Lutheran - St. Paul's Sydney Podcast

How gracious our God is in giving us good things! How much more gracious that we can share these good gifts with others! This week we welcome Sarah from Australian Lutheran World Service to speak at St Paul’s- opening our eyes and hearts to their work overseas.
 We are thankful for ways we can assist their service- including Walk My Way- a fundraising walk that will be held in Sydney next Saturday 1st of November. Please consider joining the walk or sponsoring a walker if you are unable to attend. In this 75th year of ALWS serving the...

One of God’s greatest gifts to us is God’s endless creativity and diversity. This week at St Paul’s we celebrate the ways God has given our community many cultures and ways of living. We are all followers of Jesus and live in his love, and this week we will gather with other Lutherans from across Sydney to worship together! Please remember that our service will be at 4pm on Sunday, followed by a shared dinner. If you are joining us it would be wonderful if you could bring a dish from your own cultural background to share...

Remember the parable of the ten virgins, who didn’t bring extra oil for their lamps while waiting for the bridegroom to arrive? In the middle of the night their lamps were out and they could not greet him! They were excluded from the wedding feast, because they were not prepared. (Matthew 25:1-13)
 
 Today’s sermon reminds us we need to be vigilant in other ways too. We hear that God uses people we may not expect to pass on God’s word to us. How closely are you listening to the people God brings into your life? If...

This week’s Gospel reading speaks about how faith ‘like a mustard seed’ can do great things! What examples do you have in your life that might show this is true? This week at St Paul’s Michael Relf, from ‘Celebrate Messiah’, will share with us some of his stories of God’s goodness through faith.  Our faith in Jesus is a gift freely bestowed by the Holy Spirit- let’s remember this week to be grateful for that gift! Whether we are in a time where we feel our faith is small, or whether we feel God is lifting us up, we...

Written and presented by Dr. Bruce Arnold.

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This week St Paul’s is holding a ‘Sharing Sunday’. Our focus is on the great gift of community that God gives us. We know that God’s plan for humanity is to live in close relationship with God and with each other. This week we are learning a little more about our Christian family here in Sydney- finding out people’s unique talents or the things they love to do. We are hoping there might be some surprises!
 Getting to know one another better builds relationship and helps us to see the face of God more clearly in those ar...

This week we remember that ‘Heaven celebrates over us’! We know how easy it is to step away from God. The results of this are all around us in the world today. However, we also know that God never leaves us, and that Jesus walks beside us, gently calling us back towards Him whenever we stray. The Bible reminds us that when we repent (literally, ‘to turn back’) all of Heaven rejoices and God welcomes us with open arms. What a beautiful picture! Just as in the words of ‘Amazing Grace’ we are lost, then found; our hearts long to return to...

Happy Father’s Day to all fathers in the congregation and community! May God bless your day with family, smiles and the richness of His presence. May He guide and protect you as you shepherd your family and enjoy your children.
 This week’s sermon considers our stewardship of our time. God gives us each day of our lives, and He calls us to follow Him. What does it mean to make sure we use our time well, and celebrate God’s gift of each day? How might it look in your life to live out the knowledge that ‘b...

One of the things we learn very quickly in life is that food is powerful. Over the centuries, food has been a political tool used as an effective means of power and control. Revolutions have been drafted and policies written on napkins at the table. Negotiations have been conducted, deals brokered, and lives affected by what has been agreed to at the table.  The table is not only the place where relationships are built, but where power games are played, influence is exercised and socioeconomic hierarchy is kept in balance. Jesus is confronted by some of these power games a...

It is a pleasure to return to St Pauls this week to lead you in worship and explore something that is foundation to the Christian faith and life: Generous Living.
 Generosity can have a huge impact on people.  
 As I watched Spotlight last Sunday with the story of Danny Abdallah not just meeting Samuel Davidson, the man who killed his children in gaol, but also sharing forgiveness and prayers together. You could see how Danny’s intentional forgiveness had an impact on not just Samuel but also the reporter Michael Usher.  
 And the truth is generosity is foun...

