesus.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Psalm 115:1-3; Daniel 7; Acts 1:4-11

Our earliest Christian ancestors did not see the Ascension as an anticlimactic, lackluster finale to the gospel or an awkward, clumsy send-off of Jesus after Easter; rather, they saw the Ascension as the continuation of what God was doing through the sending of Jesus in the first place! They saw the Ascension as the inauguration and coronation of the long-awaited King, who had defeated death and the dark forces through His own death and resurrection, and now is returning triumphantly to reign on a throne at the Father's right hand. Imagine if we recaptured that message of hope and confidence, today? How would that influence how we think about where Jesus and what Jesus is presently doing right now for us?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 17:11-19

As I was reflecting on this story this week, I couldn’t help but wonder if the majority of people, 9 out of 10 people, who have somehow been blessed by God, take for granted what God has just done for them? Not because they are somehow nefarious sinners. Not because they don’t obey God and want to make Him proud. But because they miss out on the other blessings God has for them… They think they’ve gotten all that God wants to give them when in reality they’ve only scratched the surface… And as I was dwelling on this, I think I heard the voice of Jesus saying that the gateway, the portal, to wholeness, to experiencing that 'second blessing' that only the Samaritan got, is gratitude.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Esther 4:1-17

Did you know that the book of Esther holds the distinction of being the only book of the Bible to not mention God once? This has caused many throughout the centuries, Jewish and Christian, to ask why should we care about this story if God seemingly isn’t in it? As God-fearing, men and women of faith, what are we to do with this story? But what if the lack of even mentioning or noticing God is the brilliance of the book, and the importance of its witness alongside the rest of Scripture? That just because we don’t see God explicitly, obviously doing and saying things in this moment in history, in the lives of these people, that doesn’t mean that God isn’t present or that God isn’t active…

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 19:1-10

I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess you all are familiar with this story... We've all sung the song haven't we? 'Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he.' But I think there's more to it than that? That this 'wee little' story in the Gospel of Luke is more than meets the eye...

Pastor Taylor Shippy - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

In my experience… for a lot of good and faithful Christians that I know… they’ve been conditioned to read the Bible believing there's something scary at the end of the book… And because of that… any texts or passages about how the Bible all ends… wind up being texts that always frighten us! And either they don't read them… Completely forfeiting the comfort and joy and hope which those passages were originally intended to provide… or they read these texts through the wrong lens, and these texts become what they were never meant to be: ‘fuel to the fire’ of centuries of unhealthy, idle speculation or biblical sources of anxiety, fear, and dread… This morning… I believe I have a Word of the LORD for you from one of those texts… One of those ‘texts of terror’ about how the Bible is supposed to end… And contrary to popular opinion, I don’t think there is a monster at the end of the Bible… Actually… Spoiler alert… I think there’s some really good news waiting for us…

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Proverbs 17:27-28, 18:2, 6-7, 13, 17; James 1:19

We live in a time when being heard is almost an anomaly... despite how much of our time is spent talking to one another… Yet despite the surplus of talking, listening, it seems, is almost a lost art.It feels like folks are clamoring - more than ever - to simply be heard yet are getting no ‘signal’ from the folks around them.

What if followers of Jesus Christ answer the call to be quick to listen and slow to speak? That one of the most loving things we can do - not only for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ but for our fellow human beings - is listen… That the wisdom revealed to us in Scripture speaks actually to the power of limited speech, reduced speech, mitigated speech… in other words… to the power of listening.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus told His disciples: “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden... So let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father” (Matt 5:14, 16). However if you keep listening to Jesus’ mountain side sermon… Jesus will eventually also say: ‘Be careful! Watch out! Take heed! Don’t showcase your good deeds in front of others to be seen by others. If you do, you will lose, forfeit, your wages from your Father who art heaven’ (Matt 6:1). How do we let our good deeds shine “like stars in the sky” (Phil 2:15) while also at the same time avoiding others seeing us?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Matthew 21:18-22

This is the only example of a negative miracle in all the canonical Gospels. All the other miracles Jesus performs are about blessing and bringing about life. So it makes the cursing of the fig tree standout among the rest. It feels like Jesus is doing something, that for many of us, we’d say it a bit out of character. But for our Christian ancestors, our Christian forefathers and foremothers living in the first five centuries of Christianity, who read this same story about the cursing of the fig tree, they saw in it something far more significant and profound, and for them, something that is at the very heart of the Gospel.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Jonah 4:1-11; Matthew 20: 1-16, Luke 15:25-32

Wanna know the real reason behind why Jonah skipped town and fled to Tarshish? It wasn't because he was scared of the Ninevites… It’s because he knew what would happen if he went. He knew exactly, beat-for-beat, play-for-play, what would happen if he introduced his God to those people… And if these people repented, he knew how his God would respond… He knew before he left that God would forgive and show mercy to his enemies… And Jonah didn’t want God to forgive them… Religious people love judgment. Cause it’s fair. It’s clean. Logical. Decisive. Judgment knows what to do and just does it. Mercy on the other hand is messing. It’s indecisive. Vulnerable. Weak. Sensitive. Self-aware. Frightening. But it is nearer to the heart of God… Maybe we’ve go to ‘turn a new leaf?'

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Jonah 3:1-10; Romans 5:6-11; Col 1:19-22

You wanna know something crazy? The God that “changed his mind” about the Ninevites… The God who cared about that no good ‘great’ city of scum and villains. That demonstrated to them slowness of anger and an abundance of mercy. That God hasn’t changed! In fact, roughly five hundred years later that same God would arrive in this world, a world that just like Nineveh was overrun and populated by unholy, unclean, sinful people… Enemies… Not to condemn the world but to save the world (cf. Jn 3:17)… to redeem and rescue the world… Because “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…” (Jn 3:16). One 'greater than Jonah' (cf. Matt 12:41; Lk 11:32)has come save Ninevites like you and me!

