St. Paul’s Free Church

St. Paul’s Free Church Founded in 1989, St. Paul’s Free Church is the coming together of ministers from different faiths to create a truly nondenominational free church. St.

Paul’s Free Church was the coming together of ministers from different faiths in an effort to create a truly nondenominational church. The founding faiths included Episcopalian, Disciples of Christ, and Pentecostal, a fairly diverse coming together of extremes, later joined by Roman Catholic and Orthodox Judaism to round out the rough edges. The original churches were located in Portland, Gresham,

Salem and Eugene Oregon. Then churches splintered off to find their own niches, while St. Paul’s Free Church remained the nondenominationally focused core, remaining independent, and tolerant, welcoming all who dared to attend. Setting a new standard for nontraditional freedom of faith within a single organization, St, Paul’s Free Church sets a new standard of freedom in worship and service spanning a wide spectrum of styles and combination of doctrines. Paul’s Free Church continues to tear down the walls and empower ministers and servants of all types to embrace their God-given strengths, talents, and abilities to further serve the greater good and make the world a better place. Currently, St. Paul’s Free Church is in the process of returning from a sabbatical and is in search of participants to serve as the new re-founding members and ministerial staff. If you are willing to put your denominational weapons down and serve God and the world at large in a greater, more tolerant way, contact us for more information on how you can be a part of this growing phenomenon for God.

Have you ever stopped reaching out first... just to see what would happen? No angry announcement. No dramatic goodbye. Y...
09/06/2026

Have you ever stopped reaching out first... just to see what would happen? No angry announcement. No dramatic goodbye. You simply stopped sending the first text. Stopped making the call. Stopped suggesting lunch. Stopped being the one who always asked: “How are you?”

And then... nothing happened.

That silence can teach you something you weren't particularly interested in learning.

❤️

Because sometimes we don't realize how much of a relationship we've been carrying until we set our end down. And suddenly there's nothing pulling from the other side. That hurts.

But before we turn that hurt into: “They never cared about me.” maybe we should leave a little room for what we don't know.

People get overwhelmed. People get distracted. Some people love deeply but initiate terribly. Some assume you're busy. Some are fighting battles they haven't told anybody about.

And yes... sometimes the relationship really has become one-sided.

Both things can be true.

We can give people grace without ignoring what their actions are showing us.

This is where I find Jesus particularly interesting.

He loved people enormously... but He didn't chase everybody. He invited. He welcomed. He called. He made room. But when the rich young man walked away, Mark tells us Jesus loved him... and Jesus let him walk.

“Jesus looked at him and loved him.” — Mark 10:21

I keep coming back to those two things together: He loved him. And He didn't force him to stay.

Maybe love doesn't always mean pursuing harder. Maybe sometimes love leaves the door unlocked... without standing in the doorway begging somebody to come through it.

You can care. You can pray for them. You can remain kind. You can even leave room for the relationship to find its way back someday. But you don't have to manufacture both halves of a connection by yourself.

And perhaps there's a little mirror here, too. Is there someone who's usually the one reaching out to you?

Maybe don't wait for them this time. Send the text. Make the call. Suggest the coffee. Tell them: “Hey. I was thinking about you.”

Relationships shouldn't need a scoreboard.

But every once in a while... it's nice to know somebody walked toward you, too. ❤️

Have you ever had someone describe you... and thought: Wow. You haven't known me for a long time. Not because they haven...
09/05/2026

Have you ever had someone describe you... and thought: Wow. You haven't known me for a long time. Not because they haven't seen you. They may see you all the time. But they're still talking to the person you used to be.

The mistake you made. The temper you had. The season when you were falling apart. The thing you believed ten years ago. The version of you who didn't know then what you know now.

And every time you try to step beyond it... somebody reminds you who you were.

That can hurt.

Especially when you've worked hard to change.

❤️

Here's something worth remembering: Other people's memories don't get to become your identity. They may need time to catch up. They may never catch up. But you don't have to crawl back into an old version of yourself just because that's the only version somebody else recognizes.

This is one of the things I love about Jesus.

He had an interesting habit of meeting people with complicated histories... and talking to their future.

Peter was impulsive and inconsistent. Jesus saw a rock.
A woman everybody knew by her reputation met Jesus at a well. He saw someone worth having a conversation with.
People looked at Zacchaeus and saw a crooked tax collector. Jesus saw someone He wanted to have dinner with.

Jesus knew people's histories. He just didn't seem determined to imprison them there.

