Shows
St. Paul's Church - Willington, CTConfirmation Sunday 2025An overview of the Apostle's Creed, our statement of faith at St. Paul's and the focus of our confirmation class.
2025-04-2732 min2025-02-0236 min2025-01-2632 min2025-01-1932 min2025-01-1230 min2025-01-0531 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTChristmas Eve: There Was No RoomThere was no room for Jesus the night he was born. Do we make room for him now?
2024-12-2514 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTAdvent 2024: Christmas BluesFor those feeling grief this time of year.
Christmas Eve at the Grave, by Yohan Otto Hesselbom:
https://artfoodhome.com/2022/12/23/christmas-eve-at-the-grave-1896-by-otto-hesselbom/
2024-12-2226 min2024-12-1527 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTAdvent 2024: Zechariah's ProphecyReflecting on "The Song of Zechariah."
2024-12-1530 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTAdvent 2024: Zechariah's PessimismWhat we can learn from Zechariah's response to the Angel Gabriel's message.
2024-12-0129 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTThanksgiving Sunday 2024Testimonies from three members of our congregation.
2024-11-2444 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTThe Gospel of Matthew: In the StormWhat a story about a storm can teach us about the storms in our own lives.
2024-11-1724 min2024-11-1150 min2024-11-0332 min2024-10-2725 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTQuick to Listen 2: One Day"One Day" by Matisyahu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03bHHEkbZsw
Koolulam Version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqvKDCP5-xE
2024-10-2135 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTQuick to Listen 2: Through All the YearsThough All the Years, by Andrew Word:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9fgmRGMba4
2024-10-1334 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTQuick to Listen 2: Lovers in a Dangerous TimeLovers in a Dangerous Time by Bruce Cockburn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQCdm-Xhovw
2024-10-0627 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTQuick to Listen 2: Learning to FlyLearning to Fly by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-LsnQPwHzI
2024-09-2924 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTQuick to Listen 2: Resurrect MeResurrect Me by Jon Foreman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La3LKDJKJoU
2024-09-2230 min2024-09-1525 min2024-09-0948 min2024-09-0128 min2024-08-2530 min2024-08-1836 min2024-08-1135 min2024-08-0430 min2024-07-2831 min2024-07-2136 min2024-07-1534 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTThe Gospel of Matthew - The Sermon on the Mount: Wolves in Sheep's Clothing
2024-07-0730 min2024-06-3027 min2024-06-2330 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTI Cry Aloud (Psalm 77)Guest Speaker Benjamin Hall teaches on how Psalm 77 can help us to practice Jesus's teaching on worry (that we looked at least week).
2024-06-1842 min2024-06-1034 min2024-06-0339 min2024-05-2728 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTThe Gospel of Matthew - The Sermon on the Mount: Getting RealJesus's teaching on giving, prayer, and fasting reveals how much God values authenticity. We considered why our motivations are so important to God.
2024-05-2128 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTThe Gospel of Matthew - The Sermon on the Mount: Dealing with Enemies
2024-05-1232 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTThe Gospel of Matthew - The Sermon on the Mount: OathsThis week we considered Jesus's teaching on oaths: Why did he say not to take oaths? And what did he mean when he said "let your yes be yes and your no be no"?
2024-05-0525 min2024-04-2830 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTThe Gospel of Matthew - The Sermon on the Mount: AngerWe have a tendency to think of our anger as a sign of our righteousness, but Jesus challenges us to think differently.
2024-04-2127 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTThe Gospel of Matthew - The Sermon on the Mount: Jesus and the LawEarly in Jesus's Sermon on the Mount, he gives a clarification about his relationship to the Old Testament (the Law and the Prophets). He says that he hasn't come to abolish it, but to fulfill it. He also says that "every stroke of the pen of the Law" will remain "until heaven and earth pass away," and that anyone who teaches someone to break "the least of these commands" will be called "least in the Kingdom of God." We considered how we should understand Jesus's words and what they mean for our lives today.
2024-04-1429 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTThe Gospel of Matthew - The Sermon on the Mount: The BeatitudesToday we returned to our ongoing series in the Gospel of Matthew with the next major section: the Sermon on the Mount. We considered the significance of the beatitudes, Jesus's description of the kind of people who are blessed. What does it mean to be blessed, and what does it look like to be a blessed person?
2024-04-0736 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTEaster: Reflecting on ResurrectionHe is risen! This morning we reflected on the the resurrection: what it means for our own future, and how it's reality and power are revealed.
