Preacher Paul's Blogs

As we gather this coming Sunday, we will reflect on a familiar verse that asks an unfamiliar kind of honesty from us. Micah 6:8 does not invite us to talk about faith or admire it from a distance. Instead, it presses us to consider how faith shows up in the ordinary choices of our lives. In the sermon, “Let’s Write Your Eulogy,” we will imagine what our loved ones might say about us if our lives were summed up by three simple questions: Did you do justice? Did you love mercy? Did you walk humbly with God? These are everyday practices that shape how we treat coworkers, neighbors, friends, and even those who frustrate us. The sermon is about invitation and possibility. None of us has finished writing the story of our lives, and Micah’s words remind us that faith is something we live into, one step at a time. Justice, mercy, and humility are not boxes to check someday, but a way of life we are invited to practice today, tomorrow, and every ordinary day God gives us. As you prepare for ...

  This week’s upcoming sermon, “My (Un)happy Place,” is rooted in God’s clear and compassionate invitation in Deuteronomy 30:15–20, where God sets before the people a choice between life and death, blessing and curse, and urges them to choose life. Together, we will reflect on the places in our lives that quietly drain joy, peace, and spiritual vitality. Some of these places exist because life is genuinely hard, but others persist because of thoughtlessness, unhealthy patterns, or fear of change. The sermon explores how God does not deny hardship, yet also does not ask us to normalize unnecessary suffering. Instead, God consistently points toward life, flourishing, and hope, even when that means having the courage to step away from what is harming us. We will also consider what creates unhappy places in the first place, how our words and actions can unintentionally wound others, and why staying in soul-crushing environments can diminish our ability to serve Christ with compassion ...

This Sunday we will turn our attention to James 3:1–12, a passage that speaks with surprising clarity to everyday life in the church. James reminds us that words are never neutral. What we say, how we say it, and why we say it all matter. The tongue may be small, but it carries the power to shape relationships, damage trust, and influence entire communities. James challenges us to take our speech seriously, especially as people who claim to follow Christ, because our words reveal what is truly shaping our hearts. The sermon also invites us to reflect on how easily assumptions, half-truths, and unchecked talk can take root among faithful people. The Gospels show that even Jesus was subject to rumor, mischaracterization, and false testimony. When words are used carelessly, even with good intentions or religious language, they can wound rather than heal. As we begin a new year, James calls us to live from our baptismal identity, choosing speech that reflects patience, restraint, and grac...

As we begin a new year and prepare to worship together on Baptism of the Lord Sunday, this upcoming sermon invites us to slow down and remember rather than rush ahead. Drawing on Matthew 3:13–17 and the familiar refrain of Auld Lang Syne , the sermon reflects on how faith does not begin with a clean slate or a list of resolutions, but with memory and identity. Before Jesus teaches, heals, or begins public ministry, Jesus is named beloved. In the same way, baptism reminds us that our lives of faith begin not with effort or achievement, but with God’s claim and God’s love, spoken over us long before we are aware of it. Rather than asking what we need to fix in ourselves this year, the sermon asks a different question: how might we live as people who already belong to God? Remembering baptism grounds us when life feels uncertain, reminds us who we are when we forget, and calls us to live faithfully out of grace rather than pressure. As you prepare for worship, I invite you to spend some ...

As we move into the season of Epiphany, we will turn our attention to the familiar yet often misunderstood story of the Magi. In Matthew’s telling, their journey is not quick, simple, or neatly wrapped up with Christmas morning. The Magi follow a light without a map, travel a long and uncertain road, make detours along the way, and arrive to Jesus in his home. Their story reminds us that faith is rarely about having all the answers in advance. It is about trusting God enough to take the next step, even when the destination is unclear. This Sunday’s sermon, Trusting God One Step at a Time , invites us to see our own lives reflected in that journey. Like the Magi, we begin this new year carrying hopes, questions, and uncertainties. God does not promise us perfect directions or a clear timeline, but God does promise light for the road and presence along the way. Epiphany asks whether we are willing to follow that light and to trust that encountering Christ may change the direction we tak...

As we look ahead to worship this Sunday, our focus will be on Luke 2:15–20 and the theme Unexpected Gifts . This familiar scene invites us to notice how God chooses to work through ordinary people in ordinary moments. The shepherds were simply doing their jobs when God revealed something life-changing to them. Their story reminds us that God often meets us not when we are ready or searching, but right where we are, offering grace in ways we did not anticipate. The passage also shows us that God’s gifts are not always fully understood at once. Mary treasures and ponders what she has seen, while the shepherds return to their lives changed, praising God. In both responses, we see that receiving Christ leads to reflection, gratitude, and faithful living. God’s gifts continue to unfold over time, shaping our hearts and calling us to carry what we have received into the world. As you read Luke 2:15–20 this week, consider these questions: Where might God be offering you an unexpected gift r...

This Sunday we will be listening to Mary’s song from Luke 1:46–55, often called the Magnificat. In this passage, Mary gives voice to joy that runs deeper than emotion. She sings because God has drawn near and because promises spoken long ago are now becoming real. Her words remind us that Advent is not only about waiting, but about reunion. Reunion between family members, reunion between hope and fulfillment, and most importantly reunion between God and humanity through the child born in Bethlehem. Mary’s song celebrates the moment when what once felt distant suddenly feels close. At the same time, Mary’s song is not sentimental. It speaks of a reunion that reorders the world. The proud are scattered, the lowly are lifted, the hungry are filled, and mercy stretches from generation to generation. This is the joy of God coming home to God’s people and inviting us home as well. As we move closer to Christmas, this passage asks us to consider how God’s nearness reshapes our lives, our prio...