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Jonah 1:4-2:10; Mark 8:34-36; James 1:2-4

For the longest time, I thought nothing substantial happened inside the belly of the fish. I had heard the Jonah story enough times, and I figured it was simply a means to get Jonah back on the right path towards Nineveh. An elaborate U-turn, if you will? A cul-de-sac in the plot for God to put Jonah on the straight and narrow. And unfortunately, I think a lot of retellings of the Jonah story, especially the ones meant for kids, seem to gloss over this part of the story… But the actual Bible story doesn’t do that! It doesn’t fast-forward through the three days and nights in the fish. It lingers… it dwells… it lives in the uncomfortablility and pain and isolation and struggle of a ‘trough’ moment in the life of this particular prophet… And the question is why?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Jonah 1:1-3; Romans 12:1-8, 11

The reason Jonah is unique is not because of the fish; rather, Jonah’s just like almost everybody who has ever been called by God. So why’s he so special? I think the reason is that instead of wrestling with God about his calling like everybody else; Jonah instead epitomizes the opposite response. He immediately ejects ‘lock stock and barrel’ with nary a second thought. Instead of engaging with God or wrestling with Him… Jonah shows zero signs that. He resigns himself to the ‘easy way out,’ an escape option that’s always there.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - 1 John 2:18-27, 4:1-3; 2 John 7-11

Friends, as John says, the hour is indeed late. We are on the downward curve of history, heading toward the end of the age when God will make all things new! And the 'spirit of the antichrist' is out there, manifesting itself in people and systems, trying to deceive even us. How should we respond? What are we to do about these so-called 'antichrists?' Perhaps it's to live dangerously?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - 1 John 2:24-25; 5:11-13

If you’ve been around Church long enough, I’m sure you’ve heard of ‘eternal life’ before. In my opinion, many believe ‘eternal life’ is a gift we know we have, but we’ve come to believe that we can’t access or possess it… at least… not right now. We’re told about. Given clues and hints about. But we’ve accepted we can never fully enjoy it in this life. Instead we have to wait to take possession of it sometime in the future after we die ‘in the life to come.’ Only then can we fully realize it. But what if ‘eternal life’ isn’t something we need to wait for; rather, it’s something we can lay claim to right now… That we don’t have to wait until post-mortem; we can taste it in the here and now. That ‘eternal life’ isn’t something we wait to receive in the future; rather, it’s something we’re given in the present to start living into and enjoying… That in a way... We are meant to live the future in the present!

Pastor Taylor Shippy - 1 John 2:7-11; 3:11, 16-19; 4:7-21

I think John would be saddened to learn that many of us know by heart John 3:16 but not 1 John 3:16. “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 Jn 3:16). N.T. Wright says, “Love incarnate must be the badge that the Christian community wears, the sign not only of who they are but of who their God is. How easy to write, how hard to achieve…" How do we love incarnate like God? What does it mean to be people of love just as God is a Person of love?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - 1 John 1:5-2:2

Martin Luther once spoke of Christians as being "simul justus et peccator," Latin for “at once justified and a sinner” or “simultaneously saint and sinner.” This is not a description of who we are before God; rather, Luther believed it was a description of the ‘both/and’ reality that characterizes the nominal Christian experience day-in and day-out. He believed that saints are 'forgiven sinners;' however, on this side of heaven, inside each of us, throughout our lives, is a sort-of tug-of-war between our old sin nature that is being steadily extinguished and our new self that is budding... This morning, we look what it means to be saints while simultaneously sinners. How do we respond to sins in our lives? I believe John invites us to confess.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - 1 John 1:1-4

4th Century Church Father, Gregory of Nazianzus, once said, "For that which He has not assumed He has not healed…” Today we explore the significance and implications that the Son of God assumed a full human nature while not ceasing to be God to heal fully human nature. The Son of God willingly took on our sinful human nature to redeem our human that He pronounced 'very good.' John bore witness to this. He saw, heard, and touched the incarnate Son of God. And he wants us to bear witness to it too.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 15:11-31; Galatians 3:36-4:7

Jesus once said to His disciples, “I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me” (Jn 15:15). Late 19th Century preacher George MacDonald once said, “Those to whom God is not all in all, are slaves. They may not commit great sins; they may be trying to do right; but so long as they serve God, as they call it, from duty, and do not know him as their father, the joy of their being, they are slaves -- good slaves, but slaves.” I hear our Heavenly Father calling us to a new way of life -- a restored status as a child of God -- and it requires us to let go of who we’ve become and allow God to restore us to who we used to be. An honored child.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 32:7-14, 30-34

The great Protestant reformer Martin Luther believed that the “word ‘priest’ should become as common as the word Christian” believing all Christians are priests. In other words, the new priesthood is a ‘priesthood of all believers.' If you and I are both priests, I think we got our work cut out for us. What if we took a page out of Moses’ playbook, and in light of all that our Great High Priest has done and is doing for us, consider the ways you can intercede for someone. What are ways you can go before your God on the behalf of another human being? When you think about others, do you ever consider ways that you can lift them up, whether in your thoughts or prayers, in a way that intercedes for them? That advocates for them. Before your God?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 32:1-6, 15-24, 30-35

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 2:1-10

One of the greatest ironies of these stories is that God used the faithful actions of this anonymous woman, stuck in a story no one would ever want to be in, who simply did what was right for love’s sake in a time of so much darkness, in a season where God appeared to be all but absent, when evil appeared to be on top, God used her to unwittingly set into motion the plan that would eventually result in the humiliation of that evil empire and her people’s liberation… Moses’ mother’s participation and cooperation was the first domino of a long line to fall for the Exodus to ever eventually happen… This woman “by faith” (Heb 11:23) just kept doing the next right thing… And God used people like her to further His plans… What she decided to do next in her story mattered… And the same applies to you…

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 19:1-8, 20:1-21

The Ten Commandments may be the most recognizable verses in the entire Bible. I mean… you can't get more iconic Bible imagery than the Ten Commandments. But in my experience, I find so many good Christian people ensnared by a misconception of what ‘Big Ten’ are supposed to do in our lives. I'm convinced that the source of our misunderstanding about the Ten Commandments, and the entire Law for that matter, stems from disconnecting them from the Exodus. In other words, we were never taught the things God wants us to do and not do the way Scripture teaches us… in and through a story…

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 15:22-26

If you’ve ever read through the book of Exodus, you may have noticed a trend that emerges about a third of the way through the book. As soon as the people leave Egypt, after God rescues them, ‘saves’ them (cf. 14:30), God starts to test them. What does it mean when God tests us? What is God looking for? What are the purposes of God testing us? How do we get a passing grade? Perhaps through the lens of the wilderness we can come close to an answer...

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 16:1-7, 13-17, 22-30

Before we get to Mt. Sinai, before it was ever codified into law, before it became chiseled onto those tablets of stone as one of the ‘big ten,’ Sabbath was introduced to the Israelites. Sabbath couldn’t wait til they got to the Promised Land. And apparently a part of slavery in Egypt was a lack of rest. There’s something critical to understanding Sabbath by seeing it through the lens of the Exodus. We have a tendency to underestimate sabbath and mispractice it because we detached it from the Exodus. In the wilderness, in-between Egypt and the Promised Land, the Lord wanted the now free Israelites to incorporate into their rhythms and routines the same rhythms and routines He’s enjoyed since the dawn of time. And I think the same applies to us today.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 13:17-22

In Exodus Yahweh Himself is leading the people down a longer way through the wilderness. God, in His infinite wisdom, chose this more time-consuming, inconvenient route through the lifeless wilderness, risking Israel’s frequent groanings and rebellious tendencies, to form and shape His people into who He wanted them to be. To set them free from Egypt! It wasn’t enough to get them out of Egypt; He had to get Egypt out of them. And in the wilderness, God will work through Israel’s feelings of abandonment and helplessness, through their words of complaint and acts of rebellion, through puberty-like growing pains as they mature, through their triumphs but also failures, and through their need for regular reassurance and protection all in service in giving them a new self-identity. Only a true Heavenly Father would be so patient and loving. All to set them free. This is the life after salvation that God envisioned for Israel. And I think this is the same for you and me.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - John 19:41-20:3, 11-18

