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You can click on the Related Links page on the menu bar to find links to Scriptural and church sites. On this page you will find additional materials related to our life in Christ.
Click here for a recommended reading list
The church’s constitution and bylaws are available for download.
Gospel of Matthew Bible Study, companion slides (within each presentation, use the Page Down/Page Up keys to go between slides) Session 1: The Gospel of Matthew: Context and Characteristics Session 2: The Gospel of Matthew: Key Themes Session 3: Sixteen Theses on the Reign in Matthew and Sessions 4 and 5: The Gospel of Matthew: Sermon on the Mount Session 6: The Gospel of Matthew: The Community Discourse Session 7: The Gospel of Matthew: On a Mission from God
The Sacraments Session 1: Intro and Origins of Baptism Session 2: Origins of Baptism and History Session 3: The Confessions on the Meal Session 4: The Meal in the NT to Medieval Church Session 5: Reformation Perspectives on the Meal Session 6: What Happens in the Meal?
Gospel of Mark Bible Study, companion slides (within each presentation, use the Page Down/Page Up keys to go between slides) Session 1: Introduction to the Gospels Session 2: The Gospel of Mark: Context and Characteristics Session 3: The Gospel of Mark: Key Theological Themes Session 4: The Gospel of Mark: Conflict in Mark Session 5: The Gospel of Mark: The Passion Session 6: The Gospel of Mark: Reactions
A Bible Version Comparison Chart is available by clicking here. And if you are looking for a variety of Bibles online (with full search capabilities), try the Humanities Text Initiative
Faith Tool Box
“Grace be with all who have an undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Ephesians 6:24 The first strategic goal to come out of Good Shepherd’s visioning process is “to become a more spiritual congregation.” For us as Christians, this means loving Jesus more deeply both as individuals and as a community of faith. This new monthly feature of the Voice is designed to equip you with practical tools to help you fall ever more deeply in love with Jesus. The foundation of all Christian spirituality is the Word of God revealed to us in the pages of scripture. Many Christians, however, struggle with reading the Bible regularly. This struggle is natural; after all, the books of the Bible were written thousands of years ago in a culture very different from our own. There are some basic tips, however, that can help you get started in a daily devotional practice: Pick the right Bible. The most accurate scholarly translation or the hippest contemporary paraphrase is no good if you can’t open it up and read it regularly. Try out some of the Bibles in the Book of Faith Lending Library in the lobby to find one that is right for you. Find a regular time and place. If you’re a morning person, do it in the morning. If you’re a night owl, try the evening before bed. If you’re busy, try your lunch hour at work. Families might try doing it after supper together. Whatever works for you, find a regular time and make it a priority. Start with something familiar. Unless you have some experience with scripture, don’t start at Genesis and try to plow straight through to Revelation. You’ll likely get bogged down somewhere in Leviticus. Instead, try starting with one of the Gospels. (Look for a Lenten devotion based on Mark in this column next month.) Reading guides or daily lectionaries are available in the hymnal and in many Bibles. In addition, there are literally hundreds of options online, including some that will send a passage to your e-mail or PDA daily. Pray. Scripture is the inspired Word of God; it is only natural that we ask God to help us understand it, to open to us the scriptures as Jesus did with his disciples. Before you begin your time with scripture, take a few moments of silence to clear your mind. Then ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study the Word. Try not to worry about the parts you don’t understand. Even world-renowned scholars who have spent decades studying the scriptures still have passages they don’t fully understand. Over time and with practice, passages that don’t make sense to you today will come into focus. Put yourself in the position of different characters in the story. Who do you relate to most? Who do you relate to least? Are there characters (including Jesus) who make you uncomfortable? See if you can answer the following questions: What is God (Father, Son and/or Holy Spirit) doing in this story? What are people doing? What does that say to me? How might you hear this text as endorsement? As encouragement or exhortation? As challenge? How might you hear the voice of God’s love for you in those challenges? Pray again. End your time of listening to God in scripture by talking with God about what you heard. Find a study buddy. Like a workout partner, a study buddy can help you stay motivated. Your separate insights can also help inform each other’s study and help you see familiar stories in a new way. Be gentle with yourself. If you miss a day (or a week), don’t beat yourself up. Scripture is a gift from God, and the daily practice of scripture reading is a gift you give yourself. Make it a source of joy to be savored rather than a burden to be borne. Remember, this is about being bathed in the love of God through Jesus Christ, and loving God more fully in return.
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The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd |
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Evangelical Lutheran Church in America |
