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Walnut Grove

Walnut Grove

Written by: Tim Shapley and John Howell
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Welcome to Walnut Grove, your spiritual haven for insightful sermons and engaging Bible study! Immerse yourself in the wisdom of the scriptures as we explore the profound teachings of the Bible. Our podcast is dedicated to nurturing your faith and deepening your understanding of the Word.

Join us each week as we deliver powerful sermons that inspire, motivate, and provide practical guidance for navigating life’s journey. Whether you’re seeking spiritual nourishment, a sense of community, or simply a deeper connection with your faith, Walnut Grove is here to support you on your spiritual path.

Our Bible study sessions go beyond surface interpretations, delving into the historical context, cultural nuances, and timeless lessons found in the scriptures. Discover the relevance of biblical teachings to your everyday life and gain valuable insights that will empower you to live with purpose and grace.

Hosted by passionate and knowledgeable Rev. Timothy (Tim) Shapley, Walnut Grove is committed to creating a welcoming space for individuals of all backgrounds and levels of faith. Tune in, engage with the teachings, and let the transformative power of the Bible guide you on your journey of spiritual growth.

Subscribe to Walnut Grove today and embark on a fulfilling exploration of the scriptures that will deepen your connection with God and enrich your spiritual life.Copyright 2023 All rights reserved. Christianity Ministry & Evangelism Spirituality True Crime
Episodes
  • Sermon: Holiness Is for You

    Sermon: Holiness Is for You
    May 31 2026
    Sermon Date: 05/24/2026 Bible Verses: Romans 6:12–14 Speaker: Rev. Timothy "Tim" Shapley Theme: https://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/a-new Introduction When many people hear the word holiness, they immediately think of restrictions. Rules. Things they cannot do. Things they must avoid. A life that sounds boring, joyless, or impossible. But biblical holiness is not about misery. It is about freedom. It is not about becoming less human. It is about becoming the person God created you to be. The world often sees holiness as punishment. God sees holiness as transformation. The truth is that holiness is not just for pastors, missionaries, or exceptionally spiritual people. Holiness is for every believer. It is God's desire for every person who follows Christ. And Romans 6 teaches us why. Holiness Begins with a New Master Romans 6:12–13 says: 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as [d]instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Paul speaks of sin as a ruler. A king. A master. Before Christ, sin ruled us. Our desires ruled us. Our flesh ruled us. Our passions dictated our decisions. We often hear people say: "I'm free to do whatever I want." But Scripture teaches that before Christ we are actually slaves to sin. Sin promises freedom. But it delivers bondage. It promises pleasure. But eventually produces destruction. Paul says: Do not let sin reign. Why? Because Christ has already defeated that ruler. The believer has a new King. A new Lord. A new Master. Jesus Christ. God Has Always Called His People to Holiness Holiness is not a New Testament idea. It has always been God's desire for His people. Leviticus 11:44 says: “Be holy, for I am holy.” Notice God does not merely say: "Act holy." He says: "Be holy." This is about identity before behavior. God's people are called to reflect His character. The word "holy" means: Set apart. Different. Dedicated to God. The goal has never been to look like the world. The goal has always been to reflect God. Just as children often resemble their parents, God's children should increasingly resemble Him. Holiness Stands Against the Culture of Sin Our world constantly pulls us toward impurity. Toward compromise. Toward self-centered living. But Scripture repeatedly calls believers to live differently. 1 Thessalonians 4:3–7 Paul writes: 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Many Christians wonder about God's will. This passage gives a direct answer. God's will is your holiness. Specifically, Paul contrasts holiness with sexual immorality and impurity. The world says: Follow your desires. God says: Follow Christ. The world says: If it feels right, do it. God says: If it honors Me, do it. Holiness requires swimming against the current. But God's people have always been called to be different. Holiness Means Leaving the Old Life Behind 1 Peter 1:14–16 says: 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” Peter reminds believers that there was an old life. An old way of thinking. An old pattern of living. But now they belong to Christ. The Christian life is not simply adding Jesus to your existing lifestyle. It is transformation. Ephesians 4:22–24 explains it beautifully. Paul says: Put off the old self. Be renewed in your mind. Put on the new self. Holiness is not merely avoiding sin. It is becoming like Christ. It is learning to think differently. Love differently. Speak differently. Live differently. Not because we are trying to earn salvation. But because salvation changes us. Holiness Is Living by Faith Some people hear sermons on holiness and immediately feel discouraged. They think: "I can't do this." And they are right. Not alone. Galatians 2:20 says: “ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” The Christian life is not self-improvement. It is Christ living through us. Holiness is not achieved by trying harder. It is produced by surrendering more fully. ...
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    36 mins
  • Sermon: When God Seems Silent

