Good Shepherd Community Church

The church is fundamentally the resurrection community—a people formed around faith in the risen Lord Jesus Christ. The church did not suddenly appear at Pentecost, nor did it fully exist from the Garden of Eden. Instead, the church developed progressively through three stages: roots in Israel, embryo in Christ's earthly ministry, and birth through the resurrection and Pentecost. The church's roots go back to God's covenant with Abraham, the nation of Israel, and the promises of the Messiah found in the Mosaic and Davidic covenants. These Old Testament foundations prepared the way for Christ and the formation of His people. During Jesus' earthly ministry, the church existed in embryo as He called the twelve apostles and gathered disciples around Himself, teaching them about the kingdom of God and laying the foundation for the future church. The birth of the church occurred when Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to His disciples. The resurrection transformed fearful followers into bold witnesses and confir

In this episode of Bible Insights, Wayne Conrad explains the biblical doctrine of Christ's finished work on the cross, centering on Jesus' declaration, "It is finished" (tetelestai), as a proclamation that His atoning sacrifice fully satisfied God's wrath against sin. Drawing especially from Hebrews 9–10, he emphasizes that Christ offered Himself once for all—unlike the repeated sacrifices of the Old Testament priests—and, having completed His priestly work, now sits at the right hand of God. The podcast contrasts this teaching with the Roman Catholic doctrine of the Mass, particularly as defined at the Council of Trent, arguing that the idea of a repeated or ongoing propitiatory sacrifice contradicts Scripture. Highlighting the unity of the Protestant Reformers such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli, Conrad affirms that salvation rests entirely on Christ's completed work and is received by faith alone, not by human merit or ritual. He concludes by urging the church to recover clear, robust do

This sermon focuses on the apostolic testimony regarding the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the "Living Savior". The testimony of the apostles and apostolic associates are recorded as the writings of the New Testament. They are the God-ordained, Spirit-inspired revelation of the ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As such they are as real and authoritative to us today as if we ourselves were at the events or as if God himself speaks from heaven directly to us regarding the Jesus event. Drawing from Acts 10:34-44, the message emphasizes that the eyewitness accounts of the apostles—who saw, heard, and even ate with the risen Christ—serve as the authoritative and sufficient foundation for Christian faith. The sermon highlights that Jesus' physical resurrection was a cosmic event that fulfilled Old Testament prophecy, conquered the forces of evil, and provided the "living hope" of forgiveness of sins and eternal life for all who believe. Christian believers find unshakeable joy in the historical re

The podcast teaches that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central message of the Christian gospel, especially in the Book of Acts. The apostles consistently proclaimed not only Christ's death for sins but His bodily resurrection as the decisive proof that He is Lord and Messiah. They supported this message through eyewitness testimony, fulfillment of Old Testament Scripture, and the present power of the Holy Spirit working among them. This resurrection empowered their bold preaching despite persecution, brought thousands to faith, and confirmed both the promise of salvation and the reality of coming judgment. The proper response, therefore, is to repent, believe in Christ, and receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

Jesus Christ fulfills the Feast of Firstfruits through His resurrection, which guarantees that all who belong to Him will also be raised from the dead. In the Old Testament, Israel offered the first portion of the harvest to God as an acknowledgment that everything belonged to Him, as an act of faith that He would provide more, and as a promise that the full harvest was coming. This ceremony pointed forward to Christ, who, after dying as our Passover Lamb, rose from the dead as the "firstfruits" of the resurrection, as taught in 1 Corinthians 15. Just as the first sheaf guaranteed the rest of the crop, Christ's resurrection guarantees the future resurrection of believers and the final defeat of death. Even now, believers experience the firstfruits of this promise through new spiritual life and the indwelling Holy Spirit, though we still await the full harvest when Christ returns and raises His people in glorified bodies. Therefore, because Christ is the firstfruits, Christians live with hope, pursue holines

