Christ Church Sermons: Recent Episodes
Christ Church Plano
2026 e2 The Big Questions - Is it arrogant to say Jesus is the only way-FLAC by Christ Church Plano
Speaker is John Stonestreet, president of the Colson Center with introduction by The Rev. Canon Dr. Jonathan Bailes
Following Jesus is tough. We must learn to trust in God more than we trust in our own selves, for there is no other way to life. But though we struggle and doubt, what great hope exists in Jesus, who comes again and again to our rescue. We cannot go where he cannot follow, and God is sufficient to draw us back to himself.
On the Feast of All Saints, we commemorate saints past and commission saints today, for all who believe are numbered among them. Lest we forget and trade our sainthood for lesser allegiances, Bishop Paul reminds us that saints are everyday sinners set apart by Christ to be salt and light in a corrupted world. And we need never fear our own decay, for the Lord promises to preserve us eternally.
"I am the resurrection and the life. Do you believe this?" Bishop Paul asks whether we truly believe that Jesus has conquered death. God, in his passionate, righteous anger at death, sent his Son to confront it, so that we in Christ need no longer fear it, and as our faith in this new life grows, so will our joy, freedom, and love.
Bishop Andy Lines joins us from the Anglican Network in Europe, receives prayer for his vital ministry, and opens the Word of God. He reminds us that every Christian has a unique connection with the unbelieving world, and Jesus so prepares us to minister to all people. God rescued us for a great purpose of love and good works, shown even to those who oppose us.
We sometimes pretend that God's law is difficult to parse, yet Jesus helps us see that the message of Scripture has always been clear. It is a tremendously high calling: a call to radical love and mercy, especially toward those outside our tribe. For we ourselves were enemies and outsiders to God, and Jesus came to restore us to life, that we might go and do likewise for the sake of the world.
Why are we anxious? Jesus directs this simple question to disciples like us. Our anxiety is a symptom of foolish investing, for when we treasure material wealth and hoard for our own security, we forget what it means to have God as our Father. But even when we forget him, our Heavenly Father does not forget us: calling to us in our anxiety to seek first his Kingdom.
Canon Jonathan observes how, when we feel great comfort and convenience in modern life, we often forget our sure and surpassing need for God. We do well to remember that it is healthy to doubt ourselves. For as King David told of his need for God's instruction and mercy, so too we must confess how little our wisdom compares to that of the Lord.
"What do you want me to do for you?" This question, like so many others Jesus asks, brings us to a place of needful honesty. We are in need and invited to ask for what we want from God. Yet the Lord not only reforms our desires, but also grows is us an expectancy that he will do more for us than we can ask or imagine.
Jesus asks more questions of us than are asked of him, for the questions Jesus asks lead to life. Bishop Paul Donison begins his new series with Christ's question to Peter: "Who do you say than I am?" When we discover who Jesus is, we learn also how God pursues us with his love, and how greatly we shall be changed by his life.
The wrath of God is not like our wrath. It is sin’s destruction of human beings that brings about the furious love of God. So in God’s commitment to both justice and mercy, Jesus stands as our defense attorney, having borne the full weight of God’s righteous judgment on himself for us. Though we will mess up massively, again and again, our comfort is that we in Christ no longer stand accused.
Often success and satisfaction feel just out of reach. And yet, as Canon Jonathan explains, even the riches of Solomon would leave us discontented. Still, it is good to enjoy pleasure in life, especially those simple, profound gifts that only God provides, as long as we also look beyond our brief span of days. For our restless hearts yearn for eternity, for the rest only found in God.
God has rescued us through Christ Jesus: this story is not mere wishful thinking. Bishop Paul examines how much greater a comfort we have in the Christian gospel given its trustworthiness. For the life and resurrection of Jesus is historical, subject to factual examination, and what greater hope exists than to know that the deepest longings of all people everywhere are, in fact, satisfied by the promised work of Jesus?
God does not love at a distance. He has come to live with us, broken and needy as we are, so that his love might restore us to life. In this second look at the Comfortable Words of the Anglican prayer book, Bishop Paul examines the enduring truth of John 3:16. The more we know how much God loves us, the more we are free to live.
In this life, we are always searching for someone or something. The Rt. Rev. Alan Hawkins opens the Scriptures and shows us how, while longing for the immense satisfaction of being together with God, we often seek after lesser things. Yet Jesus calls us to our deepest hunger, that in faith, he might give us true life.
Sometimes Jesus feels absent when we need him and acts in ways that don't make sense. It takes us years to come to trust in the promises of God, and still God puts our hope to the test. But even when we cannot see Jesus, yet Jesus can see us, and Canon Jonathan reminds us of the Lord's compassion. In his time and his way, he will reveal himself and restore us to peace.
We were made to depend on God. Fr. Travis reminds us how we are like sheep in constant need of a shepherd, and such is the goodness of God that Jesus is always with us. He who saves us, guides us, and promises us life shall also provide what we need to endure seasons of loss, fear, grief, and confusion.
Are you weary of running the race or dread the next turn? There is good news! Our endurance depends not on how great we look, but to whom we look. For Jesus goes with us, even through our worst moments, and his life, love, and long-suffering hope shall outlast our fatigue and despair. What's more, even our stories of failure shall reveal the enduring grace and glory of God.
Canon Jonathan reveals how alike we are to ancient Corinth, taken with ideals of wealth, strength, honor, power, and eloquence. Yet these ideals fester divisions and forget the Gospel of Christ's salvation. The altar of God is for the weak, for those who need grace.
This week’s lesson introduces the topic for our study—wisdom—by asking some basic questions about the nature of wisdom in the book of Proverbs: What is wisdom? Where does wisdom come from? And why communicate wisdom through proverbial sayings?
God has put in each of us a heart for service, yet we often grasp after status and standing, position and power. What good news we find in Jesus, who nevertheless came to serve us, and also to make us servants with him. For like Jesus, we too can be secure in the love of God our Father and so empty our lives in blessing for others.
