From Surviving to Thriving: Jesus, the Good Shepherd

Devotional

Day 1: From survival to thriving with the Good Shepherd

A new year can feel like a hamster wheel of “do more, be better,” but Jesus offers something entirely different: life that actually flourishes. He opens the gate, not to push you harder, but to bring you into safety, nourishment, and rest. His heart for you is acceptance, not shame; intimacy, not performance; protection, not abandonment. The path from surviving to thriving begins by trusting that his heart toward you is good and that he leads you into pasture. You don’t have to manufacture this life; you receive it by coming through him. Let your first step be to rest in the love that already covers you. [32:10]

John 10:7–10 — Jesus said, “I am the gate for the sheep. Others came who only took advantage of the flock, but my sheep didn’t heed them. Whoever comes in through me will be rescued; they’ll be free to come and go and will find good pasture. The thief shows up to steal, slaughter, and ruin, but I came so they could truly live—life overflowing.”

Reflection: Where do you sense you’ve been pushing yourself to survive, and what is one gentle way you can come to Jesus today to receive, not strive, for the life he offers?

Day 2: Known by name, led by His voice

You are not a face in the crowd to Jesus; you are called by name. He delights in the details of your story—the limp you carry, the joy that lights your eyes, the weariness you hide. He gathers you close, then goes ahead of you into the day’s unknowns. Flourishing grows as you learn his voice and trust his leading more than the noise of competing voices. Ask him to make his voice familiar and your heart responsive. He is both near and ahead, caring and guiding. [41:59]

John 10:3–4 — The true shepherd is welcomed at the gate. His sheep recognize his voice; he calls each one by name and leads them out. Once he has gathered his own, he walks in front of them, and they follow because his voice has become familiar to them.

Reflection: Where did you notice a nudge that felt like Jesus calling you by name recently, and what small step of obedience could you take in response this week?

Day 3: Resisting the thief: choosing abundance over busyness

There is a real enemy who would be content to keep you endlessly busy and quietly drained. When your calendar drives you, your patience thins, your joy leaks, and love feels distant. Jesus doesn’t shame you for this; he invites you into abundance—a full-to-the-brim life that requires space to notice him. He is the shepherd who doesn’t run when life gets hard, and he will help you prune what steals life. Abundance often begins with a holy no so you can say a deeper yes to him. Let him set your pace today. [50:14]

John 10:10–13 — The thief’s agenda is to drain, destroy, and scatter; but Jesus came to pour real life into us until it overflows. He is the good shepherd who puts his own life on the line for the flock. The hired hand, not owning the sheep, bolts when danger approaches; then the wolf attacks and scatters them. Jesus does not leave.

Reflection: What is one specific commitment you can release this week to make room for rest with Jesus and a more attentive, unhurried heart?

Day 4: Abundance grows in a diverse, messy community

Jesus makes one flock from many pens, gathering people we wouldn’t naturally group together. Thriving isn’t a solo project; it’s formed as we practice sacrificial love with real people who stretch us. You may be misunderstood for living at Jesus’ pace, for practicing generosity, or for welcoming those unlike you. That’s okay—he is forming a people, not just a private spirituality. Watch how your heart expands when you share tables, time, and burdens with others. Abundance flows where belonging and love are practiced, not just preached. [57:04]

John 10:16 — Jesus said he has sheep not yet in this pen, and he will bring them too. They will recognize his voice. In the end there will be one flock under one shepherd.

Reflection: Who is one person unlike you—background, viewpoint, or stage of life—you can invite to your table or encourage this week as a step into one-flock living?

Day 5: Come back home: repentance, grace, and next steps

We all have “ravine moments” where we leap back into old grooves, but the Good Shepherd does not leave us there. He lifts us out—again and again—teaching us to walk a little farther each time. Repentance is not punishment; it is the gracious return to the pen, to Jesus’ rhythms, to community. You are not expected to do this alone; his Spirit strengthens you precisely where you feel weak. Start small, move at Jesus’ pace, and take one clear step toward his way today. He loves you, likes you, and leads you forward. [01:07:41]

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 — The Lord told Paul, “My grace is enough for you; my power shows up best right where you’re weak.” So Paul could even welcome his limitations, because Christ’s strength rested on him. That’s why, in hardships and pressures, he discovered that when he felt weak, Christ made him strong.

Reflection: What is one practical act of repentance you will take in the next 48 hours—a conversation to have, a boundary to set, or a rhythm to begin—to come back to Jesus’ way of life?

Sermon Summary

The focus is a simple, compelling invitation: step off the hamster wheel of mere survival and into the abundant life Jesus offers. Drawing from John 10, the image of Jesus as the Gate and the Good Shepherd reveals a heart that is protective, intimate, and generous. He opens the way into true flourishing, not through relentless self-improvement or cultural pressure, but through belonging—being known by name, led by his voice, and guarded by his care. His aim is not spiritual scarcity but fullness: life to the brim.

