Listening, Learning and Living in Unity

In this episode, I revisit a sermon my father preached in 1992 called Listening, Learning, and Living with Unity. At the time, he believed churches across Fort Worth could come together. Common Ground, The Vineyard, and Beautiful Feet were all part of that vision. Not to form a mega-church, but to become one body under one Spirit.

He preached about unity. He said there would be no buildings and no budgets. Just the Chief Shepherd calling, and the sheep responding. But what he didn’t know was that everything was about to fall apart.

This message came just months before that dream unraveled. I’m listening to it now with hindsight, with questions, and with a growing awareness of how differently my mother and father lived their faith. One stayed rooted in love. The other followed the call wherever it took him.

This is where I start asking what it all meant. What repentance looks like. What obedience really costs. And whether we were ever ready for what we said we believed in.

🔍 Topics in this episode:

The cost of unity in the church

Repentance versus forgiveness

Division across denominations

My parents’ different forms of faith

Walking the long way when the short road looks easier

📖 Scriptures Referenced:

John 17, Exodus 13:17, James 1:22, 1 Thessalonians 5:19, Philippians 3:7–11, John 2, 8, 12, 14, Proverbs 29:18 (implied), Luke 4 (implied)

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#SermonsOfMyFather #ChurchUnity #FaithAndFamily #SpiritualReflection #Forgiveness #Repentance #TexasChurches #ChristianPodcast #Deconstruction #FatherSonStories #LeeShaw #LandonShaw #ChurchDivision #FamilyLegacy