St. Paul American Coptic Orthodox Church of Houston

In this sermon, Fr. Matthias Shehad explores the story of the paralytic brought to Jesus by his friends, emphasizing how God sometimes gives us what we need rather than what we want. He highlights that God prioritizes spiritual healing, such as forgiveness of sins, over physical needs. Fr. Matthias explains that our prayers often reflect our limited perspective, while God's plans are broader and serve a greater purpose. Using biblical examples like Naaman, Lazarus, the Samaritan woman, and the prodigal son, he illustrates how God's timing and solutions may differ from our expectations but are ultimately for our spiritual growth and salvation. Fr. Matthias encourages trusting God's wisdom, embracing struggles as opportunities for deeper faith, and recognizing that God’s gifts surpass our requests, especially through the gift of the Holy Spirit. #FaithJourney #SpiritualHealing #TrustInGod #ChristianSermon #GodsTiming #ForgivenessOfSins #StPaulHouston #Coptic #FrMatthias Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhouston Follow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhouston Follow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhouston Visit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

Fr. Matthias Shehad begins a study of the Old Testament book of Numbers, positioning it within the Torah and Israel’s history during their wilderness wanderings. He explains the significance of the census of Israel’s tribes, focusing on the arrangements, roles, and numbers of the tribes, especially the Levites, who serve in the tabernacle rather than going to war. Fr. Matthias details the divine instructions for the Levites’ duties, the layout of Israel’s encampment around the tabernacle, and the spiritual lessons about obedience, holiness, and trusting God’s providence. He highlights the symbolism of the bronze serpent, connections to the Messiah, and the transfer of the priesthood from the firstborn to the Levites due to Israel’s idolatry. The teaching also reflects on God’s design for order, individual roles, and the importance of contentment with the calling each person receives. #BookOfNumbers #OldTestamentStudy #Levites #IsraelCensus #Tabernacle #FrMatthiasShehad #StPaulHouston #Coptic #FrMatthias Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhouston Follow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhouston Follow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhouston Visit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

In this teaching, Fr. Matthias Shehad explores the concept of Christ’s veiled presence in the liturgical life and why faith is essential for encountering Him in the church. He explains how Christ remains present yet hidden, inviting believers to discover Him through prayer, worship, and the mysteries of the sacraments. Fr. Matthias discusses Christ’s four manifestations in the church: the veiled Christ, the teacher who instructs us in truth, the sacrifice who offers Himself for salvation, and the shepherd who nourishes and protects His flock. He emphasizes the importance of faith over mere proof, and how the church serves as a space to experience God’s presence, receive teaching, partake in the Eucharist, and be healed and guided spiritually. This message encourages believers to recognize and respond to Christ’s loving invitation in all aspects of life. #OrthodoxLiturgy #VeiledChrist #FaithAndSacrifice #ChristTheShepherd #EucharistMystery #ChristianTeaching #StPaulHouston #Coptic #FrMatthias Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhouston Follow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhouston Follow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhouston Visit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org

Fr. Matthias answers the objection that the God of the Old Testament is different from the God of the New Testament, explaining how both reveal his true person and how the Old Testament prepares us for Christ.

Fr. Matthias Shehad discusses the challenges of accepting evolution purely on scientific grounds rather than religious ones. He questions the sufficiency of evidence supporting evolution as a process driven by random mutation, highlighting that mutations are mostly destructive rather than constructive. Fr. Matthias uses an analogy comparing mutations to explosions causing damage instead of creating complexity, emphasizing the difficulty in explaining how complexity arises from randomness. He critiques the scientific community's approach, suggesting that some theories rely heavily on assumptions without providing extraordinary evidence. Fr. Matthias encourages critical thinking about widely accepted ideas and stresses the need for strong evidence when making significant claims about the origins of life. #EvolutionDebate #ScienceAndFaith #GeneticMutation #CreationDiscussion #RandomMutation #FrMatthiasShehad #StPaulHouston #Coptic #FrMatthias Subscribe to us on YouTube https://youtube.com/stpaulhouston Like us on Facebook https://facebook.com/saintpaulhouston Follow us on SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/stpaulhouston Follow us on Instagram https://instagram.com/stpaulhouston Visit our website for schedules and to join the mailing list https://stpaulhouston.org