Your Week with St. Luke’s

In this episode of Your Week with St. Luke's, special guest Brett Opalinski dives into the powerful promise of generosity within the United Methodist Church. Using compelling stories, Brett invites us to reflect on the true meaning of generosity. It's not just about money, but about offering our time, love, and resources in response to God's abundant grace. If you're looking to deepen your discipl...

In this episode of Your Week with St. Luke’s, the Rev. Dr. Brett Opalinski from the Candler School of Theology leads us in reflecting on presence—what it means to truly show up for God, our community, and one another. Through thought-provoking insights, he highlights the power of presence as a means of grace, a way to encounter God, and a practice that forms and transforms us over time.   Find que...

In this episode of Your Week with St. Luke’s, we kick off our new series called Belong, where we’ll explore the vows United Methodists take to support the church with prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. This week, we’re joined by Brett Opalinski, United Methodist Pastor and Assistant Dean of Methodist Studies at the Candler School of Theology, for a discussion on prayers. Drawing on ex...

In this episode of Your Week with St. Luke's, pastors Jenn & Melissa explore the theme of "Be Bold" as part of the ongoing "Be" series. They’ll discuss how boldness requires preparation and readiness, drawing inspiration from Jesus' ministry. The key scripture is from Luke 4:14-21, where Jesus, in the synagogue, proclaims his mission by reading from Isaiah. This mission includes bringing good...

In this episode of Your Week with St. Luke’s, Pastors Jenn and Melissa dive into the story of the wedding in Cana as told in John 2:1-11, where Jesus performs his first miracle. From turning water into wine to celebrating abundance, this episode explores powerful lessons about calling, readiness, and how God transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.   Find questions for discussion and reflec...

What does it mean to be loved? In this episode of Your Week with St. Luke’s, Pastors Jenn, Jad, and Melissa guide us through the well known passage of Jesus’ baptism in Luke 3 and talk about how it ties to Isaiah 43.  Find questions for reflection and discussion at st.lukes.org/podcast. Looking for a small group to share your thoughts? Visit st.lukes.org/adults. 

Start your year with "Your Week with St. Luke's" as we dive into what it means to be guided by God's light and love. In this week's episode, St. Luke's Pastors Jenn, Jad, and Melissa explore the story of the Magi, their journey of transformation, and how being rooted in Christ reshapes our lives. Join us as we reflect on the light that leads us, the call to be fully present as God's children, and...

Check out this special episode of Your Week with St. Luke's, where Pastors Jenn, Jad, and Melissa talk about some of their favorite Christmas Things. 

In this episode of Your Week with St. Luke’s, Pastors Jenn, Jad, and Melissa lead us into the 4th week of advent as we turn to the Shepherds, who were the first to hear the good news of Jesus’ birth. This story serves as a reminder that God lifts up the humble and includes the excluded. Their joyful response to the angelic message inspires us to share the Gospel with authenticity, love, and joy be...

In this episode of Your Week with St. Luke’s, Pastors Jenn, Jad, and Melissa dive into the third week of Advent turning to Matthew 1:18-25 to look at the story through the eyes of Joseph and his choice to lead with love over fear.    Find questions for discussion and reflection at st.lukes.org/podcast .

In this episode of Your Week with St. Luke’s, Pastors Jenn, Jad, and Melissa dive into Mary’s story in Luke 1 and explore how her encounter with the angel Gabriel shows us the power of faith, trust, and saying "yes" to God—even when the path is uncertain.    Find questions for discussion and reflection at st.lukes.org/podcast.

In this special Thanksgiving episode of Your Week with St. Luke's, Pastors Jenn, Jad, and Melissa reflect on gratitude as a transformative spiritual practice. They share stories of how the St. Luke's community is living out their faith through service, advocacy, and discipleship. Tune in for inspiration and a reminder to give thanks this season! 

In this episode of Your Week with St. Luke’s, Pastors Jenn, Jad, and Melissa kick off Advent with the theme "Fear Not," exploring the angelic messages that changed lives. This week, we reflect on Zechariah's story—how God's unexpected calling disrupted his plans, rekindling hope when all seemed lost. No matter your stage in life, there's no expiration date on God's purpose for you. What new callin...