G.K. Chesterton says, "On the third day the friends of Christ coming at day-break to the place found the grave empty and the stone rolled away. In varying ways they realized the new wonder; the world had died in the night. What they were looking at was the first day of a new creation, with a new heaven and a new earth; and in a semblance of a gardener God walked again in the garden, not in the cool of the evening, but in the dawn.” Easter is the first fruits of that garden! The Gardener has returned to the garden. The Garden of the new creation.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 23:18-25

Good Friday 2023

Barabbas is the only person who ever lived who can say – literally – that Christ Jesus died for him. This criminal and murderer. He was given new life all because Jesus of Nazareth took his place and hung on his cross. For those who know what Jesus accomplished on the cross we realize that Barabbas’s story is our story. Our story mirrors… it parallels… Barabbas.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Mark 11:1-11

Scholars tell us that likely the same day, possibly even at the same exact time, as Pilate is making his grand entrance through the front door, a humble Jewish rabbi, riding on a donkey, enters Jerusalem from the East, through the backdoor, with his ragtag group of reject disciples. So there wasn’t simply one procession into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. There were likely two. Two arrivals. Two entrances. Two processions. And they couldn’t be any more different.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

According to Paul, apostles - those who are 'sent out' - are prone to accumulate thorns as they labor in the fields doing the Lord’s work. Thorns that are annoying and painful and also often reveal our weaknesses and shortcomings. It’s almost unavoidable. We attract them. They get stuck to us, and we often can’t get them off. But genuine apostles anticipate this… They anticipate insults, hardships, persecutions, difficulties… all the holding to the promise of ‘leaning on the everlasting arms’ of God’s grace. Paul offers a sobering reminder that in the thick of ministry we have a surplus of grace available to us. Perhaps the thorns we experience from being ‘sent out’ may not be obstacles to the Lord’s work but instead gateways into becoming the apostles God wants us to be?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Matthew 15:21-28

During this Lenten season, we have been exploring what it means to wrestle with God. We've referred to it as a crucible, a melting pot, a place where precious metals go to be melted down and purged and bonded and formed into something that is more precious. To enter the chambers of the crucible is to enter the ring with God and spar with Him. This morning we look at another dimension of that crucible, another arena where we wrestle with God… the crucible of silence. Helmut Thielicke calls the silence of God “the greatest test of our faith.” It’s in this test, this crucible, this cross really, where two competing and conflict ideas intersect. On the one hand God is good and is my friend. He listens and speaks. And on the other hand, God fights with me. He is my enemy. He slams the door of heaven in my face. He never speaks. And both are true at the same time. And we have to somehow reconcile both of them… This is the crucible of silence. What do you do when God is silent?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Mark 4:35-41

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Genesis 32:22-32

What if the reason God chose Jacob, the reason God never gave up on him or counted him out, was that Jacob was willing to fight back? That Jacob was up to the challenge and task of ‘dancing’ with God when God suddenly attacked. Could it be that our picture of faith is not necessarily wrong but just stale? What if faith is a willingness to participate in such a way that we trade blows with God? We don’t forsake God but instead lean more into God. And while God might be acting mysteriously differently at night than He does in the daylight, we’re not gonna let Him go without some sort of blessing…

SORRY FOR AUDIO ISSUES. WILL HOPEFULLY HAVE THAT RESOLVED NEXT WEEK. THANK YOU.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Mark 6:45-52, 9:2-8

The more I read these two stories the more I see the Transfiguration happening not only on top of a mountain but also amidst a storm at sea. It's almost like we a Transfiguration appear at on ground-level not just above in the heavens where one expects to find God. God can be found in the chaotic storm... It’s as if you overlay the two stories on top of one another we see Jesus trying to accomplish the same exact thing except in two vastly different sets of circumstances. And, could it be, whether it's atop a summit or amidst a stormy sea, Jesus is communicating that He is the same Ego Eimi in both places? In both circumstances? Whether rain or shine? Despite what the circumstances seem to be, it can’t change the reality that Jesus is Ego Eimi, the Great I AM.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 15:11-32

Many of us have devised and attempted ways of relating to God that never fully satisfied that ‘itch’ to be with God. Like the sons of this father, we've pursued a life under or from and/or for God; however, none of those approaches ever satisfy us. They leave us empty, frustrated, or lost. Perhaps there is a different approach? One found in Christ, Immanuel, 'God with us.' A life with God!

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Matthew 18:21-35

There is a tragic irony in this parable, a deeper mystery Jesus wants us to wrestle with. How could one who experienced such forgiveness not reciprocate that same caliber of forgiveness onto someone else, especially to someone far less in debt that they originally were? I believe Jesus is saying… If you want to be the first servant at the beginning of the parable, and enjoy all the benefits of being liberated from your debt to the king, you have to also recognize the high chance you’ll become the first servant throughout the remainder of the parable as well! It’s a sobering realization, but Jesus is wanting us to grapple and wrestle with this tension this morning. A tension that exists in all of us. We’re more than willing to be forgiven by God, yet we struggle, even resist, forgiving like God with others and even with ourselves… How do we live lives that redeem that first servant? Forgiving as God has forgiven us (Col 3:12-13).

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Matthew 25:1-30

Believe it or not, the two parables I want to talk about this morning are not here to teach us only vigilance… They’re here to teach us hope… I was never taught confidence from anyone that talked about the End Times… I was taught only vigilance. But the odd thing was that same culture that ingrained in me vigilance undermined my confidence. Are you ready? Are you sure? Always looking, never ready. But to be ready in these parables is to not only anticipate something, it is to do so with confidence, and it is to do so being engaged in the thing you’re looking forward to.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 10:25-37

Many of us have heard this story before. It's one of Jesus' most well known parables. But I invite you to suspend your familiarity with this story and enter into the mystery what transpired on that road between Jerusalem and Jericho. The story was supposed to answer 'Who is my neighbor?' but Jesus will end it asking, "Who will be a neighbor?" Jesus will say rather than worry about someone being a neighbor or not, the heart of God’s law is to be a neighbor to anyone who has need.And perhaps His call for the Church would be... 'Like a good neighbor… Christians are there.’

