Katy Warren preaches on beginnings. Beginnings shape what follows, which is why many people feel pressure at the start of a new year. If we remind ourselves each morning that we carry God's light within us, we could focus on how to share that divine presence daily. The true meaning of Jesus's birth is an invitation to explore and express how God lives in each of us throughout our everyday lives. 

Watch clips mentioned in the sermon:

Star Wars

It's a Wonderful Life
 
Preaching text: John 1:10-18 

Maddy Tyler preaches on redemption. God's love for humanity remains constant across all generations, even when we forget that divine kindness extends to everyone. In times when division feels easier than unity, God continually chooses to dwell among us and calls us to recognize the dignity in all people. 
 
Preaching text: Isaiah 63:7-9 

Mark Niethammer preaches on this special Christmas Eve episode of the St. Paul podcast. Jesus is God's incredible 'yes' to the world and to our lives. It was in deepest dark that the light of God chose to be reborn. The truth of God's grace doesn't die in the unknowns and challenges; that's where it goes for rebirth. Grace and joy are born here and now, for you.

View nativity painting here.

Preaching text: Luke 2: 1-20 

Mark Niethammer preaches on God’s love. God's healing presence appears in unexpected places—transforming wilderness into blooming gardens and making broken people whole, even amid our world's persistent pain and struggle. This Advent season calls us to advocate for forgiveness, peace, and justice, trusting that God meets our challenges with words of love, wholeness, and restoration. Just as Isaiah envisioned the desert blossoming, peace can flourish in the most unlikely circumstances when we open ourselves to God's transforming grace. 

Preaching text: Isaiah 35:1-7

Katy Warren preaches on time. Prolonged waiting can cause our hope and optimism to dwindle, especially when days pass without visible change and peace feels distant. Actively looking for signs of hope and celebrating even the smallest progress as "branches of hope" can shift our perspective. Whether we're waiting for healing, strength, or unfulfilled dreams, searching for these signs of hope allows us to live in a sacred time and maintain our faith that something is about to happen. Hope is action. 

Preaching text: Isaiah 11:1-10

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on hope. Advent calls us to let our dreams of God's future actively shape our present lives. Like backward design, we can start with Isaiah's vision of peace and work backwards to today, asking what steps we might take this week, even today, to move toward that dream. Though the vision seems idealistic or even inconceivable, these Advent days remind us that seemingly impossible things become possible with God. When we imagine it, we can begin to live it.  

Preaching text: Isaiah 2:1-5

Mark Niethammer preaches on the reign of Christ. When evil seems loudest, faithful followers show up together, bearing witness that evil will not prevail. The reign of Christ becomes visible when we gather, especially in challenging times, advocating for the voiceless and reminding ourselves that God is in control. Though our presence may feel small, it matters—because love, mercy, and forgiveness will ultimately rule the day. 

Preaching text: Luke 23:26-27, 33-43 

Katy Warren preaches on persistence. We all get stuck in patterns—making progress, then feeling like we're starting over. Never grow tired of doing good. We show up not just for ourselves, but for something larger. We give our time, abilities, money, and comfort for others—even people we'll never meet. At the heart of our faith is a simple call: take care of one another. Make sure everyone has what they need. Because everyone matters. Everyone counts. Everyone is part of the whole. 

Preaching text: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 

Paul, Sylvanus, and Timothy close their letter to the Jesus community at Thessaloniki by addressing divisive interpretations of the end times through the everyday, familiar setting of the community's shared meal.

Preaching text: 1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

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.

Mark Niethammer preaches on joy. Joy is found when we stop focusing on ourselves and instead concern ourselves with others. In these challenging times, we need a new narrative to guide our lives, and joy is part of the answer. Joy helps us see the world differently and look past ourselves to the needs of others. Generous people are full of joy. 

Preaching text: John 21: 1-14 

The final chapter of John's gospel demonstrates the power of forgiveness and renewal , as the same disciple who failed and fled in the face of Jesus' suffering and crucifixion gains the opportunity to respond more faithfully and receives the gifts and graces to extend the gospel throughout the community.

