St. Paul Podcast

Peter W. Marty preaches on truth. There is a difference between telling the truth and living the truth. Living the truth is about being a certain kind of person. How do we discover this truthful living? To live the truth is to want to know and to desire the love of Jesus, such that we can be free from all kinds of other anxieties. To live the truth is what will help us tell the truth.  Preaching t...

This week’s episode is all about persistence and prayer! Have you ever wanted something so badly that you kept working toward it no matter how hard it was or what stood in your way? Then you were persistent, just like the woman in today’s story. 

John shows Jesus correcting believers’ misunderstanding about freedom, a key dimension of life as the people of God. Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul.  With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Peter W. Marty preaches on the ways God shows up in our lives. Why is it we cannot see God visibly, tangibly, immediately? If God is so omnipresent, why doesn’t God show up with some skin on sometime? God seems everywhere present but nowhere obvious. Perhaps we need to pay more attention to God showing up in other people. God does show up with skin and it just so happens to be through the lives of...

We all have days when we feel very small. Today is a day like that for Little Bird. And it’s really great to have a friend like Jesus to share with. Jesus reminds Little Bird about two stories that show that even the smallest of things do amazingly big things! 

Moses and God negotiate the future of God’s relationship with the people, Israel, after their idolatry with the golden calf. Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul.  With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

 Sara Olson-Smith preaches on how to live peacefully. Comparing can also be about contrast. In today’s scripture reading this parable compares how different God’s ways are from the ways of the world and how we ought not to live. Maybe this story teaches us about God’s way of redemption that comes through the cross from self-giving. Maybe that saving hope we have is not in powerful violence but in...

It’s story time! These next few weeks we’ll be exploring the parables of Jesus. Parables are teaching stories. This week, we learn about one of Little Bird’s favorite things - seeds! Settle in and get ready to grow in love!

Matthew uses a compound parable by Jesus to account for Jerusalem’s destruction and remind the community to live as God’s people.  Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul.  With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Katy Warren preaches on ownership. It’s our human nature to crave ownership, to want to possess and control things, but that is not how we are asked to live. We are not the owners, we are the caretakers. We own nothing.  Every day we get to choose gratitude over entitlement; giving thanks for the fact that everything is a generous gift from God.   Preaching text: Matthew 21: 33-46 

Little Bird makes a new friend, a friend that others just don’t seem to notice. What kinds of things or people do we not notice very well sometimes? From the most beautiful of little sparrows to the most wonderful of people. 

Matthew uses a parable by Jesus to assure the community that people who seek power for themselves cannot defeat God’s plans. Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul.  With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on the power of song. The songs we sing together form us into a community and create faith in us. Music connects with our memories, our feelings, our deep faith. Together we sing words that might be familiar or brand new but our voice is never a solo. When we sing together, we feel that we are not alone. We are part of something so much bigger than ourselves.   Preaching...

Today’s story is about some very good friends. As Jesus and the disciples travel from town to town, crowds and crowds of people follow them around, making it difficult to get close to Jesus. But a group of friends makes absolutely sure (using some very creative methods) to get their sick friend in front of Jesus. It’s a very hole-y episode today. 

Paul encourages his beloved community in Philippi to trust God to hold them through suffering, as God has done with Jesus and with Paul himself. Preaching text: Philippians 2:1-13. The Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul....

Peter W. Marty preaches on God’s divine patience. God’s compassionate purpose is to heal hurt, save lost and lonely people, and build a kingdom of peace. We prize the faith that is ours because of the spirit of patience we receive from a compassionate God. A God that puts up with a world full of wrongness and hardened hearts, always giving people a chance to give up their self-righteous ways and c...

More miracles are happening this week. Little Bird and the disciples head out on one of our most familiar modes of transportation but when Jesus says he’ll meet up with them later – it’s not quite what they expected!

Jesus’ parable teaches that worth is not measured by work or money in God’s economy and that God gives generously to all.  Preaching text: Matthew 20: 1-16

Pastor Mac Mullins preaches on mercy. Is it enough to simply say ‘I’m sorry?’ When words aren’t enough to heal our wounds, God does so through the very mercy we show one another. We show mercy by being physically present in each other’s loneliness and by comforting and supporting one another in our sadness. Mercy comes by showing up. If words could solve every issue, what a lonely and colorless li...

Are you ready to experience another amazing miracle? This miracle helps 10 men get their lives back. Little Bird hopes you’re ready for a toe-tally incredible story with a lot of heel-ing power. 

Paul encourages the community in Rome to strive for unity rather than uniformity so that those whom God has included will not be excluded. Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul.  With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Pastor Peter W. Marty preaches on freedom. Freedom is not just won on the battlefield or in the political arena. It's in the hearts, the minds, and the imaginations where the seeds of liberty are planted and grown. Freedom is a spirit that has to be taught and has to be learned. How can we grow a deeper sense of freedom in our own lives by learning and growing?   Preaching text: Excerpts from...

Podcast friends! We've missed you and we're so glad to be back. For our second season, we are telling more stories about Jesus. The first handful of episodes are stories about miracles Jesus did and today's episode features a miracle at a wedding banquet. So snuggle on in for today's episode!

Pastor Max Franks preaches on love. When you treat someone as an adversary, they tend to become one. Instead of putting others down and elevating yourself, challenge that impulse by building them up. Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. Genuine love is what really transforms. Let love be genuine.    Preaching text: Romans 12: 9-21

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on keys. The kingdom of heaven isn’t a place but a vision. When Jesus says to Simon Peter “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven,” it’s not about giving Peter the job of gatekeeper but the responsibility of making God’s dreams become real in this world. We are all given those keys. Jesus entrusts us to be the people who help unlock, unleash, and unfurl the goo...