"Are you living your authentic life?" The self-centered search for identity and purpose leaves us exhausted, but God offers his own imprint when we render our lives to him. Fr. Paul invites a fresh look at the incarnation of Christ.
We desperately need healing, and so God calls us to pray. Fr. Paul examines the good news in healing: a sign of the greater and global work of grace.
Fr. Paul examines the first of four ancient commitments of the church. We are called to guard the Apostles' teaching, which was given by God to give life to the world.
What does it mean to desire God? Fr. Jonathan examines the nature of longing and how, even when we achieve our dreams, we desire more. In the Biblical image of the wilderness, we see how weariness can bring us to our greatest longing, God, who alone can offer sanctuary.
Fr. Paul examines the sin of contempt and its prevalence in our nation, including the church. But we have hope, for Jesus meets us on the day of reckoning, using the consequences of sin to turn us back to God. Repent and return.
"Great stories deserve great beginnings." Fr. Jonathan shows the genius in the tedium of Matthew's Gospel genealogy: the epic drama of Israel's failure reflects our own tragic shortcomings and reveals how our Messiah has adopted our mess.
"As Christians, too often, we forget our name—and the world suffers for it." Fr. Paul examines how the God-given name of Jesus declares whose He is, what He is, and why He is; and because His name has been placed on us, we inherit His blessed life.
Fr. Paul proclaims the good news of Christ's birth: God meets us in our vulnerability. His swaddling cloths show how he bears our needs and weaknesses, rescuing us from fear.
The church follows after the pattern of Mary, bearing Christ into the world. Like Mary, we are nobodies whom God fills with grace—unearned and undeserved—to show forth Christ's presence and power.
"When God comes into your life, the world around you will change." Fr. Paul examines Joseph's story, the moment when God wildly called the man unto His greater purpose and demonstrated His immeasurable power over life and death, that He might be with us.
"We are all homesick, and Advent teaches us how we will get home." Fr. Paul examines our rebellion from God, what it did to wreck our world, and the love of Christ that wraps us in grace and leads us toward our true home.
Fr. Paul examines our hope for the future of the church: Christ the King. Our Lord Jesus reigns, and we can rely on the revelation of His risen power.
"What hope does the church have to offer to a world that has grown weary of bad leadership?" Fr. Jonathan examines the promise of God, how He takes initiative to judge those who abuse power and to seek those lost by injustice, through the life and ministry of Jesus.
Through all worldly changes, the Church's mission and message endure. Fr. Paul examines the amazing story of Zacchaeus's redemption, a lesson of hope that sinners who are sought by God's Son will be transformed into saints.
"Where are God's saints today?" We readily believe that those who have gone before us rest at the throne of God, but we often forget our own identity as present day saints. Fr. Paul reminds us how the day of All Saints commissions us to bear the hope of God's ultimate forgiveness and unity to the world.
"What difference can our meager offerings make?" Fr. Paul explains how, in the hands of Jesus, our time, talents, and treasures will be multiplied and given eternal significance.
In a world full of conflict, is the church wearing the armor she has been given? Our ancient enemy sows strife and division. Fr. Paul reminds us that our hope rests in our victor, Christ, who gives us power to stand as he has stood.
The decision to attend church makes a vital impact on what we believe, how we live, and whether we can stand in the face of adversity. Fr. Paul examines King David's confidence in the gathered people of God. Church is where we behold our future and the fullness of God as our Father.
"Our world has forgotten how to be neighbors." Fr. Paul examines the radical story of the hated Samaritan who was willing to care for his enemies as neighbors. The good news is that this ancient parable, so often dismissed, is true history for those who are in Christ.
The Rev. Dr. Jonathan Bailes explores a shocking parable about envy and entitlement and the subtle ways they steal our gratitude and joy.
"You and I are living in Babylon more and more, and that's exactly where God wants his Church to be." As our world looks more like Ezekiel's world, we can rejoice in the Lord's promise to cleanse his Church, that we might show forth the character of God. Watch our livestream service at ChristChurchPlano.org/Live
We have a future because of Christ's finished work, which reframes our whole way of living. Take part in our sanctuary services on Sunday, in person or online, available at ChristChurchPlano.org/Live
Christ Church invites you to take part in our sanctuary services. A livestream recording is available at ChristChurchPlano.org/Live
Worship with the service bulletin here: https://www.christchurchplano.org/uploads/documents/Bulletin/Sanctuary-Pentecost-13-08-30-20-Online.pdf | Christ Church invites you to take part in our reopened sanctuary services, recorded and posted in full, for families that are sheltering at home.
Worship with the service bulletin here: https://www.christchurchplano.org/uploads/documents/Bulletin/Sanctuary-Pentecost-12-08-23-20-Online.pdf | Christ Church invites you to take part in our reopened sanctuary services, recorded and posted in full, for families that are sheltering at home.
Worship with the service bulletin here: https://www.christchurchplano.org/uploads/documents/Bulletin/Sanctuary-Pentecost-11-08-16-20-Online.pdf | Christ Church invites you to take part in our reopened sanctuary services, recorded and posted in full, for families that are sheltering at home.
Christ Church invites you to take part in our reopened sanctuary services, recorded and posted in full, for families that are sheltering at home.
Christ Church invites you to take part in our reopened sanctuary services, recorded and posted in full, for families that are sheltering at home.
Christ Church invites you to take part in our reopened sanctuary services, recorded and posted in full, for families that are sheltering at home.
Christ Church invites you to take part in our reopened sanctuary services, recorded and posted in full, for families that are sheltering at home.
Christ Church invites you to take part in our reopened sanctuary services, recorded and posted in full, for families that are sheltering at home.
Christ Church invites you to take part in our reopened sanctuary services, recorded and posted in full, for families that are sheltering at home.
Third Sunday after Pentecost. Christ Church invites you to take part in our reopened sanctuary services, recorded and posted in full, for families that are sheltering at home.
Second Sunday after Pentecost. Christ Church invites you to take part in our reopened sanctuary services, recorded and posted in full, for families that are sheltering at home.