Maybe we could learn something from that.

About other people... and about ourselves.

Someone you know may be trying very hard to become someone different from the person you remember.

Give them a little room. And if you are the one who has changed?

Keep going. You don't need unanimous agreement before you're allowed to grow. You don't need everybody from your past to recognize the person you're becoming.

Sometimes growth happens quietly enough that the people around you don't notice right away.

That's okay. Keep becoming.

Jesus always seemed much more interested in where people could go than in making sure they never forgot where they'd been.

Maybe today... we can be, too. ❤️

Have you ever kept something going mostly because you've already kept it going this long? A relationship.A business idea...
09/04/2026

Have you ever kept something going mostly because you've already kept it going this long?

A relationship.
A business idea.
A commitment you made years ago.
A role you somehow became responsible for.
A dream that once fit you beautifully... but doesn't anymore.

Sometimes we don't even realize we're still choosing it. We just keep carrying it. Because we've already invested so much.

Time.
Money.
Energy.
Years.
Maybe tears.

And putting it down can feel like admitting all of that was wasted.

So we tell ourselves: I've come too far to stop now. But there is another possibility.

Maybe you've come far enough to know.

❤️

That's different.

Sometimes experience doesn't tell us to keep going. Sometimes experience is what finally gives us permission to change direction.

There is something about Jesus that comforts me here. He never seemed especially interested in keeping people trapped inside yesterday.

He met fishermen and invited them into something new.
He met people defined by their reputations and spoke to who they could become.
He even told His disciples: “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave...” — Matthew 10:14

Leave.

That's an interesting word to hear from Jesus.

Not every closed door requires another year of knocking.
Not everything you started has to become something you finish.
Not every version of you needs to be carried into the next chapter.

And putting something down doesn't necessarily mean it was a mistake.

Maybe it served its season.
Maybe you learned something there.
Maybe you loved somebody there.
Maybe you became somebody there.
Maybe it mattered enormously.

And maybe it's still time to put it down.

You don't have to hate yesterday to stop living in it. You don't have to declare something worthless before you're allowed to release it. Sometimes you can simply say:

Thank you for what this was. I'm ready for what comes next.

Jesus never seemed afraid of the next road.

Maybe we don't have to be either. ❤️

There’s a strange little ache that comes with seeing someone’s name pop up on your phone... and already knowing why they...
09/04/2026

There’s a strange little ache that comes with seeing someone’s name pop up on your phone... and already knowing why they’re calling. They need something. Again. A favor. A ride. Money. Advice. A connection. Someone to fix the problem. And maybe you’ll help. Because you care. Because that's who you are.

But somewhere underneath the conversation is a quieter thought: Would you have called if you didn't need anything?

Oof.

There’s a difference between being loved... and being useful.

And if you’ve spent much of your life being dependable, generous, capable, or available, those two things can become surprisingly difficult to tell apart.

Sometimes being needed feels so much like being valued that we don't notice the difference until the needing stops. Then the phone gets quiet.

❤️

If you know that feeling, there’s something about Jesus that I find particularly beautiful.

When He called people to Himself, He certainly gave them things to do.

But before Peter preached... before Matthew wrote anything... before anybody built a church, led a ministry, helped a crowd, or accomplished something impressive... Jesus invited people to be with Him.

“He appointed twelve that they might be with him...” — Mark 3:14

Be with Him. I love that.

Before usefulness came relationship. Maybe somebody needs to hear that today.

Your value is not measured by how many problems you can solve.
You don't have to earn your place in someone's life by being endlessly helpful.
You are allowed to have relationships where nobody needs fixing.

Where you don't have to perform. Where your presence is enough.

And perhaps we can turn this around, too.

Think about someone you usually call when you need something.

Maybe today... call them when you don't.

No favor. No request. No problem to solve.

Just: “Hey. I was thinking about you.”

That might be one of the nicest ways to remind somebody: I don't just value what you do for me. I value you.

Jesus seemed to understand the difference. ❤️

Sometimes the person everyone calls “strong” is simply the person nobody thought to help. Think about that for a minute....
09/01/2026

Sometimes the person everyone calls “strong” is simply the person nobody thought to help. Think about that for a minute. There are people who become remarkably good at carrying things because... well... people keep handing them things.

They solve the problem. Make the phone call. Keep everybody calm. Figure out what happens next. They’re the one you call when your world falls apart. And because they're so good at it, eventually everyone assumes: They’re fine.

Maybe you're that person.

