Shepherding Notes - January 14, 2026 By Caleb Bunch A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servantabove his master.It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malignthose of his household. - Matthew 10:24-25 In this passage, Jesus borrowed a well-k...
Keep ReadingIn this passage we come to the last of the seven I am statements. Jesus says, “I am the true Vine.” Jesus uses this illustration to teach his disciples what the only way of bearing fruit comes from. Here are two things to notice....
Keep ReadingAmazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now I am found, WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE. In December of 1772 John Newton started to write the song that is so well known, Amazing Grace. I am not aware of every verse that inspired John Newton to write this song, but I do suspect that John 9 could have been used. If it wasn’t, it is st...
Keep ReadingToday we come to one of the celebrations of Israel that holds much significance for us today. Let’s dive in....
Keep ReadingToday we come to the pilot episode of creation. Do these words sound familiar to you, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” What came first, the Word or the heavens and earth? The apostle John starts this gospel account with a direct parallel account of creation. W...
Keep ReadingToday we come to the book of Jude, which is a book that is overlooked most of the time along with Philemon, and 2 & 3 John. Many scholars believe that the writer was the brother of Jesus, meaning that he was born from Mary, and it also seems like Jude main audience is Jewish due to the amount of Old Testament references he uses. This book has some unique things in it like ...
Keep ReadingOne of the things I have been learning recently is how quickly the Lord can humble us. One moment I can feel strong and able and in a swift moment the ability to do things for myself is taken away for a season. It is truly humbling to know and remember how frail we are as humans even though there are moments when we think we are on top of the world. One of the main things ...
Keep ReadingThis chapter at first glance seems like it will contradict the teaching of justification in faith alone because of what James says in verses 14-26. James is not teaching something contrary to scripture, but I think what can be summed up is the commandment to “love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Taking the chapter as a whole, I think that loving your neighbor as y...
Keep ReadingPhilemon is the third shortest book in the New Testament and being that we are covering the entire book in one shot I will write a little longer than usual. Philemon is probably a man that is wealthy, first because only wealthy people had enough room in their houses to gather multiple people, secondly because he owned a slave. I think it is important to keep in mind that s...
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