First Sunday after Pentecost. Christ Church invites you to take part in our reopened sanctuary services, recorded and posted in full, for families that are sheltering at home.
Pentecost Sunday. Please join Christ Church Plano for an online service of liturgy, music, and preaching. Share this with those searching for where they can be fed.
Seventh Sunday in Easter. Please join Christ Church Plano for an online service of liturgy, music, and preaching. Share this with those searching for where they can be fed.
Sixth Sunday in Easter. Please join Christ Church Plano for an online service of liturgy, music, and preaching. Share this with those searching for where they can be fed.
Fifth Sunday in Easter. Please join Christ Church Plano for an online service of liturgy, music, and preaching. Share this with those searching for where they can be fed.
Fourth Sunday in Easter. Please join Christ Church Plano for an online service of liturgy, music, and preaching. Share this with those searching for where they can be fed.
Christ Church Plano exists to invite ordinary people to know Jesus Christ and to become like Him for the sake of the world. Like generations of believers before us, we are convinced that God changes lives through His Church, specifically as the Church remains faithful to its ministry of Word and Sacrament. We live into this mission through our core values of worship, formation, belonging, and compassion.
Online Ministry: christchurchplano.org/online Pastoral Care: christchurchplano.org/help Tithes & Offerings: christchurchplano.org/give
Christ Church Plano exists to invite ordinary people to know Jesus Christ and to become like Him for the sake of the world. Like generations of believers before us, we are convinced that God changes lives through His Church, specifically as the Church remains faithful to its ministry of Word and Sacrament. We live into this mission through our core values of worship, formation, belonging, and compassion.
Online Ministry: christchurchplano.org/online Pastoral Care: christchurchplano.org/help Tithes & Offerings: christchurchplano.org/give
Christ Church Plano invites you to celebrate the Easter resurrection: rejoice in word, and song, and liturgy, that death has been conquered in Jesus Christ.
Join us online for our Good Friday Liturgy, a service of passion meditations, musical reflections, and prayers.
Christ Church Plano exists to invite ordinary people to know Jesus Christ and to become like Him for the sake of the world. Like generations of believers before us, we are convinced that God changes lives through His Church, specifically as the Church remains faithful to its ministry of Word and Sacrament. We live into this mission through our core values of worship, formation, belonging, and compassion.
Online Ministry: https://christchurchplano.org/online Pastoral Care: https://christchurchplano.org/help Tithes & Offerings: https://christchurchplano.org/give
The Fifth Sunday in Lent. Please join Christ Church Plano for an online service of liturgy, music, and preaching. Share this with those searching for where they can be fed.
Services and Podcasts: https://christchurchplano.org/online Pastoral Care: https://christchurchplano.org/help Online Offertory: https://christchurchplano.org/give
Fourth Sunday in Lent. Worship with Christ Church Plano through our online church service of liturgy, music, and preaching. Connect with our resources at ChristChurchPlano.org
Episode 4 of Christ Church Plano's Lenten Podcast, Confronting Our Idols, with Fr. Paul Donison
The Rev. Jonathan Bailes exposes the hollow hope of believing that we ourselves can overcome sin. Christ must not only teach us, but also remake us.
Episode 3 of Christ Church Plano's Lenten Podcast, Confronting Our Idols, with Fr. Paul Donison
"Why does Lent begin with the temptation of Jesus?" Fr. Paul examines how Christ unmasks and exposes the devil, freeing us from Satan's oppression. We, too, have victory over the accuser in Jesus's name.
Episode 2 of Christ Church Plano's Lenten Podcast, Confronting Our Idols, with Fr. Paul Donison
"Where is your life headed?" Fr. Paul examines what is Christ's transfiguration and how it defines our future. We, too, will shine like Jesus as pictures of His glory. Matthew 17:1-9
Episode 1 of Christ Church Plano's Lenten Podcast, Confronting Our Idols, with Fr. Paul Donison
Jesus welcomes to His table not only sinners, but also the proud. Fr. Paul shows in Luke 15 how elder sons, too, are lost. When we believe we deserve more than others, we show ourselves to be bitter and blind, yet even so, we are beloved of God.
By eating with sinners, Jesus shows us who His Father is. Our God is amazingly gracious, running to redeem us and restore us to our unearned place in His house.
Why does Jesus welcome sinners and eat with them? When Jesus looks at a headstrong and hell-bound sinner, He sees a lost child who wants to go home. Luke 15:1-3,11-17.
Fr. Jonathan speaks to our desire for connection, as expressed in Psalm 139. When we discover our vulnerability before God and recognize His faithful love, we find an answer to our fears and divisions.
Christ Church exists to invite ordinary people to know Jesus Christ and to become like Him for the sake of the world. Our Rector, Fr. Paul, examines how God has already done the work to make each of us evangelists. Here is hope for timid evangelists. Here is how each of us will invite our neighbors into the life of Christ’s Church.
Matthew 3:13-17. "What do you believe about who you are?" The Very Rev. Paul Donison reminds us how our identity is not found in how we carry ourselves through turbulence, but in how Christ carried us through baptism.
The Very Rev. Paul Donison declares how, even as the world changes decade by decade, Jesus continues to draw the world to Himself. Christ reaches us and renovates us today as He has through all of history.
"Will you embrace the name that God has given you?" Fr. Paul explains how often we forget who we are. As baptized Christians, we bear the name of Jesus, and our name tells us whose we are—and why.
Luke 2:41-51. The Very Rev. Paul Donison examines the astonishing boyhood of Jesus. The content, claims, and cross of the Son of God will surprise and unsettle us—stirring us, saving us.
Luke 2:1-20. The Very Rev. Paul Donison invites us all to celebrate the birth of a King unlike any other.
Matthew 11:2-19. The Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach, Archbishop and Primate of the ACNA, explores how John the Baptist wrestled with knowing God's will and doubting God's purpose. Dr. Beach invites us to find hope in Christ.
Fr. Paul calls us to hear Mary's story as our own, an invitation for a nobody to become somebody for the sake of everybody. We are inconsequential—dust to dust—but God gives us a mighty purpose, to bear His light into the world.
