St Peter the Fisherman Talks and Sermons

Can happiness survive suffering? In this message from Philippians 1:18-30 , Peter Tepper explores the surprising secret behind the Apostle Paul's joy while imprisoned in Rome awaiting trial. While most of us tie our happiness to circumstances, success, or security, Paul points to a deeper source of joy that remains steady even when life falls apart. Through stories from Paul's ministry, re...

In this message, Michelle Tepper explores Paul's teaching in Romans 14 about maintaining unity within the body of Christ despite differences in convictions, traditions, and worship practices. Drawing from everyday examples in church life, she reminds believers that Christians have always held differing opinions on non-essential matters, yet God calls His people to live together in love.

In this sermon, Peter Tepper unpacks Paul's command to "owe no one anything, except to love one another." Exploring the debt of love, the destructive cycle of sin, and Christ's complete payment for our redemption, this message challenges believers to live lives marked by selfless love, gratitude, and faithful obedience to Jesus.

This sermon explores Christian patience as the ability to endure suffering without giving up or giving in to bitterness. Drawing from Romans 12, it teaches that patience is practiced by blessing those who hurt us, refusing to repay evil for evil, and entrusting justice to God rather than seeking personal vengeance. The preacher emphasizes that such patience is not merely a matter of willpower but...

In this sermon on Romans 12:1-2, we explore the significance of Paul’s opening word, “therefore,” and why the Christian life must always begin with God’s grace before moving to our response. Christian ethics are not driven by guilt or obligation, but by gratitude for God’s mercy revealed in Jesus Christ. Sermon preached by Peter Tepper on 23 August 2026 at St Peter the Fisherman, New Smyrna Beach,...

In this sermon on Genesis 45, the story of Joseph’s emotional reunion with his brothers reveals we explore the power of forgiveness, repentance, and God’s providence. Sermon preached by Peter Tepper on 16 August 2026 at St Peter the Fisherman, New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Joseph’s story in Genesis shows that God is “the God of the ultimate comeback,” working even through betrayal, injustice, and suffering to accomplish His purposes. Joseph’s brothers intended evil when they sold him into slavery, yet God used those events to elevate Joseph, save many lives, and fulfill His promises. Neither the wickedness of others nor our own failures can stop God’s faithfulness,...

Jacob’s wrestling with God in Genesis 32 is a picture of the spiritual journey from merely having a concept of God to experiencing a real relationship with God. Sermon preached by Peter Tepper on 2 AUG 2026 at St Peter the Fisherman, New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

The story of Leah, Rachel, and Jacob reveals how human longings, even for good things such as love, family, and acceptance, can never fully satisfy when they take the place of God. Both Jacob and Leah learn through disappointment that misplaced hopes lead to heartache, while God uses their struggles to shape their character and draw them closer to Himself. Leah's journey culminates when she sh...

This sermon uses the story of Jacob’s dream at Bethel (Genesis 28) to explore three themes: the hiddenness, openness, and givenness of heaven. Jacob, a lifelong trickster who tried to secure blessing and status through his own efforts, discovers that heaven is not earned through achievement but opened by God’s grace.

The story of Isaac and Rebekah is a story of covenantal love. It is picture of God's love for his bride, the Church. God guides, we respond in faith and the Spirit bring us home to our beloved. Text: Genesis 24Sermon preached by Peter Tepper on 5 JUL 2026 at St Peter the Fisherman, New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Abraham faces God’s agonizing command to offer Isaac, “your son, your only son, whom you love,” revealing a test of whether Abraham will trust God above even his deepest affections. The narrative heightens its emotional tension as Isaac carries the wood, asks about the missing lamb, and Abraham responds in faith that “God will provide for himself the lamb.” At the last moment God intervenes, spari...

