St. Paul's Church - Willington, Ct

This week we continued our journey through Revelation with a new vision of the "144,000." The vision teaches us several things about those who are victorious in the spiritual battle described in the previous two chapters.

This week we continued our study in the Book of Revelation with chapter 13. John had a vision of two beasts, one from the sea and one from the land. We considered what this vision means, both for the first readers in the 1st century and its relevance for today (ALSO: this week we looked at "the mark of the beast," and "666" - they might not mean what you've thought!)

After a 7-month hiatus, this Sunday we finally returned to where we left off in the Book of Revelation. John had a vision of a woman with a crown of 12 stars, giving birth while a dragon waited to devour her child. We considered what this confusing vision reveals about the reality of spiritual warfare through the use of Old Testament symbols and allusions. We also considered one specific way that we experience this spiritual war, and how to resist.

This week guest Mike Distefano provided biblical perspective on the increasingly common affliction of our time: anxiety.

Jesus told a fascinating parable - the Parable of the Weeds - that gives us insight into two questions: (1) Why is the world so messed up? and (2) What should we do about it?

It's one of Jesus' most well-known and quoted commands, but also one of the most difficult to live out: love your enemies. This week guest speaker John Vampatella, the northeast regional direction of the Athletes in Action ministry, spoke on how 2020 has been teaching him to practice Jesus' difficult command.

Scott Thomson, the director of the Cru ministry at UConn, joined us this week to share about what he's been learning in this unusually challenging year.

In keeping with last week's theme, this Sunday we looked at another passage to help center us during these emotionally volatile times: Mark 12:13-17. Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." In heated political times we can be tempted to give to Caesar what really belongs to God.

Election season is an emotionally charged time (to say the least!). Today we looked at a passage that can help center us in the chaos: John 13:1-17. Jesus washed the disciples' feet and told them to do the same. We considered what this means for the Church in times like these.

This 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?

Psalm 23. It's one of the most well-known and beloved passages, often read at funerals. Lucas Dourado joined us this week to reflect on the significance of this psalm: the Lord is our shepherd. What does that really mean?

Trials are a part of life, and so far 2020 has had a lot of them. This morning we considered how James 1:2-8 can give us perspective in the midst of trials.

In this time of increased social isolation and anxiety, we are particularly susceptible to unhealthy addictions. We considered where to begin in pursuing recovery: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free! (Gal 5:1)

Mary, the sister of Lazarus, honored Jesus with an extravagant offering when she poured an expensive perfume on Jesus' feet. The disciples objected: couldn't this have been sold and the money given to the poor? Despite Jesus' concern for the poor, he came to Mary's defense. We considered how this story can remind us of a fundamental truth that's easy to drift from.

When Jesus was seen casting out demons and healing people, the Pharisees came up with a conspiracy theory to discredit him. We considered what this story can teach us about the "crisis of epistemology" in the world today.

Are you feeling weary? This morning we looked at some of Jesus' most comforting words - an invitation to come to him and find rest for our souls. Jesus invited us to "put his yoke upon us." What does this mean, and what does it have to do with us finding peace?

Remember when we couldn't find toilet paper anywhere? Back in March, we all developed a scarcity mindset around toilet paper, and then something that wasn't scarce became scarce. The scarcity mindset can infect our thinking and often it does more harm than good. This morning, we considered how several stories from the Gospel of Matthew challenge us to unlearn this mindset.

This week we came to the end of our Sermon on the Mount series with what might be Jesus' scariest teaching (Matthew 7:15-23). Jesus said that one day some people who have prophesied, casted our demons, and performed miracles will hear him say, "Away from me. I never knew you." We considered: Who are these people? And why will Jesus say this to them?

Last Sunday we continued our series on the Sermon on the Mount by looking at Jesus' teaching on judging. "Do not judge" is one of our culture's favorite quotations from Jesus - both within and outside the Church. Unfortunately, these words are often used as a way of avoiding whatever we don't want to hear, but they are actually an invitation to self-awareness (NOTE: This is a re-recording of Sunday's live recording, in order to remedy the poor quality of the original recording)

This week we continued our series in the Sermon on the Mount: Jesus criticized the religious leaders of his time for being more concerned with "virtue-signaling" than actually being virtuous. In response, Jesus prescribed the essential practice of "unseen righteousness."