Shepherd's Heart 1/31/25
Dear Church Family,
This weekend, we close out our Anatomy of a Soul series, and I don’t plan to preach (well kind of)—I just want to talk. To slow down. To take inventory of our hearts, our emotions, and our bodies. To truly pay attention—to what we’ve been carrying, to what we’ve been avoiding, and to what God is doing in our midst.
And we’re going to hear a story. A testimony from a student. A glimpse into how this series has been more than just words—how the Holy Spirit has been stirring, bringing things to the surface, and leading to something real.
I know not everyone will be in the room to hear it. But I don’t want you to miss the heart of this moment.
Grief touches all of us. Some of us name it. Some of us push it down. Some of us try to move on too quickly. But grief—real grief—demands to be walked through, not around. When we try to bypass it, we don’t find healing. We just learn to hide our wounds.
Jesus never rushed grief. He wept. He sat in sorrow. And even in his resurrection, he bore scars—a testimony of love endured for me and for you. That’s the kind of Savior we follow. One who doesn’t bypass our pain but meets us in it.
So let me ask: What have you neglected to grieve?
Write it down. Talk about it with someone. Bring your grief to God in prayer.
Even if you’re not able to be at one of the services this weekend, I want to encourage you—take time to slow down. Make space to be honest about the losses you’ve carried. Because here’s what I believe: when we stop running from our own grief, we become people who can truly sit with others in theirs. That’s where empathy is born. That’s where love becomes real.
Wherever you are this weekend, Jesus will meet you there.
With you in the journey,
Pastor Jake Roberts
This weekend, we close out our Anatomy of a Soul series, and I don’t plan to preach (well kind of)—I just want to talk. To slow down. To take inventory of our hearts, our emotions, and our bodies. To truly pay attention—to what we’ve been carrying, to what we’ve been avoiding, and to what God is doing in our midst.
And we’re going to hear a story. A testimony from a student. A glimpse into how this series has been more than just words—how the Holy Spirit has been stirring, bringing things to the surface, and leading to something real.
I know not everyone will be in the room to hear it. But I don’t want you to miss the heart of this moment.
Grief touches all of us. Some of us name it. Some of us push it down. Some of us try to move on too quickly. But grief—real grief—demands to be walked through, not around. When we try to bypass it, we don’t find healing. We just learn to hide our wounds.
Jesus never rushed grief. He wept. He sat in sorrow. And even in his resurrection, he bore scars—a testimony of love endured for me and for you. That’s the kind of Savior we follow. One who doesn’t bypass our pain but meets us in it.
So let me ask: What have you neglected to grieve?
Write it down. Talk about it with someone. Bring your grief to God in prayer.
Even if you’re not able to be at one of the services this weekend, I want to encourage you—take time to slow down. Make space to be honest about the losses you’ve carried. Because here’s what I believe: when we stop running from our own grief, we become people who can truly sit with others in theirs. That’s where empathy is born. That’s where love becomes real.
Wherever you are this weekend, Jesus will meet you there.
With you in the journey,
Pastor Jake Roberts
Posted in Shepherds Heart