This week we are blessed by the service of Pastor Peter Bean. Pastor Bean is preaching on compassion, drawing from Luke 10. He reminds us that the life of a Christian is one that reflects Jesus- we are to live as a ‘walking, talking, breathing, acting image of God.’ The word ‘acting’ in this case does not mean ‘pretending’, or ‘making believe’, but fully engaging in the struggles of this world and each other to bring God’s love and peace into our communities.
 May we be present this week for someone who needs care and step willingly into service beside them...

This week’s Gospel reading Luke 12:32-40  reminds us that we must keep our eyes on Jesus, for Jesus is our true treasure. Jesus’ words to us are compelling- we do not know when He will return, and when He does we must not be found distracted, or wandering away from His love.
As humans we are often tempted to worry more about the things we have, or wish to accumulate, than about the goodness of eternal life that awaits us in Jesus. Let’s take time this week to re-focus and simplify our thoughts, knowing that if we have...

Our sermon this week reflects the message of our Ecclesiastes reading- Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23  that true wealth cannot be found in the work and struggles of this life, but only in the joy of knowing Jesus.
 Many recent world events show us clearly that humanity is ‘out of alignment’ with God’s visions of peace, hope and love. We continue to strive but find no lasting peace in our possessions; in fact, even our ‘toil’ is buying us less than it once did. What a clear indication that we are ‘off track’!
 May we, this week, focus our ‘...

When reading through this week’s Scriptures I noted the explanation below our Luke passage in my bible. The author writes beautifully about Jesus teaching us to pray. “The pattern for prayer that Jesus gives his disciples is short on our wants and big on God’s wants. Half of what Jesus tells us to do in prayer is worship God, keep him holy, and ask that his kingdom and his will take shape, not ours. God the Father looms large. For us, it is enough that we get what we need for spiritual and physical sustenance, and that we gro...

This week we hear the story of Mary and Martha, and their different approaches to having Jesus visit. This is a familiar story to many of us, and at times I’m sure we have seen ourselves as either the frustrated Martha or the quiet, listening Mary. Linking this story with the second reading from Colossians, Colossians 1:15- 28   Pastor Mike Semmler gives us a message of hope: reminding us that whether we think we are doing the ‘right’ thing, or whether we are aware we are not a peace with others and ourselves- God is with us. From the moment o...

“Go and do likewise.” These are the final words of our Gospel reading this week (Luke 10:25-37). Jesus is speaking about the Samaritan’s actions in the Parable of the Good Samaritan. He could also say this of his own actions. This week God reminds us that we have received mercy from God through Jesus so that we can pass this mercy and love on to others. Sometimes that’s easy, isn’t it? When your child does well at school and comes home with an award it’s easy to shower them with love. But life’s not always joyful...

This week our second reading is Galatians 6:1-16. Paul’s words to the church invite attention- ‘So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.’ (v9) There is a lot around us currently that might make us ‘grow weary’; laying heavy burdens on our hearts, family lives, community and culture- even before we start thinking about ‘doing what is right’. We may be tempted to give up. However, we also know of Jesus’ great invitation to ‘come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and...

This week’s Gospel Luke 9:51-62  reminds us that there can be no half-heartedness in following Christ. We know as Christians that God is the ultimate King of the World (apologies to Leonardo De Caprio!) and that God has already triumphed over evil and sin. We are already on the winning team if we are followers of Jesus. However, it doesn’t always FEEL like that, does it? There are times in our lives when the road ahead looks bumpy, when our plans are destabilised- even where God seems to have let us down and we are in big troub...

This week we remember that God is our help when we are in tough times. Our sermon reminds us that Elijah, God’s great prophet- a man who had seen God’s great works and healing for himself- also experienced feeling alone and being disappointed in God. When tough times come we lose our sense of perspective and even small things can appear overwhelming. We can get stuck in that feeling and unable to move forward. Elijah was relieved by an angel of God, sent with food and water to revive him. He had to go on a long jour...

This week we celebrate Trinity Sunday. The Triune nature of our God is a mystery ‘more than we can bear’ (John 16:12b) as this week’s Gospel reading says. Have you ever tried to use a tripod and have one leg collapse? Or have you put one on the ground and noticed it wouldn’t stand until you made sure all the legs were the same length? When you get it right you have a really steady camera stand, or easel for your next piece of art. This week we spend time thinking about how God is one and yet thre...