2024-04-0133 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTGood Friday 2024: Blood and WaterThe Gospel of John tells us that after Jesus died, a soldier put a spear in his side and out of the wound flowed blood and water. Tonight we considered the meaning of this moment.
2024-03-2922 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTOn the Way to the Cross, Pt 2: Jesus on TrialThis week we reflected on the significance of Jesus's trials before the Sanhedrin and Pilate: his last stops before the cross.
2024-03-2432 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTOn the Way to the Cross, Pt 2: The Last SupperToday we considered how the meaning of the Passover should help us to appreciate the significance of the Lord's Supper.
2024-03-1733 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTOn the Way to the Cross, Pt 2: The Raising of LazarusThis week we considered the significance of one of Jesus's most impressive miracles: the raising of Lazarus: what it reveals about God's attitude toward death, and his power over it.
2024-03-1033 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTSurviving the Wilderness: FaithThis week we considered the role of faith in making it through the spiritual wilderness of life. What actually is faith? And what does it enable us to do? We looked at Hebrews 11 for insight.
2024-03-0337 min2024-02-2546 min2024-02-1837 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTThe Gospel of Matthew - The Beginning: The InvitationJesus invited fishermen to be his disciples, telling them he would make them "fishers of people." This morning we considered what that means.
2024-02-1133 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTThe Gospel of Matthew - The Beginning: The Preacher's First MessageThis morning we considered the meaning and significance of Jesus's first message in the Gospel of Matthew: "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near."
2024-02-0430 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTThe Gospel of Matthew - The Beginning: The Tempter Tempts JesusThis week we considered what we can learn from Jesus's temptation by the devil in the wilderness. The temptations were all attempts by the Devil to get Jesus to be the kind of Messiah people want, rather than the one we need.
2024-01-2832 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTThe Gospel of Matthew - The Beginning: The Baptizer Baptizes JesusAll four Gospels include the story of John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus. But why? This morning we considered why the baptizer and the baptism matters.
2024-01-2133 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTWhen the Word Became Flesh: The Escape to EgyptIn the final message of our "When the Word Became Flesh" series we considered: what does it mean that Jesus "fulfills" the Scriptures?
2024-01-1433 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTWhen the Word Became Flesh: The Magi's VisitOn the "7th Day of Christmas" we considered: who were the Magi? And what was the significance of their visit?
2023-12-3130 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTWhen the Word Became Flesh: The ArrivalThis Christmas Eve, we considered what the circumstances of Jesus's arrival tell us about God.
2023-12-2419 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTWhen the Word Became Flesh: The Virgin BirthOn this third Sunday in Advent we considered the significance of the virgin birth.
2023-12-1731 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTWhen the Word Became Flesh: The Adoptive FatherWhat Jesus's adoptive father reveals about what true righteousness looks like.
2023-12-1033 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTThe Creed: I Believe in the Forgiveness of SinsWhat does it mean for the Church to confess that "we believe in the forgiveness of sins?" To help us understand what it looks like to live out this confession, St. Paul's member Dean Collins shared a powerful story from his own life.
2022-11-1342 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTEphesians: Put on Your ArmorThis week we finished our series on Ephesians by looking at Paul's final exhortations to put on "the armor of God." What does it mean to do that?
2022-08-1435 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTEphesians: Living the Calling, Pt 3In chapter 5, Paul continues to explain what it looks like when we "live lives worthy of the calling we have received."
2022-07-3132 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTEphesians: Living the Calling, Pt 2In the second half of Ephesians chapter 4, Paul continues to describe what it looks like for us to "live lives worthy of the calling we've received." He insists that we "no longer live like the Gentiles do." We explored what that means.
2022-07-1734 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTEphesians: Living the CallingAfter spending half the letter talking about who we are in Christ, the Apostle Paul shifts in chapter 4 to talking about how we should live. We considered what it looks like "to live lives worthy of the calling we've received."
2022-07-1028 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTEphesians: What We Need Prayer ForThis week we examined what Paul prayed for the Ephesians. He prayed for things we all need prayer for, although they aren't the most common prayer requests. We considered the meaning of Paul's requests, and how they should should shape our perspective and focus.
2022-07-0329 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTEphesians: Prove 'em WrongThis week we continued our Ephesians series by looking at a passage where Paul reveals a fascinating (and often forgotten) plot point about the purpose of the church in God's story.
2022-06-1931 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTEphesians: A Mystery RevealedThis week guest speaker John Vampatella continued our series in Ephesians. Paul said that "a mystery had been made known to him." We identified what that mystery was, and what it means for us today.
