Some leaders take from people; the best leaders give themselves to people. That contrast sits at the center of a message that moves from a miracle in John 9 to a bold claim in John 10: Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep and gives them abundant life. Pastor Jason Smith unpacks the tension between false shepherds who guard their status and the true Shepherd who guards our souls, and we follow the thread back to Ezekiel 34, where God promises to come and personally seek, bind, feed, and give His people rest.
We talk about the ache of wounded authority and why so many of us brace when we hear the word “leadership.” Then we let Jesus redefine it. His voice doesn’t manipulate; it restores. His authority doesn’t crush; it carries. Through vivid stories—a rescued sheep, a mother’s sacrifice, and a son’s baseball memories—we explore how love that gives itself away changes everything. The point isn’t to romanticize pain but to show that absolute abundance starts where lesser comforts end. Joy, peace, forgiveness, and deep purpose are not luxuries for the lucky; they are gifts from the Shepherd who knows our names.
Abundant life isn’t a lottery win or a platform. It is a soul stocked with lasting good: courage that steadies in dark valleys, grace that ends shame’s spin, and a sense that ordinary days can echo into eternity. We listen to Jesus’ promise, consider God’s delight in doing us good, and ask what surrender actually looks like—trusting in provision, receiving guidance, and letting His presence become the end behind every good gift. If you’ve been scattered by fear or burned by bad shepherds, this conversation offers clear-eyed hope and a better path forward with a Shepherd who is for you.
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