Preaching text: John 21:1-18

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 hope. We are heirs of God, receiving an incredible inheritance of hope and power - the immeasurable greatness of God's strength to love beyond measure, continue when weary, and do more than we can imagine. When we open ourselves to receive God's grace and power, even the most ordinary among us can do extraordinary things, knowing that love ultimately wins the day.

Preaching text: Ephesians 1:15-19, Luke 6:20-31

The physical setting of Jesus' "Sermon on the Plain" in Luke's gospel shows the radical character of the kingdom that Jesus announced and served, calling his followers well beyond the familiarity of the Golden Rule. 

Preaching text: Luke 6:20-31

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.

Maddy Tyler preaches on mercy. Competition fosters growth and community but can damage relationships with others and God when it breeds contempt, perfectionism and harsh judgments. People cannot achieve perfection or draw closer to God through their own efforts alone, yet unrealistic expectations leave many feeling inadequate. Sin and death don't determine anyone's proximity to God. 

Preaching text: Luke 18:9-14 

Watch video mentioned in sermon: https://www.tiktok.com/@jgraves96/video/7560429923236662583 

In the final parable of the central section of Luke's gospel, the theme of discipleship — what it means to live as God's people, which has shaped the central section since near the end of chapter 9 — is distilled into a memorable punchline.

Preaching text: Luke 18:9-14

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.

Mark Niethammer preaches on stepping back to see the bigger picture. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by life's challenges. God provides hope and perspective when daily struggles threaten to consume us, if we try to remember to look beyond immediate obstacles and connect with God’s larger story of grace and purpose, even in the face of fear, debt, family pressures, and uncertainty. Coming together in community can help us see past adversity and trust in a journey that's bigger than ourselves. 

Preaching text: Psalm 121

Katy Warren preaches on gratitude. Gratitude is fundamentally connected to faith and shapes our entire perspective on life. Each day presents a choice between negativity and thankfulness, recognizing life itself—every breath, every moment, every heartbeat is a gift. Gratitude is not just good manners but a restorative way of living that flows from trusting God and acknowledging that nothing we have is truly our own doing.  

Preaching text: Luke 17:11-19

The seemingly unrealistic confidence of the psalmist finds a welcome and reassuring place in its placement within the Book of Psalms, as a person beset by deceit and war-mongering is invited to "come up" to the hill of God's temple under God's protection and blessing.

Preaching text: Psalms 121

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.

With the story of Jesus healing ten men and having only one return to praise God and give thanks, Luke opens the third part of his gospel's Central Section, where the character of life as a follower of Jesus is developed. The theme of this third part is thankfulness for God's blessings.

Preaching text: Luke 17:11-19

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 with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on action. Confidence and faith grow through taking action rather than waiting until we feel ready. We build faith by doing the hard things that intimidate us, not by waiting for certainty. True faith isn't about having all the answers in our minds—it's about trusting God through relationships and taking action now instead of postponing what we're called to do.  

Preaching text: Luke 17:5-10

In a pair of brief, challenging sayings, Luke shows Jesus counseling caution to those who follow him. The character of faith and the kingdom life that we live in faith are just as subject to misunderstanding as the lures of the world.

Preaching text: Luke 17:5-10

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 used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Maddy Tyler preaches on compassion. We all carry wounds—loss, broken relationships, devastating diagnoses—that leave us desperately seeking relief and wholeness. When we're consumed by our own pain, we often forget to help others who are suffering alongside us. But there's hope: God's compassion for us creates endless opportunities to extend that same compassion to others.  

Preaching text: Luke 16:19-31

In a vivid parable of stunning reversals, Luke shows Jesus underscoring the centrality of two things: generous compassion toward our neighbors and God's teaching to biblical Israel as the place to learn it.

Preaching text: Luke 16:19-31

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 our gifts. You have been entrusted with gifts from God and carry the responsibility to use them wisely to bring compassion and peace into the world. While God remains gracious even when you fall short, you are called not to squander these treasures but to be a faithful steward of the life you've been given. 

Preaching text: Luke 16:1-13 

Luke uses an unexpected and challenging parable by Jesus to underscore one of the central themes of the gospel—the urgency of the choice we face to live by Kingdom values or by those of this worldly life.

Preaching text: Luke 16:1-13

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.