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, 47-50

I’m gonna lay ‘my cards on the table’ and suggest that the point of Jesus’ story is not to give us indicators of who are wheat and who are weeds, who are good fish and who are bad fish. I think we’re simply told how things are going to be until we know for sure who’s in and who’s out. This is the tension of the parable. The mystery of the parable. That the wheat and weeds are to cohabit this field we call the world until harvest time. That good fish and bad fish will swim in the same currents of this world until that day comes… How do we live like wheat among weeds without necessarily becoming weeds but also without pulling them? That’s the question I think Jesus is asking us this morning…

Pastor Taylor Shippy - John 1:1-18

What do you see in the manger this morning? When you come to the nativity scene this morning, a place likely many of you have been before, perhaps a place nowhere more appropriate than on Christmas morning, what do you see this morning? When you look at the one laying in the lowly manger wrapped in swaddling clothes each year, what do you see? Or maybe the better question is… Who do you see? I hope you see your humanity. And not just your humanity but a God who was willing to take on your humanity because He loves you.

“Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning; Jesus, to thee be glory given! Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!”

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Matt 1:18-25; 2:13-15, 19-23

I find it fascinating that, unlike Luke, who begins his gospel about the Person of Jesus around Mary, Matthew kickstarts his Jesus story with a footnote. A footnote about a supporting character. A glorified extra. A background figure. A kind of minor character that gets mentioned when the credits roll, but no one seriously considers him central or significant to the story of Jesus let alone Christmas. But maybe there’s something to being a footnote in Jesus’ story? That our actions - more than our words - leave an impact and are remembered because they are a part of a larger story taking place in the world… Maybe we aren’t supposed to discount our calling and purpose in God’s story even if our calling isn’t more than a footnote in the grand scheme of things?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 1:8-23; 26-38

Christmas is ultimately a mystery. A virgin giving birth to a Son. A God graciously willing to take on human nature. No one can explain these mysteries; however, we can live into them. Perhaps God is not done giving humanity mysteries? Where were you when you received your mystery from God? And when you received your mystery… How did you respond? Was it like Zechariah or like Mary?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Micah 5:1-5a; Galatians 4:4-7

Waiting is hard. It is a realm of discomfort, uncertainty and even anxiety. A place where we’re given little to no control. A place that is disorienting and suffocating. A place where our vision of the future is clouded and foggy. A place where the presence of God is felt more at a distance and the sound of His voice is often muffled. It’s a place eerily resembling the “valley of the shadow of death” (Ps 23:4). But do we have the faith and confidence to say, in the waiting, “I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me” (Ps 23:4). The season of Advent teaches us that something is happening in the waiting, in the longing, in the silence -- that even nothing is indeed something. Advent reminds us that we can be confident, even hopeful, in waiting, anticipating the manifestation of God’s redeeming because of "living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Pet 1:3).

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Matthew 24:36-44

Today marks the beginning of the Advent season but also the start of a new Christian Year. And historically but also traditionally, the church calendar doesn’t begin with the beginning but actually with the end! The anticipation and expectation of the consummation and culmination of all things. A day and hour that no one knows (Matt 24:36). A day and hour that likely elicits more anxiety than eager enthusiasm (if not unhealthy obsession). The internal clocks, the circadian rhythms of the Church are reset and renewed not by revisiting a tranquil evening gathered around a manger - though that eventually comes - but by initially and briefly glimpsing the apocalypse. But maybe our Christian ancestors, who invented the seasons of the Christian Year, who drew up the season of Advent and imbued it with rich meaning and symbolism, recognized that there are lessons that only the apocalypse can teach us…

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Ephesians 1:15-23

This morning is Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday of the liturgical church year which celebrates Christ's messianic kingship and sovereign rule over all creation. A time each year where we pause and specifically remember the stories and testimonies of the power of our God, the same God that is ruling and reigning in this world today, But Christ the King Sunday… as it so often does… runs up against the rocky shores of reality. Instead of celebrating Christ the King Sunday waving palm branches like on Palm Sunday, we more than likely find ourselves this morning like the destitute father on Transfiguration Sunday, crying out to King Jesus: “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24). Or maybe we’re somewhere in-between. For those of you listening with shrunken or shriveling theologies, wondering whether or not Christ is still on the throne, can I offer you this prayer that the Apostle Paul prayed over the Ephesians?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - James 5:13-20

I think I hear James arguing that Christians can offer each other something special to our spirituality and our faith that our relationships with God are unable to. Just like humans innately need connection with other humans to survive and thrive in this world, I think James argues that Christians need other Christians to contribute to our relationships with God and our ministry as Christ followers. That there’s something uniquely beneficial from being in relationship with other like-minded, godly humans. That our relationships with God aren’t enough when it comes to living the Christian life. As crazy as that may seem! We need to be in communion with other saints, other believers, if we’re to best grow and thrive as followers of Jesus!

Pastor Taylor Shippy - James 4:13-17

Who controls your future? Who’s in charge of your Tomorrowland? Who reigns in your Tomorrowland? Is it God, you, or someone else? How are we to approach the future? Does God have a say in your future? James is inviting us to ask ourselves these questions as we contemplate this morning what it means to incorporate God into our plans for the future.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - James 4:11-12

This morning James has a courtroom in mind. Not one happening on the ‘silver screen’ but one happening inside our hearts. And the folks on trial in our hearts aren't the usual sort of defendants… They’re our brothers and sisters in Christ. On the docket are folks who identify as Christians that we engage with, intersect with, live life with. We intuitively prosecute them in our hearts - whether it be something they said, something they did, something they believe, you name it - and the verdicts and judgments we’re rendering on our Christian neighbors are making their way from our hearts to our voices. And not necessarily in the most beneficial nor God-honoring of ways…

Pastor Taylor Shippy - James 4:4-10

Pastor James says that God takes our friendship with Him pretty seriously. What about us? On this Baptism Sunday, it is the perfect opportunity to consider the lengths God went to be in relationship and friendship with you. But while baptism is a public profession of faith in something God has done for us in the past, it is also a declaration of something we intend to do in the future… You've Got A Friend in Me, God. Baptism is a saying by my future actions others will know that you have a friend in me, God. I am a friend of God.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - James 3:13-18

What if the problem isn’t that we won't find wisdom… But that we think we’ve found it… We think we’ve hit a vein, a rich source of wisdom from God… We think we’ve found God’s perspective of ourselves; on someone else; on the situation I’m in; on the state of the nation or the world. And that’s where Pastor James wants to have a conversation with us… James’ fixation with wisdom has earned his letter the moniker of ‘Proverbs of the New Testament.’ But perhaps James’ obsession with wisdom is not unfounded? That the search for wisdom is not one to be done recklessly or flippantly. Pastor James wants to talk with you about the wisdom you've found...