This abundance is not defined by Maseratis, status, or control. It is defined by the presence of the Shepherd—his acceptance, leadership, redemption, and rest. The contrast is clear: the thief steals through distraction, hurry, and hollow promises, while Jesus leads to a pasture of peace. The rival “hired hands” (work, relationships, achievements) cannot bear the weight of identity or eternity; they flee when storms hit. Only the Shepherd who lays down his life—and takes it up again—can carry a soul to safety and growth.

This abundant life is also communal. Jesus forms one flock from different pens—people who don’t look, vote, or think alike—then teaches them to live his way together. Abundance grows in the ordinary practices of love: unbusy presence, Sabbath, generosity, hospitality, and the slow, relational pace of Jesus. It will sometimes look foolish to a survival-driven world, but being misunderstood is a small price compared to what hurry, anxiety, and self-reliance do to the soul.

The practical invitation is threefold: name where survival mode rules, discern where worldly “good advice” is starving your heart, and return to the Shepherd’s way. Repentance is simply coming home—back to his voice, his rhythms, his people. Even when we leap back into the ravine, he rescues and trains us, step by step, jump by jump. His love is patient, his leadership is near, and his desire for his people is not bare-minimum life, but life abundant.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus intends your true flourishing. Abundance is not luxury but life rooted in his presence—acceptance, guidance, and rest that no rival can provide. He offers more than escape from sin; he restores a capacity to love, rejoice, and endure. The path to thriving is not a technique but a relationship with the Good Shepherd. [46:18]
2. Known by name, led by love. Jesus does not shepherd crowds anonymously; he calls each one by name and leads personally. He knows every limp and joy, every scar and strength, and he guides accordingly. Security grows as his voice becomes familiar and trusted. [40:05]
3. Beware the thief of busyness. Not every attack is dramatic; some are subtle and calendar-shaped. Hurry erodes attention, patience, and compassion until love can’t breathe. Ask what is stealing joy, peace, and presence—and resist by making space for God’s pace. [49:30]
4. Abundance grows in diverse community. Jesus’ vision is one flock from many pens, learning love side-by-side with people unlike us. Formation is more caught than taught; we borrow courage and wisdom from each other’s faithfulness. The abundant life is discovered together, not achieved alone. [56:20]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[06:55] - Invitation to Worship as You Are
[07:56] - Opening Prayer and Christ’s Blood
[17:55] - Psalm 36: Unfailing Love
[28:47] - New Year Tension: Survive or Thrive?
[34:31] - Story Time: John 10 Begins
[40:05] - Known by Name; Led Out
[44:41] - The Gate: Redemption and Rest
[46:18] - The Thief vs. Life Abundant
[52:33] - Redefining the Good Life
[56:20] - One Flock, One Shepherd
[59:39] - When Abundance Looks Crazy
[62:28] - Three Heart-Check Questions
[67:02] - The Patient Shepherd
[78:08] - Closing Blessing and Sending

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

- John 10:1–18

Very truly I tell you, Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.

Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Observation questions

In John 10:1–3, what specific actions distinguish the true shepherd from thieves and robbers? What details show the kind of relationship the shepherd has with the sheep?
Verse 9 says, “He will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.” What pictures of safety and freedom are held together in that line?
According to John 10:11–13, what happens when the wolf comes? What does that reveal about the hired hand versus the good shepherd?
In John 10:16, Jesus says there will be “one flock, one shepherd.” What does this promise say about who belongs in his flock?

Interpretation questions

Jesus says he came so people may have life “abundantly.” How does this challenge a view of abundance defined by status or luxury? “There’s a thief who comes to steal and kill and destroy… but I have come that you may have life… in abundance.” [46:18]
“He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” What does this reveal about how security and guidance grow as his voice becomes familiar? [40:05]
Why can’t “hired hands” like work, relationships, or achievements carry the weight of identity or eternity? What shows up in a person’s life when those things are asked to do what only the Shepherd can do? [53:09]
“There will be one flock, one shepherd.” What does that imply about learning to live Jesus’ way alongside people who don’t look, vote, or think like us? [56:20]

