St. Paul's Church - Willington, Ct

Guest speaker Bob McCoy continues our Untamed Jesus series by looking at one of Jesus' stranger parables. NOTE: We apologize, but due to technical issues last week's message by member Chris Crosby (The Untamed Jesus: Drastic Measures) on Matthew 5:29-30 was not recorded.

Jesus said that he did not come to "abolish the law" and that not the smallest part of it would disappear until "heaven and earth pass away." Does that mean we should be following all the Old Testament laws? If we are still eating shellfish, trimming the corners of our beards, and mixing our fabrics will we "certainly not see the Kingdom of Heaven"? This week we take a closer look at this confusing passage.

Our "Untamed Jesus" series continues: What do we do with the fact that the "Prince of Peace" said "I have not come to bring peace...but a sword?" Was Jesus advocating violence, or did he have something else in mind?

This week we started our Untamed Jesus series, where we're reflecting on places in the Gospels where Jesus does or says things that seem weird, harsh, or out-of-character. This week we looked for the practical wisdom in a strange saying from the Sermon on the Mount: "Don't give what is sacred to dogs; don't toss your pearls to pigs."

He is risen! (He is risen, indeed!) But is he, really? This Easter we consider four reasons to believe in the reality of Jesus' resurrection.

At our Good Friday service we looked at the last remaining saying of Jesus on the cross: "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" We considered the question: what can we learn from God crying out, "God, where are you?"

This week we continued our reflection on the seven things Jesus said on the cross with another three sayings: "I am thirsty," "It is finished," and "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." What we should hear when we read these words is more than we might initially realize.

The Gospels record Jesus saying seven things on the cross. These are very significant insights into the character of God, since they are what "the exact representation of God's being" said while suffering extreme distress. This week we look at three of them: "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing," "Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise," and "Dear woman, here is your son."

Our values series finished this week with the value that ties them all together: worship. To live a life of worship is to live a life that reflects the greatest commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. In our present culture, many would regard this kind of lifestyle as "fanatical." Depending on one's definition of the word, it may in fact be fanatical - but it is a "wise fanaticism." We identify four reasons why.

Our values series continues with the subject of fellowship. The experience of God is an experience that is meant to be shared! We talk about why fellowship is so important and what to do if we're experiencing a feeling of disconnectedness.

This week our values series continues with service. We look at John 13:1-18 (when Jesus washes the disciples feet) for answers to the questions: (1) What does service look like? (2) Why should we value service? and (3) What do we have to do before we can serve?

Our series on our values continues with a look at Jesus' Great Commission (Mt 28:16-20). We hear from speakers from three outreach-focused ministries that we currently support: Scott Thomson from Cru, Jon Alumbaugh from International Christian Fellowship, and Rob Johnston from YoungLife.

Our 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."

Our series on Our Values continues this week with the subject of prayer. We look at some of the patterns of thinking that can keep us from prayer and how to overcome them.

Guest speaker Bob McCoy joins us for the second-half of his series on the Book of Jonah.

Guest speaker Bob McCoy joins us for the first-half of a two part series on the Book of Jonah.

At our first Q&A service: Why did God create us? How do we reconcile free will and God's sovereignty? Dating, bible translations, and more.

In light of Martin Luther King Day, this week we talk about a hard topic: racism in present-day America. The church is called to be a revolutionary community where racism is absent, but there is still work to do.

At our first Sunday in our new location, we ask the question: Do weekly worship services really matter? We look at Romans 12:1-8 to help us identify 4 reasons why the answer is YES.

Our Nativity series ended Christmas Eve with a focus on the center of it all: the infant Jesus. What does it mean to say that the infant Jesus is "Immanuel" (God with us)?