Pastor Taylor Shippy - James 3:1-12

‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.’The irony is the inverse of that statement is almost always the truth.It's far easier to heal wounds caused by sticks and stones than the damage caused by words. Pastor James challenges us to grasp the power our words have… What would it look like if you and I took our words more seriously?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - James 2:14-26

Pastor James wants us to have a faith that works. Not that our faith is a result of our works; rather, our works are a result of our faith. What does your faith do for a living? How does it materialize in your life? Pastor James wants us to check to see if our faith has a pulse because faith without works is lifeless.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - James 2:1-13

In the words of Aaron Burn in Hamilton, "Love doesn't discriminate." Pastor James would agree. King Jesus decreed that we ought to love God and love neighbor. Citizens of Jesus' Kingdom out to love their neighbor else be caught red-handed being royal law breakers.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - James 1:19-27

James is pretty famous (or infamous depending on who you ask) for being a strong proponent of Christians being doers of the Word, not hearers only. But how do we be doers? How do we be doers of the implanted Word in us effectively? How do we 'do' the Word without it becoming legalistic or 'works righteousness?' Perhaps all it takes is just singing-along?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - James 1:1-18

"Day-in and day-out Pastor James was dealing with the same trials as his people, not to mention his own. And perhaps because James has some experience with dealing with trials himself or pastorally caring for a church full of people facing trials, the first thing James decides to talk about… not just to his congregation but generally to all Christians scattered across the world… is how Christians are to respond to trials, testing, and even temptations. He skips all the pleasantries of a typical letter in those days right to talking about what’s relevant to the everyday existence of a faithful Christian."

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Isaiah 52:1-12; Romans 10:13-15; Mark 1:1, 16:15

For our final message in our summer series "Minor Characters: Major Message," we are looking at the life story of the gospel writer John Mark. His life is a bit of a mystery. His mention in Scripture is minimal. The church tradition surrounding him is scarce. Yet... he wrote a gospel. And perhaps we can too? Not with pen and paper but in how we live our lives?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Acts 16:6-15

As we are nearing the end of our "Minor Characters: Major Messages" series, we take a look at the story and legacy of a purple cloth dealer named Lydia. She is not given a lot of screen-time (only being mentioned in Acts 16), yet her story and her impact on the Philippian church may be one that all Christians ought to pay notice to and emulate.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Mark 10:46-52

We have only a few more sermons left in our summer series, "Minor Characters: Major Message." This week we are looking at a blind beggar on the side of the road outside Jericho. Scholars believe Mark has intentionally reserved this healing narrative for last. That Bartimaeus is the hallmark or paragon of faith and discipleship. Perhaps even Mark believes this minor character has a major message for Christians today?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Ruth 1:19-22

This week's major message is from a minor character by the name of Naomi. Her story is one of tragedy, bereavement, emptiness, hopelessness, and ultimately bitterness. These are all realities that can still impact a person of faith's life. What do we do when our faith, our journeys with God, taste bitter? How do we respond when our faith is not always sweet? Perhaps Naomi's testimony can teach us something.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Numbers 13:25-33; 14:1-10

We are continuing on in our "Minor Characters: Major Message" summer sermon series. This week we look at the biblical, international spy Caleb. His defiance of the other ten spies' opinions about the Promised Land is something that all of God's people should pay notice of. His minor act of objecting is actually a major message for us. How do we face our fears as people who serve the Great I Am? Do we give into fear or do we trust God?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 31:1-11

Continuing through our series "Minor Characters: Major Messages," we arrive at a pair of individuals who few recognize. Their time in the spotlight of Scripture is brief, but they leave a worthy legacy in their wake. They are given the monumental task of building God's mobile home on earth, a replica of His divine heavenly temple. A daunting task for anyone, but God has especially designated them for it and even given them even His Spirit to empower them. Perhaps the same can be said of us, the Church, the new dwelling place for God's presence on earth? That we can be empowered by the same Spirit of God to build His house in our community.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 18:1-27

As we are continuing on in our series "Minor Characters: Major Message," we will look at the person of Jethro, Moses' father-in-law and priest of Midian. His impact on the life of Moses and the life of the nation of Israel is significant; however, it can easily go unnoticed and unappreciated. Jethro was someone that Moses could lean on in times of trouble. Perhaps we should have Jethros too? And, even further, perhaps God is calling us to be Jethros for others?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Genesis 16:1-16

As we begin our next sermon series for the summer, "Minor Characters: Major Messages," we begin our journey with walking alongside Hagar, the Egyptian servant girl assigned to Sarai. For a brief moment, we come alongside her and see this familiar story in Genesis from her perspective. To grapple with the struggles of her life. To be with her by the spring as she names God, "The God Who Sees Me."

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Genesis 7:11-8:5

On this Memorial Day Weekend, as we take time to remember those who have fallen in combat, may we take time to reflect upon the memory of God. That God remembers us. That God remembers the brokenness in His Creation. That God remembers the faithful pilgriming through this deprived world. Also that when God remembers, God responds with action.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Exodus 16:1-36

Yesterday, Pastor Taylor taught the children at Vacation Bible School the story of the Lord raining bread from heaven and providing quail for the Israelites in the wilderness. Today, Pastor Taylor preaches on that same story. Perhaps the lessons for the people of Israel in the wilderness bear repeating and reinforcing for God's new people the Church? The Church can expect the Lord to still provide His people every morning... daily bread.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - John 21:15-19

In this remarkable story around a charcoal fire, Jesus has a chat with his disciple Peter. Peter had done some things he's not proud of. Even going as far as denying Jesus three times. But Jesus has an agenda all His own. He's come to restore and forgive Peter. But not only that... Jesus has some to liberate Peter! Perhaps we call need to take a visit to the charcoal fire and have a fireside chat with Jesus?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Mark 1:29-31

On this Mother's Day, we are looking at a mother, or more actually a mother-in-law, who only gets the spotlight of Scripture for a brief few verses. Yet her mention in the Gospel of Mark warrants special attention. Perhaps the response of this nameless mother-in-law can speak to how Christians are expected to act in this world. To serve as opposed to be served.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - John 21:1-14

This week we are looking at another resurrection appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ. While Jesus has previously appeared at the Upper Room to His disciples, He now choses to appear to them while they are busy at work fishing. Perhaps Jesus is also willing to be present with us as we too are at work?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - John 20:19-29

One of the more peculiar aspects of the resurrection appearances of Jesus is the mention of the glorified, risen Jesus having scars or markings from His time on the Cross. Both the Gospel of Luke (cf. Lk 24:40) and the Gospel of John mention them. Is this just a superfluous detail? Or is there something significant behind the risen Lord bearing scars? When we look at the scars, do we see them how Jesus saw them?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 24:1-12

Easter 2022 Sermon

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Mark 14:17-19

Good Friday Homily 2022

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 19:28-40

As we return to a familiar text on this Palm Sunday, I invite us to journey through it from a unique perspective, from the vantage point of some characters in the background of the main event transpiring outside Jerusalem. I want us to look at the faithfulness and willingness of the owners of the donkey Jesus rode in on and how stewarding our God-given gifts for when the Lord needs it is exemplary.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Matthew 26:26-29

At the Last Supper, Jesus says somethings that disrupts the status quo of a traditional Passover meal. He changes the symbolism of the bread and wine to be about Himself instead of the expected Exodus story. Perhaps He did this intentionally? As we conclude our sermon series: "Atonement: Cherish the Old Rugged Cross," we come to the Table of the Lord to look to see Jesus inaugurate a 'new' covenant in light of His atoning work on the Cross that He is about to do on Good Friday.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Philippians 2:4-11

We are continuing out series looking at the Atonement: Cherish That Old Rugged Cross. This week we look at the Cross as the penultimate example or model of love. God's love was on full display on the Cross, and it beckons us to imitate that kind of self-giving love in our own lives. If we are truly to be Christians, we must love like our Lord loved!