    Sermon: When God Seems Silent
    May 24 2026
    Sermon Date: 05/24/2026 Bible Verses: Psalm 44 Speaker: Rev. Timothy "Tim" Shapley Theme: https://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/a-new Introduction Psalm 44 is not a comfortable Psalm. It is honest. Painfully honest. This Psalm does not sound like victory. It sounds like confusion. The people of God are suffering, defeated, humiliated, and struggling to understand why. And perhaps what makes this Psalm so powerful is that the people speaking believe they have remained faithful to God. This is not the prayer of people openly rebelling against God. This is the cry of believers asking: “Lord… where are You?” And if we are honest, many Christians have prayed prayers like this. Prayers whispered in hospital rooms. Prayers prayed after funerals. Prayers spoken during depression, betrayal, loneliness, or loss. The moments where faith collides with suffering. Psalm 44 teaches us what to do when God seems silent. Remember What God Has Done Psalm 44 begins with remembrance. Verse 1: “O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days…” The Psalmist remembers God’s faithfulness in the past. How God delivered Israel. How He drove out nations. How He established His people. They remembered that their victories did not come from military power. Verse 6 says: “For not in my bow do I trust…” Their hope was never in weapons. Their hope was in God. And this is important because suffering can cause spiritual amnesia. Pain has a way of making us forget what God has already done. But faith remembers. Faith says: “God was faithful before.” “God carried me before.” “God answered before.” When life gets dark, remembering God’s past faithfulness helps steady us in present uncertainty. The Pain of God’s Silence Then the tone changes dramatically. Verse 9: “But you have rejected us and disgraced us…” The people feel abandoned. Defeated. Ashamed. Verse 17 says something striking: “All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten you…” That is difficult theology. Because we often assume suffering must automatically mean disobedience. But Scripture repeatedly shows faithful people suffering. Job suffered. Jeremiah suffered. Paul suffered. Even Jesus suffered. Sometimes faithful people walk through painful seasons where God feels distant. And Psalm 44 gives believers permission to bring those feelings honestly before God. Notice what they do not do. They do not stop praying. They do not walk away from God. They bring their confusion directly to Him. Real faith is not pretending everything is fine. Real faith keeps talking to God even when your heart is hurting. Faith That Cries Out Anyway Toward the end of the Psalm, the cry becomes desperate. Verse 23: “Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?” The Psalmist is not literally accusing God of sleeping. This is the language of pain. The language of desperation. They are crying: “Lord, it feels like You are not responding!” And perhaps some people today understand that feeling deeply. Prayers that seem unanswered. Waiting that feels endless. Silence that feels unbearable. But even here, notice something important. They are still praying. Still seeking. Still crying out to God. Their pain has not destroyed their faith. It has driven them deeper into dependence. The Foundation Beneath the Pain The Psalm ends with this plea: “Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!” That phrase matters. “Your steadfast love.” Even in confusion… they still trust God’s character. They do not understand their circumstances. But they still believe God is loving. That is mature faith. Faith is not always having answers. Faith is trusting God’s heart when you cannot trace His hand. And as Christians, we read Psalm 44 through the lens of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus Himself entered suffering. He cried out on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus understands suffering from the inside. And through His death and resurrection, we know something the Psalmist could only hope for: God has not abandoned His people. The cross proves His love. The resurrection proves His victory. Even when He seems silent. Application Psalm 44 teaches us several important truths. Remember God’s Faithfulness Do not let present pain erase past grace. Bring Honest Prayers to God God is not afraid of your questions. Stay Near God in Suffering Pain should push us toward Him, not away from Him. Trust God’s Character Even when life makes no sense, His steadfast love remains. Conclusion Psalm 44 does not end with all the answers. The suffering is not immediately resolved. The tension remains. And that is real life sometimes. But the Psalm teaches us this: Faith is not the absence of struggle. Faith is continuing to cry out to God in the middle of it. And for the believer, there is hope even in silence. Because the God who seemed silent on Friday… rolled the...
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    22 mins
  • The Weekly Show - Episode 99: Articles of Religion Study (Part Two)