Our culture skips Advent, refusing to acknowledge its brokenness and pain. Fr. Paul invites us to avoid the sentimentality of December and instead meet God in the burning bush. His fire consumes all about us that is unholy, but will not consume us.
Luke 23:32-43. "What does it mean for us to follow the crucified king Jesus?" Fr. Paul explains how deeply we misunderstand the purpose of power and authority. The cross redefines our picture of kingship and the part we are to play in God's Kingdom.
Matthew 25:14-30. Where do we find the courage to fearlessly use the gifts that God has given us? Fr. Paul examines the renowned parable of the talents, revealing how the Lord has entrusted to us unique gifts which He expects us to faithfully employ. But God has given us His promise: work without fear, for even our failures find refuge at the cross of Christ.
Matthew 18:15-20. The world is desperate for peace. Fr. Paul explores Jesus' vital teaching on sin and reconciliation, the movement from wounding to love. Christ commands that His Church show forth the mission, method, and mending power of the Gospel through our forgiveness.
Hebrews 11:32-12:2. Fr. Paul invites us to know our identity as saints of God's Kingdom, believers in communion with those heroes who went before us. Christ offers us His life that we might also live like Him.
In a world full of lies and deceit, God always sends heralds to speak His truth. Just as John the Baptist confronted King Herod, so too God calls us to speak with courage, charity, and costly truth.
Daniel 4. Fr. Paul examines the good news in Daniel's confrontation of King Nebuchadnezzar: God humbles prideful people to make them useful again for His Kingdom.
1 Kings 21:17-22, 27-29. In the awful story of Ahab's wickedness, we see our own sin and tendency to pass the blame. God sees us and passes sentence on our evil; even so, He makes a way for the Gospel. Our souls are sought by God.
Matthew 8:14-18. "Where do we find courage to pray for healing in the face of sickness and death?" Fr. Paul examines the account of Christ's healing of Peter's mother-in-law. When we trust in the knowledge of God and His Kingdom, we find His kindness changes everything.
2 Samuel 12. There is good news in the difficult story of Nathan confronting King David: God rescues those who sin. The Lord sends us His prophets, creates in us a penitential heart, and gives to us a costly pardon.
Genesis 14:17-24. "Where does generous giving come from?" Fr. Paul examines the story of Abram's radical tithe. Abram found gratitude in all that the Lord had given him: possessions and power and, above all, a great high priest.
"I am the vine, you are the branches." Jesus is the sole source of the true life that we all long for, and He invites us to belong to Him. When we link ourselves to Christ, we bear the fruit of a believing life.
Jesus comforts His disciples saying He is the way to true life. Fr. Paul directs us to find faith in Christ, for He alone leads to the life we were made for. He alone is steadfast in love.
Jesus knows our greatest fear is that of death. By declaring that He is the resurrection, Christ denounces death with righteous anger. Christ took on our weakness not only to defeat death, but also to give us a courageous faith that lives without fear.
Fr. Paul describes how we all long to be shepherded. Jesus offers us His shepherding care to lead us when we are lost and rescue us when we fall. Christ's intent is to make us shepherds like Him, for the sake of the world.
Jesus claims, "I am the light of the world." Fr. Paul shows how we need the light of Jesus to illumine, instruct, and ignite our lives. Without His light, we are blind.
The Very Rev. Paul Donison examines the challenge of relying on God for all we need. We long for the singular, satisfying gift who is God Himself. When we set aside our distraction with daily bread, we discover nourishment in God’s sacrificial grace.
“What kind of dirt are you?” Fr. Aaron describes the “characters” of dirt in the Parable of the Sower and how we can join the story of Jesus as good dirt.
Dr. Ken Wilgus examines the loneliness of many people's Christian experience. We are, as the apostle Paul says, the body of Christ, united and intimately connected with the Lord and with each other.
Fr. Bryan re-examines the familiar account of Mary and Martha and the shortfalls of interpreting their differences too simply. Hospitality asks us all to be like Martha and Mary, servants and listeners, for Jesus celebrates those who can prayerfully rest in the presence of God.
Fr. Paul examines our tendency to avoid Christ's command to love our neighbors like the Good Samaritan. The call to care for outsiders and enemies is as old as Scripture, for it is our Christian story: Jesus rescued us; so too ought we to love.
"Are you following Jesus?" Looking at Luke 9, Fr. Paul describes the Lord's call to each of us to follow Him. Jesus asks us to count the cost and take hold of the incredible grace of discipleship.
Fr. Paul concludes his resurrection series with a call to joy. To believe in Lord's ascension is to know Jesus as King, to trust Him through every trial.
The Very Rev. Paul Donison explains the singular resolve of Jesus for our salvation. Our lives are secure in Christ; His unwavering focus gives us confidence to follow Him as disciples.
Christ Church welcomes The Most Rev. Dr. Laurent Mbanda, Archbishop of Rwanda, to preach on the prayers and fasting of Nehemiah for the people of God.
"How can I know I am being guided by the Holy Spirit?" Fr. Paul examines Christ's promise to us, that in the midst of life decisions and difficulties, the Spirit who indwells us will guide us into repentance and faith. We are not left as orphans.
Fr. Paul examines how we often forget about the Holy Spirit and lose sight of the Lord's power to live on mission. With the Spirit we are made capable for spiritual battle, filled with compassion for the lost.
Fr. Paul shows how the resurrection of Jesus restores and re-imagines our work. Cultivating a Christian imagination for work is critical to our discipleship in an increasingly secular world.
Fr. Bryan shows us a glimpse of the beauty in heaven. Even cities will reveal the glory of God. As we long for renewal in our culture today, we are called to render our lives in humble service to Christ.
Fr. Jonathan draws our imagination to the heavenly feast where the people of God will roar of joy. For in this meal we see the Gospel: though we were banished from God's garden, Christ welcomes us anew at His Table.
Fr. Paul raises our imagination for the new creation, community, and communion with God. As we long for Christ to banish evil and redeem our pain, we ought also to become humble in our brokenness and yearn to see His face.