2022-06-1236 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTEphesians: Seated With Christ in the HeavensThis week we continued our series on Ephesians. We considered what Paul meant when he said that "we have been seated with Christ in the heavenly realms."
This podcast begins with a prayer inspired by the recent mass shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo.
2022-05-2931 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTEphesians: Spiritual BlessingsThis week we began our new series on the Book of Ephesians. Paul begins his letter with an outpouring of praise for the spiritual blessings we have through Christ. We identified what these spiritual blessings are. We also considered what it means that we are "predestined" and "chosen before the creation of the world."
2022-05-2232 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTThanksgiving Sunday 2021: Four TestimoniesOn this Thanksgiving Weekend, we heard stories from four people in our congregation (Peter Kelly, Pamela Leggett, Paul Dancosse, and Keith Anderson) about how God has worked in their lives.
2021-11-2838 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTParables of Luke: The Four SoilsLast week when we concluded the Galatians series, we paid special attention to Paul's exhortation: "Do not grow weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we don't give up." Similarly, Jesus also used the analogy of a harvest to describe the results of God's teaching working in our lives. In his "Parable of the Four Soils," he warns us that there are things that can harm or prevent that "harvest." This Sunday we identified what those things are, and how to avoid them.
2021-10-0336 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTGalatians: Concluding Commands (6:1 - 18)Today we finished our Galatians series by looking at Paul's concluding commands. These commands, given to help a messed up church develop a healthier community, are just as relevant for churches today as they were then.
2021-09-2630 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTGalatians: Three Ways of Life (5:13 - 26)Paul described three modes of life: (1) Life under the Law, (2) Life in the flesh, and (3) Life in the Spirit. Our minds can shift from one mode to another, sometimes multiple times in a day. This week we identified the signs of each mode, and how we can live more in the Spirit.
2021-09-0538 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTGalatians: What Faith Looks Like (4:21 - 5:12)In this next section of Galatians, Paul reminds us of four essential qualities of a healthy Christian faith.
2021-08-2929 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTGalatians: A God Called Abba (3:26 - 4:7)Paul said that when the Holy Spirit dwells in us he cries out: "Abba! Father!" What does that mean?
There are two main ways to think about yourself: (1) As an orphan in the universe, (2) As a child of the Creator. Jesus taught us to embrace the second option.
2021-08-0830 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTGalatians: What About the Law? (3:19 - 3:25)Part of the Bible records the Law God gave Moses. In Galatians, Paul argues that obedience to this Law is not necessary for being part of the family of God. But if that's the case, what was the point of the Law? How should we view the parts of the Bible that contain the Law today?
2021-08-0131 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTGalatians: Paul Makes His Case (3:1 - 18)In this next part of Galatians, Paul appeals to both the Galatians' experience and to the Scriptures to combat the false teachers.
2021-07-1131 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTGalatians: The Confrontation (2:11 - 21)This week we continued our series on the Book of Galatians by looking at Paul's confrontation with Peter: one apostle publicly rebuked another. Why? And what can we learn from the confrontation?
2021-07-0432 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTGalatians: Defending the Good News (1:1 - 2:10)This Sunday we began a new series on Paul's letter to the Galatians. Of all Paul's New Testament letters, Galatians might be his angriest. But when we consider what made Paul angry, it may be his most encouraging letter, too. Paul was defending the Gospel from false teachers. This morning we identified what their error was, and why that error was so important.
2021-06-2739 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTThe Cross: Our Revelation of GodThis morning we began a new Lenten series looking at the Cross. The Apostle Paul said that the cross reveals a "hidden wisdom" that is better than anything any ear has heard, any eye has seen, or any mind has conceived. But why would something as ugly as an innocent man condemned to a terrible death be described this way? This morning we identified several reasons why.
2021-03-0730 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTA Scripture Passage for 2021Many of us are eager to put 2020 behind us. But in the same way that we could not have predicted the events of 2020 in 2019, we can't predict the events of 2021 today. Is it possible to find contentment in the midst of this kind of uncertainty? The Apostle Paul thought so (Philippians 4:10-13). This morning we considered why.
2021-01-0325 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTPerspective For Trials, Pt 2This week we looked at another passage that gives us wisdom to sustain us in tough times: 2 Corinthians 4:8-18. Paul said that his sufferings were "achieving an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." What does that mean?
