Preacher Paul's Blogs

As we begin the season of Advent, our focus this Sunday will be on Isaiah’s beautiful words, “Comfort, O comfort my people.” These verses remind us that Advent is more than a countdown to Christmas. It is God’s invitation to come home. Not simply to a place, but to a renewed relationship with the One who prepares a path for us even in the wilderness. Just as holiday gatherings stir memories of warmth, belonging, and restoration, Isaiah announces that God is drawing near to lift valleys, level mountains, and make a way back to hope for all who feel far away. As you read Isaiah 40:1–6 this week, consider: Where in your life do you most long to “come home” to God? What might it look like to make room for Christ in the wilderness places of your heart?

  As the Advent season begins, we enter a time when God’s people listen for an invitation not just to a place, but to a renewed relationship. This year, our sermon series, “ Home for the Holidays ,” invites us to reflect on what it means for God to call us home during this sacred season. Just as many of us feel the pull to return home during the holidays, Advent stirs our longing for comfort, belonging, restoration, and joy, and reminds us that God is preparing the way back to hope.   • Week 1: “The Invitation Home” (Isaiah 40:1–6) – As Advent begins, we hear God’s gentle invitation home, much like receiving a holiday invitation from someone who loves us. Isaiah reminds us that God calls us back to comfort, hope, and renewal. • Week 2: “Making Preparations” (Jeremiah 33:14–16) – As we prepare our homes for family and friends, Advent invites us to prepare our hearts for Jesus Christ, the coming Messiah. Jeremiah reminds us that God’s promised salvation is drawing near. ...

As we gather for our annual Thanksgiving Eve service this Wednesday, I want to share a glimpse of the message we will reflect on together. Our sermon, “The One Who Returned,” takes us into Luke 17:11–19, where Jesus heals ten lepers on his journey toward Jerusalem. All ten receive the gift of restored life, yet only one turns back to give thanks. On a night dedicated to gratitude, this passage invites us to pause and consider how often God blesses us in quiet, ordinary ways and how rarely we return to say “thank you” with the same enthusiasm that we bring to our requests and needs. The Samaritan who returns does more than give thanks; he recognizes God’s grace at work in his life and chooses relationship over rushing ahead. This story speaks especially well to Thanksgiving Eve. Before the busyness of Thursday, before the travel, cooking, and gatherings, we are invited to become like the one who came back. Gratitude has a way of slowing us down and helping us see where God has been fa...

November 23 is Christ the King Sunday abd my sermon will be based on Luke 17:20-21. The Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come, expecting a dramatic sign. Jesus responded with something far more challenging and far more hopeful. The kingdom is already among us. It is not something distant or hidden. It is something unfolding here and now in the ordinary rhythms of our lives. This week’s sermon explores how Christ revealed the kingdom in his day, how the Spirit continues to move through our lives and community today, and how God’s promised future draws us forward with hope. As we move toward Christ the King Sunday, I invite you to spend time with this passage and consider the quiet ways Christ’s reign is already breaking into your life.  Where do you see signs of God’s presence in the everyday moments around you?  How might God be inviting you to participate in the work of the kingdom this week?

This Sundy, we’ll turn to the book of Joshua, where the Israelites finally cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land. After years of wandering, God tells them to take twelve stones from the riverbed and build a memorial, so that when future generations ask, “What do these stones mean?” they will remember what God has done. We’ll talk about how those stones were more than just markers of an event; they were a testimony of faith, a reminder that God’s promises hold steady even when the waters seem deep. In our own lives, we have “stones of remembrance” too, moments, people, and experiences that remind us of God’s faithfulness. This week, as we prepare for worship, I invite you to think about the stories that have shaped your faith.  What are the “stones” in your life that remind you of God’s presence?  Who are the witnesses who helped you carry them?

This Sunday, we will explore one of the most unusual and thought-provoking stories in Scripture, the story of Balaam and his donkey. It reminds us how easily we can become so focused on our own plans, desires, or emotions that we miss the warning signs God places in our path. Balaam, a man who once spoke directly with God, allowed ambition to cloud his discernment until even his donkey could see the danger he could not. Yet in God's mercy, that interruption saved his life. Sometimes we confuse divine detours with delays or disappointments. But what if the obstacle we resent most is actually God's way of protecting us? What if the roadblocks in our lives are acts of grace meant to keep us from going too far down a destructive path? As you read Numbers 22:21–34 this week, consider these questions: Where might God be placing warning signs or gentle interruptions in your life right now? Are there moments you have resisted a delay that, in hindsight, might have been an act of merc...