Though earthly father's are pale copies of our Father in heaven, in the story of Hagar in Genesis 21 we see a Father who sees us, a Father who hears us, and a Father whom we can trust. Sermon preached by Michelle Tepper on 21 June 2026 at St Peter the Fisherman, New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

The story of Abraham in Genesis 18 speaks to us of God’s radical hospitality toward us, our call to trust His seemingly impossible promises, and the joy that follows when we do. Sermon preached by Peter Tepper on 14 June 2026 at St Peter the Fisherman, New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

God calls , blesses , and sends His people, using Abraham’s story in Genesis 12 as the foundational pattern. God’s blessing is never meant to be hoarded but shared—believers are blessed in order to become a blessing to others. God urges ordinary to respond in extraordinary ways like Abraham : to go, to serve, and to invite others into God’s life‑giving relationship. Sermon preached by Peter Tepper...

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit eternally coexist in a perfect communion of love. Creation is not the result of divine need but the overflow of that love. Because love—not success—is at the heartbeat of the universe, believers are called to prioritize relationships, communion, and self‑giving love. Through Christ and the Spirit, we are invited into the very life of the Trinity, to experience God’...

Pentecost is not merely a remembrance but the moment heaven breaks into earth through the gift of the Holy Spirit. The sermon traces the historical roots of Pentecost—from the giving of the Law at Sinai to the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2—and shows how Jesus transforms the pattern: instead of humanity climbing up to God, God comes down to dwell within His people. The Spirit empowers believer...

Jesus' kingdom is a beautiful expression of God's grace ruling and reigning in our lives and in the world. He gives us his Spirit to bring his grace wherever we go. Text: Acts 1:6-14 Sermon preached on 17 MAY 2026 by Peter Tepper at St Peter the Fisherman, New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Jesus promises us the Holy Spirit another advocate. Text: John 14:15-21 Sermon preached by Peter Tepper on 10 May 2026 at St Peter the Fisherman, New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

The sermon explores Stephen’s martyrdom in Acts 7 as an “encounter with the risen Christ,” showing how Stephen provides resources for the road —a way to face suffering with courage, clarity, and grace. The preacher frames the message around three movements: what Stephen said, what Stephen saw, and what Stephen did. Text: Acts 7:55-8:1Sermon preached by Peter Tepper on 3 May 2026 at St Peter the Fi...

Cleopas and his companion walk away from Jerusalem discouraged, despite hearing reports of the resurrection. As the sermon notes, “we heard there’s this thing called the resurrection… but we didn’t believe him” . Jesus meets them in their confusion, walks with them, listens to their disappointments, and then opens the Scriptures—showing that all of Scripture points to Him. This becomes the “realit...

Jesus meets Thomas and the other disciples in their fear and disbelief to reveal himself as the risen Lord, restoring a sense of wonder that the world’s thrills can’t supply. By showing his wounds, Jesus moves Thomas from disbelief to faith, offering a deeply personal encounter where Christ’s scars speak to our own pain. He then gives a durable, resurrection-shaped joy that persists even amid fear...

This Easter sermon centers on the resurrection story in John’s Gospel, especially the moment when the risen Jesus speaks Mary’s name—one word that changes everything. Just as we recognize a loved one by their voice, Mary recognizes Jesus, and her world is transformed. Sermon preached by Peter Tepper on 5 April 2026 at St Peter the Fisherman, New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

This sermon explores how Jesus meets people in their grief through tears, truth, and grace, drawing from the story of Lazarus in John 11. It highlights how Jesus responds differently to Mary and Martha—offering compassionate presence to one and grounding truth to the other—showing his intimate understanding of human sorrow. Jesus points to the hope of resurrection, reminding listeners that he ente...

In John 9, Jesus heals a man born blind—not only restoring physical sight but revealing a deeper spiritual reality. This miracle, or “sign,” exposes the contrast between physical vision and spiritual blindness. With our “small eyes,” we often try to make sense of the great mysteries of suffering, pain, and evil. But Jesus invites us into a larger story: God’s redemptive work in the world. The Phar...