St. Paul Lutheran, Davenport

John closes the account of Jesus' public ministry with the final words of Jesus' prayer for the disciples, that God will hold them together against every divisive and polarizing claim,  to offer to all people what God has sent Jesus to bring—the light in a dark world that Israel has been and Jesus has embodied.Preaching text: John 17:20-26Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on God's grace. Our lives are like the water of a watershed, which eventually flows toward a big river. All creation will be pulled by the gravity of grace into the goodness, care, and the ultimate joy of life with God. All of our lives flow back into God's care. Even if we can't see the river of life which flows through our lives now, we can trust that God's grace is still there pulling us. Preaching text: Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5 

The Book of Revelation presents a soaring vision of the city of God to which all nations turn for praise and healing, with a surprising twist regarding when and where that vision comes into reality.Preaching text: Revelation 21:10, 22-22:5Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Katy Warren preaches on love. Often, we think there is only so much love to share, but love is not a limited resource. There is more than enough to go around. In all areas of our lives, we have new opportunities to love more. Love doesn't get used up; it grows if we allow it. We love without conditions or stipulations. To love as Jesus loves us, we should support, encourage, and provide for others, even those we don't know well, in whatever way we can. Preaching text: John 13:31-35

Luke's reassurance to the community reading Acts that they are indeed included in the life-giving work of God's spirit becomes for us, as readers of Acts, an encouragement to look for the surprising places where God's Spirit might be at work today.Preaching text: Acts 11:1-18Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on trust. The words of Psalm 23 provide comfort, but the psalm doesn't just talk about a comfortable kind of love from God. Human life is full of challenges and battles, grief and sorrow. Our faith gives us what we need to navigate those difficult times with courage and hope. God's love and mercy follow us every minute of every day, through every happy time and during the difficult ones.  Preaching text: Psalm 23

Set at the Jewish Festival of Renewal, John's story about Jesus shows that God renews the promise of life for all people over and over again, in different times and places and ways, yet all life  — and eternal life — comes from God.Preaching text: John 10:22-30Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Katy Warren preaches on connection. We belong to each other, for better or for worse. There's more to faith than our personal perspective, there's a great community surrounding each of us. It's easier to judge, to hate, to persecute someone from a distance but it's much harder to do those things when you look someone in the eye and recognize their humanity. Be the people who are unafraid to move close.  Preaching text: Acts 9:1-20

Maddy Tyler preaches on the resurrection. In our days of grief and despair, when we've lost ourselves, Jesus meets us where we are. He meets us at the foot of our own burdens and grief. There isn't any barrier or locked door that keeps Christ away. When we lose faith in each other or in ourselves, Jesus will always cross through the barriers and meet us.  Preaching text: John 20:19-31

Bridging the life of Jesus and the life of his own church community, John uses powerful symbolism and narrative to announce that the life abundant that Jesus promised will be realized in a community embracing all people with leadership that is devoted to Jesus and to servanthood.Preaching text: John 21:1-19Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

A double appearance by Jesus in the original ending of John's gospel offers a double blessing to all who follow the risen Master. John has been introducing us to Thomas all along as the pragmatic one, the realistic one, the one just like us (of like Eeyore, as one John scholar says), and here the picture comes to its fullness not in a doubting Thomas but, in fact, in a believing Thomas. Preaching text: John 20:19-31Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Mark Niethammer preaches on Easter Sunday. Somedays, everything feels like it's going wrong and everywhere you turn there is bad news. When we're surrounded by the bad of the world, we get angrier, turn in on ourselves, and stew in our own misery. Remember what Jesus said throughout his life and take those things into your tomorrows. Love others, give generously, forgive. You can be the good news for someone else.  Preaching text: Luke 24:1-12

Happy Easter, podcast listeners! A particularly amazing thing happens in today's episode. Little Bird's best friend Jesus died just three days ago and while she and a few of Jesus' other friends are getting ready for his burial, some special visitors bring surprising news.

Amidst a bevy of details that make the whole story seem questionable, Luke sets the one question that proclaims the Easter gospel from the heart of an empty tomb: Why do you seek the living among the dead? Why, indeed — then, now, or ever.Preaching text: Luke 24:1-12Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on Jesus' steadfast love. Jesus' saving work was to bring freedom and hope not just for the people in his own time and place but for all creation of every time and place. Our songs of praise are joined with those who came before us and those who will come after us. We don't have to carry the weight of the world; it's not all up to us, because we already have a savior.  Preaching text: Luke 19:28-40 See postersArtist's website

Today's episode is a sad one. There are some scary and hard things, but there is also lots of good and love. Our story begins on the same evening as the Last Supper. When Jesus is arrested and put on trial, Little Bird and the disciples are scared and don't know quite what to do. But Jesus is ready to show the world just how big God's love for this world is. 