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Hebrews 2:14-17

We are on our second week of discussing "Atonement: Cherish that Old Rugged Cross." This week we will be looking at a 'classic' view of the atonement. A view held nearly unanimously by Christians for the first 1000 years of the Church's existence. It is known as the "ransom theory" (an off-shot of the Christus Victor or"Christ the Victor" view of the atonement), where by it was believed that on the Cross Christ dwelt with the forces of darkness and the devil to liberate us from our imprisonment to sin. Perhaps it might be beneficial or a means of grace to think like our early Christian ancestors did from time to time?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Genesis 22:1-19

For this Lenten season will be journeying through a sermon series entitled, "Atonement: Cherish that Old Rugged Cross." Each week we will look at a different perspective or outlook on what Jesus did on the Cross for us. This week we are looking at Jesus taking our place and being our substitute for the consequences of our sin. We did not deserve this, but Jesus was willing to be our Lamb.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Mark 4:35-41

This is the final part of our sermon series, "DWJD: Do What Jesus Did." And we are looking at a little story where Jesus does something that we may actually not be able to do... and maybe we're not expected to... Jesus slept. Jesus calmed. And while we may not able to do those things like Jesus did them, we do not need to despair. This same Jesus is in our boat.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - John 13:1-17

Jesus has done many amazing, jaw-dropping things. Many things we have sought to try to do in our own lives over the past several weeks during our sermon series: "DWJD: Do What Jesus Did." Once again we find Jesus doing something that amazes us... but in a different way. We find Jesus in the Upper Room washing the feet of the disciples. Another jaw-dropping moment. And Jesus beckons us to do the same... to wash like He washed.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Mark 8:22-26

'Spit like Jesus spit.' Well... Not exactly! We are now at part five of our sermon series, "DWJD: Do What Jesus Did." This week we are exploring what it means to heal like Jesus healed. To partner with the 'Great Physician' and be used by Him to help heal sin-sick souls, hopefully with less saliva involved than in our reading this morning.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - John 11:32-44

Jesus wept. Up there with the likes of Jesus walking on water (John 6:16-21) and turning water to wine (John 2:6-10), Jesus resurrecting Lazarus is a story most people are acquainted with (John 11:1-44). If you’ve ever attended a Christian funeral, you’ve likely heard this story preached a time or two. Or, if you’re like me, you know this story because it contains the Bible verse you wanted to memorize for AWANA cause it's only two words. “Jesus wept" (John 11:35). But is there more to His weeping? What does it mean for us to weep like Jesus wept?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Mark 6:30-34

This is part three of our sermon series entitled "DWJD: Do What Jesus Did." This week we are looking at something Jesus did that didn't garner Him much attention or praise. It wasn't anything spectacular or amazing like the miraculous stories we have heard about Jesus. It was something that Jesus did in-between all those memorable stories. Something that could be easily overlooked when examining the earthly life of Christ. Something that is available for all people to enjoy. Namely, the blessing of rest.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Mark 5:21-24, 35-43

This is week two of our sermon series, "DWJD: Do What Jesus Did." Jesus chose to journey with people who were suffering. He was fully present with people who were in a painful situation. Perhaps Jesus beckons us to do the same with those who are still hurting in our world today?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Matthew 4:18-22

This is part one of our new sermon series: "DWJD: Do What Jesus Did." We are not simply asking 'What would Jesus Do?' instead we are considering how we can actually do what Jesus did in our own lives. This week we are looking at how Jesus intentionally and deliberately discipled and mentored twelve men during His time ministering on Earth. Before His ascension, Jesus then called His own disciples to disciple like He discipled. Perhaps this same calling still applies to the Church today?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Titus 2:11-14

What is your New Year's resolution for 2022? Could it include being a more sanctified Christian not just a saved Christian?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 2:41-52

Where is Jesus? That's the question on the mind of His parents this morning. But perhaps the more important question is... Where are we? Where will Jesus find us while we are searching for Him?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Micah 5:1-5a; 2 Kings 24-25; Matthew 2:1-6

“The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” In this beloved Christmas carol, it recognized that Christmas is inherently a mixture of despair and hope… Christmas has been (and still is) intrinsically a combination of both pain and joy… darkness and light… Christmas is this way because it was prophesied in this context…

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 2:8-18

Christmas was never just a noun; it was a verb. But has it always been this way? Perhaps Christmas has always been a verb - a combination of verbs really - even from the start? We see quite a few verbs in the response of the first recipients of Christmas, a group of anonymous shepherds interrupted one evening by an angel with a message about the Advent of Christ the Lord. Perhaps we should incorporate their verbs into our Christmas this year?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Isaiah 7:1-17; 2 Kings 16:1-14; Matthew 1:1-25

We find that humanity has always been in need of Immanuel, 'God with us.' Whether you are the king of Judah being threatened by two nations allying together against you or a world full of sinners unable to save themselves, the only salvation humanity can ever truly rely on is 'God with us.' That is what we celebrate this Advent and Christmas season. Jesus being Immanuel.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Mark 13:24-27, 32-37

Today is the first Sunday of Advent in 2021! We are beginning a tour through some well-known, beloved Christmas carols during the Advent season. We begin with a beloved carol that is not about the first Advent but actually about the second one. Jesus Christ promised that He would one day return and come again! As we kick off Advent this year, we do so remembering and celebrating that Jesus will arrive again and gather His Church to Himself.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - John 18:33-37

Today is "Christ the King Sunday" here at Gibbon Baptist Church! A Sunday set aside to remember and praise Christ for ruling and reigning in this world as king!

Pastor Taylor Shippy - James 5:17-18

We are beginning a new sermon series entitled, "Let Us Pray." We'll be exploring different biblical texts to discern what it has to say concerning our prayer lives. We begin with James, the brother of Jesus, who makes an interesting observation concerning the Old Testament prophet Elijah. Perhaps all Christians can be like Elijah? And maybe it begins with praying like Elijah did?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Ephesians 6:10-17

The final metaphor for our "Picture This!" sermon series is the image of the Church being the Lord's Army in this world. The Church is posed and threatened by cosmic forces of darkness. But God has not left the Church defenseless. God has supplied an arsenal of defensive measures to combat against the spiritual warfare present in our world. The question is whether the Church will arm herself or not...