In this episode of Your Week with St. Luke’s, Pastor Melissa explores the theme of “purposeful gratitude” through Luke 17:11-19. Jesus heals ten lepers, but only one—a Samaritan—returns to give thanks. His gratitude becomes an act of faith, showing us how thanksgiving transforms and deepens our connection with God. This Thanksgiving, let’s embrace gratitude as a simple, powerful spiritual practice...

How are we using our resources to make room for all? In this episode of Your Week with St. Luke’s, Pastor Melissa dives into Luke 14 to explore how Jesus' meals teach us about humility, generosity, and radical inclusivity. Jesus calls us to take the lowest seat, embrace those who can’t repay us, and extend our tables to everyone, especially the overlooked. Find questions for discussion and reflect...

In this episode of Your Week with St. Luke’s, we continue our "Purpose-full" series, as St. Luke’s Pastor Melissa unpacks Jesus' parables of the lost sheep and lost coin in Luke 15, revealing God's joyful pursuit of all who are lost—whether they know it or not. She challenges us to embrace purposeful joy, celebrating God's grace for everyone, even those we might least expect. Find questions for di...

In this episode of Your Week with St. Luke's, St. Luke’s Pastor Melissa kicks off a series on living "Purpose-full” lives, reflecting on Luke 12:22-34. She explores Jesus’ teachings on overcoming worry, trusting in God’s provision, and using our resources to serve others. Instead of hoarding, we're called to be generous, shifting from fear to faith and revealing God’s kingdom through purposeful ac...

This episode of Your Week with St. Luke’s reflects on wisdom from the book of Proverbs and explores themes of justice, community, and faith-driven decision-making. The episode covers passages from Proverbs 27 and 31, emphasizing the importance of relationships, justice for the marginalized, and communal responsibility. It highlights how faith informs one's actions, including voting, without confla...

In this episode of Your Week with St. Luke’s, Pastors Jenn, Jad, and Melissa discuss the themes of focus, self-awareness, and accountability, drawing lessons from Proverbs 4 & 26. In this insightful conversation, the pastors delve into the importance of guarding your heart against distractions and negativity, emphasizing how our focus can easily be derailed by "sideshows" in life. They explore...

In this episode of Your Week with St. Luke’s, Pastors Jenn, Jad, and Melissa look at Wesley’s principle of “Do no harm,” urging us to be mindful of the impact of our words which can either heal or hurt. Drawing on the book of Proverbs, they’ll emphasize the importance of handling conflict with grace, patience, and love, promoting reconciliation rather than harm.    Find questions for discussion an...

In this episode of Your Week with St. Luke’s, Pastors Jenn, Jad, and Melissa discuss their new sermon series, "Beyond the Box," which explores wisdom literature from the Bible, particularly the Book of Proverbs. They emphasize the importance of seeking wisdom as a way to live purposefully and intentionally in everyday life, especially in the context of navigating challenging societal moments, like...

In this final episode of our series on Daniel, Candler’s Dr. Ryan Bonfiglio challenges us as he walks us through chapters 5 & 6 of this book.   Find questions for discussion & reflection at st.lukes.org/podcast . 

In this episode, hear from Candler’s Dr. Ryan Bonfiglio as he takes us through the dreams and interpretations of the 2nd & 4th chapters of the Book of Daniel.  Find questions for discussion & reflection at st.lukes.org/podcast . 

In this second episode of our series on the Book of Daniel, Candler’s Dr. Ryan Bonfigllio walks us through the historical context, key themes, and theological takeaways of the 1st chapter, where we meet Daniel and his friends.  Find questions for discussion & reflection at st.lukes.org/podcast . 

What do we value? In this first episode of our new series on the Book of Daniel, Candler’s Dr. Ryan Bonfigllio walks us through the historical context, key themes, and theological takeaways of the 3rd chapter, where we meet Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.    Find questions for discussion & reflection at st.lukes.org/podcast .