Lutheran - St. Paul's Sydney Podcast

There is a song we used to sing often in the Lutheran school I worked at- “Get ready! Get ready! Get ready! Get ready- Jesus is coming soon. OH YES! Get ready! Get ready! Get ready! Get ready- Jesus is really true!’
 Here in our Gospel reading Matthew 25:1-13 we hear the message again. You do not know when Jesus will be here- but Jesus longs to find you ready! This world is seemingly overwhelmed with trials and tribulations- we may feel vulnerable and ill-prepared (just like those without enough oil in our lamps). But true prepa...

This week we remember all those who have gone before us, strong in the love and faith of our Lord Jesus. We give thanks for their time on earth and the ways they showed us God’s love. In 1 Thessalonians Paul relates the blessing of being among people who have accepted God’s word and allowed it to transform their lives. We do not stop at mourning those who have left our lives- we also rejoice that they have found their place in God’s house, where we will see them again. Amen.

Presented by Pr. John Thiel<...

This week we commemorate the Reformation, and Martin Luther’s bold stand to bring the truth of God’s Word to the fore. We are blessed as Lutherans to rely on God’s Word as the light to our path and keep our eyes on Jesus as the centrepiece of God’s plan for the redemption of the world. His teachings bring true wisdom and life. May you take time this week to rest in God’s Word and allow it to transform your heart. Amen.

Presented by Dr. Bruce Arnold

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At St Paul’s this week we have the great joy of celebrating our annual ‘Multicultural Service’ with Lutheran congregations from around Sydney. If you are able, please join us at 4pm on Sunday! Our readings emphasize the gifts God has given us in the many cultures and people who surround us in this city. What unites us is Jesus and his love. We give thanks for this gift of God’s by loving him and each other. Please know you walk alongside others in Christ’s family this week- pray for one another with love and thanksgiving- and remember t...

This week Paul reminds us to ‘Rejoice in the Lord always!’ It’s a scripture we’ve heard often, but these days it might seem harder and harder to put into practise. Paul reminds us how to do it- focus on the good things that God brings to us. How much beauty can you actively observe this week? Where will you find loveliness? ‘In You is gladness, in all our sadness’ is a song we often sing- let’s carry it in our hearts!

Message presented by Pr. Allan Taruste

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This week Jesus tells a parable Matthew 21:33-46  with great news for us- if we share the fruit of knowing God we will be a part of God’s Kingdom! What ‘fruit’ do we have through hearing Jesus’ words? We have fruit such as love, gentleness, patience, peace, endurance and joy. If we share these with the people around us- making sure they know that God is the source- not only can we look forward to sharing the Kingdom of God in eternity, we bring it closer to us here on earth

Presented by Pr. Ray Pace...

This week’s Gospel  Matthew 21:23-32   reminds us of the old saying, ‘Say what you mean and mean what you say!’ What do you mean when you say you are a   Christian? Do you mean only that you go to church once a week and know all the responses in the liturgy? Or do you mean that you do your best to walk with Jesus and follow his ways, every day of your life (and still go to church!)? Today Jesus points out the very human act of saying one thing and doing another. Let’s do our best thi...

Welcome to St Paul’s and Redeemer! You are precious to God and to us. This week’s Gospel invites us to consider what is fair, and according to who. How many times have you thought, “That’s not fair!”? It may have been something you felt you were missing out on; it might have been something one cultural group experiences in comparison to another. We look at things with our human perceptions, and we never think we get everything we deserve. However, God sees and knows the whole plan. We need to trust in God’s ways and do our best...

We hope your week has been blessed. This week we hear about who we belong to and with. What tremendous news to know we belong to Jesus! In a world full of strife and loneliness, we can call on the name of our Lord and know we will be heard. May you take the opportunity this week to help someone you meet feel less alone- and perhaps even let them know that they too can be part of God’s family. Amen.

Written and presented by Bruce Arnold Phd.

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Welcome to St Paul’s! We wish all fathers and father-figures a blessed and joy-filled Father’s Day! This week’s gospel reading brings us great hope. Jesus reminds us that if we gather in his name- in Christian community- he will be there with us. Fathers, when you gather your family to pray together, Jesus is with you! May you always guide them towards the love and peace of Christ. And may all who know Jesus gather often to receive his holy meal. Amen.

