After administering the rite of Baptism to dozens of baptism candidates, Bishop Paul preached the third installment in the sermon series, Jesus’ Bride—the call of the church to holiness. We, the people of God, are to be holy like him, for the sake of and for the salvation of an unholy world. But we must remember that this is only possible through the Lord’s work of washing us and causing us to walk in his ways. Weekly we remember our baptism and the Holy Spirit’s enabling grace at the font—intentionally found at the church’s entrance—and realize we are that holy Church he sends into the world.
After administering the rite of Baptism to dozens of baptism candidates, Bishop Paul preached the third installment in the sermon series, Jesus’ Bride—the call of the church to holiness. We, the people of God, are to be holy like him, for the sake of and for the salvation of an unholy world. But we must remember that this is only possible through the Lord’s work of washing us and causing us to walk in his ways. Weekly we remember our baptism and the Holy Spirit’s enabling grace at the font—intentionally found at the church’s entrance—and realize we are that holy Church he sends into the world.
After administering the rite of Baptism to dozens of baptism candidates, Bishop Paul preached the third installment in the sermon series, Jesus’ Bride—the call of the church to holiness. We, the people of God, are to be holy like him, for the sake of and for the salvation of an unholy world. But we must remember that this is only possible through the Lord’s work of washing us and causing us to walk in his ways. Weekly we remember our baptism and the Holy Spirit’s enabling grace at the font—intentionally found at the church’s entrance—and realize we are that holy Church he sends into the world.
In the second installment of our sermon series, Jesus’ Bride, Bishop Paul preaches about the Church as ‘one’ and the importance of unity. However, just because people are unified, doesn’t mean they’re right. This is why we need wisdom to maintain unity through the power of the Holy Spirit, under the guidance of the Word of God. When we set out to achieve unity ourselves, it will never work. But when we recognize that the unity of the Church is a gift from God, we can receive it and rejoice in it.
We’re all headed toward a wedding. Bishop Paul teaches on the deep meaning of the ‘Bride of Christ’ metaphor in Scripture. What does it mean that we, the Church, are Jesus’ bride? It means that we are beloved, betrothed, and becoming. At the heart of this metaphor is a profound truth: when Jesus looks at us, he does so with delight. The first in a sermon series entitled ‘Jesus’ Bride,’ Bishop Paul sets the stage for a deeper look at what we all are called to be—one, holy, catholic, apostolic church.
In today’s lesson, we are reminded of God’s purpose and design for marriage—the loving union between a man and a woman that reflects God’s love for his people, Christ’s love for his Church. Canon Jonathan debunks two common misconceptions about marriage: first, that “marriage doesn’t matter”; and second, that “our marriage is about us.” We ought to esteem marriage; but ultimately, the love between a man and a woman is not what matters most. For marriage is and always has been an indicator something greater—the love of Christ for the Church. And it is for this love that all Christians, married and unmarried alike, fervently await.
At the core of our faith is the reality that the God we worship actively speaks to us. In this fifth and final installment of For This Child I Prayed, a series focusing on the first three chapters of 1 Samuel, Bishop Paul unpacks what it means for God to speak to us—and for us to hear him. The normative way that people in the Bible heard the voice of God was through meditating on Scripture, and it is the same for us today. Like Samuel, we are invited to orient our lives around the voice of God. He is speaking. Are we listening?
During Bishop Alan’s episcopal visit to Christ Church Plano, he preached on the parable of the dishonest manager. While this parable can be confusing for many, it is a powerful continuation of Jesus’ teaching on money, throughout which we receive the profound truth that where our money is, there our hearts will be also. Bishop Alan expands on the parable in Luke 16 with three points: the allure of money, the virtue of shrewdness, and the dilemma of two masters. We must continually examine how we manage our earthly resources for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.
When the Pharisees grumbled at Jesus for welcoming sinners, he told the parables of the lost sheep and coin. These stories demonstrate the Father’s deep love in his willingness to leave the many to rescue the one and in the joy of heaven when the lost ones come home. Instead of condemning the Pharisees, we are invited to examine our own hearts. Where do we hold contempt for others? Following the path of Jesus means seeing our neighbors—who are sick, sad, and scared—with compassion and love.
