Sermons from St. Paul Lutheran Church, Westerville, Ohio

"Hope is the fuel that runs the human heart." ~ John OrtbergWith so much evil, despair, and pain in the world, how are we to have hope? Where can we go to find hope when we are down in a valley or in a place in our lives that seem hopeless? Click play and join Pastor Aaron in a powerful sermon about hope.

Can you imagine what it would be like to not have ever seen a rainbow, a baby's face, a snow-covered landscape? What would it be like to never have seen, and then, with the touch of a healer, see for the first time? Imagine, if you can. Jesus healing touch not only offers new sight, but also a new relationship filled with visions of hope, forgiveness and promise.

Jesus encounters the Samaritan Woman at Jacob's Well. The woman was simply on her way to draw water for the day. The one thing she came for is the one thing she leaves without. Instead of a jar full of water, she receives a message of hope, forgiveness, and new life. That same gift is offered to us as well through the One who gives living water, gushing up to eternal life.

There are times when life gets a little stale, boring and empty, when you do the same things over and over and over and over again. You go through the motions but that inner motivation is not there.Sometimes that happens to us in our faith walk. How do you know if you're going stale? You start to have the habits of faith without the heart of faith. You have structures without the Spirit. You are going through the rituals but you don’t have the real thing. You are going through the patterns of faith but you no longer have the power of faith.Explore this and how we can be refreshed in the faith in Pastor Aaron's sermon, From Stale to Fresh.

The first Sunday in Lent is known as Temptation Sunday - we hear of Jesus being cast into the wilderness and faces temptation by the Tempter. He is tempted to follow Satan's mission instead of God's mission - the mission of the cross. We also face many temptations, but the greatest temptation we face is to not trust God. May we heed the call of the Prophet Joel: "Return to the Lord, your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love."

The Church transitions from the season of Epiphany (Jesus revealed as God's only Son) to the season of Lent (Jesus' journey to the cross) on this Sunday of Transfiguration. On the mountaintop, before the eyes of the disciples, Jesus shines forth in glory, and we hear again that Jesus is the Son of God. We also are given a command, just ONE - Listen to Jesus. As the journey to the cross begins, we are invited to heed this call.

Do not worry…. Those are the words that Jesus says to us in our Gospel lesson today. We can get so caught up in the anxiety of our lives and of the world around us that when we hear Jesus not just ask, but command us not to worry, we get even more bent out of shape trying to figure out how we are going to stop worrying so much! Jesus in this lesson, tells us not to worry. Jesus invites us into relationship with God, who is infinite abundance.Want to know how Hummingbirds factor in to all of this? Click play!

"Why can't we all just get along?" Good question. Today, Jesus calls us in the Gospel lesson to "love our enemy" and to "turn the other cheek." Are we as Christians called then to be doormats? No. Then what are we called to do in the face of evil? Explore that question and more in Pastor Aaron's sermon by clicking play.

We all like it when Jesus tells us nice, lovely things. Things that are easy to hear and warming to the heart. What happens when what Jesus says really challenges us?Join Pastor Charlie as he talks about how Jesus comes to fulfill the law. Jesus teaches us that the only way to salvation is through Him. All other ground is sinking sand.

(at the end of the file you will find a funny outtake from a Children's Sermon)Whether you are looking in the news or out the window, things may seem pretty dark and dreary at this time of year, but do not miss the light of Epiphany! God has given us a mission which will shed enough light to make Punxsutawney Phil and groundhogs around the world scramble for sun block! We are indeed created in God's image, therefore the spark of the divine is alive in all of us. The light shines through us as we live out God's mission for our lives each day. As Epiphany continues, we should all be prepared to let our light shine and share the good news.