Resurrection begins at the baptismal font. Fr. Paul reveals how our faith and our actions are often at odds. We must wrestle with our baptism, remembering Christ's vision for our life, to become who God made us to be.
"Do you believe in the resurrection?" Fr. Paul Donison celebrates the facts of Jesus Christ's return to life, and he invites us to consider the evidence. The story of Jesus has convicted the world, a conviction that brings peace and new life.
Fr. Paul inaugurates Holy Week on Palm Sunday, exploring how God answers our cries for help in Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. When we meet Christ at the foot of the cross, we find the cure to our deepest need.
"Is prayer practical in the face of evil?" Fr. Paul concludes his series on the Lord's Prayer by pointing out the evil in our world. Evil is real and seeks to undo us. Through prayer, we draw near to God's strength and find victory over the schemes of the devil.
"Is forgiving wickedness just?" Fr. Bryan reveals the deep connection between prayer and forgiveness. As our world demands greater justice, the Lord would have us love unlimitedly.
"Does God only answer some prayers for bread?" Fr. Paul explains that nearly everyone is anxious for daily bread—that is, everything we need for our bodily well-being. By praying for God's daily provision, we let Him define and direct our cares unto His Kingdom.
"Why pray if God knows everything?" Fr. Paul explores how prayer works: that when we pray, we become apprenticed to Christ, and as our will is aligned to God's, our holy desires are amplified.
"Why does God hear us?" Fr. Paul examines our incredible access to God through the miracle of our adoption as His children. Our Father, good and perfect in every way, hears us because He adores us.
"What good news does the church have for our secular age?" Fr. Paul Donison concludes his series on Philemon with the Biblical call to mend our divisions. Justice as the world conceives it is one only of retribution. Christ's church, however, looks beyond retribution to the work of restoration.
Our world disdains belief in God, yet still seeks greater purpose in life. Fr. Paul shows the church's true and lasting answer: purpose discovered, not self-made. When we come into relationship with Christ, our life's purpose re-orients around Him.
Our lonely world asks, "What is love?" "Can I find it?" and "Will it last?" Fr. Paul opens his series on Philemon by showing how the family of the Church is a guarantee of love, abounding and unmerited.
Fr. Paul Donison casts the vision for a new year of ministry at Christ Church: to be the Church for the sake of the world. Modeled on Acts 2:42, Christ Church celebrates the work of worship, formation, belonging, and compassion as the newly appointed cathedral of our diocese.
Fr. Bryan Biba invites us to understand Jesus' authority and power like the first century people who first encountered Him. When we follow Christ in humility, our words and actions resound with His purpose.
"Where do we find courage as evangelists?" Fr. Paul Donison reveals how simple is the incredible invitation to discover the Lord Jesus. When we "come and see" the person and the passion of Christ—and invite others to do the same—we are forever changed.
Fr. Paul Donison explains the secret of rest and peace in the midst of chaos. When storms batter our lives, we can know Jesus is present and powerful, pointing us to the greater storm He has already calmed.
The Most. Rev. Dr. Foley Beach explores the Biblical declarations about Jesus: God from God. The testimony of Christ's disciples is an invitation for us to believe and be saved.
"How does one become a Christian?" Fr. Paul examines how thoughtful and rational people come to fall on their knees in worship. The story of the magi reminds us how we must be dethroned and discipled to Jesus.
"How do we truly receive the Christmas gift?" Fr. Paul commends us to continually receive the story of Christ's birth in our lives, to cultivate our wondering, pondering, and treasuring of the gift.
"Do you know how much you are loved?" Christmas puts on display the declaration of God's love to us. Into a broken world, God swaddled Himself; He became "God with us" so we might be with Him.
Fr. Bryan Biba examines the Biblical origins of joy, when pain and suffering cease, and also the fullest experience of joy when we enter the life-giving presence of God.
"How do we say yes to God?" Fr. Paul Donison examines our deep desire for God's presence in our lives, and the renovation that follows when Jesus orders our lives around His. Matthew 1:18-25.
"How do we say yes to God?" Fr. Paul Donison explores how Mary struggled—and said yes—in the face of losing family and future. Only the Lord's promised presence, purpose, and power can bring us the hope needed to walk after God's call on our lives. Luke 1:26-38.
"Is there hope for wayward sheep?" Fr. Paul Donison shares the incredible good news of Jesus's judgment: Christ has made us His sheep, imperfect though we are, to become His imitators to the least among us. Matthew 25:31-46.
The Most Rev. Robert Duncan describes the miracle of our entrance into the Kingdom of God through the waters of Holy Baptism. God gives us what we cannot have except by His heavenly grace.
Our dark and troubled world needs saints, and so the Lord has sent us: His saints, imperfect and broken. God is transforming us into His image, for His namesake. Ezekiel 36:22-28.
"Where are God's saints today?" On the day we remember the faithful departed, Fr. Paul Donison recalls our purpose as salt and light upon the Earth: to be God's chosen saints, made capable to show His glory.
Fr. Paul Donison reveals the source of love and generosity in story of the woman with the alabaster jar. When we recognize our failures, we can discover the gospel of God's profound forgiveness.
"Where does generosity come from?" Fr. Paul Donison examines the story of Zacchaeus, chief of tax collectors and traitor to his Jewish people. When Jesus extends fellowship to Zacchaeus, the outcast discovers the radical generosity of God.
"Where does generosity come from?" Fr. Paul Donison explores Hannah's story, an outcast of her society because of her barrenness, who found in the Lord's mercy an incredible gift to bless the world.
"What does it mean to be the church in a divided culture?" The Rev. Bryan Biba speaks to the power of Jesus' commandment to love God and neighbor. It equips us as His witnesses.
"I long to be at rest." Fr. Paul relates the restorative power of knowing God's everlasting mercy. In the aftermath of the flood, God gives to Noah and all people a covenant of grace. God is steadfast: He will do all the work of rescue; He will endure all our judgment.
