First Free: Messages: Recent Episodes
First Free Church, Manchester, MO
Our church exists to share God’s amazing love with our neighbors and world. We know that Jesus Christ has truly set us free (Gal. 5:1) and we can’t wait to share that freedom with you.
Don't Let Envy Drag You Down | Genesis 37
When envy takes root, it can pull us into a pit of bitterness. But God's Word gives us a way out. In this message, we look at five biblical antidotes to envy:
Confession instead of cover-up
Kindness instead of cruelty
Blessing instead of collusion
Celebration instead of coldness
Gratitude instead of comparison
As we reflect on the story of Joseph, we see a powerful foreshadowing of the salvation God would later bring through Jesus. Just as Joseph was betrayed and sold, yet later saved his family, Jesus was betrayed, mistreated, and sacrificed, but it was all part of God's plan to bring salvation to the world.
"You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good."
Genesis 37 reminds us that God is always working behind the scenes for His purpose and glory.
Jesus is the better Joseph. His suffering brings our freedom. His sacrifice brings our salvation.
Pastor Adam Bowers
Your identity isn’t defined by your success or failure, your strengths or your flaws, or even what others think of you. Your true identity is found in Christ alone.
In this powerful message from Pastor Adam, we look at the life of Jacob, a man who made many mistakes, lived with regrets, and yet experienced a profound reset in the final chapter of his life. At 97 years old, God called Jacob back to Bethel. Back to the place of encounter, surrender, and transformation.
It was there that God invited Jacob to:
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Take out the trash
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Purify himself
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Build an altar
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Embrace a new identity
No matter your age or your past, God is still calling. It's never too late for a fresh start.
Let this message encourage you to stop striving and start living from the identity God has given you.
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share this message with someone who needs a reset.
Genesis #Bible
Pastor John Richardson
In this message from Genesis 30–32, we follow Jacob’s journey from a life of deception and self-reliance to a pivotal encounter with God that forever changes him. After years of scheming, broken relationships, and trying to secure blessing on his own terms, Jacob finds himself alone—and wrestling with God. Through this struggle, God wounds him, renames him, and redefines his identity.
Jacob becomes Israel, a man marked not by control but by dependence on the Lord. This sermon explores what it means to be broken by God for His purposes, how that breaking often leaves us with a lasting "limp," and how His grace meets us in our weakness. The path to transformation is through surrender, not striving.
Pastor Adam continues in Genesis 28–29, looking at Jacob’s dream of a stairway to heaven. This passage shows us how God reaches down to us, reaffirms His promises, and points forward to Jesus as the true connection between heaven and earth.
We’ll explore what it means to trust God, not only with our lives but also with our giving. Jacob responded to God’s presence with worship and generosity, and we’re invited to do the same.
We also take a look at how Scripture ties together across time, from Genesis to John to Malachi, revealing God’s consistent faithfulness and desire to dwell with His people.
To learn more, get connected, join a group, serve, or start giving, visit efree.org/connect
genesis #onmission #biblestudy #church #sermon #sermons
Kyle Howard
In this message, we are reminded of a powerful truth: God is sovereign, even in the midst of our mess. No matter how chaotic life may seem, God is always at work, accomplishing His ultimate will.
What He did then, He is still doing now. His power has not diminished. His sovereignty has not changed.
He is:
Sovereign to save and redeem.
Sovereign to use all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
Sovereign to renew our minds and realign our lives with His will.
This is a call to stop playing games with our faith and surrender to the One who holds it all together. Let God meet you in the chaos, because He never stopped being in control.
Be encouraged to trust God's hand, even when you can't trace it.
Genesis 25
Pastor Adam Bowers
Discover the powerful conclusion to Abraham's story and how it connects to your identity today. Learn why embracing your God-given identity matters more than chasing temporary desires, and how God's promises still impact your life. A message of legacy, faith, and living with purpose.
Genesis 23-24
Pastor Kyle walks us through Genesis 23–24, focusing on Abraham’s grief over Sarah, God’s covenant promises being fulfilled, the faithful obedience of Abraham’s servant, and Rebekah’s trust-filled response to God’s call. He highlights God’s unwavering loyalty and how trusting in that shapes lives, both then and now.
Genesis 22 | Pastor Adam Bowers
In this message, we explore one of the most difficult and powerful passages in the Bible: Genesis 22, where God tests Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac.
Why would a good God issue such a command? Is this a contradiction in the character of God? And how does this ancient story connect to the gospel and God's grace today?
We’ll look at:
The real purpose behind God’s test
How Abraham’s faith points to a deeper trust in God's promises
The significance of the substitute sacrifice
What this moment reveals about God's plan of redemption through Jesus
This passage challenges us to wrestle with tough questions, but also reveals the heart of God’s love and mercy. Watch to discover how faith, grace, and obedience all come together in this pivotal story.