You learned a long time ago how to keep moving when something hurts. You can smile while you're worried. Work while you're exhausted. Encourage somebody else while quietly wondering who would encourage you. And sometimes the strangest thing happens.

The stronger you become... the less anyone thinks to ask if you're tired.

❤️

This is one of the things I find so comforting about Jesus. He didn't seem particularly impressed by people's public packaging. He noticed what was underneath it.

There was a moment when He looked at a crowd of people who were doing all the things people do—working, traveling, surviving, keeping life moving—and Matthew says:

“He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless...” — Matthew 9:36

Jesus could apparently look at functioning people... and still see tired people.

Maybe somebody needs that reminder today.

Being capable doesn't mean you never need care.
Being dependable doesn't mean you're never allowed to fall apart.
Being the one everybody leans on doesn't mean you shouldn't occasionally have somewhere to lean.

And maybe there's another invitation here for the rest of us.

Think of the strongest person you know. The one who always seems okay. The one who helps everybody else. The one you assume doesn't need anything.

Maybe today... check on them anyway.

Not because they're weak. Because they're human.

And Jesus always seemed rather fond of humans. ❤️

Zacchaeus had a problem. He wanted to see Jesus... but he was too short to see over the crowd. So this grown man—who hap...
08/31/2026

Zacchaeus had a problem. He wanted to see Jesus... but he was too short to see over the crowd. So this grown man—who happened to be a wealthy government tax collector—did something wonderfully undignified. He climbed a tree. 😂

Imagine that for a minute. Nice clothes. Important position. Probably not accustomed to climbing sycamore trees in public. But up he went.

Then Jesus walked underneath the tree... looked up... and said: “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” — Luke 19:5

I love this story. Because apparently Jesus looked into an entire crowd... and noticed the guy in the tree.

❤️

And He didn't say: “Come down here so we can discuss your questionable life choices.”

He essentially said: Come down. I'm coming over.

The crowd wasn't thrilled. They knew Zacchaeus' reputation. They knew what kind of man he was. They had already decided what category he belonged in.

Jesus apparently hadn't gotten the memo. 😂

And here's something beautiful: Zacchaeus began changing after Jesus welcomed him. Not before.

Jesus didn't stand under the tree negotiating the requirements for dinner. He offered relationship first.

Sometimes we get that backward. We think people need to change before we can make room for them.

Get their act together. Fix the mess. Become easier to understand. Believe correctly. Behave correctly. Then maybe we'll pull out a chair.

But Jesus kept doing this strange thing. He made room for people... and sometimes the room itself became part of what changed them.

Maybe love doesn't always begin with: “Here's what you need to fix.”

Maybe sometimes it begins with: “Come down. There's a seat for you.”

There are plenty of people in this world who already know what everyone thinks is wrong with them. Maybe what they haven't heard lately is: I'd still be glad to see you.

That sounds a lot like Jesus to me. ❤️

Jesus was teaching in a crowded house. Packed. Standing room only. People spilling out the door. And then... somebody st...
08/30/2026

Jesus was teaching in a crowded house. Packed. Standing room only. People spilling out the door. And then... somebody started taking the roof apart. 😂

Four men had brought their paralyzed friend to see Jesus, but they couldn't get through the crowd. So they climbed onto the roof. Made a hole. And lowered their friend right down into the middle of whatever Jesus was doing.

Mark says: “When Jesus saw their faith...” — Mark 2:5

I love that sentence. Because I'm pretty sure if somebody cut a hole in my roof while I was speaking, my first thought might not be: “Wow. Look at their faith.” 😂

But Jesus saw something different. He didn't seem irritated that the schedule had changed. He didn't complain about the roof. He didn't tell them to make an appointment. He saw four people who loved their friend enough to do something ridiculous... and one man who needed Him.

So He stopped.

Sometimes I wonder how many moments of love arrive disguised as interruptions.

The phone rings when we're busy.
Someone wants to tell us a story when we're trying to leave.
A child asks a question at exactly the wrong moment.
A friend needs five minutes that becomes twenty.
The neighbor catches us halfway to the car.

And our first thought is: I don't have time for this.

Sometimes that's true. Boundaries matter. Responsibilities matter. And nobody can be available to everybody all the time.

But every once in a while... maybe the interruption is the appointment. Maybe something beautiful just came through the roof.

Jesus seemed remarkably good at noticing the difference.

Perhaps today we can be a little curious before we become annoyed.

