Your Treasure is Already in Heaven

Your Treasure is Already in Heaven

by | Aug 26, 2025 | Sermon Recaps

We all feel the tug of money, possessions, and worry. Whether it’s the anxiety of not having enough or the desire for just a little more, our hearts get tangled in the belief that stuff or striving will secure our lives. But in Luke 12, Jesus speaks straight to those lies. He reminds us that our worth isn’t measured by barns, bank accounts, or anxious effort. Instead, He points us to the lasting peace that comes from the generosity of God’s grace.

The accumulation of stuff can’t save you like you think it can (v. 13–21)

In Luke 12 a man asks Jesus to settle an inheritance dispute. Instead of stepping in, Jesus warns, “Be on guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

Covetousness is more than wanting more stuff. It’s the lie that your stuff is your story: that your worth is measured by your balance sheet, your house, your shoes, or your car. Social media feeds that lie every day, grading our existence by what we own.

Jesus tells a parable about a man who built bigger barns to store all his goods, then said to his soul, “Relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God calls him a fool, because that very night his soul was required of him. Stuff may reassure you for a moment, but it cannot save you. The only part of you that stands before God is your soul, and barns full of things can’t justify you there.

The out-working of your anxiety doesn’t provide for you like you think it does (v. 22–31)

Jesus turns to His disciples and says, “Do not be anxious about your life.” Anxiety drives us to frantic activity, as though God’s provision depends on our flawless effort. It reflects the old but graceless saying, “God helps those who help themselves.”

So Jesus gives two examples. Ravens don’t plant or harvest, yet God feeds them. Lilies don’t toil or spin, yet God clothes them more beautifully than Solomon. God provides disproportionately and abundantly, not because of their effort but because of His care.

If God cares for birds and flowers, how much more does He care for you, His image-bearer with an eternal soul? Anxiety won’t add a single hour to your life. What we think our striving achieves is often just God’s grace shining through. Your worth isn’t secured by how much you can hustle, but rests in His kindness.

The generosity of God’s grace is more peace-giving than you can imagine (v. 32–34)

Jesus says, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” That is the heart of the gospel. God doesn’t wait for you to earn it. He gives it freely, disproportionately, and abundantly, like food for the ravens and beauty for the lilies.

Your stuff is not your story. Your story is fixed in Jesus, who took your sin, greed, and striving to the cross. His resurrection guarantees an inheritance “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1). That treasure cannot be stolen, outdated, or diminished.

So you can hold earthly possessions loosely. Give generously. Live free from covetousness. Stop grading your life by the world’s flimsy scorecard. Rest in Christ, because your identity is not in what you own but in the One who by His blood owns you.

In Him, it truly is finished.

This article is a recap of a sermon preached by Hunter Sipe at Good Shepherd Bible Church on Sunday, August 24, 2025 entitled Your Treasure is Already in Heaven. This sermon continues our expositional sermon series on Luke’s Gospel titled Luke: Good News for the Rest of Us. This sermon and others are available for listening on the Good Shepherd Bible Church Sermon Podcast.

Good Shepherd Bible Church is an Acts 29 church located in Pataskala, OH serving the eastern Columbus area.

We invite you to explore our website to learn more about GSBC, consider connecting at our church, or read about our core beliefs.

Your Treasure is Already in Heaven

The Six Woes

by | Aug 10, 2025 | Sermon Recaps

We often think hypocrisy belongs to “other people” or to some darker corner of church history. Yet Jesus’ words in Luke 11 show that it grows quietly in any heart that stops listening to God’s Word as He intends it. When we replace His truth with our own standards, or when we push aside His grace for our achievements, we end up with religion on the outside and ruin on the inside. In this passage, Jesus delivers a blunt but freeing diagnosis and calls us to the only cure: Himself.

Hypocrisy exists because we fail to hear God’s diagnosis (v. 37-44)

Jesus dined with a Pharisee who marveled that He did not wash before the meal. This was not about hygiene but about a man-made ritual. The Pharisees had built extra rules to measure their own holiness. Jesus cut through the show. He said they cleaned the outside of the cup but left the inside full of greed and wickedness. His point was simple: you must be clean inside and out.

The Pharisees tithed even the smallest herbs while neglecting justice and the love of God. They clung to human rules to look righteous instead of measuring themselves by God’s perfect standard. God calls for love and justice, not a self-made checklist.

They loved the best seats and public greetings. Titles and status became their shield. But true righteousness does not come from human achievement. It comes only from God’s grace.

Jesus said they were like unmarked graves, making others unclean without them knowing it. Legalism works this way. It spreads quietly, stealing assurance and replacing grace with self-reliance.

