Shepherd Thoughts Podcast

Are you experiencing difficult trials that seem to have no end in sight? Do you struggle to know how to pray to God when you face trials like this? Join Pastor Thomas Overmiller in looking at Psalm 13 for an example of how to pray through your trials in a candid, biblical way.

Don't miss this very special episode, because a very special guest joins us in the studio - my father! As an experienced husband and father, auto and diesel mechanic and United States Marine Corps veteran, and pastor, church planter and missionary, he has a lot of practical wisdom to share. So join me in this episode as I ask him to give biblical advice for being a godly, faithful Christian man at any stage of life.

The Gospel of John wraps up the public ministry of Jesus in an unexpected way, by returning to the memory of John the Baptist. What can we learn from this and how can it shape our perspective on sharing with others the truth about Jesus today? Join Pastor Thomas Overmiller in looking at the background of these verses and gleaning some important spiritual lessons.

Salvation is eternally secure for every person who believes the truth about Jesus. Some people teach, though, that those who believe the truth about Jesus may have salvation for a while, but may lose it along the way. How do we know that this is false? Join Pastor Thomas Overmiller to consider nine reasons from John 10 for knowing that salvation is eternally secure.

Sometimes we draw the wrong lessons from Old Testament historical accounts, like David and Goliath for instance (1 Samuel 17). Who hasn’t heard a sermon or a song about killing your giants? But is it really true that this story provides a fool-proof guide for how to overcome gigantuous obstacles in life as a Christian? Join Pastor Thomas Overmiller to learn how to read this story in a responsible, faith-building way, even if a giant kills you.

What role does music play in your daily life? How does music find its way into your habits, thoughts, and ways of doing things? How can a believer use music in his or her daily quiet time with God? How can a Christian better prepare him or herself for Lord’s Day worship with their church? Tune in to a conversation with Bro. David Ledgerwood, a lifetime Christian musician, to hear answers to these questions and more!

Standard, biblical advice for a healthy marriage encourages the husband to love his wife unconditionally and the wife to respect her husband unconditionally (Ephesians 5:33). But should a husband respect his wife and a wife love her husband? Join Pastor Thomas Overmiller to consider this important question.

“I just don’t feel like I love him anymore.” “The feeling isn’t there.” “I’ve fallen out of love with her.” Sad and unfortunate statements like this happen frequently in marriage counseling sessions the world over. But the problem with words like this is that they reveal a very wrong perspective about love, because whatever you feel or don’t feel about your spouse (or any other person) has very little to do with love. Love is not a feeling. Join Pastor Thomas Overmiller to take a closer look at the nature of true love.

A man who has children is a father, but a man who takes responsibility to meet the needs of his children is a good father. So what do children need from a father? They need a provider, encourager, teacher, and spiritual leader. Join Pastor Thomas Overmiller to take a quick but important look into these important responsibilities of good fathers found in Ephesians 6:4.

Are you a spectator in your own church? Church is a group of people, transformed by the gospel, who gather together on a regular basis to serve, not to observe. Join Pastor Thomas Overmiller to consider whether or not you are participating with your church the way that God intends.

Tax Day is no holiday. But Christians need to approach this day in a holy way nonetheless. To do this, we need to know what the Bible teaches about taxes. Now, the simple answer is to pay them. But join me in taking a closer look! A clean conscience before God and man on this point is far more valuable than any money you may gain by not doing so.

Does Jesus contradict himself after the resurrection? He initially told Mary Magdalene not to touch him (John 20:17), but later seemed to permit Thomas to do so (John 20:27). Join Pastor Thomas Overmiller to discover what Jesus probably meant and why it is important.

Paul teaches that "love is the purpose of the command" (1 Timothy 1:5). What does this mean? You might be surprised! Join Pastor Thomas Overmiller to take a quick look at this important and interesting question.

Is evangelism something reserved for a person called an evangelist, or is it the responsibility of every believer? In the mid-1900's, evangelism strategy in the United States focused heavily on a door-to-door outreach. Is this still a wise strategy? Guest speaker Mike Redick joins Pastor Thomas Overmiller in studio to discuss these questions and more. This conversation will challenge your thinking and stir your heart to be an effective witness for Jesus Christ!  

What is the difference between how Holy Spirit interacts believers in the Old and New Testament time periods? Join Pastor Thomas Overmiller to make some important observations and discover the incredible privilege that we enjoy today in our fellowship with the triune God.

Did Jesus contradict himself? Should a believer do good things in public or not? Matthew 5:15 seems to say yes, but Matthew 6:1 seems to say no, and both statements appear in the Sermon on the Mount. How can we make sense of this? Join Pastor Thomas Overmiller to discover exactly what Jesus said, based upon the context of each command.

As a college student, I preached a sermon from Matthew 5:14-16. But looking back, I now realize that I misused a metaphor! To help you be a better Bible student, I’ll show you what I mean. I’ll let you learn from my mistake, and discover an important teaching of Jesus at the same time. So, what about that bushel basket?

Some allege that a person may relinquish his salvation through acts of blatant, persistent sin. For evidence, they sometimes point to the Old Testament example of King David when he prayed, in Psalm 51:11, “Do not take your Holy Spirit from me.” Does this reveal that David’s eternal salvation was in jeopardy? Join Pastor Thomas Overmiller to discover that while David's salvation was not in jeopardy, something else was.

The current transgender phenomenon is real. Real people are facing real internal struggles. But this fact alone does not mean that popular conclusions about this phenomenon are equally true. Join Pastor Thomas Overmiller to consider some biblical thoughts that are helpful in making sense of this.  

Churches need leaders, but they also need a biblical understanding of leadership. Join Pastor Thomas Overmiller for a helpful study of 1 Corinthians 11:1-2 to learn how to follow leaders and be a leader in the church, the Bible way.