Fr. Paul teaches that the flood story is for people who feel they have lost everything. When brokenness is so severe and our lives are ruined, God recreates, recalibrates, and recommissions us for his purpose.
Fr. Paul begins his new sermon series “The Gospel in the Flood” by asking us to confront our entitlement, which he explains is more serious than we realize. But like with Noah, God’s grace will find us and form in us faithful obedience.
Fr. Paul sets the proper context for our prayers for healing: Pray for Christ to be near. Where Christ is, there is also healing.
Fr. Paul examines how Peter's struggle as a disciple reflects our own. He exhorts us to "do as disciples do:" always hear and follow the Master’s voice.
Fr. Paul continues his sermon series “Becoming Peter” by encouraging us to embrace who we are in Christ. Like Peter, our identity is for His purpose: to be a foundation upon which He builds His church.
Fr. Paul opened his new sermon series “Becoming Peter” with Simon’s confession that Jesus is the Messiah—the King of Heaven and Earth. Everything in Simon's world would change with that confession. So too, we, confessing Christ's reality and royalty, are transformed.
Fr. Aaron reminds us that ministry is not done alone. It takes the church, passionately partnering together, to succeed in reaching the lost.
Fr. Jonathan reminds us that, like Elisha, we have been given a mission. We are called to participate in God’s own work of reconciling the world to himself through Jesus.
Fr. Bryan offers a word of hope for the anxious and fearful. In Jesus Christ there is rest and freedom from the trap of our restless, overworked culture.
The Father’s Promises. Fr. Paul closed his “Into Mission” series with a reality check—God’s mission is too big for us when we do not trust in God’s promises. Even so, God keeps his promises, seen in the wounded hands of the resurrected Christ.
Fr. Paul continues in his series “Into Mission” by teaching that mission emerges because of Word and Sacrament. Believers should not need prodding into mission, only hearts that commune with Jesus.
Burning Hearts & Broken Bread: Fr. Paul teaches that only a burning heart for the Gospel will tell the world about Jesus. “A burning heart moves feet into mission.”
Dr. Ken Wilgus challenges us to seek Jesus in times of crisis—trusting that, as “Lord of the storm,” He is at work in the midst of our most trying times.
Fr. Bryan explains that as the world asks what we should do with our bodies, Christians should look forward to God restoring us from the crippling effects of sin—sickness and brokenness.
Father Paul urges us to take a posture of worship—to fix our eyes on the Lord—when we face life’s obstacles. Here we will find the Lord’s power and provision.
Fr. Paul teaches that strength and courage in the midst of trials are grown in worship, where we see the fullness of our Heavenly Father—our refuge.
Fr. Paul asks us to take a deep look at our own mortality—to think about the final judgement. It is here we see the Gospel on full display.
Fr. Paul explains that capability, calling, and godly character are the real traits of a person fully alive in Christ; made possible only by Pentecost, the living breath of our Lord.
Fr. Paul teaches that generosity with our work, time, and resources is the only faithful response to a generous God. It is generosity, poured out in love, that will change the world.
Fr. Paul explains that Jesus’ baptism was not for his own sake, but for ours. We are invited into Christ’s baptism where we receive him—a loving brother, a best friend, and a spiritual guide.
The Rt. Rev. Neil Lebhar explains that weak faith in Christ prevents us from knowing God's presence and care for the lost, lonely, and broken. But we are called to be a faithful witness to all persons, proclaiming Christ, the only real hope.
In a world of distraction and confusion, we live scattered lives. But there is hope! In Fr. Bryan's sermon, we are reminded of God’s rescue mission to restore order to our lives—through Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd.
Continuing his Living the Resurrection series, Fr. Paul Donison advances the idea that we ought to pursue our kingdom dreams now. “Easter addresses those things that crush our dreams; it enables us to begin working in those dreams—even in this life now.”
Fr. Paul encourages us to dream big—to wildly give yourself to those dreams—about the Kingdom of God. “Easter helps us dream...embrace the dream.”
Fr. Paul’s Easter sermon entreats us to know the courage found only in Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Because of His victory over sin and death, we can believe the words of 1 Corinthians 15: “Where, O death, is your victory; Where, O death, is your sting?”
Fr. Paul begins Holy Week with the passion reading from the book of Mark, and invites us to read ourselves into the story of Jesus’ betrayal, suffering, and crucifixion. We will find in ourselves some of Peter, some of Judas, and some of Pilate.
Fr. Paul concludes his series on the book of Jonah with a call to find comfort and inspiration in Jonah’s story, which is not unlike ours—a comedic mess.
Fr. Paul continues his Lenten journey through Jonah explaining how repentance is at the heart of the gospel proclamation and what it looks like to receive this grace in our daily lives.
Fr. Paul explains how Jonah’s prayer in the belly of the fish gives courage for mission and proclaims the coming Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Fr. Paul examines the story of Jonah—a prophet who does almost everything wrong, yet he is a template for our own story: called to mission and chosen for love.
The Rev. Bryan Biba explores the meaning of Holy Lent, a season for the preparation and renewal of our Baptism. Citing examples of faith from the early church, Fr. Bryan encourages us to embrace a view of Lent not as mere moral improvement, but one of participation in the life and death of Christ.
The Very Rev. Canon Paul Donison shares his vision for Christ Church Plano's cultural engagement, evangelism, and community growth at this year's Cast: All Parish Event.
The Rev. Creighton Friedrich examines our Lord's most important prayer on our behalf: the high priestly prayer of John 17, an invitation to share in Jesus' unity, glory, and love.
Fr. Paul Donison explains the remarkable hospitality of Ananias, who cared for the murderous Saul as a brother, and invites us to practice the same supernatural forgiveness and healing toward one another.
"Why did Jesus appear directly to Saul?" Fr. Paul Donison examines how Paul's radical encounter with Christ illustrates the presence and purpose of God in our own conversions. As the Lord pursued even the great persecutor of the early church, so he pursues us.
"How does God convert a person to faith?" In this series on the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, Fr. Paul Donison explores how, at the heart of every conversion, we find the mercy of God.