Today we celebrate the gift of Pentecost- when the Holy Spirit was poured out for us. What a wonderful blessing! This is a fantastic reminder that the best gifts often don’t come in boxes and can’t be wrapped in fancy paper. The best gifts are those we receive with our hearts- and that can be passed on to others in love. The greatest love we can pass on is the love of Jesus. God sent the Holy Spirit to help the disciples and us to share the news of Jesus with the world. Let’s pray this week f...

This week we look both forward and back- as we examine the ways we see Jesus in God's Word after Easter. Next week we will celebrate Pentecost with a Multicultural Celebration and shared lunch at St Paul's- please come along if you are able! The lunch will offer an opportunity for fellowship and sharing with one another- a chance to see the face of Jesus in those around us. Our Gospel reading Luke 24:44-53  and reading from Acts today mention Jesus showing the disciples who he truly is- the Risen One. Jesus does this by eating with t...

This week's Gospel reading John 5:1-9 recounts the story of an invalid Jesus encounters at the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem. In this encounter Jesus asks, 'Do you want to get well?" Jesus does not presume to know what is wanted, but reflects God's goodness in giving us our own 'free will'. God does not pressure creation to come to Him, but instead asks gently and extends His invitations into our lives- invitations towards wholeness, community and care. The invalid responds by listing a range of reasons why he is not already well! Through His compassionate listening Jesus discerns the...

This week's focus is on the unity all people have in Christ through the gift of the Holy Spirit. In our Acts reading Acts 11:1-18  we hear that the Holy Spirit helped Peter to understand this. He was encouraged to eat things, and spend time with people, he usually wouldn't. The message God's Holy Spirit was bringing was that God's family would include people from all nations. Peter had to overcome rules he had lived by his whole life, because God's Holy Spirit showed him they were no longer as important as faith and love in Jesus C...

Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers, Grandmothers, Great-Grandmothers, and those who care for us as a mother would. May God bless you today!
 Our Gospel reading John 10:22-30  this week reminds us that Jesus is our 'Good Shepherd', and that He will never leave one of His sheep behind. That means you and I! These days there can be a negative connotation around being a 'sheep'. A 'sheep' can be someone who unthinkingly follows trends or others they look up to. Christian life is different. We are conscious that we follow our Shepherd, Jesus. This is something we pu...

This week's Gospel John 21:1-19  reminds us that we can rely on Jesus to give us all we need. We are blessed to be members of God's family. We are so loved that we are provided with every good thing, just as Jesus blesses His disciples with an extra-large catch of fish, and gives them a freshly-cooked breakfast! Jesus then asks His disciples to carry on the work He has begun. He gives Peter fish, then asks him to 'Feed my sheep.' Three times Jesus repeats His request- feed those I love and that the Father has given m...

This week's Gospel reading John 20:19-31 recounts the story of Thomas, the disciple who heard that Jesus was alive but did not believe because he had not seen Him.
 
 The good news is that Jesus meets Thomas' disbelief with compassion, gentleness and love. We too may have moments where we are unsure of God, or don't see His promises coming true in our lives. God also continues to come to us in those moments- with the same love, gentleness and compassion.
 
 Jesus gifts each of us today with a special note- that those who trust in H...

"He is Risen!" "He is Risen indeed!"
 This is the call and response we delight in on Easter Sunday, reminding us of the wondrous promise-come-true of God's Word. But phew! -there's a lot to get through in Holy Week before we say those heart-lifting words. Jesus enters Jerusalem to shouts of joy- then He gathers with His closest friends to institute His holy meal of thanksgiving and remembrance; this first meal of service and love ends in betrayal. Jesus suffers humiliation and pain as He is subjected to the worst of human nature on Good Friday, then laid i...

Presented by Bishop Richard Schwedes.

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This week we hear again the story of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. It is a moment of great joy and excitement before the trials and sadness of Holy Week. We may have heard this story many times over our Christian lives- yet we are challenged each time to hear God's Word with fresh ears. This week I have been struck by Jesus' final words- "....if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."
 
 Imagine all of creation celebrating and worshiping God so completely that the very stones cry out! Imagine a heart so full of joy an...

This week's sermon and theme focus on our reading from Philippians 3:4-14.
 Here Paul explains to the Jews that, although he is fully 'qualified' to belong to their cultural and religious family, he considers his identity first to be in Christ. Paul insists that he may be recognised as 'belonging' in other ways, but his priority is to 'press on towards' fully joining Jesus in His life.
 