Presented by Peter Hong Ning

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This week Jesus explains what is required of him to bring salvation to those who believe. He challenges his disciples by boldly telling them that they will suffer in following him. Jesus speaks into our situation today, asking what it is we find important- and reminding us that those things ‘of this world’ will not ultimately bring us into God’s kingdom. What are you holding on to that might be leading you away from the love and salvation of Jesus? Ask God this week to free you from this and refocus your desires on Jesus. 

Presented by René...

Welcome to St Paul’s. May God bless you richly this week! This week we share a well-known reading from Romans Romans 12:1–8 about how we are part of the Body of Christ- each with different gifts and functions. Have you considered this recently? Maybe it’s time to consider again how your unique gifts and talents might speak to others in these troubling times- when fear and uncertainty abound. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your heart and share where God might bless someone this week with your hands or words. Amen.

Message written and presen...

Welcome to St Paul’s! Have you ever been through a really difficult time and wondered what it was about? Later- did you come to find that that time led to a great deal of growth or understanding? Perhaps you were able to reflect on it and use what you learned as a way to help others.  Joseph was betrayed by his own brothers in their jealousy, yet Joseph was given the opportunity to bless his brothers greatly and receive them with love. Can you be courageous in times of trial, remembering God is with you? May God bless you...

May you be blessed as you join us at St Paul’s this week! This week’s Gospel reminds us that we can always trust Jesus. Sometimes we find ourselves worrying over an event or outcome; often this worry comes from something we have no control over. Peter never expected to walk on water- when he realised his precarious situation his doubt almost sank him. We too can almost ‘sink’ under the weight of worry or fear in our lives. Let’s remember that Jesus asks that we trust him and walk towards him boldly. Amen.
 
Presented by Peter Ho...

Welcome to St Paul’s! It’s good to have you with us. This week we hear a very well-known story- or is it? Jesus and the 5000, miraculously fed with just five loaves and two fish. Our sermon reminds us the disciples had nothing to give, and yet all were fed and food was left over! The part we might miss is that the food was only supplied as the disciples themselves were without supplies and looking to Jesus for provision. They felt they could do nothing- yet trust and faith that Jesus could meant all were satisfied. May you...

Welcome to St Paul’s! We’re so glad you’ve joined us! This week we hear Jesus’ parables about the Kingdom of Heaven. Can you imagine finding something so wonderful and so rare that you’d sell everything you had to buy it? You’d have to give up the comfort and safety of your home- your car, and certainly any heirlooms you have from your family. Those things are precious in this world but, as Jesus reminds us often, the things of this world do not pass to the next. God’s Holy Spirit has given us much more- we...

Welcome to our church family! We love that you’re here! Speaking of family- how does yours work? Or your community? This week we focus on giving- in many ways giving and service are what make our families and communities function. When we give- hope, encouragement, resources, our time, financial assistance and in many other ways- we help our family and community to grow, healthily and happily. Often service and giving mean that we are making sacrifices, just as our Lord Jesus sacrificed- even giving himself for us.  This sort of ‘Jesus-giving’ is not natural for us- hence Paul’s encoura...

Welcome to St Paul’s- we are happy you have joined us! This week we hear Jesus’ well-known parable about a farmer scattering seed on different soils. The seed is God’s Word, and the soil our hearts. We pray that your heart’s ‘soil’ is ready to receive the truth of Jesus- for He will shelter you in the heat of daily challenges and encourage your roots to grow deeply in His care. May you always know the grace and protection of God’s care.
 
Presented by Pr. Allan Taruste

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God bless each one of you and thank you for joining us this week! Our Gospel reading reminds us that God gives us peace and rest; what life-giving words, especially at this time in history. Jesus tells us that we can live in God’s ways, being blessed with God’s care and provision. When the world is worrisome and confusing God’s Word brings us hope. May you dwell in the same Word this week and know that peace. Amen.
 