"What does it mean to be drawn closer to Jesus?" The Very Rev. Canon Paul Donison reveals Jesus' enormous and far-reaching power to draw us to Himself—a process that churns up conflict as it transforms us unto great joy.
"How do I know if any of this is true?" Fr. Paul explores how we may find Jesus: in seeking his instruction and his incarnation, God's Son reveals his incredible intention for our lives.
"I want more joy in my life." Fr. Paul invites us to look to the shepherds and discover the deeper joy in Jesus's birth. We, too, are unworthy of God's love and yet we are welcome to go and see the gift of God's love.
"In our darkest moments, where do we find hope?" Fr. Paul Donison reminds us that Christ's second coming is not a future event, but a present reality, and one in which we have a priestly part to play.
The Very Rev. Canon Paul Donison exhorts us to be like the sheep in Christ's parable: caring for the least among us. Sharing a story of a low point in his life, Fr. Paul explains how simple it is to follow Jesus when we embrace our inheritance as sons and daughters of the King.
Want to be more faithful with what God has given you? Fr. Paul Donison examines Jesus' Parable of the Talents and the opportunity we have as regents of God's blessings.
In our fast-paced society, we are impatient. The Rev. Bryan Biba asks us to repent and pray, for Scripture reminds us to wait for the Lord and know He is always in our midst during difficult times.
The Very Rev. Canon Paul Donison explains Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. His words are carefully chosen to both convict and court her, for He wishes to be her Bridegroom as He wishes to be ours.
Fr. Paul reminds us that grace is God's unearned favor. We need to rediscover grace, because by it we are saved. When we turn to Him, even dry bones can be raised back to life.
The Rev. Canon Paul Donison tells us that if we want to make an impact in the world for good, we must first render ourselves to God and not to our own priorities.
Why was Jesus baptized? The Rev. Canon Paul Donison considers how Jesus, though He was perfect, was baptized as an example for us of the cleansing we all need. Jesus helps us to understand the grace of God—the love expressed in the Father's words, "You are my child, my beloved; with you I am well pleased."
The Rev. Canon Paul Donison explains how the soil of our hearts is sometimes hard, rocky, and cluttered. But when we repent and let Jesus’ Word work in our hearts, we will bear fruit.
Are we living into the life God has called us to live? The Rev. Paul Donison examines the Parable of the Sower, and discusses how the seed of God’s Word is meant to penetrate our lives.
"What do you do when you’ve had enough?" The Rev. Canon Paul Donison examines the moment Elijah flees from his calling, and how God patiently reinstates Elijah's perspective and purpose. We, too, can find relief and restoration when we feel like we have had enough.
"How do we pray?" The Rev. Canon Paul Donison invites us to bring our grief to God in prayer. In our desperation, the Gospel can find us and save us in our greatest need. Delivered on Sunday, September 17, 2017.
How do we pray with faith during storms? The Rev. Canon Paul Donison explains how Jesus is always present, powerful and able to bring peace when we rely on the promises of God.
The Rev. Canon Paul Donison asks, Why do some people follow Jesus and others do not—at least not yet? To follow Jesus means we need to know we are sick, sunk, and in need of saving. Great is His mercy that asks us to follow Him.
"Who do you say Jesus is?" The Most Rev. Dr. Foley Beach invites us to reflect on whether we have relegated our faith to the back seat, or whether we have let Christ take the drivers’ seat.
The Rev. Canon Paul Donison reminds us that we are not to pray like pagans, wondering if God is listening or bargaining with Him. Instead, as Christians we understand that God listens to our prayers because He is our Father, and for that reason alone. Delivered on Sunday, August 20, 2017.
Fr. Paul reminds us that there is hope for timid evangelists. Christ’s peace, when shared among our community, is the bridge that reconciles us with God.
The disciples witnessed God's glory when they beheld the transfiguration of Jesus. Fr. Paul shows us how the glory of God inspires us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him every day. As we endeavor to follow Him, we are changed, bit by bit.
The Rev. Bryan Biba encourages us to break down our walls toward others who are different than us and to see their value as Christ does. When we surrender our personal kingdoms, God can teach us what His Kingdom looks like.
Dr. Ken Wilgus explains that pride and shame are two sides of the same coin and both are rooted in sin. He encourages us to become aware of how we participate in these attitudes and to surrender our lives wholly to Christ.
The Rev. Taylor Ishii explains in the parable of the Growing Seed how God desires us to be deeply rooted in His Word so that we are able to weather the storms of life, bearing abundant fruit.
The Rev. Creighton Friedrich encourages us to give our burdens to Jesus by humbling ourselves before Him. God will reveal Himself and care for us as we completely surrender to Him
Fr. Paul explains how we are to reconcile with those who have sinned. We resolve conflict not to condemn a person, but to gain a brother or sister in Christ with whom we will spend eternity in heaven.
Fr. Paul reminds us that we are not to pray like pagans, wondering if God is listening or bargaining with Him. Instead, as Christians we understand that God listens to our prayers because He is our Father, and for that reason alone.
The Rev. Bryan Biba reminds us that Christ calls ordinary people into His mission. As we are compelled to help the needy, abandoned, and harassed, we do well to remember that the mission belongs to the Lord.
The Rev. Steven Saul reminds us of Jesus' command to "go and make disciples of all nations." We are imitators of Him, called to more than an ordinary existence.
Fr. Paul explores how greatly we need the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, and he commends us toward the Spirit's mission: living in such a way that those around us are drawn closer to God.
he Rev. Canon Paul Donison exhorts us to embrace Jesus' radical mandate to go on mission with the Gospel. We are His witnesses to a world in need of repentance and forgiveness of sins.
We are called to be wise, but not judge. Fr. Paul examines how judging others is hazardous and hypocritical. Instead, we must be humiliated with Christ and show forth His compassion, mercy, and grace.
Fr. Paul assures us that there is hope for prideful people, because when we turn to Jesus, He will confront, cleanse, and convert our pride into a new vision—a fresh start to glorify Him.