Mark Niethammer preaches on new life. When Jesus shows up, incredible things happen. When we are at our worst, lowest, and loneliest, we need to look no further than the story of Lazarus. He reminds all of us what Jesus can do and what Jesus does. Jesus gives us a life where we know we are loved and cared for even at our worst. There is love and joy, there is peace and forgiveness for all. That you are held in the embrace of a God who gives you a new and fresh beginning every day. Preaching text: John 12:1-8

Luke orchestrates Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem with every mark of the pomp and circumstance that is appropriate to the story he is telling. The prophets, tradition, and creation itself hail the moment when God proves faithful to promises that will bring redemption. Preaching text: Luke 19:28-40Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

In this week's episode, Little Bird shares a very special meal with Jesus and the disciples. And before that meal, Jesus does something a little different but extra special for his friends to show his love and care for them.

John in his gospel pairs two moments to show the incredible value of Jesus' death for his community and for the world as that death draws near. Though this good news has been tragically misused in slander and violence against Jews for centuries, a fresh reading wafts new beauty into our awareness and our communities.Preaching text: John 12:1-8Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on God's grace. We put together complicated analytics about those around us and for ourselves. Balancing out honesty, speed of humor, average amounts of shared activities, or political viewpoints, or even taste in music. If people fail to live up to these standards, we turn away from them. We are quick to remember the statistics of good and bad, but God doesn't care about statistics. God doesn't keep score. There is amazing grace for all of us.   Preaching text: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

For the next few weeks, revisit some favorite Little Bird Easter episodes! On today's episode, Little Bird adds another new friend to the story. This time, it's a donkey!  Little Bird, Jesus, and their new donkey friend are part of a palm parade in Jerusalem. 

Keeping the focus on the central character of a very familiar story is key to hearing the gospel in this parable, in which Jesus teaches that the God of Israel is the author and champion of life in every way that it wins out over death, with enough to go around for everyone.Preaching text: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Mac Mullins preaches on repentance. Human beings have a knack for dividing things, including one another. When we begin to internalize and believe in these divisions as the primary story of our lives and the life of the world, we begin to see each other as divided, as separate, as less than, as our enemies. We fail to look at our own lives and our own sin when we're focused on others' actions. We all sin and all fall short and are all equally deserving of God's love.      Preaching text: Luke 13:1-9

With dramatic urgency in a story about Jesus, Luke underscores the urgency of our response to God's invitation to be part of God's people, lest we lose out on even another minute of the life God wants for us.Preaching text: Luke 13:1-9Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Katy Warren preaches on trust. We place our trust in many things every day. Faith and trust are words that are sometimes used interchangeably. Faith seems to have an extra element to it. You place your faith in those you grow to know and form a relationship with at other times. When you have a connection, a bond, or a commitment to one another, there is an ability to live in faith with one another. Trust is never entirely logical; faith never really makes sense.  Preaching text: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Today's episode is about trust. Jesus asks the disciples to trust him and to trust in God's plan, even if they don't quite understand it. Sometimes tough things happen in life but trust in God and stick with each other. We don't have to do it alone.

Mark Niethammer preaches on discerning the truth. Our lives and world are full of people, philosophies, advertising, and social media all trying to convince us of various lies. As Christians, we stand up to the lies that try to convince us that God made something that's worth less. We must call out lies for what they are in a world where discerning truth from fabrication is becoming more difficult.  Preaching text: Luke 4: 1-13

Midway through Jesus' journey to Jerusalem and Calvary, Luke again shows him tempted to turn aside from God's will and promise, and again Jesus claims the heritage of the prophets of biblical Israel to press on with confidence in the path on which God leads him.Preaching text: Luke 13:31-35Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Today, Jesus heads out to the wilderness alone and Little Bird is very worried about him. So worried that she takes off to find him. A lizard helps her find her friend, but he is not alone in the wilderness. Who is that sitting with Jesus? Little Bird doesn't have a very good feeling about this.  

As Jesus steps away from his baptism with the gift of the Holy Spirit, Luke shows him immediately tempted to use for his own purposes and power the gracious and powerful relationship God has created with him and aligns the resistance to temptation with biblical Israel's own staunch calls to faithfulness. Preaching text: Luke 4:1-13Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Mac Mullins preaches on transformation. Our light, God's light within us, shines through the abundance of how we live; living with patience, humility, and limitless generosity. When we begin seeing, reacting, and envisioning ourselves and others through God's eyes, our minds and lives are formed into Jesus's shape. We see ourselves as worth beyond our actions, thoughts, and deeds. We have our own transfiguration each and every moment of our lives.   Preaching text: Luke 9: 28-36 

Today, Little Bird, Jesus, and some of the disciples take a small little hike up a mountain. Once on the mountaintop, Little Bird and the disciples are in for a big, sparkly surprise! 

A key turning point in Luke's' gospel marks a key turning point in the church year, as the changing of Jesus' face on a mountaintop marks the beginning of his journey to Jerusalem, cross, and resurrection and our journey through Lent to Holy Week and Easter.Preaching text:  Luke 9:28-36Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on mercy. God forgives us and welcomes up back over and over again, not just for our sake, but so that this mercy will trickle down through our lives and through the ways we live in the world. When we are at our worst, when we have really messed up, God sees us for who we really are and who we could become. Mercy is an act of divine imagination. It dares to imagine that we are more than we are right now and the only thing that can bring about this transformation in us is love.  Preaching text: Luke 6: 27-38 

Jesus, Little Bird, and his friends, the disciples, get a little silly today. Jesus plays a little game to get the disciples to guess what he is and soon, they're all part of the game! 

