{"id":2959,"date":"2025-07-15T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/?p=2959"},"modified":"2025-07-15T16:46:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T21:46:10","slug":"i-am-the-good-shepherd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/2025\/07\/15\/i-am-the-good-shepherd\/","title":{"rendered":"I Am The Good Shepherd"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_3778\"><!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-2959-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025-07-13.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025-07-13.mp3\">http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025-07-13.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\">Podcast: <a href=\"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025-07-13.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"2025-07-13.mp3\">Download<\/a> (Duration: 32:41 &#8212; 29.9MB)<\/p>\n<p>July 13, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>John 10:1-6<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>John 10:7-9<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>John 10:10<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>John 10:11, 14<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>John 1:29<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Psalm 23:4<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>John 10:27-28<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Romans 8:38-39<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class='youtube-player' type='text\/html' width='640' height='360' src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hC25juXmbp4?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Main Theme:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Jesus boldly declares, <em>\u201cI am the Good Shepherd,\u201d<\/em> offering a powerful picture of His love, leadership, and protection over our lives. In a world filled with noise and confusion, Pastor Gene reminds us how vital it is to recognize and follow the voice of our Shepherd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Points:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. <strong>The Good Shepherd Speaks to Us<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Just like sheep learn to recognize the shepherd\u2019s unique call, we must learn to recognize God\u2019s voice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jesus still speaks\u2014but are we still listening?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Voices of the world distract us, but God\u2019s voice is clear: slow down, forgive, give, serve, trust.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The more we obey, the more we\u2019ll hear Him.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. <strong>The Good Shepherd Saves Us<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Jesus is not just the Shepherd\u2014He is also <em>the gate<\/em> (John 10:7\u20139).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Salvation doesn\u2019t come by religious rituals or good works\u2014it comes by walking through <em>His door<\/em>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;Jesus saves&#8221; means more than a ticket to heaven\u2014it means healing, freedom, and restoration from every form of brokenness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. <strong>The Good Shepherd Supplies Our Needs<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>John 10:10: <em>\u201cI came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>God is not promising riches\u2014He\u2019s promising <em>abundance<\/em> in peace, strength, and joy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Psalm 23 reminds us: \u201cThe Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. <strong>The Good Shepherd Shields Us<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Jesus willingly <em>laid down His life<\/em> for His sheep (John 10:11,14).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He is not a hired hand\u2014He is the true Shepherd who died for us.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In the Old Testament, sheep died for sin. In the New Testament, the Shepherd dies in place of the sheep.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. <strong>The Good Shepherd Secures Us<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>John 10:27\u201328: <em>\u201cNo one will snatch them out of my hand.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When we belong to Jesus, our eternity is secure\u2014He chases after us, even when we stray.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Romans 8:38\u201339 confirms nothing can separate us from His love\u2014not death, not failure, not fear.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Closing Illustration:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Pastor Gene tells a story of his son Landon hearing his dad\u2019s voice in a crowded stadium. Just like Landon, we must learn to distinguish the Father\u2019s voice from all the other noise. The difference between a performer and someone who knows the Shepherd? <em>\u201cYou may know Psalm 23\u2014but I know the Shepherd.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_3780\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-2959-3\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025-07-13.mp3?_=3\" \/><a href=\"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025-07-13.mp3\">http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025-07-13.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\">Podcast: <a href=\"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025-07-13.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"2025-07-13.mp3\">Download<\/a> (Duration: 32:41 &#8212; 29.9MB)<\/p><p>http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025-07-13.mp3 Podcast: Download (Duration: 32:41 &#8212; 29.9MB) July 13, 2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[874],"tags":[395,386,389,387,388],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5z53F-LJ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2959"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2959"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2959\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2967,"href":"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2959\/revisions\/2967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/mydestinychurch.com\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}