Fr. Paul Donison invites us to let Jesus speak into our lives and see what He reveals, because when we listen to His voice, all things are possible. We may see a miracle.
Dr. Erika Moore examines the conversation between Christ and His disciples on the Road to Emmaus, wherein Jesus grounds their faith on the Old Testament scriptures and breaks bread to show them that He is in their midst.
Fr. Paul explains that after Jesus arose from the dead and appeared to His disciples, He showed them His wounds and they received His peace as He breathed the Holy Spirit on them. We, too, share in His peace and His power.
Jesus invites us home, to our first home in the garden with the Lord, to a life free of sin and death. Fr. Paul explains how Christ's sacrifice and resurrection removes every barrier between us and eternal life in the family of God.
Enter Holy Week with the celebration of Christ’s triumphal procession into Jerusalem. Fr. Paul leads the congregation in a powerful reading of the events leading up to Jesus’ betrayal, crucifixion, and death.
Fr. Tripp Prince shares the mystery of God's willingness to let His children suffer. God leads us not to death, but through death to life, complete faith, and everlasting joy.
Fr. Paul shows us a unforgettable image of God's radical provision: He provides Abraham a sacrifice, sparing Isaac's life. So, too, we are spared by the gift of God's own Son. We only need to share Abraham's faith in God to provide.
Fr. Paul shows how common it is to struggle with faith, even for those that love and serve the Lord. In Abraham we see that God will never leave us. Even our mistakes are God's tool to help us understand the depth of His incredible love.
Fr. Paul shows us the mystery of God's covenant with Abram. God bore the consequence for our failure to keep his covenant, even unto Jesus' death on the cross. Through Abram we see how God will never give up on us.
"How do we learn to trust God?" Fr. Paul urges us to engage with the Lord as a person, trusting in His promises as Abram does. Let God prove Himself by doing the heavy lifting in your life.
The Rev. Canon Paul Donison shows us the lengths of Ruth's redeemer's love: public, permanent, unconditional. In the same way, God's hospitality flows from his steadfast love for us.
Fr. Paul continues his series in Ruth, telling the story of our redemption by Christ through the picture of Ruth and Boaz. Just as Boaz protects and honors the young widow, so too Christ loves and redeems us. Sermon by The Rev. Canon Paul Donison delivered on Sunday, February 19, 2017.
The Rev. Canon Paul Donison demonstrates how the Lord desires us to reflect radical hospitality to others, just as Boaz showed Ruth abundant kindness during vulnerable circumstances.
The Rev. Canon Paul Donison challenges us never to change our beliefs to fit our circumstances. Rather, like Ruth, we should be steadfast in our love, trusting God through even the most difficult seasons of life.
Fr. Tripp explains God’s desire for us to be humble, meek, and merciful because to follow Christ means putting others before ourselves. Our reward is in heaven not on earth.
The Rev. Canon Paul Donison urges us to go above and beyond in our duty of hospitality, and to forgive endlessly like Christ forgives us.
The Rev. Canon Paul Donison tells us that Biblical hospitality is radical hospitality. Everyone is welcomed into Christ because of the cross; we are all brothers and sisters united in Christ.
The Rt. Rev. Charles Masters instructs us to remember Jesus in everything, rely on His Word, and release the Gospel into our world that desperately needs Him.
The Rev. Canon Paul Donison explains that the Christmas story is about God being born vulnerable, just like us, to show how much he loves us.
The Rev. Tripp Prince reminds us that Advent is a time of preparation and we need to be rooted in Him to prepare for His arrival.
The Rev. Canon Paul Donison explains how "God favors a nobody to be a somebody through whom he will save the world." We are his instruments for salvation.
Thanksgiving Eve sermon delivered by The Rev. Canon Paul Donison delivered on Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Fr. Paul declares on Christ the King Sunday that as Christians we are instructed by God to tithe and give offerings to God because He is our Possessor, Provider, and Protector. Sermon delivered on Sunday, November 20, 2016.
Fr. Paul continues his series on anxiety, telling us that the cure for being anxious lies in putting our trust in the kingdom of God in everything we do.
The Rev. Canon Paul Donison explains that we are anxious because we put our trust in worldly treasure that will not endure, but instead we should trust only in God who provides for our every need.
The Rt. Rev. Steve Breedlove encourages us to consider the many ways that God has given us hope in Jesus Christ.
“How do we find faith when our circumstances say fear?” Fr. Paul explores Jesus' miraculous healing of the little girl that dies. Sermon by The Rev. Canon Paul Donison, Rector-elect. Delivered on Sunday, October 23, 2016.
Fr. Paul considers the mighty deeds of Jesus, this week focusing on his incredible reclamation of the Gerasene man, Legion. Sermon by the Rev. Canon Paul Donison, delivered on Sunday, October 17, 2016.
The Rev. Canon Paul Donison reveals that God is not only competent to calm the storms in each of our lives, but also cares deeply for our good.
The Rev. Tripp Prince invites us to increase our faith by learning humility, self-sacrifice, and service to others without thinking about ourselves. Sermon delivered on Sunday, October 2, 2016.
The Rev. Canon Paul Donison concludes his series on “The Prodigal Father” urging us to give our love, compassion, and forgiveness lavishly just as Christ gave everything to us.
The Rev. Canon Paul Donison continues his series on "The Prodigal Son," inviting us to drop our aspirations to fix our relationship with God and allow the Father to restore us through the grace of Jesus Christ.
The Rev. Canon Paul Donison explores the parable of Prodigal Son explaining that when we realize our lives are a mess and are ready to hear the good news of Jesus, He will make us whole.
The Rev. Taylor Ishii examines the cost of discipleship and the ways Christ's exacting call inspires our love and service to His Kingdom.
The Rev. Canon Paul Donison helps us discover what our core commitments should be as Christians in today’s culture.
"Are we up for this?" The Rev. Canon Paul Donison, Rector-elect, reminds us of the power of God to overcome our inadequacies in the big mission of the Gospel of Christ. Sermon delivered on August 21, 2016.