Hypocrisy thrives because we reject God’s free deliverance (v. 45-54)

A lawyer spoke up, realizing Jesus had also called out his group. Jesus did not back down. He showed how their approach to the law crushed people instead of setting them free.

They loaded people with heavy burdens but never helped carry them. The law shows our need, but it cannot save. Only grace in Christ can lift the weight.

They honored the prophets in word but killed their message. By silencing God’s messengers, they revealed their hearts against the One the prophets pointed to: Jesus Himself.

They held the key of knowledge but refused to enter and blocked others from entering. All Scripture points to Jesus and His grace. To reject Him is to shut the door to life.

God’s Word always does two things. It diagnoses our sin and delivers us through Jesus. The law shows our need. The gospel gives us life. You can try to impress with your rule-keeping or you can be known and loved through grace, but not both. In Christ, you are already known at your worst and loved completely. That is the Word we must hear and keep.

This article is a recap of a sermon preached by Hunter Sipe at Good Shepherd Bible Church on Sunday, August 10, 2025 entitled The Six Woes. This sermon continues our expositional sermon series on Luke’s Gospel titled Luke: Good News for the Rest of Us. This sermon and others are available for listening on the Good Shepherd Bible Church Sermon Podcast.

Good Shepherd Bible Church is an Acts 29 church located in Pataskala, OH serving the eastern Columbus area.

We invite you to explore our website to learn more about GSBC, consider connecting at our church, or read about our core beliefs.

Your Treasure is Already in Heaven

A Prayer for the Rest of Us

by | Jul 29, 2025 | Sermon Recaps

Prayer can feel bewildering. Most of us know that, theologically, prayer is simple. It’s just talking to God. And yet many of us still find it difficult. We lose focus. We feel guilty. We wonder if we’re wasting His time or if He’s even listening at all.

But Jesus answers our uncertainty. He teaches His disciples how to pray. He gives us a model. He shows us the priorities of prayer, the posture of persistence, and the point of it all. And it might not be what we expect.

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.”

And He said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him,’ and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Luke 11:1-13

The Priorities of Prayer

Jesus starts with the word Father. He could have chosen many titles, but He chooses the one that reminds us God is the eternal Giver. He gives because giving is who He is.

The prayer itself is short but full of rich priority:

  • “Hallowed be Your name”: We ask for a renewed awareness of who God is. We want to know His nature, stand in awe of Him, and revere Him for who He truly is.

  • “Your kingdom come”: We pray for God’s rule to take shape here on earth as it is in Heaven. His kingdom has come in Jesus and will come again in fullness. We ask God to complete what He has started.

  • “Give us each day our daily bread”: Jesus teaches us to ask for our real needs like food, shelter, clothing. Nothing is too small.

  • “Forgive us our sins”: Yes, our sins were once and for all forgiven at the cross, but we still need daily assurance. Ongoing sin brings guilt and shame, and this prayer gives us daily restoration.

  • “Lead us not into temptation”: We ask God to shape our desires, to protect us from our own self-sabotage, and to deliver us from evil. He may sovereignly arrange moments of testing, but He also gives strength and escape.

Jesus gives us a prayer for real people with real needs. It’s not long, complicated, or eloquent. It’s simple, humble, and confident in the Father’s grace.

Persistence in Prayer

Jesus then tells a parable about a man knocking on his friend’s door at midnight, asking for bread. The friend says no, but then gives in, not because of friendship, but because of persistence.

Persistence matters. Not because God is annoyed into action, but because He wants us to pray like children who trust their Father. He gives generously, not as a distant judge, but as a close friend and loving Dad.

Jesus says, “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened.” He’s not playing games. If earthly fathers give good gifts, how much more will our heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?

The Point of Prayer

Verse 13 is the heart of the passage. What does the Father give when we pray? Himself. He gives the Holy Spirit. He gives His presence. That’s what we really need.

Prayer isn’t about performance. It’s participation. It’s entering into the eternal conversation between Father, Son, and Spirit. It’s how we experience our adoption, how we cry out “Abba, Father,” and how we’re shaped into who we already are because of Christ.

So bring your short prayers, your distracted thoughts, your unplanned words. The Father is willing to get up for you. He is willing to be “bothered” because He loves you. And He will always give Himself again.

This article is a recap of a sermon preached by Hunter Sipe at Good Shepherd Bible Church on Sunday, July 27, 2025 entitled A Prayer for the Rest of Us. This sermon continues our expositional sermon series on Luke’s Gospel titled Luke: Good News for the Rest of Us. This sermon and others are available for listening on the Good Shepherd Bible Church Sermon Podcast.

