Imagine the whiplash of feelings Paul and Barnabas might have felt: first, having to flee from Iconium, lest they be stoned to death; then seeing a lifelong cripple jump to his feet in response to their preaching in Lystra; followed by having to convince the crowds that, No, they were not Zeus and Hermes come to earth and, No, oxen must not be sacrificed to them! (Acts 14:5-18) I rather doubt that any of this was what they expected when they set out to spread the Good News of

Yes, sheep. That’s what Jesus called us. Now, a shepherd will tell you that sheep require more care and attention than any other kind of livestock. But anyone who has ever spent time around sheep knows that they are just about the dumbest creatures God ever created! Left to themselves, they will wander off and get lost. And it’s not enough that one of them gets lost; others will fall in line and before you know it, all of them have gotten lost. Or they will wander into pastur