Presented by Bishop Richard Schwedes

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May you be blessed this week, as you join us at St Paul’s! Today we are reminded of Jesus’ words to his disciples- that those who welcome them (and hear with joy their message of God’s love) welcome God himself into their midst. What a beautiful message for the people of God’s church! Those we meet bear the image of God and as we share God’s love with them we recognise his presence with us.

The message is presented by Pr. Ray Pace of Toowoomba
  

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Welcome to St Paul’s! We are so glad you are with us this week. Often God’s Word gives us a challenge; this week is one of those times. Jesus tells us that we must follow him- at the same time he warns us that this will be difficult. Are you willing to give up the comforts of this world for the grace and joy of God’s Kingdom? Jesus promises that discomfort for his sake in this world will bring joy with him in heaven. May we be ‘up’ to the challenge of being Christ’s hands, feet and voi...

Welcome to St Paul’s- we love to have you with us! This week we hear the Great Commission of Jesus- we are to go out and tell the world the Kingdom of God is near. A couple of Sundays ago we celebrated Trinity Sunday- that God is Three- Persons- In- One. What this really means is that God lives in relationship and love. Do you do the same? How can you walk alongside someone in your community this week, modelling God’s unending love and relationship? Perhaps this will lead to conversation about God’s Kingdom on earth- the Ho...

Welcome to St Paul’s! May God bless your time here.This week we celebrate one of the great mysteries of God- Trinity Sunday. God is revealed as three people in one, a difficult concept for our human minds but one that reveals the richness and beauty of our Creator. God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit bless us with a diversity of ways to be loved, accompanied and led towards fullness of life. We celebrate this Sunday with a Young-Adult-Led service, celebrating God’s gift of youth with us. May you feel the warmth of the fell...

Welcome to St Paul’s! This week we are joyful in celebrating Pentecost and God’s gift of the Holy Spirit! We also welcome Papua New Guinean interns from Warrambui, who will bless our service with song and stories. Please plan to enjoy lunch with us after worship- bring a dish from your own cultural background to share. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to keep us in closer community with God and with each other. Let’s spend this week reaching out to our neighbours with the Holy Spirit’s grace and love!

Message presented by Pr. All...

Thanks for joining us at St Paul’s this week! Did you realise Jesus was still thinking of YOU, even as he returned to his Father in Heaven? That’s right- look at his prayer from John 17- Jesus prayed protection over you as he went to be with God! Jesus’ desire was that you would be protected in God’s name, and that you would be drawn closer in unity with your Christian sisters and brothers all around the world. Isn’t that a beautiful thought? Remember, as you go through this week, that you are under the protection...

Welcome to St Paul’s! We love that you are here. This week we hear Jesus comforting us and reminding us that we will never be alone. He will send the Holy Spirit to be with us, to guide us and bring peace to our hearts. How wonderful to have a Saviour who cares for us so deeply! Indeed, we are privileged to be a part of God’s family- eagerly seeking the love that brings us eternal life through the cross of Easter. May you be blessed with peace and hope.
 
Message presented by Dr. Bruce Arnol...

Welcome to St Paul’s! There is room for you in God’s house! In these times of worldly trouble and strife, how good it is to reflect on these words of Jesus from John 14! Do not let your heart be troubled. Pass it over to the keeper of your life- let it be bathed in the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit! Recall this week our great hope- that we belong to Jesus, and that He has made a place for us with God, through His great act of reconciliation on the cross. Amen.

Message pres...

We’re glad you’re here with us at St Paul’s! Join us this week as we listen to the voice of our Great Shepherd, who brings us life to the full. Our world currently seems full of chaos and pervasive fear- yet we know that there is a greater hope. As we continue in this Easter season let’s open our ears and our hearts to the voice of Jesus, who gave his life so we could know peace and joy- then reach out to our neighbours and share that source of joy. Amen.

Message presente...

We are so glad you have joined us at St Paul’s! This week we hear of Jesus being recognised in breaking bread at Emmaus. What joy his disciples had in recognising the Risen Jesus! How excited have you felt at seeing a friend or relative you have missed? Can you recall the great happiness with which you embraced them again? May you feel that same joy today as we share Jesus’ meal at the altar and go into the world renewed. Amen.
 
