Stewardship Three: Our Common Trust

In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls us to "Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:13-16)."  In this sermon, Pastor Rob reflects on the purposes of our life, both as individuals and as a congregation..

Stewardship Two: Our Hope (even in this election season)

​This week we hear the story of a man named Jacob who wrestles with God (Genesis 32:22-31).  Our nation is wrestling with a very bitter and divisive national election.  All of this on a Sunday in which we were hoping to speak about hope!  Yet in the wrestling with this story from Genesis and even in our wrestling with election, we find our deepest hope in Christ. 

Stewardship One: Thanking God!

Jesus heals ten men; only one comes back to give thanks!  (Luke 17:11-19).  Kicking off a preaching series on Stewardship, Pastor Rob focuses on thanksgiving, especially for the ministry at St. Paul.

Increase OUR Faith

Pastor Rob ponders the prayer of the disciples: increase our faith (Luke 17:5-10).  This is frequently our prayer as we go through life's ups and downs.  So where do we get more faith?  To answer that question we consider how our culture's focus on a personal relationship with Christ means we often miss the communal dimension of faith.  There is a great abundance of faith  when we turn to the community.  We explore the power and nature at this communal sense of faith by reflecting on Saint Paul's words in his second letter to Timothy.

Loving people, using things!

Jesus tells a truly haunting parable, in which little mercy seems to be found (Lazarus and the Rich Man, Luke 16:19-31).  While we will get to the mercy of Jesus, we first have to confront the basic problem identified by Jesus:  Sin makes us love things and use people! 

Who is this Shepherd

This week we hear one of Jesus' great parables:  The lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7).  The parable really isn't about sheep though -- its about the Good Shepherd who finds us when we are lost.

David and Bathsheba

Pastor Rob takes a hard look at the story of David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12).  David sins greatly.  How does God's justice and mercy pour out into David's life?  Into your and my life?