 Where do you feel like you belong, and why? Is it at your local club, where you have an embroidered t-shirt in the correct colours, and a badge with you...

In this week’s Gospel Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32  Jesus tells the parable of the Prodigal Son. This is a familiar story to most Christians. Why is it so familiar? Perhaps not only because we have heard it often- but also because we really can identify with the characters in the story. There may have been a time you resented someone who gained advantages over you whilst doing less, or a time you received an excess of blessing and squandered it without thinking. Perhaps you have been a parent watching a child break free from the restraint of your family env...

This week's Gospel Luke 13:1-9 contains a warning from Jesus about where we focus as we live here on earth. Jesus tells those around Him to turn away from sinful and selfish things, and reimmerse themselves in His teachings.
 
Jesus then tells a parable about a fig tree which bears no fruit. Our theme for this week draws upon that parable- we investigate the idea of being 'freshly fertilised'! In the story Jesus tells of a worker asking the farmer to give the fig tree just one more year- he'll fertilise it and dig all around to g...

This week's Gospel reading Luke 13:31-35  recounts Jesus' ongoing mission despite persecution, and His frustration that the people of Jerusalem are not willing to be gathered safely to God. Instead, their hearts are hardened; despite knowing that something is 'not right' with their city even their ruler seeks to destroy the Good News.
 
 Although we often go our own way, Jesus loves and heals us. Lent is a time to remember just how far God's love and forgiveness extends. We might 'choose' to reach up a hand to heaven, but Jesus is already reaching out to...

This week's Gospel reading Luke 4:1-13 , tells us of Jesus' testing in the desert. Jesus was put to the test with offers of food, wealth and power. How pertinent a reading for today's times! It seems that everywhere we look there are examples of those who want to control the world, lead it towards their own ends, or sacrifice the good of some for the benefit of a few. If we look into our own hearts we may recognise some of these behaviours on a smaller scale. However, God created us in His own image. The freedom He gave...

In this week’s Gospel Luke 9:28-43 we have Jesus shining with the full glory of God, in front of regular humans like you and me. We all know the feeling when sunshine reflects off a window or some other shiny surface directly into our eyes- it forces us to look away. Now imagine someone you know and love very much being transformed into an image of that brightness- do you think you would be able to keep looking at them, or engage in conversation? The Gospel tells us that Peter, John and James woke fr...

Dear friends- God calls us to be different! This week's Gospel reading outlines how. In today's world we are drawn by opposing forces- both to conform and be 'like' (or 'liked') by those around us, and to be 'individual' and stand out in the crowd. Many people spend lots of time, especially on social media platforms, trying to show what makes them special. Others look at those posts and try to shape themselves more closely to those they admire. All of us wish for our different qualities to be recognised and noticed by those we care about.
 
 Bu...

This week God's Word blesses us with reassurance for those who trust in Him, and who use their lives to proclaim Him. It seems a pretty scary thing to do- opening our minds and hearts to others and sharing with them that Jesus is our everlasting hope. We pray that those around us see our lives of joy and expectation- yet we often are hesitant to speak about why we have this joy. Today's world seems very fear-inducing. Many around us are living with anxiety about the future. Jesus does not say our path will be easier, but He...

This week's we focus on God calling us to be witnesses- through the story of the prophet Isaiah and that of Jesus calling ordinary fishermen to be 'fishers of all'. In both cases we see those called responding with alarm- "....but I am a sinner!" "I am afraid!" Many times in our own lives we are shaken, and indeed our souls know what it feels like to tremble before an unforseen challenge. Imagine yourself in that space for a moment. It's certainly not a comfortable place to be! Have you been aware of Jesus speaking into your life, gently...

This week's Gospel Luke 4:21-30 reading is one you may have heard many times. It's often used during wedding ceremonies, but that's certainly not the only time we should reflect on it! On the contrary, these words describing the awesome qualities and power of love should be constantly in the hearts of those who follow Jesus.
 
Every day we are challenged to love 'more' and to love 'better'. The world tells us the appropriate things to love this way are possessions, status, and power. Paul's words bring a corrective, for they speak of love as Jesus loves. T...