In the fourth installment of a five-part series on 1 Samuel 1-3, Bishop Paul emphasizes the need for deeply mature disciples. During Samuel’s childhood, the spiritual leadership in Israel was corrupt. Yet, even amid the depravity around him, Samuel chose to remain in the presence of the Lord. As he grew, the Lord shaped him into the kind of leader who would act righteously. When we find ourselves in places of darkness and corruption, we can be assured that God will meet us there and grow us, as we are present to his presence.
In this third installment of the series in 1 Samuel, Bishop Paul unpacks the significance of Hannah’s song of praise. Hannah gives thanks to God, because she can see him at work in her life and in the nation of Israel. Her eyes are open to the Lord’s work, because she knows him—that he is her savior, and that he is steadfast. May we learn from Hannah’s song of thanks and sing our own in response to God’s work in our lives. Next week continues the series.
Canon Jonathan teaches that Psalm 46 offers us refuge in times of crisis. When everything we thought was solid seems to melt away, we are not alone. We have a companion in the Psalmist. We are reminded of what we already know but so easily forget during hardship: no matter how catastrophic, dangerous, or overwhelming our moment might be, we don’t have to be afraid. We are reminded that we need not fear, because a day is coming when we will not fear.
In the first installment of a five-part series on 1 Samuel, Bishop Paul describes Hannah—the mother of Samuel—as an exemplar of prayerful endurance. Hannah experienced being barren and beaten down, both in her personal life and in society during this dark period in Israel’s history. In her distress, she wept bitterly and prayed a prayer. It wasn’t polished or sanitized; it was raw, honest, powerful. In the midst of the darkness we face, we must learn to pray with endurance as she did. Next week continues the series.
Canon Jonathan describes what greed can look like in our everyday lives and how to guard against it. The problem is not what we possess, but where we put our trust. When we turn to money to make us happy or keep us safe, this is idolatry. But Jesus invites us to trust our Father in heaven who cares for us and releases us from the worry of sustaining ourselves.
We are surrounded by a restless consumerism and insatiable desire for more—all of which produces anxiety, stress, and comparison. But this is not the life God wants for us. There is a better way: to walk in Christ. Father Travis Wilson describes what it means to walk in Christ, to believe him and what he says about us, and to remain rooted in his love.
Amidst the countless conflicts we face in life—personal, communal, global—Bishop Paul reminds us that our neighbor is not our enemy. When we remember that there is a cosmic, spiritual dimension to the conflicts we face, our response can be faithful and restorative. We must neither forget nor fear the devil. Rather, we learn in Ephesians to frustrate the devil’s destructive plans by putting on God’s armor through Christ-like living and trusting his promise to fight for us.
This week, Bishop Paul invites us to behold our future with God—a future that extends far beyond the span of our lives on this earth. Revelation 21 gives us a vision of heaven that is real and tangible, promised to those who are in Christ. The question is, do we think about this vision of heaven enough? And does it affect the way we live right now?
The sufferings we experience in this life are real, but they are nothing compared to the glory ahead. Bishop Paul reminds us that our suffering is meant to recalibrate our hearts for Heaven. As we wait for Heaven, we are worshiping with Heaven. As we wait for Heaven, we are washed and made ready for what is to come.
This Gafcon Sunday, Bishop Paul shares that the future of the Church is bright, because God has delivered the Gospel to us once and for all. It is a gift entrusted to every generation. This gift calls each of us, as ordinary Christians, to contend for the faith and confidently hold to the Gospel in our time. Will we bemoan the way the world is, or will we build—together with the global Church—the world we desire to see in Jesus’ name?
When crowds of hungry people gathered around Jesus, He told His disciples, “You give them something to eat.” Bishop Paul demonstrates how this exhortation of Jesus extends to us today. There is an “echo from Eden” in the hearts of people around the globe, a yearning for Jesus in the face of secularism’s failure to deliver justice, safety, and joy. To meet the missional moment before us, we must rely on the power of Jesus to feed the crowds in our own context.
Canon John examines the last teachings of Jesus in his earthly ministry. Jesus did not leave us alone, but sent us a helper, his Spirit. And though his Spirit he shows us who we used to be and who we have become to guide us in the way of life.
