St. Paul Lutheran Church

As we continue to read about David’s life and reign as king over Israel, we start to see sin and failure, even from the man who is “after God’s own heart.” God warned Israel about how an earthly king would be far worse than Himself as their king. This was obvious when it came to King Saul, and now King David falls into some of the same sinful pitfalls. When you are successful and powerful, it is e...

Who you relate to in a story affects how you see the story, as well as yourself. Join Pastor Josh as he talks about one of the most well-known Bible stories there is, the “story of the underdog,” David and Goliath, and see how he puts us into the story.

No one likes being told “no.” We want to get the things we ask for, and it’s not fun to be told no. But as a parent tells their child no to things that will cause harm, God does that to his children. Join Pastor Josh as he discusses 1 Samuel 8 and how, when God tells us no, it’s often for our own benefit.

The book of Joshua shows the process by which the Lord gives the Promised Land to Israel. God’s people are entirely passive in this process. It is only by following God’s commands, fully believing and trusting in Him, that they receive the land. Whenever they try to act according to their own power or wisdom, the result is total failure. At this point in our “Growing Through the Bible” journey, we...

The first commandment, “You shall have no other gods,” seems like a pretty easy commandment to keep, right? After all, you probably don’t have idols in a shrine that you bow down to every night. But Pastor Josh takes us through the story of the Israelites with the golden calf to see how: a god is not just a physical object, it’s where we find our identity. And where we find our identity is a daily...

As we begin the story of the book of Exodus this week, it starts with Israel being in slavery in Egypt, and crying out to the Lord for help. As a reader you can’t help but think of times when you have been in a time of great need and suffering, and you have cried out to God for help, and wondered if He even hears you or cares. In Ex 2:24-25, we see four very common verbs that are used. However, wh...

Why do bad things happen to good people?” “Where was God in this tragedy?” “Why is God allowing this terrible thing to happen to me?” These are all questions asked when trying to make sense of why bad things happen, and where God is during it.  Join Pastor Josh as he looks at the story of Joseph to learn some important lessons about God’s role in and response to bad circumstances we experience.

This week we focus on the story of Jacob, and in particular the memorable dream God gives him where he sees a ladder, or stairway, to heaven. This is a powerful vision for Jacob as he sees that God comes down from heaven to earth to be present with him and to deliver him great promises. Many years later, Jesus will refer back to this vision of the stairway to heaven in reference to Himself! This s...

When you read through the Bible, you might assume all the people in God’s story are holy and perfect and qualified. You’d be wrong. In fact, it is downright laughable the types of sinful people God chooses to include in His story of salvation. Laughter is a big theme in the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac. Laughter can mean multiple different things depending on the situation. We might laugh be...

Who gets to decide what’s right and wrong? If you and I disagree, then how do we actually decide? Pastor Josh takes us through Genesis 1 to see how: when God created, he gave definition to things- including what’s right and wrong. He walks us through how understanding that fundamental truth is key to understanding morality today.

Imagine that you are running a marathon for which you did not willingly register. And it’s really hard. There are numerous obstacles and difficulties, not to mention pain and suffering, standing between you and the finish line. You feel like giving up. But then you notice people cheering you on. These are people who have already finished the race, and they are encouraging you toward the finish lin...

Hebrews 11 is often referred to as the “Heroes of Faith,” or the “faith hall of fame.” As Christians, we have a very strong connection to them, “by faith.” Join Pastor Josh as he draws upon what this connection is, what it means for us, and what it means for those around us.

We will look at two different men in this text. The first is rich beyond all comparison, but willingly gives it all away. The second thinks he is rich, but actually possesses nothing at all. The first is Jesus. The second is the man who is the main character in Jesus’ parable. In this sermon we will explore our relationship with material possessions and wealth. What does it mean to be rich? What d...

When we have to ask someone else for something we want, we often think we have to form a strategy for how to get what we want. We approach this with the underlying assumption that the person whom we ask does NOT want to give us something. So we come up with somewhat sneaky ways to get it anyway. We might use flattery, persuasion, bargaining, persistence, or other such approaches. Should we try the...

Everyone has reasons for why they do what they do- especially when it costs you in some form to do it. Join Pastor Josh as he digs into Colossians 1 and discusses why it is that we (should) do what we do as Christians, even when it’s difficult or costs us.

Pastor Buegler's TRADITIONAL sermon based on the TE DEUM canticle in the Matins liturgy?

Focus verses – “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” – Eph. 6:10-11

Get The Devil Out Of Here | Isaiah 65:1-9, Luke 8:26-39 Pastor Beugler The Public, Old, Delightful Wisdom of God | Proverbs 8:1-4; 22-31 It was important for Jesus to assure His followers (Jews and Gentile) that He has power over not only sin and death….but also the DEVIL. Driving demons out of possessed people was an important illustration of this power. Discuss how the power of our BAPTISM gives...

It is Holy Trinity Sunday, the time when the church reflects upon the unique relationship and nature of God–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This passage from Proverbs talks about the wisdom of God, and how it has existed since before the beginning. The church throughout its history has identified the Wisdom of God as being the same as the Son of God. So, in a way, we get the “prequel story” of the S...

Stairway to Heaven Pastor Josh Stairway to Heaven Have you ever had some kind of food or project that was missing one key ingredient that made the whole thing not work? Share a time when you tried to communicate with someone who spoke a different language. What was that experience like? Is it difficult or easy for you to come to grips with the fact that you are brought into faith, and it’s not due...

This is a special Sunday in the church year that falls between Ascension Day and Pentecost, and our Gospel reading actually takes us back to the upper room on Maundy Thursday, when Jesus is praying. The content of His prayer is very striking–Jesus not only is praying for His disciples who are with Him in the room, but He also is praying for us! He says in verse 20: “I do not ask for these only, bu...

Memorial Day Weekend | This Nation Remembers to Live Under God Pastor Buegler Memorial Day Weekend | This Nation Remembers to Live Under God In Pastor Buegler’s opening story the punchline was: “Whoever gets the son….gets everything”. He then capitalized the word SON so that it also refers to Jesus Christ. Discuss the similarities and the differences in the sacrifices of the men and women who lost...

Truth Be Told | John 16:4b-22 Pastor Josh Truth Be Told | John 16:4b-22 NEWS: Catch up on all the latest St. Paul Westlake news in our Monday and Friday emails or read it here:   https://bit.ly/News51925 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! Permali...

In this sermon, Pastor Smith dives into the three Scriptures appointed for Good Shepherd Sunday, and shows us how comforting it is to know that Jesus is leading us through life, no matter what happens. In all three of these passages, we see wonderful destinations where our Good Shepherd is leading us. However, there are also some scary parts of the journey that we read about, much of which is unce...

Breakfast Fit For A King….and His Church | Rev. 5:1-14, John 21:1-14 Pastor Buegler Breakfast Fit For A King….and His Church | Rev. 5:1-14, John 21:1-14 Isn’t it interesting when we fish for fish we bring them from their beautiful underwater world to their death and when we fish for humanity we bring them from death to the beautiful world of God’s grace? Discuss. Jesus used Peter’s old rickety boa...