Good Shepherd Bible Church is an Acts 29 church located in Pataskala, OH serving the eastern Columbus area.

We invite you to explore our website to learn more about GSBC, consider connecting at our church, or read about our core beliefs.

Motives for Ministry

Motives for Ministry

by | Jul 6, 2025 | Sermon Recaps

Why do we do what we do? Why do we pursue this Christian walk? Why do we read our Bibles? Why do we get up Sunday after Sunday to gather together? Why do we go to work and aim to be Christ-like in a world that often rejects Christ?

In this passage, Paul answers these questions. He’s being criticized for his motives, but he lays out exactly why he ministers. This gives us a picture of what should drive us too.

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

2 Corinthians 5:11–15

The Fear of the Lord

Paul writes, “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.”

He’s not talking about fear in a panicked sense. He’s not afraid of the judgment seat of Christ. No, Paul is in awe of his God. He stands amazed at God’s grace.

He knows that Jesus Himself will reward His people. Not because they earned it, but because of grace. That idea leaves him amazed and keeps him going.

Think about it. Paul, who once murdered Christians, now looks forward to receiving a reward from Jesus. He can’t get over that.

The Fear of the Lord Leads to Persuading Others

This awe of God’s grace pushes Paul to persuade others. He does not preach to defend himself. He preaches because he wants others to experience the same grace that changed him.

There is a lost world out there. Paul knows what it feels like to be lost. He remembers what it was like before Christ saved him.

So he persuades others. He is not trying to protect his reputation. He longs for others to know this grace.

Evangelism, Paul shows, is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.

The Fear of the Lord is Heart-Focused

Paul’s awe of God also keeps him focused on the heart.

He reminds the church that God already knows his motives. Paul is not concerned about convincing his critics. He hopes the church itself will recognize the truth about his heart.

His goal is not to impress anyone with appearances or external achievements. He focuses on what God does in the heart.

Paul urges the church not to boast in outward success. He wants them to boast in the amazing truth that God pours out His Spirit on sinful hearts. He calls them to rejoice that no sinner is too far gone for grace.

The Fear of the Lord is Truth- and Gospel-Driven

Paul also stays driven by truth and the gospel.

Some accuse him of being out of his mind. He says, “If we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.”

Paul has seen visions and miracles, but he does not build his ministry on emotional highs or supernatural experiences. He builds it on clear gospel truth.

He is not serving for himself. He makes it clear. If he is doing miraculous things, it is for God. If he is preaching and teaching, it is for the good of the church. It is never about him.

Paul points the church back to Christ, not to himself.

Christ’s Love

Paul gives another motive for ministry. He says, “For the love of Christ controls us.”

Christ’s Love Leads to Self-Denial

Paul knows Christ truly loves him. That love is not just a feeling. It is proven by the cross. Paul says, “One has died for all.”

Christ laid down His life for sinners, including Paul himself.

This love shapes everything Paul does. He cannot live for himself anymore. He lives for Christ.

Paul makes it clear. Christ’s love fuels his self-denial. He does not serve to earn anything. He is not trying to prove himself. He simply cannot live a self-centered life anymore, because his Savior did not live a self-centered life.

Christ’s death was not because people were worthy of it. It was not because we were good or valuable on our own. It was grace, pure grace.

Paul knows that truth deeply. He remembers that he was dead in sin when Christ saved him. That is why he lives with a heart of gratitude, focused not on himself but on others.

What Keeps You Going?

Paul’s answer is simple: grace and love.

He stays in awe of God’s grace. He never stops being amazed that Christ would love him. That awe keeps him preaching. It keeps him serving others. It keeps him focused on eternity, no matter how hard life gets.

If you feel weary, do not look at your circumstances. Look at your Savior. Remember His grace. Rest in His love. Live for Him.

This article is a recap of a sermon preached by Henry Cruz at Good Shepherd Bible Church on Sunday, July 6, 2025 entitled Motives for Ministry. This sermon continues our six-week summer series titled Grace in the Mess. This sermon and others are available for listening on the Good Shepherd Bible Church Sermon Podcast.

Good Shepherd Bible Church is an Acts 29 church located in Pataskala, OH serving the eastern Columbus area.

We invite you to explore our website to learn more about GSBC, consider connecting at our church, or read about our core beliefs.

Motives for Ministry

Grace Despite Our Messy Love

by | Jun 15, 2025 | Sermon Recaps

It wouldn’t surprise anyone to hear that love hurts. Love is supposed to be this beautiful gift, but it often becomes a harmful weapon. It ruins families, friendships, and hearts. Why? Because our love is sinful and broken.