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Ephesians 5:25-27

We are still in our "Picture This!" series exploring different metaphors from the book of Ephesians that depict the nature of the Church. This week we explore what it means for the Church to be the Bride of Christ. Christ is both sanctifying and presenting the Church to Himself as an immaculate bride. Since we are this bride, we need to cooperate with Christ's intentions to make us holy as He is holy.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Ephesians 4:17-24

It is "Baptism Sunday" here at Gibbon Baptist Church! And while we celebrate the ordinance of baptism, baptism itself is more than simply being immersed underwater. Baptism is a journey. Baptism is a lifestyle. Baptism is something we are called to live into each and every day.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Ephesians 2:19-22

This is the third entry in our sermon series, "Picture This! Metaphors of the Church in Ephesians." Paul tells the Ephesians that God is dwelling in a new kind of temple. This new house of the Lord is unlike anything they have ever thought or imagined. God's temple is now God's people. God's temple is the Church. God's temple is us.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Ephesians 4:1-16

This is part two of our series "Picture This: Metaphors of the Church in Ephesians." This week we look at the concept of the Church being the "Body of Christ." Paul uses this picture to tell the Ephesians that they all share a calling toward 'oneness' and maturity that are both wrapped up in this metaphor of the Church being Christ's body. If this is the case, then what are the implications for us today as we now carry the mantle of being the Body of Christ in this world?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Ephesians 2:11-19

This is part one of a sermon series entitled “Picture This! Metaphors of the Church from Ephesians.”

Picture this… as members of Christ's Church... “[Y]ou are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Eph 2:19). What does it mean to be the family of God? How does one become a part of God's family? How can we better be members of God's family right where we are? Today's message looks at this metaphor or picture of the Church as God's family.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Why doesn't the Bible explain everything? That's a good question! Let's try and answer it!

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Obadiah 10-15

God cares about our human relationships. God cared about the relationship between Edom and Israel as evidenced by God's anger, recorded in Obadiah, aimed at the Edomites for their behavior and actions toward their 'brother' and neighbor Judah when the Babylonians came on the scene. Perhaps that is an indication that God does indeed care about how we today treat others, especially those who are our 'brothers' and neighbors? If God cares so much about how human beings treat other human beings, perhaps we should as well?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Nahum 1:2-8

The Book of Nahum isn't talked about much in Christian circles despite it being one of the 66 books of the Holy Bible. Whether because it is believed to be irrelevant or because its subject matter is a bit uncomfortable, perhaps God can still speak through the prophet Nahum today? Perhaps the word from God through Nahum is a reminder that our God can and does exercise anger. Except, Nahum includes a crucial detail about God's anger, namely that God's anger is slow. We can learn more about who God is and what God is up to in this world by examining an often not talked about characteristic of God... God's slowness to anger.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Haggai 1:1-11

A new "normal" has set in for the post-exilic people living in Jerusalem. A new "normal" without the Temple. And this does not sit well with the prophet Haggai. Despite the objections of the people, Haggai preaches that the time is now to re-prioritize the presence of God in their community. And the time is now for us to evaluate the priority we place on our relationship with God even today. Perhaps Haggai's message is just as relevant today as it was back then?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Habakkuk 3:17-19

The prophet Habakkuk finds himself stuck like many of us likely are... stuck between a time of present hardship and chaos and a looming dire future... stuck between an announcement of salvation and vindication by God and the unspecified future when that announcement becomes reality. Perhaps we can relate to the prophet Habakkuk's struggle more than we realized? The prophet Habakkuk's closing words may offer us some insight as to how we can live "in the meantime" between God's promise and the finale.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Amos 7:1-15

God appears to call anyone to be a prophet, even someone like Amos. By all accounts, the prophet Amos was by no means a professional prophet. Whether he was simply a shepherd or a business owner or whatever, Amos was not like the other prophets in regards to his previous occupation before God called him. Perhaps this unconventional prophet is an indication of the kind of people God is still calling and using today? Perhaps anyone can prophet? Perhaps even you?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Joel 2:12-14

The people the prophet Joel is ministering to have been through quite an ordeal. From a locust plague to a drought, these people have suffered quite a lot. But then the prophet suspects that the dreaded "day of the Lord" may be just around the corner. This means the people are seemingly trapped. Stuck. Boxed in by past pain and future worry. Where do you turn at a moment like this? The prophet Joel offers them, and us, an answer.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Hosea 2:14-23

The marriage of the prophet Hosea with an unusual kind of mate is the catalyst for a picture of God's union with His people Israel. The prophet's actions speak before and even louder than his words! Perhaps the Church, as God's 'new' Israel today, we can learn something from the words of this minor prophet about our relationship... our "marriage..." with God?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Acts 10:1-33

This is the final sermon in our series "Ready or Not: Being Jesus' Witnesses." It is Pentecost Sunday for the Gentiles! God is moving and working in the life of a pious Roman centurion, and He does not want the Apostle Peter to miss out. Perhaps through both a vision and a lived experience God can show Peter what it means to be a witness of Jesus Christ with people who are different than him? And maybe God can also teach us something about that as well?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Acts 9:10-19

We are still in our sermon series, "Ready or Not: Being Jesus' Witnesses," and this week we build upon what Pastor Taylor proposed; namely, that the best kind of witnesses are those that form relationships with other people as a means of sharing the message of the gospel. Admittedly, this is easier said than done. Even those in the Book of Acts struggled with building spiritual companionships with some kinds of people when God called them to do so. Notably, for our text this morning, it is when God calls us to be witnesses to our enemies. How do we be witnesses of Jesus Christ with our enemies? The testimony of the actions of a disciple in Damascus named Ananias may offer some answers...

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Acts 8:26-40

Continuing on with our sermon series "Ready or Not: Being Jesus' Witnesses," we are concentrating on the verbs that characterize the deacon Philip during his highway encounter with a chariot-riding eunuch from Ethiopia. Perhaps a familiar story for some from the Book of Acts, Pastor Taylor walks through seven key verbs that should be characteristic of all witnesses of Jesus and exhorts us to be people of action in this world when God calls us. Will you be a verbal witness or not?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Acts 3:1-10

This is part three of the sermon series, "Ready or Not: Being Jesus' Witnesses." This is the first instance of a public collision between the church, who are newly clothed by the power of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, and someone in need. What will happen? How will people, who have been touched and possessed by the Holy Spirit, respond to those who are suffering in this world? Peter and John's interactions with a beggar outside the temple give us a glimpse into what it means to be "Pentecost People."