The Day of Atonement, known as Yom Kippur, was the most sacred ritual of the year prescribed under the Mosaic law. Every fall in the seventh month of the Jewish calender the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctum in the temple in Jerusalem. He would take the blood of a bull to cover his own sins and the sins of his family. Then he would take the blood of a goat to cover the sins of the people and apply it around the ark of the covenant as he had applied the bull's blood. But then he would lay his hands on a second goat and confess all the sins of the nation. A designated man would subsequently lead the goat off to a remote place in the wilderness and let it go. All this was a type (pattern or example) or a foreshadowing of the coming work of Christ on the cross whose suffering not only bore the wrath of God against his people's sins (known as "propitiation") but truly and completely removed them "as far as the east is from the west" and "cast them into the depth of the sea." What was f

Day of Atonement: Two Goats and Jesus Christ Was the sacrifice of Jesus a "down payment" for salvation, or did it pay the debt in full? In this episode of Bible Insights, Wayne Conrad explores the profound relationship between the Old Testament Day of Atonement and its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. By comparing the "shadow" found in Leviticus 16 with the "substance" revealed in Hebrews 9, we examine how Jesus alone embodies the work typified by the two goats. We also dive into a theological contrast between the Reformed evangelical view of a finished atonement and the Seventh-day Adventist teaching regarding the role of the scapegoat. Key highlights include: The Finished Work: Why R.C. Sproul argued that "if we don't get the doctrine of atonement right, we don't have a gospel at all." Shadow vs. Reality: Understanding the biblical relationship between the rituals of Leviticus and the reality of the Cross. Atonement Defined: A look at why Christ's sacrifice provides actual and complete atonement rather

The sermon presents a profound theological connection between the Old Testament Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16 and its fulfillment in Jesus Christ as revealed in Hebrews 9 and 10, illustrating how the shadow of ritual sacrifice points to the substance of Christ's redemptive work. Through the dual symbolism of the two goats—one slain to satisfy divine justice and the other sent into the wilderness to carry away sin—the Old Covenant ritual prefigures Christ's dual role as both the sacrificial Lamb who bears punishment and the living High Priest who removes guilt forever. Jesus fulfills this pattern not through repeated earthly rituals, but through His once-for-all sacrifice on the cross, His resurrection, and His eternal intercession in heaven, where He now sits at God's right hand, having completed the work of atonement. The result is not merely ceremonial cleansing, but the purifying of the conscience, enabling believers to serve the living God in true worship. This eternal redemption, accomplished through

After being delivered from Egyptian slavery, the Israelites harshly complained against God and his servant Moses during their wilderness wandering. We read in Numbers 21 that once again they grumbled because of their lack of water and their weariness in eating manna day after day. In response, Yahweh sent fiery serpents among them in judgment and many died. When the people asked Moses to beseech God to remove the serpents, Yahweh told Moses to construct a bronze snake and put it on a pole and anyone bitten by the snakes could gaze at the bronze snake and be healed. Jesus referred to this incident in John 3:14-15 and said that in like manner to the bronze snake, he would be lifted up so that anyone who believes in him may have eternal life. The physical healing resulting from gazing at the bronze snake was a type or foreshadowing of the spiritual healing that comes from looking in faith to the crucified Christ. "Look to Jesus Christ and live!"

This episode is a narrative story of the internal worship experience based on the actual worship guide of the service. It begins and ends with the Apostle John's closing words in his letter. Little children keep yourselves from idols.

Genesis 22 along with Heb. 11:17-19 present us with an example of a key "type" (i.e., pattern, model, foreshadowing) in the Old Testament of the substitutionary sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ for the sins of his people. In these passages we see the unwavering faith of Abraham that God would preserve the life of Isaac so that through him a multitude of peoples would be born. We see the quiet trust and submission of Isaac to his father's acts of presenting the burnt offering to God. Most wonderfully, we see the picture of Yahweh's gracious provision of the ram (his Son Jesus Christ) as the offering for the sins of his people.

