St. Paul Lutheran Church

Throughout Lent we have looked at six of the seven “I Am” statements of Jesus. We’ve saved the best one for last here on Easter Sunday– “I Am the Resurrection and the Life.” We look at John 11 and the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. We see in this account three major differences in the way Jesus deals with death vs. how the world deals with death. How you deal with death says a lot a...

There is one thing all people in the world have in common: one day, we will all die. This may seem like a grim outlook, but it’s a reality we all will face. But Jesus’ claim that he is the resurrection and the life is the hope that we have in the face of death. Join Pastor Josh as he dives into this claim from Jesus found in John 11.

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. Jesus rides into Jerusalem and is praised by the crowds. It seems to be a good start to the week…although we know what ends up happening. In this passage from John 12, we see some interesting things going on. Greeks are seeking Jesus. His enemies are making plans to kill him. And Jesus declares that it’s time for Him to be glorified. However, the type...

This week we read about that sharp shift in the story of Holy Week in which now Jesus’ suffering and death becomes inevitable. He’s been predicting that it will happen, we’ve seen His enemies making their plans, and now finally things that have been long foretold are set into motion. It is interesting to see how Jesus responds as these things unfold. In the past He has used His divine power to war...

In America today, a lot of people have the mentality that faith is just a matter of “me and Jesus.” In John 17, Jesus’ high priestly prayer, he prays for all Christians- that they would be one. Join Pastor Josh as he dives into what that actually looks like in our lives as followers of Jesus.

Are you ready to meet your maker? That’s a question asked in many different forms, but it’s one that needs to be asked. Jesus gives warning about being and staying ready to meet him. Join Pastor Josh as he discusses this challenging text, and see how, for those who are in Christ, we are ready.

We have arrived at Holy Week in our Bible reading plan. In the early part of the week, Jesus has a “head to head” with his major opponents. They try to trip him up in His words, but as usual, they fail. Jesus tells several parables directed at them to pronounce judgment upon them for their sinful rejection of Him, and by extension their rejection of the Father. These are difficult parables for fai...

The parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is almost like a scene out of a horror movie. It is striking and haunting. The rich man is suffering in hell, but he wants to send a message back to his living brothers to warn them. Father Abraham, up in heaven, essentially says “They have God’s Word. That’s all they need.” Today the reality is the same–people have God’s Word. That’s all they need. People w...

Jesus takes sin very seriously. How seriously? He says to cut off your hand if it causes you to sin. But as Pastor Josh digs into the text, you will discover that: it’s not your hand that causes you to sin, it’s something else. And you can’t pass off the blame of what your hand does.

This sermon focuses on Jesus’ conversation with his disciples. He asks “Who do people say that I am?” Several answers are given, all of them kinda sorta close, but definitely wrong. The most dangerous false versions of Jesus are the ones that are kinda sorta close…but definitely wrong. We will explore some of these false Christs, and look for the real Jesus as revealed in the Scriptures. 

In the reading, there are 2 people very desperate for healing. God provides healing according to his timing, not theirs. Through this, he strengthens their faiths. And the same is true for us.

This week we take a look at Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Again and again Jesus reveals the original intent of God’s Law. Over the centuries, it’s been weakened repeatedly by sinful human beings looking for loopholes. Today we also love a good loophole, especially when it allows us to avoid a difficult aspect of God’s Law. This love for loopholes reveals a heart condition. We may go through the moti...

Why did Jesus come? A lot of people think God is a vindictive God, looking for opportunities to zap people to hell. People who look at it this way look at God completely backwards. God did not come as a way to say, “Gotcha! I’ve caught you in sin, now I can condemn you.” But came to give life. And he came to give us freedom from the guilt of our sins.

When Jesus was baptized, John called him, “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” This declaration made Jesus a dead man walking, a man who took sins and needed to die for them. Join Pastor Josh as he discusses what Jesus’ baptism means for us.

Christmas Day | 10am Traditional Pastor Smith Christmas Day | 10am Traditional Not seeing our emails? Check your junk file or contact churchoffice@stpaulwestlake.org to update your information. Enjoyed this sermon? Listen to more St. Paul Westlake Sermons below! Permalink

Christmas Eve | 11am Traditional Pastor Josh Christmas Day | 11am Traditional Not seeing our emails? Check your junk file or contact churchoffice@stpaulwestlake.org to update your information. Enjoyed this sermon? Listen to more St. Paul Westlake Sermons below! Permalink

Christmas Eve | 3pm Contemporary Pastor Smith Christmas Eve | 3pm Contemporary Not seeing our emails? Check your junk file or contact churchoffice@stpaulwestlake.org to update your information. Enjoyed this sermon? Listen to more St. Paul Westlake Sermons below! Permalink

Some things that you experience in life are so strange and unrelatable to most people. Usually we try to seek other people out who have gone through similar life experiences. Mary and Elizabeth are both going through unique circumstances. Both have received outlandish news from an angel and both are now impossibly pregnant! This is unrelatable to the rest of humanity. Mary eventually sings a song...

The prophet Micah was sent to give a similar message that Isaiah gave to God’s people. Judgment and destruction are coming justly in response to your sin. But grace and mercy are also coming close behind! Micah speaks to a people who have little security and peace because of their sin, and also because of the sinful, oppressive rulers and priests who are over them. These beaten down people need so...

God’s people felt hopelessness in exile. But God had prophesied that they would be in exile, but also that he would bring an end to their exile. We too experience some level of hopelessness living as exiles in the world we live in, but God has promised us that he would act in power and bring an end to our exile as well. 

In Isaiah’s vision, he rightfully is terrified to be before God’s presence. He is sinful, God is perfect. That is not a situation that goes well for sinful people. But God takes away his sin and guilt, allowing him to be in his presence. Join Pastor Josh as he talks about how we are brought into the presence of God, but don’t have to fear. 

Our readings this week focus on God’s people in exile in the land of Babylon. In reality, God’s people have always been in exile. From the time of exile from the Garden of Eden, up to our current day, we are exiles in a strange land. We long to go home! As we live in exile, we have several different choices for how to live. We could compromise. Or we could revolt! Or, we could choose a third way,...

Throughout Israel’s history, most of the kings- even the good kings- failed to do one thing: completely remove idolatry from the nation. King Josiah was the one to do this. To live a God-pleasing life, not only must we recognize the idols in our hearts, but we also must do something to remove them. Join Pastor Josh as he discusses this important teaching for Christians.

The more you read about Israel in the books of 1 & 2 Kings, the more troubled and disturbed you become. All around is corruption, conflict, and sin. The kings are supposed to be godly leaders, yet they give up the one true God for false gods. They give up truth for foolishness. They give up worshipping the Creator to worship created things. It seems to be hopeless. In this text, King Ahaziah is a...

The wisest man to ever live, King Solomon, was led astray to do what he knew with his mind he should not do. He was led astray by his feelings/desires. Pastor Josh explores the proper role of our feelings and our logic, and how God has made us to use each of those in their proper contexts.