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Acts 2:1-13

This is part two of our series "Ready or Not: Being Jesus' Witnesses," and this week we are looking at the birth of the Church. Luke records in concise verses the origins of the Church when the day finally came for the Holy Spirit to descend upon the small band of Jesus' followers. The disciples of Jesus were waiting in Jerusalem for the manifestation of the promise Jesus spoke to them before His ascension, and once the Holy Spirit arrives, we get a glimpse into the primary activity the Holy Spirit intends to empower the disciples to do: the proclamation of the gospel.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 24:36-53

This is part one of a new sermon series entitled: "Ready or Not: Being Jesus' Witnesses" where we will be looking at how the first eyewitnesses of Easter carried on the charge by the resurrected Jesus to be His witnesses in the world. This week we are looking at one of the many resurrection appearances by the risen Lord. He appears to His followers, proves His identity to them, opens their minds to the Scriptures, and then goes "up" in His ascension as He sends the disciples "out" to be His witnesses.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Hebrews 12:1-3

It is "Spiritual Roots Weekend" here at Gibbon Baptist Church, and that means that we are setting aside time to consider the faithful women and men that gone before us. It is significant for us to periodically pause to reflect upon the past to better engage with our present to then move into our future.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - John 20:11-18

It is Easter Sunday, yet how often do we take the time to respond like the original witnesses of the resurrection did. In John's Gospel, we notice that their disposition towards the perplexing scene at the tomb is a bit different than our festivities on Easter Sunday today. The Gospel of John zooms in and looks at specifically the response of Mary Magdalene and her Easter journey. We see Easter begins with a question, "Whom are you seeking?" It is followed by a startling revelation. Then it necessitates a response to tell others the good news.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Matthew 21:1-11

It is Palm Sunday this morning. The annual church calendar holiday commemorating Christ's entrance into Jerusalem kickstarting Holy Week. In the Gospel of Matthew, the populous of Jerusalem are noted as being unaware of who has just entered their city. "Who is this?" they ask the crowds parading in with Jesus. A critical question for those shouting "Hosanna" but also for us today to reflect upon and consider.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - John 14:18-27

In our final sermon in our series "From Fear to Faith," we explore a familiar scene in the Upper Room between Jesus and His disciples. Jesus has announced that He will be departing from them, and the disciples are understandably a bit concerned and scared about the prospect of facing the world alone with Jesus' physical presence beside them. Pastor Taylor elaborates on what Jesus tells His disciples in these final moments with them. Jesus promises to always be with His disciples, and He even intends to send the Helper, the Holy Spirit, to remind them of this fact. And this promise has not changed...

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Mark 5:21-24, 35-43

This is part four of a five part sermon series entitled "From Fear to Faith." This week we return to Mark 5 to explore the other story taking place in-and-around the story we looked at last time. We see the fear but also the faith of a distraught parent. By looking closer into this story, we recognize the ebb and flow of situations that may arise in our lives of going from bad to worse, yet we see that despite circumstances changing around us that God's intentions to bring life and joy into our fearful situations never changes. We just have to believe and trust Jesus.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Mark 5:25-34

This is part three of a five part sermon series entitled "From Fear to Faith." In this short narrative from the Gospel of Mark, Pastor Taylor explores the story of a courageous unnamed woman's faith and her risk to experience healing from Jesus. When it comes to having faith in Christ, there is an adherent 'risk factor,' and this story teaches us that those who are willing to take a risk on Jesus find that He is worth the risk and fear.

[Audio note. The last three minutes were lost or glitchy during the live recording process. Therefore, they have been re-recorded and supplemented at a later time. Apologizes for the audio mistake. Working to fix that issue. Thank you.]

Pastor Taylor Shippy - 2 Kings 6:8-17

This is part two of a five-part sermon series entitled "From Fear to Faith" where we are exploring what it means to have faith during our battles with fear. In this sermon, Pastor Taylor explores a familiar yet remarkable story in the Old Testament where a prophet asks God to gives his companion the grace to see the protection of God around them. The juxtaposition between the prophet and his attendant's vision carries significant implications for when we wrestle with fear in our day-to-day lives today.

(P.S. Sorry for audio feedback issues throughout the message. Working on resolving that. Thank you.)

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Psalm 56

In part one of a five part sermon series entitled "From Fear to Faith," we dive into one of the many psalms of David that speaks to us during times of fear. David's turbulent season of being on the run as a fugitive from King Saul is the backdrop of Psalm 56. Pastor Taylor explores this song of David during a time when he was surrounded by "enemies" that caused him fear, yet in his time of being afraid David also recognizes who he knows is on his side which undergirds his faith in this situation.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Mark 9:2-8

Today is "Transfiguration Sunday" where the church reads and meditates on the story of Jesus journeying atop a mountain with three of His disciples for a special unveiling of His identity as the Son of God. Pastor Taylor explores this text and focuses on the divine voice's command to the disciples to listen to the one who was just been transfigured before them and the call for disciples of Christ today to heed the words of Jesus still.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Mark 8:34-9:1

This is the final sermon of a five-part sermon series "#Jesus: Learning to Follow Christ." If you boiled this entire sermon series down to one phrase, it would be: "Be Like Jesus." That is what it means to follow Jesus. But if you are to "Be Like Jesus" that includes suffering and surrendering just as He did. Jesus turns His eyes towards Calvary in the Gospel of Mark, and His disciples are supposed to do the same. Pastor Taylor explores Jesus' teaching on discipleship. Are you a fan or follower of Jesus?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Luke 7:18-23

This is the fourth sermon of a five-part sermon series entitled "#Jesus: Learning to Follow Christ." This week a notable person in the New Testament has a question for the Lord Jesus Christ, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (cf. 7:19). Pastor Taylor explores the theological significance of this question along with inviting us to explore and consider our own preconceived expectations concerning the Messiah.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Matthew 4:12-22

The first of a five-part sermon series entitled "#Jesus: Learning to Follow Christ." This sermon explores the initial launching point for Christ's earthly ministry along with Jesus calling His first disciples. The writer of the Gospel Matthew highlights the significance of where Jesus decides to start His ministry, namely the region of Galilee. Pastor Taylor challenges us to consider where Jesus is headed in our world today and whether we choose to follow Him where He is intending to go.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Matthew 14:22-33

This is third in a five-part sermon series entitled "#Jesus: Learning to Follow Christ." In one of the most extraordinary tales in all four Gospels, we find Jesus coming to rescue the tormented seafaring disciples by walking atop the waters. To add to this amazing scene is the inclusion in Matthew's Gospel of Peter being allowed an opportunity to walk on water as well towards Jesus. This rescue at sea by Jesus along with Peter's journey atop the surface of the sea is the focus of this week's sermon by Pastor Taylor. The forecast for following Jesus is stormy conditions, and it calls for strong faith.

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Mark 6:7-13, 30-44

This is the second of a five-part sermon series entitled "#Jesus: Learning to Follow Christ." This week we dive into a two-parter story. The disciples are sent out empowered by Christ to imitate the ministry they have visited Him previously doing. Once they return to Jesus, they seek a desolate destination to rest; however, Jesus has compassion on the impending crowds and wishes for the disciples to feed them despite their mediocre resources. Pastor Taylor seeks for us to recognize that following Christ necessitates following His lead when it comes to doing ministry.