Mark Niethammer preaches on Easter Sunday. Nostalgia pulls us toward simpler times — toward safety, toward music and stories we know by heart — because that's where we feel most alive, but life was never buried there. Like the women at the tomb, what we're searching for isn't behind us. Jesus' love propels us forward into forgiveness, new people, new mercy — and a life blooming all around us, if we'll look up from the memory long enough to see it.

Preaching text: Matthew 28:1-10

View photos referenced here: https://www.stpaulqc.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Nostalgic-Collage.pdf

Sara Olson-Smith preaches on Palm Sunday. Jesus chose humility over power — a donkey, not a warhorse — because his victory could only come through love, not force. In giving himself fully for others, he conquers death and shows us the breadth of his care. That's the invitation for us, too: shift a habit, risk something, live for others — because that's not just sacrifice. That's where joy lives.

Preaching text: Matthew 21:1-11

How did Jesus ride a donkey AND a colt? View photos here: https://www.stpaulqc.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/palm-sunday-2026-sermon-slides-SOS.pdf

Katy Warren preaches on surprise. As adults, we rarely experience genuine surprise — we're creatures of habit who know what to expect, and the familiar can make us forget how spectacular life really is. Yet one of the greatest gifts of faith is remaining open to being surprised by God, seeing wonder where we've grown accustomed to routine. Where we're tempted to place a period, God places a comma.

Preaching text: John 11:1-45 (excerpts)

View photos mentioned in sermon here.