Because love doesn't always arrive according to schedule. ❤️

The disciples came back carrying lunch... and found Jesus talking to someone He wasn't supposed to be talking to. A Sama...
08/29/2026

The disciples came back carrying lunch... and found Jesus talking to someone He wasn't supposed to be talking to. A Samaritan. A woman. Alone. John tells us they were surprised. And then he adds this wonderful little detail:

“But no one asked, ‘What do you want?’ or ‘Why are you talking with her?’” — John 4:27

😂

In other words... Everybody noticed. Nobody said anything.

You can almost feel the awkward silence. Because Jesus had once again wandered across one of those invisible lines people had drawn between us and them. And apparently, He wasn't terribly impressed by the line.

I love that about Him.

People had categories. Jesus saw people.
People had reputations. Jesus started conversations.
People knew who belonged at which table. Jesus kept messing up the seating chart.

❤️

Two thousand years later, we're still pretty good at making categories.

People who think like us. People who don't.
People we understand. People we don't.
People whose lives make sense to us. People whose lives absolutely do not.

Maybe following Jesus doesn't require us to understand everybody. Maybe it asks something simpler.

Can we love them before we understand them?
Can we be kind before we know their whole story?
Can we sit beside somebody without first determining whether they belong on our side of every invisible line?

Jesus didn't wait for the Samaritan woman to become less Samaritan. He didn't wait for her life to become less complicated. He sat by a well... and talked with her.

Maybe there is somebody in your world who doesn't need to become more like you. Maybe they just need you to be a little more like Jesus.

Love has never been very good at following the seating chart. And I'm beginning to think that's the point. ❤️

There is an interesting moment in the life of Jesus that I don't think we talk about enough. Jesus had been teaching. So...
08/28/2026

There is an interesting moment in the life of Jesus that I don't think we talk about enough. Jesus had been teaching. Some people didn't like what He said. Actually... they really didn't like it. 😂

John tells us: “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” — John 6:66

And here comes the part that gets me. Jesus let them go. He didn't run after them. He didn't shout one more argument down the road. He didn't say: “Wait! You misunderstood my Facebook post!”

Okay, there was no Facebook. But you get the idea. 😂

He didn't seem to need everybody to agree with Him before He could remain at peace with Himself.

That's interesting. Because some of us can lose an entire afternoon trying to correct somebody who is wrong about us. We explain. Then clarify the explanation. Then explain why the clarification was misunderstood. Then compose the perfect response in our head while taking a shower three hours later.

Meanwhile... Jesus is already walking down the road.

Maybe peace occasionally requires letting someone have the last word. Not because they're right. Not because truth doesn't matter. And certainly not because we should remain silent when somebody is being harmed.

But because not every disagreement requires our participation. Some conversations are worth having. Some misunderstandings are worth clearing up. Some relationships deserve another attempt.

And sometimes... you've said what you needed to say.

You can love someone without defeating them. You can disagree without despising them. You can be misunderstood without becoming consumed by it. You can even let somebody walk away... and keep love in your heart as you continue down your own road.

Jesus did.

Maybe today you don't need the perfect comeback. Maybe you just need your peace back.

You don't have to win this one.

❤️

There were thousands of hungry people. The disciples saw the problem immediately. Not enough food. Not enough money. Not...
08/26/2026

There were thousands of hungry people. The disciples saw the problem immediately. Not enough food. Not enough money. Not enough anything.

And then Jesus asked a wonderfully practical question:

“How many loaves do you have?” — Mark 6:38

Notice what He didn't ask. “How many loaves do you wish you had?”
“How many should you have brought?” “Why weren't you better prepared?”

😂

He asked: What do you have?

Five loaves. Two fish. That was the answer.

And compared to the size of the problem, it was almost ridiculous. But Jesus didn't seem embarrassed by small beginnings. He started there.

I wonder how often we postpone something good because we're looking at what we don't have.

I don't have enough money.
I don't have enough experience.
I don't have enough confidence.
I don't have enough time.
I don't know enough.
I'm not ready enough.

Maybe. But perhaps Jesus would ask a different question: What do you have?

An hour? Start there.
A phone call you can make? Start there.
One person you can encourage? Start there.
An idea scribbled on a piece of paper? Start there.
Five loaves and two fish?

Apparently... Jesus can work with that. ❤️

You don't have to possess everything the journey will eventually require. You only need enough for the next faithful step.

So instead of spending today counting what is missing... take another look at what is already in your hands.

It might be more than enough to begin.

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Vancouver, WA
98665

Telephone

+13608360304

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