St. Paul American Coptic Orthodox Church of Houston

12-24-2017 ”The Babe Leaped in My Womb for Joy” Sermon

Fr. Matthias Shehad explores the biblical account of the unborn John the Baptist leaping for joy at the presence of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and reflects on how people respond when they hear the voice of God. He outlines seven responses, including fear, rebellion, indifference, skepticism, repentance, sacrifice, and obedience, illustrating each with scripture and examples from both the Old and New Testaments.Fr. Matthias emphasizes the importance of faith and obedience even when God's commands are difficult to understand. He encourages viewers to examine their own reactions to God's voice and to be open to repentance and change. Through this reflection, he highlights the call to live a life of dedication and responsiveness to God’s guidance as demonstrated by Mary, the apostles, and biblical figures like Abraham and King David.Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhoustonFollow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhoustonFollow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhoustonVisit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

12-17-2017 The Favor of God Sermon

In this sermon, Fr. Matthias Shehad explores the concept of "The Favor of God" by examining the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary and Scripture passages that reveal how believers can obtain God’s favor. He explains that God’s favor is not random but earned through prayer, obedience to God’s commandments, seeking God wholeheartedly, living righteously, offering our first fruits, and embracing humility.Fr. Matthias emphasizes that prayer maintains our connection with God, while keeping His commandments requires trust beyond our understanding. Seeking God and living humbly help believers submit to God’s will. The sermon also highlights the benefits of God’s favor, including joy, mercy, protection, and victory over enemies.Through biblical examples such as Mary and Abel, Fr. Matthias encourages cultivating a life aligned with God’s will to experience His blessing and favor.Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhoustonFollow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhoustonFollow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhoustonVisit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

12-10-2017 ”Righteous Before God” Sermon

Fr. Matthias Shehad explores what it means to be righteous before God, focusing on the example of Zacharias and Elizabeth as described in Luke 1. He emphasizes that true righteousness is recognized by God alone, not by human praise or approval. Fr. Matthias discusses the importance of performing good deeds, prayer, fasting, and obedience in secret, seeking God’s approval rather than human recognition.He highlights the need to fear God above all else and to live according to God’s standards, not the world’s. The sermon addresses reverence for God, prioritizing the kingdom of God over material needs, and obeying God rather than men. Fr. Matthias encourages self-examination of motives, urging believers to align their hearts with God’s righteousness for eternal reward.Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhoustonFollow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhoustonFollow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhoustonVisit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

12-03-2017 ”How Hard It Is for Those Who Trust in Riches to Enter the Kingdom of God” Sermon

Fr. Matthias Shehad explores the story of the rich young man who asked Jesus how to inherit eternal life, focusing on the challenge of detaching from riches. He explains that trusting in wealth can be a barrier to entering the kingdom of God, emphasizing that riches themselves are not condemned, but attachment to them is.Fr. Matthias identifies ten types of people who trust in riches, including the enslaved rich, the foolish rich, the wasteful rich, the selfish rich, the greedy rich, the self-content rich, the “wise” rich, the secure rich, the quick rich, and the socialite rich. He reflects on biblical examples and encourages viewers to examine their attitudes toward wealth and its role in their spiritual lives.This talk challenges listeners to prioritize God over wealth and to seek eternal treasures rather than temporary earthly riches.Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhoustonFollow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhoustonFollow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhoustonVisit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

11-26-2017 St. John Chrysostom & Being Christ’s Disciple (by Fr. Maximus Abba Moses)

Fr. Maximus Abba Moses reflects on the life of St. John Chrysostom, highlighting his dedication to God despite exile and trials. He explores the conditions for being Christ’s disciple, emphasizing the need to love the Word of God, bear one’s cross through struggles, and forsake anything that takes priority over God in the heart. Through the example of St. John and biblical figures like Abraham, Fr. Maximus explains how spiritual growth requires perseverance, detachment, and total commitment to Christ’s teachings. The talk encourages embracing challenges in the Christian journey and fostering a heart fully devoted to God for true discipleship and fruitfulness in faith.Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhoustonFollow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhoustonFollow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhoustonVisit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

11-25-2017 Meditation on the Midnight Praises (by Fr. Maximus Abba Moses)