The Apostle John in his first epistle is seeking to establish believers in their faith by assuring them that if they believe in Jesus as the Christ, the incarnate Son of God, they can know for certain that they now possess eternal life, the very life of Christ, internally ministered by the Holy Spirit. This certain knowledge of personal union with Jesus Christ is a gift from God. But being recipients of such a gracious salvation does not exempt us from the temptation of clinging to idols in our minds and hearts of things or persons which rob our devotion to God. So John duly warns us of the danger - a surprising end to his letter, but also a needed "reality check" on our Christian lives.

As we enter the worship of God in the gathering of his people we need to heed the caution lights of Ecclesiastes 5. We are entering the presence of the holy King of the universe and our Father through faith in Jesus Christ. Such a high and holy privilege requires intentionality, putting away distractions and listening to God's Word shared in reading, singing, praying, teaching, preaching. We are to worship God with reverence and awe.

This sermon explores the themes of assurance and divine confidence found in 1 John 5:13-19, emphasizing that believers can know with certainty that they possess eternal life through Jesus Christ. This foundational knowledge provides the confidence that God hears and grants prayers when they align with His will, which is discovered through the study of Scripture Additionally, the text highlights the believer's role in praying for fellow Christians who stumble, while reassuring struggling believers of Christ's protection against the power of the "evil one." Ultimately, the passage contrasts the secure, enlightened life of a child of God with a world that remains under spiritual darkness.

Send a text (https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/1248857/open_sms) In this episode of Bible Insights, host Wayne Conrad explores the foundational identity of Jesus Christ through the lens of 1 John 5. Addressing the "doctrinal erosion" that threatened the early church, Conrad breaks down the "triple witness"—the water, the blood, and the Spirit—that confirms Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah. Bible Insights with Wayne Conrad Contact: 8441 Hunnicut Rd Dallas, Texas 75228 email: Att. Bible Insights Wayne Conrad gsccdallas@gmail.com (Good Shepherd Church) Donation https://gsccdallas.org https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJTZX6qasIrPmC1wQpben9g https://www.facebook.com/waconrad or gscc https://www.sermonaudio.com/gscc Spirit, Truth and Grace Ministries Phone # 214-324-9915 leave message with number for call back Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

In this sermon, Wayne Conrad explores the foundational evidence for the identity of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, drawing from the Apostle John's "triple witness" in 1 John 5. Navigating the historical and spiritual controversy surrounding Jesus' claims, the message identifies the three divine testimonies—the water of His baptism, the blood of His crucifixion, and the present-tense witness of the Holy Spirit—which together confirm Christ's true humanity and His finished work of atonement. Listeners are challenged to recognize the spiritual battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil, and to find absolute assurance in the fact that eternal life resides exclusively in the Son. This teaching serves as a call to move beyond doubt and embrace the certainty of God's own testimony, reminding believers that to have the Son is to possess life indeed.

Today is Ash Wednesday on the Christian Year cycle. A number of Christian group gather for worship for the beginning of Lent. The actual word lent comes from Latin, ver which refers primarily to spring. However, the term as used in church is time of preparation for the coming focus on Jesus' sufferings and death and the glory of his resurrection. Even if you do not observe Lent with fasting and self-reflection the ritual of Ash Wednesday brings before us some vital Biblical truths. Primarily the mark of ash on the forehead carries the truth of our mortality and the need for ongoing repentance in our lives. This podcast looks at the trail of ashes in the Biblical story.

The writings of the Apostle John gives prominence to the idea of overcoming the devil and world system and the old human nature termed our flesh. We are engaged in a spiritual war consisting of many battles. We can overcome the world, the flesh and the devil in union with our Lord Jesus. We conqueror only because Jesus overcame and our faith is in him. However we cannot be passive in this battle. Our faith must be active in the war. The Lord has gifted us with necessary actions that equip us and build us up. These consist of reading the Bible for understanding of the writer's thoughts, praying which is talking to God as expression of our relationship to him and other believers. A major means is attendance and active involvement in the corporate worship of our God and Savior plus active fellowship with our spiritual family, fellow believers. 1 John 5:3-5 For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers (overcomes) the worl