Lutheran - St. Paul's Sydney Podcast

“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...

This week's Gospel, Luke 4:14-21, holds a very exciting note that we might easily miss! Imagine being in the synagogue when Jesus himself was teaching- what a moment, to be able to hear the words of Isaiah spoken by the Son of God himself! The text tells us that all who were present had their eyes 'fastened on him.' Jesus clearly had a presence. How do you think you might have felt, when he finished reading about the good things God's Spirit would bring to the world? Imagine your surprise as a man you knew as a neighbour...

This week's Gospel John 2:1-11  recounts the story of Jesus turning water into wine. Our sermon tells us this is the first 'sign' given by Jesus that 'reveals His glory'. Water at a wedding, in jars of clay- a pretty ordinary offering that Jesus made extraordinary in a great gift of compassion and love. We today may be at risk of missing signs of glory all around us, thinking that things are 'ordinary'. How 'ordinary' does every morning seem- as we get up again from our beds (perhaps missing the extraordinary gift of rest and refreshment given in God's p...

This week Luke’s Gospel Luke 3:15-17, 21,22  brings us the story of Jesus’ baptism, and God’s gift of the Holy Spirit resting upon Jesus. The Epistle reading recalls the great blessing of the Holy Spirit bestowed on a group of new believers who had been baptised in Jesus’ name. There are many blessings to unpack here for us who are baptised in Jesus’ name!
            
We understand that through baptism we enter into the life and death of Jesus. We are clothed in His love and share in all the richness that God gives His Son. Sometimes we...

In this week's readings we see very different examples of encountering Jesus. The Gospel, Matthew 2:1-12.  tells of the Wise Men from the east, kneeling before a baby in a manger with their precious gifts of great value. We imagine the scene each Christmas as we gaze at our Nativity. But in Ephesians Paul tells us we may approach the throne of Jesus with freedom and confidence. What a different picture! Not only is Jesus now seated on a throne, He is to be approached confidently- like one who we love and know well. Someone we...

'Children run joyfully- Jesus is born. Tell all the mountains to sing!' This is the beginning of a Christmas song I sang in primary school. This week's Gospel Luke 2:41-52 tells the story of the young Jesus in the temple sharing about His Father in heaven, and asking questions of the temple leaders. Those who heard Him speak were amazed that someone so young could speak so well and have such knowledge. The Gospels joyfully record the life of Jesus and His teachings in a way that allows us to be astonished by Him, even today...

Christmas Day message was written and presented by Howard Osland of the Sydney Norweigan Lutheran Church.

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Tonight's message for Christmas Eve was written by LCA and presented by Bridgette Wilshire.

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Throughout Advent we draw closer to the fulfilment of God's promise to His people- that He will send a Saviour and Redeemer for all the world. Can you feel the excitement building? This week's Gospel Luke 1:39-55  reading tells us about the baby in Elizabeth's womb 'leaping for joy' as Mary came to visit. Do you remember a time when a promise made you 'leap for joy'? Perhaps it was on your wedding day, or when Santa brought you the first toy on your Christmas list! God's promise is greater than any gift or blessed relationship we c...

This week we hear about 'God's Amazing Plan' in our Nativity Service at St Paul's! 
Come and hear of 'God's Amazing Plan'- and look forward to the ways it will ripple through your own life. God bless you this week!
The message was written and presented by Dr. Bruce Arnold.
 

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This week's Gospel message Luke 3:1-6  invites us to 'Prepare the way for the Lord!'. The people of Israel had great expectations about the coming King- he would rule in majesty and be a powerful ruler. They looked forward to the arrival of this King in glory- after all, the Son of God was coming! However, God often fulfils His promises in ways that people don't expect- indeed, perhaps instead of 'great expectations' we ought to 'expect the unexpected!'. Jesus was born of Mary- a human baby- just like you and I. His life contained s...

This week's Gospel reading Luke 21: 25-36  appears difficult; speaking openly of nations in anguish, terror and perplexity. The world around us often feels like this today. Considering the judgement each person will face when Jesus returns may feel heavy, and bring a spirit of fear. However, Jesus comes to bring us life and freedom with Him. 2 Timothy 1:7 reminds us that His Spirit gives us power. Let us look to Luke 21:28 and feel the gladness that comes as we recognise 'redemption is coming near'.
The Mesage was written and presented by Dr. Wendy Mayer.

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This week our Gospel reading John 18: 33-37  speaks about truth. These days truth seems like quite a slippery concept. We can easily become confused by conflicting stories we hear online and in our neighbourhoods. This makes us feel unsure, and sometimes even unsafe. At times people deliberately spread things that are not true, just to get a reaction or make themselves seem important. However, God made us to have a deep relationship with the truth. When we know for sure who we are and what is true we are more secure and steady in the world. This w...

This week we welcome Bishop Richard Schwedes to St Paul's. Bishop Richard will be speaking on 'Rock Solid Hope', based on Mark 13: 1-8. These days the world seems full of change; it can be hard to know what we can depend on and what to keep hold of as differences swirl all around us. We know that change is a constant in life, yet it can feel scary or worrying when we aren't sure where to put our anchor. The Bible tells us that our stronghold is the Lord. We have no need to fear if we look to...

This week we are joined by Mark Simpfendorfer, who is sharing a message based on Jeremiah 29:4-14. This passage reminds us that God keeps his promises to those who love him. Promises are not always easy to keep, and the Bible shows us many ways God's people do things which hurt God's heart. Perhaps you have been struggling to keep a promise you have made. Perhaps someone has hurt you, and God's command to 'love as I have loved you' suddenly seems just too hard to bear. In Jeremiah, God reminds us that if we seek him with our...

This week's Gospel reading is very familiar, Matthew 5: 1-12. The 'Sermon on the Mount' assures us that we are truly blessed, even (and especially) when we struggle. It can be tempting, when coming to this text, to think we know it all already- that something so familiar could have nothing new to say to us. We must remember our God is a God of creativity; his word is always fresh and he longs to speak deeply to our hearts each time we encounter him. Our Christian lives will require us to step into difficult places, or deal...