We manipulate others with it and make it transactional. We expect something in return. We demand to be loved unconditionally, yet our love is anything but. Even our best intentions fall short and we hurt the people we love.

So what is biblical love?

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

1 Corinthians 13:4–8

God’s Love is Different

God’s love doesn’t look like ours. His love is patient. He tolerates our rebellion again and again without lashing out. He doesn’t have a long fuse… He has no fuse.

His kindness is never stern or cold. He smiles when He sees you. He gives good gifts. His eyes are full of kindness, not disappointment.

God’s love isn’t envious. Even though we give our hearts to idols, He continues to give us grace. He’s not jealous of our affections. He just keeps pouring out more grace, more forgiveness, more love.

The Humility and Gentleness of Christ

God’s love doesn’t boast or act arrogantly. It humbles itself. It looks like washing feet. It looks like suffering for people who have nothing to offer in return. It rides into towns on donkeys and walks to crosses to die.

It looks like being spit on, mocked, and crucified—all for love. God’s love for you is humble and sacrificial. He went to the cross not thinking about what was best for Himself, but what was best for you.

God’s love is never rude. He doesn’t shame you, ignore you, snap at you, or roll His eyes. He listens and leans in with gentleness.

And He never insists on His own way. He doesn’t say, “You better love Me back.” All the demands of the law were met in Christ, and now God just loves you—freely, fully, forever.

No Irritation or Record of Sin

God never gets irritated with you. He’s never annoyed, even when you fail or ask the same question for the hundredth time. He doesn’t get tired of your prayers. He doesn’t scoff at your weakness.

He doesn’t resent you, because He already resented His Son in your place. On your worst day, when everyone else might reject you—He draws closer.

God doesn’t keep a tally of your sins. You might, and others will—but He won’t. Because of Jesus, there’s no longer a record to hold against you.

When you ask for forgiveness, He says, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You were forgiven before you were born. That’s how thorough Christ’s cross really is.

A Love That Tells the Truth and Endures

Because God loves you, He rejoices in the truth. You don’t have to hide or pretend. You can be fully known and fully loved.

You can tell the truth about how broken you are, and how much grace you need, because He already knows, and He already loves.

God’s love bears all things. It believes, hopes, and endures all things. It doesn’t give up.

People will give up on you. But God won’t. His love doesn’t quit when you’re difficult. It doesn’t get tired. It never throws in the towel.

And because His love is perfect, you’re free from performing and trying to earn your place. You are perfectly loved by God through Jesus Christ.

Welcome Home Hugs

My family does this thing we call Welcome Home Hugs. It’s silly and beautiful. When someone walks through the door, we stop what we’re doing and go hug them.

At Disney World, cast members playing characters are trained to hug children for as long as the kid wants—until the child lets go. No rejection or conditions. Just arms wide open.

It reminds me of God’s love.

One day, when I die, I imagine Jesus seeing my name in the Book of Life, stopping what He’s doing, running straight to me, and giving me a Welcome Home Hug. Not because I’m worthy—but because He loves me.

And if you believe in Jesus, He’ll do the same for you.

You don’t need to earn it. You don’t need to clean yourself up first. You don’t need to be impressive. You just need to come with empty hands and trust Him.

Our Only Hope

If you’re not trusting in Christ, God’s love is not on you. You’re still trying to earn what only Christ can give.

The good news is this: you can stop trying.

Jesus offers His perfect record, His death, and His resurrection for you. Not based on a prayer, a feeling, or a work, but on grace. It’s a free gift to cover every sin and secure eternal life.

While we wait for that welcome home hug, what do we do?

We rest in the finished work of Christ. We remember that we are fully loved. We stop performing and pretending. We love our families with the grace we’ve received. We serve our neighbors not to earn God’s favor, but because we already have it.

You are free to be honest. Free to repent. Free to forgive. Free to be amazed that God would love any of us this much.

You are loved, forever, without condition. It’s amazing grace.

This article is a recap of a sermon preached by elder Bryce Hacker at Good Shepherd Bible Church on Sunday, June 15, 2025 entitled Grace Despite Our Messy Love. This sermon continues our six-week summer series titled Grace in the Mess. This sermon and others are available for listening on the Good Shepherd Bible Church Sermon Podcast.

Good Shepherd Bible Church is an Acts 29 church located in Pataskala, OH serving the eastern Columbus area.

We invite you to explore our website to learn more about GSBC, consider connecting at our church, or read about our core beliefs.