    The Weekly Show - Episode 99: Articles of Religion Study (Part Two)
    May 28 2026
    Join Tim and John as they talk about The Articles of Religion of the Southern Methodist Church. Articles of Religion Study (Part Two) Introduction In our last study, we looked at the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith: the Trinitythe deity and humanity of Christthe resurrectionand the Holy Spirit Those Articles answered the question: “Who is God?” Now these next Articles move us into another set of foundational questions: How do we know truth?What is wrong with humanity?Can people save themselves?What role does grace play in salvation? These are not small questions. In fact, every false religion, cult, or distorted theology eventually breaks down in one of these areas: the authority of Scripturethe seriousness of sinor the necessity of grace The Articles we study today remind us that: God has spoken clearly through His Wordhumanity is deeply fallen because of sinand salvation is impossible apart from the grace of God In other words: We are not basically good people who need improvement. We are sinners who need rescue. And that rescue comes through Christ alone. (Tim) Article V — Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation (¶130) This Article begins with one of the most important truths of the Christian faith: Holy Scripture contains all things necessary for salvation. That means the Bible is sufficient. Not exhaustive about every subject imaginable— but completely sufficient for: knowing Godunderstanding salvationand learning how to live faithfully before Him Scripture Is Our Authority The Article says: “Whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required… as necessary to salvation.” In other words: No church tradition… No preacher’s opinion… No religious experience… No human philosophy… has the authority to add to the gospel. Scripture stands above: culturetrendsdenominational preferencesand human ideas This is why Christians must constantly return to: “What does the Bible say?” Because God’s Word—not human opinion—is our final authority. The Canon of Scripture The Article also identifies the canonical books of the Old and New Testament. The word canonical means: “recognized as divinely inspired Scripture.” The church did not create Scripture. The church recognized the books God had inspired. And together, the Old and New Testaments form the complete written revelation necessary for salvation. Why This Matters If Scripture is not sufficient: then people will look elsewhere for truthemotions will replace doctrineand human opinion will slowly take God’s place But God has spoken. And His Word remains: trustworthyenduringand authoritative As Isaiah says: “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever.” Article VI — Of the Old Testament (¶131) This Article addresses the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. Some people wrongly assume: the Old Testament is outdatedor that the God of the Old Testament is different from the God of the New Testament But the Article rejects that completely. One Unified Story The Old Testament is not contrary to the New Testament. Both point to: Jesus Christ. From Genesis onward, the Bible tells one unified story of redemption. The sacrifices, promises, prophecies, covenants, and symbols of the Old Testament all point forward to Christ. Jesus Himself said: “I did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it.” Christ: The Only Mediator The Article emphasizes that salvation has always been through Christ. Even Old Testament believers were ultimately saved: by God’s gracethrough faithlooking forward to the promises fulfilled in Jesus No one has ever been saved by: ceremoniesritualsor law-keeping Christ alone is the Mediator between God and man. The Moral Law Still Matters The ceremonial and civil aspects of the Mosaic Law are no longer binding on Christians. We no longer: offer sacrificesobserve temple ritualsor live under Israel’s civil government laws But the moral law still reflects God’s character. Christians are still called to: holinessobedienceand moral faithfulness Grace does not abolish righteousness— it empowers it. Article VII — Of Original or Birth Sin (¶132) This Article deals with one of the hardest truths about humanity: Sin is not merely something we do. It is something deeply wrong within us. The Corruption of Human Nature The Article teaches that because of Adam’s fall, humanity inherited a corrupted nature. This is called: Original Sin That does not mean people are as evil as they possibly could be. But it does mean sin affects every part of human nature: mindheartdesireswillemotions As Jeremiah says: “The heart is deceitful above all things…” Why This Matters Modern culture often says: “People are basically good.” Scripture says otherwise. Humanity is fallen. That explains: violenceselfishnessgreedhatredcorruptionand rebellion against God Sin is not just external behavior. It is an inward ...
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    57 mins
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