Message read by Bridgitte Willshire.

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Welcome, in the joy of the Risen Christ! We love that you are here with us. This week we recall things we struggle to believe in, whatever that might be for us. In Thomas’ case it was that Jesus had truly risen. We might struggle to believe that God has our life in his hands, or that we are truly loved by Jesus. Thomas believed in Jesus’ resurrection because he could reach out and touch Jesus. God’s word reassures us that blessings are even greater for those who believe and have not yet seen Jesus. May we also rememb...

Dear Church Family! Welcome to this most heart-wrenching and most heart-lifting period of our church year! We are so glad you are here with us. This week we go through many emotions as we travel with Jesus from his last meal with friends to his death and finally into his everlasting life. We are especially ‘moved’ during the darkest times as we remember Jesus died for us- all his suffering was freely given so we might be in full relationship with his Father, our God. What a gift of love! How much more we rejoice to see him out of t...

Message written by LCA for Good Friday and read by Bridgitte Willshire

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Message presented by Helen Buchholz of the German Lutheran Church Sydney.

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 May you feel the joy of welcoming Jesus into your heart this Palm Sunday!
 This Passion Week may you travel with Jesus through the highs and lows of life- through great joy and great pain. Our Lord invites you to walk with him into grace and towards eternal life. Please join us on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday to remember, repent and rejoice!

Message presented by Dr. Bruce Arnold.

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Welcome to St Paul’s- we’re glad you’re here! This week we hear John 11:1-45  again great messages of hope- that God’s Spirit revives us and faith in Jesus overcomes death. From a valley of dry bones to a return to life for Lazurus, God’s Spirit moves through God’s word for us. If we can trust and take hold of that same Spirit within us, we too will be renewed!
 Where does your life feel like a ‘valley of dry bones’? How can you ask God to breathe into that situation and...

Gospel - John 9:1-41 

We are glad you are here with us! This week we’re focused on Jesus’ healing touch. He makes a blind man see- leading to lots of questions from those who should be ‘in the know’. The man who was blind stands firm in his responses to the Pharisees- he knows Jesus healed him and believes! 
             Where, in your life, are you sure Jesus is working? How exciting to know he is with you! In what persistent difficulty might he work a miracle? Remember Jesus knows your heart! May you be blessed with c...

This week’s Gospel John 4:5-42  reminds us that our God is a God of surprises. In the story of the Samaritan woman, we see Jesus conversing with someone he shouldn’t have been. According to the social rules of the day Jesus was forbidden to speak to a woman unaccompanied- even more so a woman who was not Jewish! Yet his conversation with the woman at the well brought followers to God through her excited testimony. 
 
 We as Christians believe that each person is created in the image of God. Yet often we don’t acknowle...

This week’s Bible readings Matthew 17:1-9 remind us that we are God’s chosen people- created through God with a vision to share His peace and community in the world. We begin with the obedience of Abraham, who listened to God and was blessed with many descendants. His act of faith is recognised in Romans 4, where St Paul reminds us that faith in God is righteousness and brings us God’s favour. Jesus, God’s only Son, is our ultimate gift from God- the One who is given that He may bring us back into a true relationship with our...

This week’s Gospel reading Matthew 4:1-11  reminds us of Jesus’ temptation in the desert. Although we live in ‘civilised’ cities and towns, we also sometimes feel we are in a ‘desert’- a dry place away from spiritual refreshment or deep springs of community. Similarly, we are constantly tempted- by consumerism, acquisition of wealth, and our own selfishness. However, as we look upon a world that seems out of control, ruled by danger and constantly changing for the worse, we may also be tempted to fear. 1 John 4:18 reminds us that perfect love casts out fear; in whom does per...

This week’s Gospel Matthew 17:1-9  shares the story of God’s confirmation that Jesus is God’s Son. Imagine being surprised by someone you know being transformed into a glowing, white presence! Peter said, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here’. The brilliant light of Jesus lifted his heart! When God confirmed Jesus as God’s son, Peter was struck with awesome fear.
 
 I can’t help but think of who we follow these days- those who illuminate themselves with light. It might be an Instagram influencer with a ring light, or a news reader und...