Application questions

Name your survival mode. Where do you feel stuck in the “hamster wheel”—schedule, relationships, perfectionism, people-pleasing? What’s one small, kind step you can take this week to slow down in that spot? “Where are you in survival mode?” [01:02:28]
Identify the thief of busyness. What is currently stealing your joy, peace, or presence—overloaded calendar, constant scrolling, saying yes too often? What is one concrete boundary you will set this week to resist hurry? “You’re gonna notice that your calendar gets super filled up…” [49:30]
Try one Jesus-paced practice. Which practice of abundance will you try for the next seven days: unbusy presence, Sabbath, generous giving, or hospitality? What will it look like on your actual calendar? “It may look like taking a Sabbath… generosity… hospitality…” [59:54]
Re-center your identity. Where have you leaned on a “hired hand” (work, a relationship, an achievement) to tell you who you are? What is one daily reminder you can use to return to the Shepherd’s voice first? “The hired hand… runs away… they don’t own you. I do.” [53:37]
Learn his voice. What is one simple rhythm to help you hear Jesus’ voice—five minutes of quiet before your phone, a short psalm at lunch, a prayer walk after dinner? When and where will you start? “The sheep follow him because they know his voice.” [35:00]
Move toward diverse community. Who is one person unlike you (background, age, politics, culture) you can share a meal or conversation with this month? What’s your next step? “One flock, one shepherd.” [56:20]
Come home. Repentance is simply returning to Jesus’ way. Where do you sense the invitation to come back—time, money, relationships, rest? What specific “next right step” will you take this week? “Come back home… live his way.” [01:05:08]

Sermon Clips

Today and for this next season, I want us to consider what if there was more to life than just surviving? What if it wasn't just barely making it day to day? And what if Jesus actually invites you into a life that is thriving? I actually believe that he does and we're gonna explore a text of scripture today that I would argue says that that is Jesus' heart for you. [00:31:44] (26 seconds) #ThriveNotSurvive

But that's because John, after spending time with Jesus, compiling and writing down so many of the things that he did, he actually came into an understanding of, wow, but I am though. Not in a way that makes me mean to other people like neener, neener, neener, but in a way that I've spent so much time with Jesus, I actually am starting to believe that I'm beloved. I'm not just hearing it. I'm actually starting to believe it, not just in my thinker, but in my feeler too. [00:34:03] (29 seconds) #BelovedInHeartAndMind

And Jesus here uses a picture, a word picture. Jesus often was hanging out with the common folk. He was hanging out with fishermen, with sheep herders, with these people, with those people. And so Jesus here is using a a example that most of the people in that day and age would have understood. Most of them understood how shepherding and sheep herding went. [00:38:25] (21 seconds) #ShepherdsStory

I think wherever we're coming from today and whatever struggle we bring, whatever stress we bring, one of the things we need to know ultimately is that Jesus' heart is for you and it is good. If that is not the starting place, shame sets in. If that is not the starting place, burnout sets in because it is based not on what you can do for God, but what he has done for you. [00:45:30] (29 seconds) #JesusHeartForYou

That word abundance means more of a life. Life in excess. Life to the full. If Jesus is pouring you a cup of soda or strawberry lemonade or whatever your favorite is, he's filling it all the way up to the brim in excess. Sometimes I think we come to God and we think that he's gonna be a glass half empty kind of God. [00:50:49] (22 seconds) #OverflowingAbundance

And what Jesus is trying to communicate here is, look, the other ways you could get this, the hired hands, these other places you could go to receive care and flourishing and love, soon as things get hard, they're running away. Because at the end of the day, they don't own you. I do. And Jesus means that in a very beautiful way. He has purchased you with his blood. He has redeemed you. You are not just a random face. You are a name. You are a child of God. You are brought in. [00:53:22] (35 seconds) #RedeemedAndKnown

The longer I live, the more I'm realizing this. And I have learned how to become more of a beloved, to to teach and train my heart to rest in the love of God more when I've hung out with people further ahead who know what that's like. When I see them and I notice they have not as much shame as I do. When I see them and they talk about Jesus like they're talking about an old friend. When I spend time with people like that in community, when we do practices of following Jesus together in community like that, we are stepping in to that life of abundance. [00:57:45] (34 seconds) #GrowWithCommunity

We can we can be connected to Jesus and be like following him and still have parts of our heart that we say, yeah, not that. But if we over a lifetime decide to give more of our life, more of our footwork, more of the ways that we do life and follow to Jesus, I believe it is the path of faith and hope and love. It might not be the Maserati life, but it could be a life of peace. It might not be the life where you're the most popular person in the room, but you will know what love is. Might not be the life where you get every little thing, material thing that you want, but it may just be the life that is most fulfilling. [01:01:00] (41 seconds) #FaithOverFame

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From Surviving to Thriving: Jesus, the Good Shepherd

Devotional

Day 1: From survival to thriving with the Good Shepherd

Day 2: Known by name, led by His voice

Day 3: Resisting the thief: choosing abundance over busyness

Day 4: Abundance grows in a diverse, messy community

Day 5: Come back home: repentance, grace, and next steps

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

From Surviving to Thriving: Jesus, the Good Shepherd

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