2020-08-2329 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTOutsmarting Your Smart PhoneThis week we were joined by Dr. Bradley Wright, a professor at UConn and longtime friend of St. Paul's, who has researched the way our digital devices our affecting our lives. As followers of Jesus, it's important for us not only to think about how we steward our money but also how we steward our time and our attention. Dr. Wright helped us to recognize how mismanagement of our digital devices can harm us spiritually and emotionally, and offered several tips on how to get our usage under control.
2020-02-0923 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTYou Died to SinWhat does Paul mean when he says that we are "dead to sin"? This week guest speaker Lucas Dourado from Reformed University Fellowship helped us unpack Romans 6.
2020-02-0227 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTGrace Grace GraceThis Sunday Lucas Dourado, the campus minister for Reformed University Fellowship at the University of Connecticut, joined us to speak more on a theme we've been emphasizing a lot so far in 2019: grace. The letter to the Ephesians was written to encourage unity in the church, but before the Apostle Paul said anything about what the Ephesians should or shouldn't do, he spent a lot of time talking about the grace of God. This morning Lucas identified four aspects of God's grace that should encourage us and form a solid foundation for our unity as a church.
2019-01-2733 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTScenes in Acts: Talking People to DeathIn what might be the strangest story in Acts, a man falls asleep and tumbles out a window when Paul talks for hours on end. Guest speaker John Vampatella considered what this story can teach us about how to communicate well.
2018-07-0131 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTScenes in Acts: The Gospel for IntellectualsThis week guest speaker Aaron Campbell from The Bridge Church continued our Scenes in Acts series by looking at what happened when Paul shared the Gospel with a group of intellectuals.
2018-06-2436 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTScenes in Acts: Parting WordsWhen Paul left his friends in Ephesus, everyone knew there was a good chance they would never see him again. With this in mind, Paul left them with parting words that are relevant for all churches: Pay careful attention, and cling to God and His grace.
2018-06-1733 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTScenes in Acts: JailbreakPaul and Silas were victims of a terrible, unjust turn of events, but it ended up yielding beautiful results. We considered how this particular story should inspire us to trust God when things take a turn for the worse, and the unique opportunities that occur when they do.
2018-05-2735 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTScenes in Acts: Paul's ConversionThis week in Scenes in Acts, Pastor Keith looked at the remarkable story of Paul's conversion. How does a man go from viciously suppressing a movement to becoming its most prominent voice?
2018-04-3025 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTUncommon Sense: The TongueThis week guest speaker (and former St. Paul's staff member) Emma Liddle continues our Proverbs series with a look at one of the book's most popular topics: the tongue.
2017-10-0128 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTSharing the Faith: Part 1This week we started a new series on sharing our faith. In our current cultural climate, attempting "evangelism" is often seen as rude and intolerant - and yet Jesus commands us to "make disciples." How can we share our faith in a way that is genuine, culturally-sensitive, and faithful to God? This week we look at an example from Scripture where the Apostle Paul does just that: his sermon in Athens at the Areopagus.
2017-08-0642 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTPattern ShatteringThis week, Pastor Keith walks us through Romans 12:1-2, a passage about how we should live in response to God's mercy. Paul says that we should not conform to the "patterns of this world," but instead "renew our minds." Keith offers some practical suggestions for "pattern shattering," as well as some personal reflection on how the truth of this passage has been evident in his own life.
2017-07-0934 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTOur Values: Biblical TeachingOur series on Our Values continues this week with the value of Biblical Teaching. At St. Paul's we value the Bible very highly - this week we ask the question: Why? We explore some reasons for valuing the Bible highly, beyond the circular argument that "we should value the Bible because the Bible says so."
2017-02-2636 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTJames: The Faith and Works DilemmaJames says that faith without works is USELESS and that we are justified not by faith alone, but by what we DO. But how do we reconcile this with what Paul says - that we are saved by grace through faith, NOT by our works? Does the Bible contradict? Today we take a look at the faith/works dilemma.
2016-08-0733 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTColossians: House RulesThe second-to-last installment in our Colossians series looks at a passage that might sound offensive to our modern ears. Paul gives a set of "house rules" for Christian households, with instructions to husbands and wives, children and parents, and slaves and masters. What are we to make of commands like "wives submit to your husbands" and "slaves obey your masters" in the 21st century? Join us as we examine the context of the passage and seek to understand the spirit of the teaching.
2016-06-0532 minSt. Paul's Church - Willington, CTColossians: The Supreme and Reconciling KingWho is Jesus? We begin our series in Colossians with a look at Paul's description of Jesus as the highest possible authority. The youtube video that is referenced can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erK28tenDnA
2016-04-0324 min