Fr. Maximus Abba Moses offers a meditation on the Midnight Praises, explaining the meaning behind each part to enhance the prayer experience. He begins by describing the call to be children of light, seeking forgiveness and learning to pray with reverence. Fr. Maximus explores the first praise from Exodus 15, connecting the crossing of the Red Sea to personal repentance and spiritual struggle.He then reflects on King David’s psalm that repeats "His mercy endures forever," highlighting God's enduring mercy throughout generations. The meditation continues by blessing God on behalf of creation and recalling the faithfulness of Daniel and the three holy youths in exile, encouraging believers to maintain their faith despite challenges.Fr. Maximus discusses invoking God “for the sake” of the saints, including Abraham, the Theotokos, and others, as a powerful plea for mercy. Finally, he emphasizes the significance of praising Jesus Christ by name and the theological focus on the Theotokos as the bearer of Christ. The meditation concludes with a prayer for mercy before ending.Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhoustonFollow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhoustonFollow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhoustonVisit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

11-19-2017 Parable of the Sower: Part 2 Sermon

Fr. Matthias Shehad continues the exploration of the Parable of the Sower, focusing on the seeds sown among thorns and on good ground. He explains how worldly cares, desires for wealth, physical pleasure, authority, and entertainment can choke spiritual growth, separating us from experiencing God’s presence. Fr. Matthias highlights the importance of recognizing these obstacles and their impact on the soul’s openness to God’s word.He then discusses the seed on good ground, representing hearts that hear the word with sincerity, keep it, and bear fruit with patience. Fr. Matthias emphasizes that spiritual growth is a lifelong struggle involving hearing, practicing, and enduring with patience. He encourages self-examination, repentance, and perseverance while trusting in God’s mercy throughout this process. This message underscores personal responsibility in cultivating one’s spiritual life to bear lasting fruit.Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhoustonFollow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhoustonFollow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhoustonVisit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

11-12-2017 Parable of the Sower: Part 1 Sermon

In this sermon, Fr. Matthias Shehad explores the Parable of the Sower, focusing on two types of soil: the seed that falls by the wayside and the seed that falls on the rock. He explains how the wayside soil represents those who hear the Word of God but doubt His love, timing, ways, and power, leading to the word being taken away before it takes root. Fr. Matthias illustrates this with biblical examples and emphasizes how doubt can distance us from faith.He then discusses the rocky soil, describing those who receive the word joyfully but fall away when faced with trials and temptations. Using St. Peter’s denial as an example, Fr. Matthias highlights the importance of self-examination and steadfast faith in real-life challenges. The message calls for trust in God’s plan and encourages believers to examine their hearts to grow in faith.Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhoustonFollow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhoustonFollow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhoustonVisit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

11-05-2017 The Touch of God Sermon

In this sermon, Fr. Matthias Shehad explores the significance of God’s touch as depicted in Scripture, beginning with the resurrection of the widow’s son. He explains how God’s touch brings humility, instructs with divine wisdom, purifies sin, and offers spiritual healing beyond physical restoration. Fr. Matthias highlights the illumination that opens spiritual eyes to deeper realities, the resurrection power that raises the spiritually dead, and the comfort and acceptance God provides through His presence.The sermon emphasizes the importance of approaching God with humility and confidence in His transformative power. It also addresses the final aspect of God’s touch as a form of judgment and destruction for His enemies, urging repentance and readiness.Fr. Matthias encourages believers to seek closeness with God to receive these effects, fostering spiritual growth and awareness of God’s mercy and justice.Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhoustonFollow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhoustonFollow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhoustonVisit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

10-29-2017 How the Devil Plunders Sermon

Fr. Matthias Shehad explores how the devil plunders humanity by disrupting God’s original design for human needs. He explains that God created man to live in unity with Him, fulfilling physical, emotional, spiritual, relational, and purposeful needs perfectly in the Garden of Eden.Fr. Matthias details the contrast between this original state and the brokenness caused by the fall, highlighting how sin introduced suffering, fear, separation, and confusion. He emphasizes that while these needs remain, they are no longer met in the perfect way God intended. The lecture also focuses on how Christ’s sacrifice and the work of the Holy Spirit restore believers to this original design through baptism, communion, and confession. Fr. Matthias encourages taking one's spiritual life seriously, showing how renewed connection with God impacts all areas of life, healing and fulfilling human needs.Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhoustonFollow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhoustonFollow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhoustonVisit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org