In Luke's account of Jesus' Sermon on the Plain, he reminds the reader that we always have control over our posture in response to abuse and injury and that God's own dignified posture of love remains the one meaningful model we have.Preaching text: Luke 6:27-36Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Mark Niethammer preaches on the blessings of God. We have every opportunity to forget our faith and take for granted the things we have. If the things we have to fall back on (money, food, comfort) are gone, do we have the faith to acknowledge the things that matter? If we can't see the blessings of God in all circumstances and others, that's when we become lost to God.  Preaching text: Luke 6: 17-26

Hi podcast friends! Do you ever feel afraid or alone? Of course, you do. We all do at times. A Little Bird told us that today's episode helps remind us that with the Holy Spirit we are never alone. Because the Holy Spirit is a parakeet…no wait…that can't be right… Listen to today's episode to find out! 

In the first major speech by Jesus in Luke's gospel, the focus of life as God's people is on those who understand themselves to be in need — of God's kingdom, God's nourishment, and God's gift of joy. That can be any of us, and those are the people on whom we also are called to be focused.Preaching text: Luke 6:17-26Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Katy Warren preaches on continuing. Even those of us who live with great depths of faith in our lives experience uncertainties about the future, emotional fatigue, and overwhelm. When God asks us to do things of great purpose and meaning, God rarely calls us to do something we can do all on our own. God asks us to be instruments of transformation and to bring joy, grace, and hope wherever it's needed. It would be impossible for us to do any of that on our own. This work requires others.  Read Maya Angelou's full poem 'Continue' here. Preaching text: Luke 5: 1-11 

Today's episode has it all. Disciples and their silly jokes. Jesus shares an important teaching. AND everyone's favorite Tiny Mouse. Oh boy. Tiny Mouse gets himself in quite a predicament and must make a big choice. We promise…it's a really grape episode. A new sound effects list will be emailed out later this week. Send a quick message to jessica@stpaulqc.org if you'd like to be included in the email! 

Mac Mullins preaches on God's vision. The promise of God's love is already ours. It's not a future reality for us. It is alive here and it is alive now. The very reason most of us worship is to once again hear God's promise that we will be freed. God's grace gives us a courage, strength, and love we can't find anywhere else. We have been redeemed by God. Listen to last week's sermon.Preaching text: Luke 4: 21-30 

Introducing Simon Peter as the first disciple that Jesus calls, Luke makes clear some of what discipleship will be about.Preaching text: Luke 5:1-11Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

In today's story we see that none of us, not even Jesus, can do it all alone. Jesus needs the help of his friends, the disciples, to help spread the word of God – even Little Bird gets in on the adventure!It's about time for another sound effects list to be sent out. Are you on the mailing list yet? Just like today's story, none of us can do it alone and Little Bird and Jesus greatly benefit from the help of all of you! 

Mark Niethammer preaches on lifting each other up. In healing times, it is always better when there is accompaniment. Sometimes all we need is a little support to grow and heal, and our lives can be changed forever. Jesus calls all of us to live in and be a part of a community of care and support for each other. When one of us needs support, we give it. The healing and creative power of God lives and it lives in you.  Preaching text: Luke 4: 14-21

On today's episode, the disciples get a little competitive, wanting to know which one is the best disciple. Jesus shares some good wisdom with them, letting them know that being the best isn't the most important thing. 

Describing Jesus as he offers the hometown crowd in Nazareth the victory cry of God's defeat of oppression and the deadening forces of the world, Luke also reminds them and his readers that God's victory is God's to offer, not ours to claim.Preaching text: Luke 4:21-30Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

As Luke opens the story of Jesus' public activity, he offers a summary scene of all that is to come. The work of the Spirit, grounded in Israel, and alive with creativity in Jesus' own day will be the theme of Luke's whole account through the gospel and the book of Acts.Preaching text: Luke 4:14-21Bible for Worship is a weekly introduction to the scripture passage that is likely to be the basis for the sermon on the following weekend. It correlates with the Revised Common Lectionary as it is used at St. Paul. With Peter A. Pettit, teaching pastor.

Katy Warren preaches on the magic of faith. Jesus works among and with us. Everyone has a part in God's work, a role to play in some way. God doesn't accomplish miraculous work alone. God works in, among, and through us. We can use our gifts or our passions to serve the needs of those around us. Preaching text: John 2: 1-11

Jesus is still a baby when he, Mary, Joseph, and Little Bird must flee to Egypt because of mean King Herod. Along the way, they seek help from a kind baker who keeps them safe.     There's still time to get on the Little Bird sound effects list. If you, a friend, family members, anyone would like to submit sound effects for Little Bird to use, email jessica@sptaulqc.org and receive the monthly sound effects list.