About Us
Our Mission Statement
Sharing the Love of Jesus!
A Community of Miraculous Expectation
As a community of believers, we are called to serve God through love and faithful service.
All Are Welcome
And we would love to see you on Sunday at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fresno, CA.
Pastor's Note
A Word From Pastor Ted Niemi
Dear Friends,
Happy Thanksgiving! We will hear those words as we celebrate our national day of Thanksgiving later this month. But once Halloween passes it is easy to get caught up in the holiday craze. So, you may already be thinking about Thanksgiving and the holidays to follow. Have you started on your Christmas cards yet?
I don’t know about you, but 2019 wasn’t all I hoped it would be. As a matter of fact it was a year I will be very glad to leave behind me. I would go as far as to say I hope to never live another year like this one again. So, what do I do when Thanksgiving comes?
St. Paul wrote some of his letters, which are New Testament books, from prison. These are Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. It is generally accepted that Paul wrote the prison epistles during his first Roman imprisonment. The exact dates are unknown but the period he spent under house arrest has been narrowed down to 60-62 AD.
The letter to the Philippians is Paul’s most joy-filled letter. He encourages the Philippians believers to rejoice in spite of suffering and anxiety, rejoice in service, and continue to look to Christ as the object of their faith and hope. Out of all emotions, how could he express joy in his situation?
One of the secrets to life is realizing that happiness is not found in having everything. Happiness is found in being grateful for what you do have. When I look over this past year there are major life changes that I’d love to have had unfold differently. But I still have faith that God is in control. In the end things will be better, I am convinced. And not just in some “Jesus will take care of me when I die” sense, but that by following Jesus I will continue to be blessed today. And into tomorrow. That makes it possible for me to look forward to the future with confidence.
So, I hope as you gather around your Thanksgiving tables this year with whoever may be there you are grateful for what you do have. God has blessed us richly. Only spoiled children get everything they want.
I look forward to thanking God in worship with you and for you! As Phillipians 1:3 says, “I thank my God every time I remember you.”
God’s Peace,
Pastor Ted
