St. Paul Podcast

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on looking outward toward others. Our desire for more is often a need to fill a hole we have in ourselves. When we focus on only ourselves, we live lives which are isolated and insular. It is not our things which bring us contentment. A ‘toward’ life, turning outward toward others, protects us from this insular living which isolates us.   Preaching text: Luke 12:13-21 

A dramatic encounter leads to a parable with a dramatic confrontation in this story from Luke. Together, they can help us understand what we might do with any parable. Preaching text:  Luke 12:13-21 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 use...

Katy Warren preaches on prayer. Many of us desire to have a rich prayer life but are wondering what to pray, how to pray, wondering if we’re doing it right or if anyone is listening to the words we’re saying. If your prayers feel unanswered or the thought of even figuring out what to pray for feels daunting, it doesn’t mean you’re not a faithful person. We don’t just speak the words, we live them....

Luke frames the familiar prayer that Jesus taught in particular ways to encourage a community living through difficult times with the promise that God's gift of the spirit is certain, is present, and is the daily nourishment and forgiveness needed for kingdom life today. Preaching text: Luke 11:1-13 Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the b...

Mark Niethammer preaches on distractions. In today’s world, distractions are constant and often unavoidable. But how often do they keep us from doing what truly matters? We're called to choose what’s better in each moment—to be fully present, attentive to the joys, sorrows, and needs of those around us. It’s easy to tune people out, to let lesser things consume our time, and to miss the oppor...

In an exchange between Jesus and a familiar friend named Martha, Luke addresses a key question of discipleship and the many needs out of which the world calls to gospel ministers. Preaching text: Luke 10:38-42 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 a...

Mac Mullins preaches on roots during his final weekend as pastor in residency. These days, it feels like the foundation of our lives is hanging on by a thread. Safety and security often feel far away. Our gift is our life in Christ and it is eternal. We are firmly and deeply rooted in God.  Preaching text: Colossians 2:6-10 

The author of Colossians confronts a perennial question of faith, offering people of every era a clear standard for knowing whom and what to follow in a faithful life. Preaching text: Colossians 2:6-10 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...

Maddy Tyler preaches on being shaped by others. Putting yourself out there takes a lot of courage, vulnerability, and faith. We are the sum of all the people we get to meet in our lives and we are changed by all of those people. Big or small, good or bad. We are always in this cycle of receiving. A routine of someone else’s becomes more than a routine, it becomes a memory of that person. What does...

Mac Mullins preaches on drawing boundaries. When two deeply held priorities clash, we must decide which matters more—ours or God's. God's priorities, rooted in selfless love, always take precedence. Following God requires courage and the willingness to let go of everything else. Not everyone is ready for the boundaries of love God draws.   Preaching text: Luke 9:51-62

Luke tells of Jesus sending out 72 people "to every place where he himself intended to go"; through this story, we learn how we all can pave the way for Jesus to arrive in any home, town, or heart. Preaching text: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 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 wi...

John, the gospel writer, sets two scenes in mirror relation to one another to demonstrate the power of forgiveness for reconciliation and to underscore the kind of leadership to which Jesus calls those who love him. Preaching text: John 21:15-19 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...

Mark Niethammer preaches on healing. What unites us as people is far more significant than what pulls us apart from each other, but it can be difficult to live that out on a daily basis. We all know what it feels like to have something broken inside of us. It can keep us from the things and people we love. The grace of God is what helps bring us back to center.  Preaching text: Luke 8:26-39

As God shows that Jesus wields the most effective power of all, Luke tells the story in such a way that the power creates reassurance rather than fear, and hope rather than terror. Preaching text: Luke 8:26-39 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 a...

Katy Warren preaches on assumptions. Every person you meet has their own unique, multi-faceted story. One detail of someone’s life shouldn’t define all of who they are. Embrace the willingness to ask questions, look beyond first impressions or initial impulses to see the real human being in front of you. No one wins when we diminish another person to the simple idea of who we think they are. Be cu...

As part of Jesus' last word to the disciples, John responds to the challenge of an enduring Word of God in a changing world. The promise of the Spirit of Truth assures the Jesus community that the Word that God spoke to Israel and the disciples knew in Jesus continues to be the Word they hear in their own time and place. Preaching text: John 16:12-15 Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction...

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on the Holy Spirit as wind. The Greek word for spirit is ‘pneuma.’ Pneuma has multiple meanings including wind, breath, and spirit. Wind is both strong and gentle, a soothing whisper and a powerful storm. We can never see the wind but we can see the way it moves things like sailboats. Our task as people of faith is to raise our sails and align them so we can be taken by t...

Mark Niethammer preaches on human annoyances. A faithful life is possible even in the messiness of our days. When we embrace the love of God, that love brings us into the lives of others, into community, and then spreads, changing everyone in its wake. We all have moments of annoyance, but prayer and reflection might help us decipher what God is up to in that moment. Sometimes, taking a moment to...

In one of the dramatic episodes that Luke portrays of Jesus in a synagogue, we hear the core value of life affirmed and re-affirmed — affirmed from within Jewish life for all of God's people.  Preaching text: Luke 13:10-17 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 C...

John closes the account of Jesus' public ministry with the final words of Jesus' prayer for the disciples, that God will hold them together against every divisive and polarizing claim,  to offer to all people what God has sent Jesus to bring—the light in a dark world that Israel has been and Jesus has embodied. Preaching text: John 17:20-26 Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to t...

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on God's grace. Our lives are like the water of a watershed, which eventually flows toward a big river. All creation will be pulled by the gravity of grace into the goodness, care, and the ultimate joy of life with God. All of our lives flow back into God’s care. Even if we can’t see the river of life which flows through our lives now, we can trust that God’s grace i...

The Book of Revelation presents a soaring vision of the city of God to which all nations turn for praise and healing, with a surprising twist regarding when and where that vision comes into reality. Preaching text: Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 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...

Katy Warren preaches on love. Often, we think there is only so much love to share, but love is not a limited resource. There is more than enough to go around. In all areas of our lives, we have new opportunities to love more. Love doesn’t get used up; it grows if we allow it. We love without conditions or stipulations. To love as Jesus loves us, we should support, encourage, and provide for others...

Luke's reassurance to the community reading Acts that they are indeed included in the life-giving work of God's spirit becomes for us, as readers of Acts, an encouragement to look for the surprising places where God's Spirit might be at work today. Preaching text: Acts 11:1-18 Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the...

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on trust. The words of Psalm 23 provide comfort, but the psalm doesn’t just talk about a comfortable kind of love from God. Human life is full of challenges and battles, grief and sorrow. Our faith gives us what we need to navigate those difficult times with courage and hope. God’s love and mercy follow us every minute of every day, through every happy time and during the...