St. Paul's Church - Willington, Ct

In Smyrna refusing to worship anyone but Jesus could result in imprisonment or even death. For many people today, "Smyrnan faith" doesn't make sense. We identified several reasons why, and what's missing in many people's understanding of faith.

This week we began our new series on the seven letters written to the churches in the Book of Revelation, starting with the letter to the church in Ephesus. Jesus commended this church for many things, but said that it suffered from one critical flaw that could forever destroy its witness.

The story of Daniel and the lion's den is a Sunday School favorite: good triumphs and obedience is rewarded. It's an encouraging story, but we have to be careful not to understand it too simplistically. This story teaches not only that God saves, but also that the way of faith can be difficult and costly.

This week we continued our series in Daniel by looking at the story of King Belshazzar, where the expression "the writing's on the wall" originates. Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar never humbled himself before God. He saw God as dead, because he failed to pay attention to the evidence of Nebuchadnezzar's transformed life.

One of the most emotionally-provoking and divisive issues in present-day America is the topic of immigration. This week guest speaker Chuck Redfern considered what Scripture has to say about this subject. All of us need to ask ourselves: which face are we presenting to the world? The face of anger and rage? Or the face of grace?

This week guest preacher Steve Crosby reminded us that our lives as followers of Jesus are supposed to be characterized by HOPE. But what do we do when we (or those we love) are afflicted by mental conditions that make it especially hard to hope? Steve addressed this difficult question, speaking from both Scripture and personal experience.

For the first several chapters of Daniel, it's hard to tell whether King Nebuchadnezzar is a villain or an ally. This week we looked at the last part of Nebuchadnezzar's story. Nebuchadnezzar loses his mind. When we understand why, there's an important lesson for all of us.

n Daniel chapter 3, three men are faced with a choice: bow down to a false God, or get thrown into a furnace. They refuse to bow down. The faith they display should challenge us to ask ourselves: is my faith merely a way of gaining God's favor so that I can live a long and comfortable life? Or is it something deeper than that?

This week we started a new series on the story of Daniel. Daniel was an exile in a foreign land, and - in a sense - we are, too. As followers of Christ, our true citizenship is not in any earthly kingdom, but in Heaven. The story of Daniel gives us an example of what it looks like to remain faithful in our own exile.

On the surface, the Book of Ruth is a sweet story about a loyal daughter-in-law and a reversal of fortune for her and her mother-in-law. But when we understand the larger story it's a part of, it's even more beautiful.

Although the Teacher of Ecclesiastes is disillusioned with many things, he does not recommend despair. Sprinkled throughout the book are seven passages that call us to enjoy our lives. This week we considered how these passages can guide us in making the most of our "vaporous" lives.

This week: more proverbial wisdom from Ecclesiastes. This time we considered: (1) how death teaches us, (2) receiving correction, (3) our "lizard brains," (4) the hazards of sexual attraction, and (5) "what if there's bears??" thinking.

The Teacher offers us wisdom on a variety of topics. This week we looked at three of Pastor Ryan's favorites, which address nostalgia, overhearing criticism, and being "too righteous."

Has your life ever felt like a nightmare? This week we heard from Chuck Redfern, a minister and member of our congregation with a powerful testimony. Chuck shared his experience of dealing with "incurable" cancer and the insight that experience has given him into Romans 5:3-5 and Colossians 1:24. How do our sufferings "make up for what is lacking in the suffering of Christ"?

This week for the first time in four chapters the Teacher switches from observations to commands. (e.g., Do this. Don't do this.). The subject he feels so strongly about as to warrant direct instruction is how we speak before God. We considered what his instructions mean for us today.

Work, or "toil" as Ecclesiastes often describes it, is a part of life. The Teacher encourages us to recognize that our toil is like vapor, but he also encourages us to find satisfaction in our work. This week we considered the question: How can we find satisfaction in our work, even if it is "like vapor"?

This week in Ecclesiastes: three observations about the harsh nature of life that have power to lead us to despair...or to God.

This week we began a new sermon series on the Old Testament wisdom book of Ecclesiastes. This book surprises many when they discover it in their Bibles: it sounds despairing and cynical. "Meaningless! Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!" it declares. As depressing as it may sound, Ecclesiastes offers a perspective that God wants us to hear. It "goads us" toward the holy ache.

The Book of Jonah is a subversive, funny, and profound story that challenges us to ask some tough questions about ourselves.

What does it mean to be truly "free"? This week, guest speaker Bob McCoy used the story of Jesus healing a demon-possessed man to show the difference between false freedom and true freedom.