Shows / St. Paul Podcast
St. Paul Podcast
A vibrant faith community in Davenport, Iowa, St. Paul Lutheran Church runs a ministry that reaches across the country and outreach commitments that extend around the world.
Episodes
- St. Paul Podcast
Testing or trusting the Lord? 3.12.2023
Peter W. Marty preaches on the constancy of God. Think not of the Christian faith as just a set of rules and laws or noble and inspirational ideas. Instead…
- St. Paul Podcast
Little Bird and Jesus Episode 15: Little Bird and Jesus with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus
Are you ready for another miracle on this week’s episode? When Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus gets very, very sick, Jesus cannot get to see his friends fast…
- St. Paul Podcast
The gift of darkness, 3.5.2023
Pastor Sara Olson-Smith preaches on being in the dark. Many of us, in various seasons of our life, for various kinds of reasons, find ourselves in some kind of…
- St. Paul Podcast
Little Bird and Jesus Episode 14: Little Bird and Jesus play and bless children
This week, we find Little Bird and Jesus playing games with kids just like you! Jesus shares with a few grumpy disciples that children understand God’s dream…
- St. Paul Podcast
When journeys go south: wandering in the wilderness in Lent and life, 2.26.2023
Megan Eide preaches on landing in uncharted territory. There is no scenario so unexpected or destination so bleak that God has not passed through first ahead…
- St. Paul Podcast
Little Bird and Jesus Episode 13: Little Bird and Jesus heal an old woman and young girl
Miracles are happening in this week’s episode! After last week’s scary boat ride, Jesus and Little Bird return to shore where lots of people have gathered to…
- St. Paul Podcast
Shining with skin on, 2.19.2023
Sara Olson-Smith preaches on the both divine and human Jesus. On the feast of the transfiguration, we celebrate the glory and the power of Jesus, who carries…
- St. Paul Podcast
Little Bird and Jesus Episode 12: Little Bird and Jesus on A Scary Boat Ride
Put on your raincoats, pull up those rain boots, and get ready for a bumpy boat ride! Little Bird, Jesus, and a few of the disciples head out on the water…
- St. Paul Podcast
Words that get us into trouble, 2.12.2023
Peter W. Marty preaches on hateful speech. To be a free person in Jesus Christ, we must let go of hate-filled words. The way we assemble and connect words…
- St. Paul Podcast
Little Bird and Jesus Episode 11: Little Bird and Jesus meet Zacchaeus
Little Bird and Jesus make their way to Jericho. When Little Bird lands in a sycamore tree, she finds an unlikely new friend and it’s not another bird – but a…
- St. Paul Podcast
About that cross! 2.5.2023
Pastor Peter W. Marty preaches on wisdom and maturity in faith. Once you know the basics and you’re working to cultivate your faith, there’s a certain maturity…
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Little Bird and Jesus Episode 10: Little Bird and Jesus teach on a mountain
Jesus and his new flock, including our favorite little bird, share in a few teachings on a mountainside.
- St. Paul Podcast
Both blessed and a blessing, 1.29.2023
Pastor Katy Warren preaches on being blessed. What does it mean to be blessed? God's blessings are given to us freely. It’s not something that is earned or…
- St. Paul Podcast
Little Bird and Jesus Episode 9: Little Bird and Jesus have lunch with a crowd
This week, lots of people gather to hear what Jesus has to say. But as the day goes on, tummies start to growl. Instead of sending everyone home, Jesus says…
- St. Paul Podcast
God’s big picture...and ours, 1.22.2023
Pastor Peter A. Pettit preaches on the big picture. All of our lives, the big picture has a strong impact. This big picture shapes what we make of the options…
- St. Paul Podcast
Little Bird and Jesus Episode 8: Little Bird and Jesus go fishing
Our story today takes place on the water at the Sea of Galilea. While Jesus helps a few fishermen catch some fish, Jesus and Little Bird catch some new friends…
- St. Paul Podcast
Seeing is believing, 1.15.2023
Megan Eide preaches on seeing. Not only do we have a unique way of seeing things we also have a unique way of assigning meaning to them based on our own…
- St. Paul Podcast
Little Bird and Jesus Episode 7: Little Bird and Jesus at the river
Remember last week’s episode when we fast-forwarded 12 years? Well, hang on to your seats – we’re fast-forwarding even further into the future – almost 20…
- St. Paul Podcast
An eternal identity, 1.8.2023
Max Franks preaches on self-worth. When we realize our inherent human value, it allows us to see ourselves and others as God sees us. When we face unrelenting…
