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Northside Bible Church

Remember: Good Shepherd In Troubled Times

·33 min·3 clips
Pastor Stan explains why focusing on 'wolves' like news and end-times speculation leads to despair, not security.
Stan Givens, lead pastor of Northside Bible Church, opens the episode by thanking listeners and introducing his friend Brother Phil to teach. He confesses his heart is 'all over the map' as he wrestles with what to share. Stan recounts a conversation with a brother about preparing the church for troubling times, leading to a revelation: sheep are comforted by the shepherd's presence, not by knowing about wolves. He admits his own focus on news and end-times speculation caused despair. Stan uses a metaphor of a man clinging to an unmoving rock during a storm to illustrate God's stability. He transitions to Psalm 77, noting the psalmist shifts from 'I' to 'you'—from self-focus to God-focus. Stan reads verses where the psalmist cries out, feels overwhelmed, and questions God's favor. He discusses how memory can dishearten if focused on circumstances rather than God's deeds. Stan shares a personal truth: God has wounded him to break his flesh and pride for holiness. He describes a 'dark night of the soul' where circumstances don't match known truths. The shift comes in verse 11 as the psalmist remembers God's works and wonders. Stan recalls a church service song that launched him into a vision of his younger self surrendering to God. He emphasizes remembering what God has done, not personal merit. Stan highlights names like Jacob and Joseph, showing God's redemption of flawed individuals. He contrasts a shepherd who leads with a butcher who drives, using a Middle Eastern anecdote. Stan reads about God parting the Red Sea, a hidden path no one saw, to illustrate God making ways unseen. He closes with a story of a shepherd lying as the door to protect sheep, affirming Jesus' promise never to leave or forsake.

As heard by us

A Psalm 77 sermon that turns remembrance toward hope.

This Psalm 77 message follows the strain of trusting God when memory and present pain do not line up. It moves from lament toward reassurance with steady purpose, and the repeated call to remember God's character gives the sermon its center.

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Why you'd press play

You need a steady word when uncertainty feels older than your relief.

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