St. Paul United Methodist Church - The Message

Putting Psalm 132 in context shows us why it helps us to have a time and place to worship God.

What does it mean to have freedom in Christ? Why do we sometimes choose slavery over freedom?

If we live under the grace of Jesus, do the Old Testament laws still apply to us? When we follow Jesus, we discover that we fulfill the law out of love instead of obligation or fear.

The Holy Spirit helps us to grow our understanding as our pace, when we are ready to hear new truths. But to receive this guidance, we need to be listening.

The real power for the church to accomplish its mission comes from the Holy Spirit, not political or any other kind of worldly power. What could the church accomplish if we were hungry for the right kind of power?

Do we really mean it when we pray the final words of the Lord’s prayer? If the Kingdom, power, and glory belong to God, then why do we spend so much time focusing on our own kingdoms, power, and glory?

Why would a good and loving God lead us into temptation? Maybe we’ve misunderstood Jesus’ words when he taught us to pray “Lead us not into temptation.” Has something been lost in the translation?

The Lord’s Prayer reminds us that forgiveness is a two-way street. Our God is both loving and forgiving, but we ‘d better be prepared to offer grace and forgiveness to others if we expect to be forgiven. In the phrase “forgive us as we forgive,” that...

Is God’s Kingdom some far off place that we find after we die, or can we find it here and now in our congregational life together? What are we willing to surrender to God when we pray “Thy will be done”? What should we do when God’s will and our wills...

Bread is an important part of our Christian life together. We find it at the Communion table and in our food pantry where we serve the hungry. When we ask God for daily bread what do we hope to receive? Are we looking for food for our stomachs or food...

The first verse of the Lord’s Prayer can create a lot of questions in the minds of those who pray it. Why “Our” Father instead of “My” Father? Is heaven the only place we find God? What does it mean for God’s name to be hallowed? What was Jesus trying...

Compared to Christmas, Easter happens rather quietly early in the morning. Why was something as important as the resurrection so quiet?

At the same time Jesus was dying on the cross, the Priests were finishing up sacrificing the lambs. A shofar was blown when the lambs were sacrificed and was most likely blowing as Jesus died on the cross.  The shofar was the sound of forgiveness.

This Markan sandwich is made up of two stories: Jesus cursing the fig tree and Jesus cleansing the temple. The fig tree that Jesus cursed had leaves but no fruit. Our faith can become like the fig tree if our leaves are an outward display of faith but...

The death of John the Baptist is the substantial filling in this "Dagwood Sandwich," surrounded by the story of Jesus sending out his disciples. We learn from these sandwiched stories that following Jesus can be a dangerous calling, but God...

Two stories of healing remind us what it means to have faith, and point us toward the time when we will be made whole.

What does it mean to be part of Jesus' family? This story reminds us that when we see the world the way Jesus does the insiders become outsiders and the outsiders become insiders.

As we focus on the temptations of Jesus, we also think about our own temptations. How are we tempted? Is the biggest temptation we face forgetting we are the Beloved of God?

In the first Exodus, Moses led the people of Israel from slavery to freedom and a new life. Jesus is a new Moses, who leads us from slavery to sin and an old way of life, to salvation.

Peter learned that he had to get outside his comfort zone and go deeper if he wanted to receive all Jesus had to offer. Fishing in deep water is important today too as we make new disciples and love our neighbors.