- St. Paul Podcast
Little Bird and Jesus Episode 6: Little Bird and Jesus at the temple
In this week's episode, we fast forward to when Jesus is 12 years old. Jesus and Little Bird are the best of friends but when Jesus and his family travel to…
- St. Paul Podcast
Spotting goodness, creating kindness, 1.1.2023
On the first podcast of 2023, Peter W. Marty preaches on goodness. Good always outweighs evil. Good always has more beauty, more merit, and more presence; you…
- St. Paul Podcast
Little Bird and Jesus Episode 5: Little Bird and the Wise Men
Happy New Year! This week, we find Little Bird just where we left off - the stable in Bethlehem. On this day, some astounding new visitors arrive, bringing…
- St. Paul Podcast
Little Bird and Jesus Episode 4: Little Bird and the Shepherds
Last week's episode ended with Little Bird waking up to a most peculiar sound. What could that sound have possibly been? This week, Little Bird meets a very…
- St. Paul Podcast
A special Christmas Eve edition, 12.24.2022
Peter W. Marty preaches on this special Christmas edition of the St. Paul audio podcast. The world is full of brokenness but in Jesus Christ, God makes gentle…
- St. Paul Podcast
A new kind of morality, 12.18.2022
Peter W. Marty preaches. Sometimes we find ourselves in a place we didn’t expect, a situation we didn’t plan. Listen closely while you pray. It may not be the…
- St. Paul Podcast
Little Bird and Jesus Episode 3: Little Bird, Mary, and Joseph go to Bethlehem
This week, Little Bird is off on her longest journey yet, flapping her little wings all the way to Bethlehem. Little Bird, Mary, and Joseph find comfort and…
- St. Paul Podcast
Desert blooms, 12.11.2022
Pastor Sara Olson-Smith preaches on joy and the way joy bursts forth like a spring in the desert. Joy sometimes comes in the most difficult of times…
- St. Paul Podcast
Little Bird and Jesus Episode 2: Little Bird and Mary visit Elizabeth
This week, our brave Little Bird is off on another adventure. This time, traveling days and days to visit Mary's cousin Elizabeth. This week's episode is…
- St. Paul Podcast
More than fairness, 12.4.2022
Peter W. Marty preaches on justice. The biblical concept of justice, wherever God is involved, is about making things right for people and making things right…
- St. Paul Podcast
Little Bird and Jesus Episode 1: Little Bird and Mary meet an angel
We're starting off our podcast at the beginning, even before Jesus was born. Today, Little Bird will meet a very special woman, and together, they'll have a…
- St. Paul Podcast
A clean sweep, 11.27.2022
Pastor Katy Warren preaches. If we are to place our faith in a God that does unexpected and unimaginable things, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that…
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Cosmic perspective, 11.20.2022
Pastor Sara Olson-Smith preaches on the reign of Christ. The view of our own route is often narrow. Jesus has a wide view, a great big holy atlas. Jesus is…
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And then some, 11.13.2022
Pastor Peter W. Marty preaches on sticky faith. Skills and talents accumulate. Learning a new language is built on layers and layers. Our lives are like…
- St. Paul Podcast
Saints of all types, 11.6.2022
Pastor Peter W. Marty on saintliness. Saints don’t have to be perfect, famous, or dead. Some of the best saints we know are sitting among us right now. When…
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If at first you don’t succeed, ‘abide with me,’ 10.30.2022
Pastor Megan Eide preaches on God’s forgiveness. No one wants to be remembered for their mistakes. Jesus’ message is about identity and grace. Who we are and…
- St. Paul Podcast
God’s payment of hope,10.23.2022
Pastor Katy Warren preaches on repaying debts. We’ve all been “victims” of time lost that we wish we could have back. God promises to repay us for our…
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Meeting God in the struggle, 10.16.2022
Pastor Peter W. Marty preaches on knowing God best through the struggles in our lives. We meet God most clearly, most vividly, most especially through our…
- St. Paul Podcast
A simple recipe for healing, 10.9.2022
Pastor Sara Olson-Smith preaches on simplicity. Sometimes in faith we don’t have to make things too complicated. So often we think that understanding God or…
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What’s your legacy? 10.2.2022
Pastor Peter W. Marty preaches on 2 Timothy 1:1-7,14. “Guard the good treasure that has been entrusted to you, with the help of the holy spirit, keep safe what…
