St. Paul's Church - Willington, Ct

This week we were joined by Pastor Phillip Beatty from Hartford City Church. Phil helped us to see the significance of a special interaction between Jesus and Peter at the end of the Gospel of John.

This morning we were joined by Kyler Barr from Walnut Hill Community Church. Kyler showed us how Psalm 73 and the Book of Habbakuk can provide comfort and direction when we fact disappointment and injustice.

Data suggests that over the last 10 years, people in our culture have grown more skeptical of the truth and usefulness of faith in Christ. This Sunday we considered a story from the Gospel of Mark (9:14-29) that can help give us perspective.

This week we looked at Jesus's longest recorded prayer in the Bible, the prayer he offered right before his arrest. Since honest prayers are a window into a person's deepest desires, we considered what this prayer reveals about what Jesus wants: for himself, for the world, and (especially) for his followers.

This Easter, we considered what three stories in the resurrection accounts reveal about how we come to realize that Jesus is risen.

Jesus finished the Farewell Discourse by telling the disciples: "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace." We considered: How does Jesus bring us peace? And how is the peace he offers different from the peace the world offers?

Jesus said "if they persecuted me, they will persecute you." We explored the topic of persecution: the extent of it, what it is, and what it isn't.

Multiple times in the Farewell Discourse, Jesus repeats the command: "Remain in me." We considered what that means, and how to do it.

The week we explored what Jesus's Farewell Discourse reveals about the Trinity and the role of the Holy Spirit. We asked: are we experiencing the life in the Spirit that Jesus suffered and died to bring us? And what we can we do to experience it more?

We continued our series on Jesus's farewell to his disciples by focusing on just three verses that raise a lot of tough questions. Jesus said that whoever believes in him would do the works he had been doing, and even GREATER works than him. He also that he will give us anything we ask for in his name. How can these promises be true? We identified what Jesus was actually promising, and why it should encourage and inspire our faith.

This morning we began a new sermon series for Lent on what's known as "the Farewell Discourse." In the Gospel of John, Jesus has a lot to say to the disciples in between the Last Supper and his arrest. This week we considered: Why did Jesus say he was about to be glorified? What was his "new command"? What did he mean when he said "no one comes to the Father except through me"? We considered all these and more.

Why give something up for Lent? Pastor Ryan reminds us of the value of fasting and how to make the most it during the Lenten season. He also shares an example of a "Lenten miracle" from his fast last year.

What did Jesus mean when he said that new wine can't go in old wineskins? Why did he say that the Kingdom of Heaven is like finding hidden treasure? Or selling everything for a great pearl? We explored these questions and more as we concluded our parables series. (NOTE: this message begins with a prayer regarding the invasion of Ukraine)

This Sunday we considered: Why did Jesus say "the end of the age" would be like an embarrassing wedding gaffe?

This Sunday guest preacher Steve Crosby challenged us to look at another one of Jesus's counter-cultural parables about money. The Parable of the Rich Fool forces us to ask: Does my attitude toward wealth and possessions reveal trust in God? Or am I a "practical atheist"?

This week we looked at what is often considered Jesus's more difficult parable to interpret. The Parable of the Shrewd Manager may be confusing, but through it Jesus teaches us about what really matters and how we should view wealth.

Jesus arrived saying "the Kingdom of God is near," but a lot of people didn't think what they were seeing matched their expectations for the promised Kingdom. To help them understand how the Kingdom actually had arrived, Jesus told two simple parables: one about a seed and one about yeast. Through these, he tells us something about how God operates (NOTE: Because of a blizzard the previous day, this sermon was live-streamed from Pastor Ryan's home).

Jesus's parable of the unforgiving servant provides us with both comfort and stern warning. This Sunday we considered why it should lead us to both hope and repentance.

What does God really want from us, anyway? Through the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Jesus gave a surprising (and liberating) answer.