St. Paul Podcast

Set at the Jewish Festival of Renewal, John's story about Jesus shows that God renews the promise of life for all people over and over again, in different times and places and ways, yet all life  — and eternal life — comes from God. Preaching text: John 10:22-30 Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following w...

Katy Warren preaches on connection. We belong to each other, for better or for worse. There’s more to faith than our personal perspective, there’s a great community surrounding each of us. It’s easier to judge, to hate, to persecute someone from a distance but it’s much harder to do those things when you look someone in the eye and recognize their humanity. Be the people who are unafraid to move c...

Maddy Tyler preaches on the resurrection. In our days of grief and despair, when we’ve lost ourselves, Jesus meets us where we are. He meets us at the foot of our own burdens and grief. There isn’t any barrier or locked door that keeps Christ away. When we lose faith in each other or in ourselves, Jesus will always cross through the barriers and meet us.   Preaching text: John 20:19-31

Bridging the life of Jesus and the life of his own church community, John uses powerful symbolism and narrative to announce that the life abundant that Jesus promised will be realized in a community embracing all people with leadership that is devoted to Jesus and to servanthood. Preaching text: John 21:1-19 Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be t...

A double appearance by Jesus in the original ending of John's gospel offers a double blessing to all who follow the risen Master. John has been introducing us to Thomas all along as the pragmatic one, the realistic one, the one just like us (of like Eeyore, as one John scholar says), and here the picture comes to its fullness not in a doubting Thomas but, in fact, in a believing Thomas.  Prea...

Mark Niethammer preaches on Easter Sunday. Somedays, everything feels like it’s going wrong and everywhere you turn there is bad news. When we’re surrounded by the bad of the world, we get angrier, turn in on ourselves, and stew in our own misery. Remember what Jesus said throughout his life and take those things into your tomorrows. Love others, give generously, forgive. You can be the good news...

Amidst a bevy of details that make the whole story seem questionable, Luke sets the one question that proclaims the Easter gospel from the heart of an empty tomb: Why do you seek the living among the dead? Why, indeed — then, now, or ever. Preaching text: Luke 24:1-12 Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following...

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on Jesus' steadfast love. Jesus' saving work was to bring freedom and hope not just for the people in his own time and place but for all creation of every time and place. Our songs of praise are joined with those who came before us and those who will come after us. We don’t have to carry the weight of the world; it’s not all up to us, because we already have a s...

Today’s episode is a sad one. There are some scary and hard things, but there is also lots of good and love. Our story begins on the same evening as the Last Supper. When Jesus is arrested and put on trial, Little Bird and the disciples are scared and don’t know quite what to do. But Jesus is ready to show the world just how big God’s love for this world is. 

Mark Niethammer preaches on new life. When Jesus shows up, incredible things happen. When we are at our worst, lowest, and loneliest, we need to look no further than the story of Lazarus. He reminds all of us what Jesus can do and what Jesus does. Jesus gives us a life where we know we are loved and cared for even at our worst. There is love and joy, there is peace and forgiveness for all. That yo...

Luke orchestrates Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem with every mark of the pomp and circumstance that is appropriate to the story he is telling. The prophets, tradition, and creation itself hail the moment when God proves faithful to promises that will bring redemption.  Preaching text: Luke 19:28-40 Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis...

In this week’s episode, Little Bird shares a very special meal with Jesus and the disciples. And before that meal, Jesus does something a little different but extra special for his friends to show his love and care for them.

John in his gospel pairs two moments to show the incredible value of Jesus' death for his community and for the world as that death draws near. Though this good news has been tragically misused in slander and violence against Jews for centuries, a fresh reading wafts new beauty into our awareness and our communities. Preaching text: John 12:1-8 Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to th...

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on God’s grace. We put together complicated analytics about those around us and for ourselves. Balancing out honesty, speed of humor, average amounts of shared activities, or political viewpoints, or even taste in music. If people fail to live up to these standards, we turn away from them. We are quick to remember the statistics of good and bad, but God doesn’t care about...

For the next few weeks, revisit some favorite Little Bird Easter episodes!  On today's episode, Little Bird adds another new friend to the story. This time, it's a donkey!  Little Bird, Jesus, and their new donkey friend are part of a palm parade in Jerusalem. 

Keeping the focus on the central character of a very familiar story is key to hearing the gospel in this parable, in which Jesus teaches that the God of Israel is the author and champion of life in every way that it wins out over death, with enough to go around for everyone. Preaching text: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be...

Mac Mullins preaches on repentance. Human beings have a knack for dividing things, including one another. When we begin to internalize and believe in these divisions as the primary story of our lives and the life of the world, we begin to see each other as divided, as separate, as less than, as our enemies. We fail to look at our own lives and our own sin when we’re focused on others’ actions. We...

With dramatic urgency in a story about Jesus, Luke underscores the urgency of our response to God's invitation to be part of God's people, lest we lose out on even another minute of the life God wants for us. Preaching text: Luke 13:1-9 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...

Katy Warren preaches on trust. We place our trust in many things every day. Faith and trust are words that are sometimes used interchangeably. Faith seems to have an extra element to it. You place your faith in those you grow to know and form a relationship with at other times. When you have a connection, a bond, or a commitment to one another, there is an ability to live in faith with one another...

Today’s episode is about trust. Jesus asks the disciples to trust him and to trust in God’s plan, even if they don’t quite understand it. Sometimes tough things happen in life but trust in God and stick with each other. We don’t have to do it alone.

Mark Niethammer preaches on discerning the truth. Our lives and world are full of people, philosophies, advertising, and social media all trying to convince us of various lies. As Christians, we stand up to the lies that try to convince us that God made something that’s worth less. We must call out lies for what they are in a world where discerning truth from fabrication is becoming more difficult...

Midway through Jesus' journey to Jerusalem and Calvary, Luke again shows him tempted to turn aside from God's will and promise, and again Jesus claims the heritage of the prophets of biblical Israel to press on with confidence in the path on which God leads him. Preaching text: Luke 13:31-35 Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basi...

Today, Jesus heads out to the wilderness alone and Little Bird is very worried about him. So worried that she takes off to find him. A lizard helps her find her friend, but he is not alone in the wilderness. Who is that sitting with Jesus? Little Bird doesn’t have a very good feeling about this.  

As Jesus steps away from his baptism with the gift of the Holy Spirit, Luke shows him immediately tempted to use for his own purposes and power the gracious and powerful relationship God has created with him and aligns the resistance to temptation with biblical Israel's own staunch calls to faithfulness.  Preaching text: Luke 4:1-13 Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture...

Mac Mullins preaches on transformation. Our light, God’s light within us, shines through the abundance of how we live; living with patience, humility, and limitless generosity. When we begin seeing, reacting, and envisioning ourselves and others through God’s eyes, our minds and lives are formed into Jesus's shape. We see ourselves as worth beyond our actions, thoughts, and deeds. We have our...