- St. Paul Podcast
My name is not ‘those people,’ 9.25.2022
Pastor Sara Olson-Smith preaches on Luke 16:19-31. This parable offers us an invitation to abundant life now, a way out of the stuckness, of breaking out of…
- St. Paul Podcast
Today is the day, 9.22.2022
Pastor Katy Warren preaches on Luke 19:1-10. There is no better time than right now to reevaluate what consumes our time, our attention, and our efforts in…
- St. Paul Podcast
Reversing Course, 9.11.2022
Pastor Peter W. Marty preaches on Exodus 32:7-14. To have a change of mind or a change of heart when we are wrong, mistaken, or blind to a very important truth…
- St. Paul Podcast
Fearfully and wonderfully, inside out, 9.4.2022
Pastor Megan Eide preaches on Psalm 139:14. ”I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” What difference will it make in our lives when we remember that we were…
- St. Paul Podcast
When gratitude seems insufficient, 8.28.2022
Pastor Peter W. Marty preaches on gratitude from Luke 14:1, 12-14. How do you repay certain people for something life-changing they’ve done for you? There are…
- St. Paul Podcast
What’s your instinct?, 8.21.2022
Pastor Katy Warren preaches on the instinct toward love. That instinct includes choosing to look past societal norms, etiquette, or rules to show love and…
- St. Paul Podcast
Your Inner Wisdom, 8.14.2022
Peter W. Marty preaches on the gifts of discernment. We each have our own unique gift of discernment that makes each of us who we are. We need more than heads…
- St. Paul Podcast
American Dreams and Gospel Promises Part 4: Beloved Community
From the early 20th century to the present day, the dream of America as a Beloved Community has grown in response to social conditions and shifts in worldview…
- St. Paul Podcast
American Dreams and Gospel Promises Part 3: Land of Opportunity
In week three of the series, the impact of both Enlightenment ideas and the dynamics of the 19th century leads some in society and the church to conceive of…
- St. Paul Podcast
The meaning of faith, 8.7.2022
Katy Warren preaches on faith. Faith is not being sure where you’re going but going anyway. It is a journey without maps. If true faith is being sure of what…
- St. Paul Podcast
American Dreams and Gospel Promises Part 2: A more perfect union
The second session in this series takes up the American dream of "a more perfect union," enshrined in the opening lines of the US Constitution (1787). Its…
- St. Paul Podcast
Generous pardon, 7.31.2022
Peter W. Marty preaches on the gift of forgiveness. Receiving the gift of forgiveness should prompt us to develop the kind of mindset of forgiveness. It should…
- St. Paul Podcast
"City on a Hill": American Dreams and Gospel Promises
Drawing heavily on research presented by Abram Van Engen in his 2020 volume, City on a Hill: A History of American Exceptionalism, the introductory session of…
- St. Paul Podcast
Opening up to prayer, 7.24.2022
Pastor Sara Olson-Smith preaches on the plurality of the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer is always a communal thing, even when we pray alone. These words are…
- St. Paul Podcast
The Gospel According to Mary and Martha, 7.17.2022
Pastor Megan Eide preaches on Isaiah. Big or small, Jesus listens with love. Take time to sit in the presence of Christ, building a relationship together…
- St. Paul Podcast
What’s in a name? 7.10.2022
Pastor Katy Warren preaches on the parable of the Good Samaritan. In no Bible will you find the heading named the parable of the robbers. Jesus gives the…
- St. Paul Podcast
A mother’s love, 7.3.2022
Pastor Peter W. Marty preaches on Isaiah. We’ve been shaped through a multitude of words and images to view God as a paternal figure. The prophet Isaiah uses…
- St. Paul Podcast
Fruit of the spirit, 6.26.2022
Sara Olson-Smith preaches on the fruit of the spirit. The fruit of the spirit is…not the fruits of the spirit are… It’s as though Paul couldn’t quite come up…
- St. Paul Podcast
A revolution of grace, 6.19.2022
Pastor Peter W. Marty preaches that we are all one in Christ Jesus. There is often the mistake and confidence of many people who claim to have the truth when…
- St. Paul Podcast
Let yourself be astonished, 6.12.2022
Pastor Katy Warren preaches making time to be in awe of the things God has made. We can be quick to the frustration of inconveniences and slow to look at the…
- St. Paul Podcast
What does this mean? 6.5.2022
Pastor Peter A. Pettit preaches on Acts. “What does this mean?” Showing up, walking alongside, and doing it all in the way that is needed - that’s what…