Scripture: Genesis 22:1-19
Pastor Adam Bowers
Genesis 20-21
Ever feel like you're stuck in a cycle, making the same mistakes over and over? Pastor Adam walks us through Genesis 20-21, as we explore Abraham and Sarah's repeated pattern of deception and discover the root cause behind our own "broken record" sins. What "broken record" sins do you struggle with? Which of God's promises do you find hardest to trust? How can trusting God's promises change your behavior patterns?
Scripture Focus: Genesis 20-21
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#Genesis #BrokenRecord #TrustGod #Faith #Abraham #ChristianMessage #Sermon #BibleStudy
Have you ever felt torn between what you know is right and what feels easier to justify?
This week, we’re stepping into one of the most intense and revealing parts of Genesis, chapters 18 and 19. It’s the story of Abraham and Lot, of mountains and valleys, of intercession and destruction, of a God who is both merciful and just.
Through these two intertwined narratives, we’ll see a powerful contrast between a life shaped by God’s presence and a life slowly worn down by compromise. Abraham stands in bold, prayerful relationship with God, while Lot hesitates, lingers, and ultimately has to be pulled away from the very thing destroying him.
This is a message about more than just Sodom and Gomorrah. It’s about us, about the sins we’ve come to tolerate, the little compromises we cling to, the moments where we treat God’s Word as optional instead of transformative.
Genesis 18 and 19 isn’t easy to read. It contains themes of justice, judgment, sexual sin, and generational brokenness. But it also reveals a God who sees, who hears, who knows, and who never stops working redemption, even in the darkest places.
Heads-up: This passage contains mature themes and is best suited for adult audiences.
Scripture Focus: Genesis 18–19
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In Genesis 16, Sarai’s impatience leads her to give Hagar to Abram, but it is Hagar’s encounter with God in the wilderness that reveals a profound truth: God sees us—even in our pain, confusion, and uncertainty. Alone and fleeing, Hagar hears God call her by name, offering comfort and a promise that her story matters and that she will be cared for.
Following this, in Genesis 17, God renews His covenant with Abram, changing his name to Abraham and calling him into a new identity marked by promise and faithfulness.
This message explores the deep human need to be seen and known by God—not just as a distant promise but as a personal, intimate reality. It invites us to recognize that no matter where we find ourselves—waiting, doubting, or struggling—God’s gaze meets us with love and purpose.
For anyone feeling overlooked or forgotten, this sermon offers the hope that God sees every part of our journey and calls us into an unshakable covenant of grace and identity.
Key Verses:
Genesis 16:13
Genesis 17:1
Genesis 17:5
In this week's message from our Genesis series, we dive into three powerful stories that contrast the lives of Abram and Lot, two men making very different choices with eternally different outcomes.
We explore how:
- Abram chose faith over selfishness, trusting God even when the path was uncertain
- Lot chose comfort and proximity to sin, and suffered the consequences
- God's covenant with Abram was based on faith, not works—a promise that still speaks to us today
These ancient stories are more than history; they're a mirror for our own lives. Who are we becoming through the choices we make? Are we trusting in God's promises or following the world’s path?
Key Scripture:
- Genesis 13-15
- Romans 4:13-25
Whether you're wrestling with faith or standing firm in God’s promises, this message will remind you that righteousness comes not by earning, but by believing.
In this week's message from our Genesis series, we witness the dramatic beginning of God's redemptive mission through the most unlikely candidate—a broken family marked by tragedy and barrenness.
We explore how:
- God chooses the unqualified over the culturally favored, selecting Abraham's fractured family as the launching pad for His global plan
- We are called to be blessing-bearers, not hoarders of God's gifts, taking His presence into every corner of our world
- Faith and fear wage constant battle in our hearts, as seen in Abraham's faithful altar-building and his fearful deception in Egypt
This ancient calling isn't just Abraham's story; it's our story. God doesn't wait for us to get our act together before He uses us. He takes broken people from broken families and makes them agents of His blessing to the world.
Key Scripture:
- Genesis 11:27-12:20
- 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
- Galatians 3:7-9
Whether you've ever wondered if God could use someone like you, or you've been hoarding His blessings instead of sharing them, this message will remind you that God's mission moves forward through ordinary people who trust an extraordinary God—even when we fail along the way.
Have you ever felt like your prayers were bouncing off the ceiling? Like God wasn’t listening? Or maybe life just got too busy to even pause and connect with Him?
In this special service called Without Ceasing, we walk through what it looks like to constantly prioritize prayer and make it a way of life. Using 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 as our anchor, we explore five circles of relationships; Divine, Transparent, Personal, Social, and Public, and how prayer should be present in every one of them.
This is more than a message. It’s an immersive experience designed to deepen your connection with God and others. Through worship, guided reflection, Scripture, communion, and even handwritten encouragement to missionaries, you’ll be invited to live a life of prayer... without ceasing.
New here? Let us know: https://efree.org/connect
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Scripture Focus:
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Luke 5:16
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Philippians 2:1-4
Colossians 3:16-17
2 Corinthians 5:18-21
Matthew 9:37-38
What happens when people try to make a name for themselves instead of lifting up the name of God?
In this message, we explore Genesis 10–11, where we see the spread of the nations after the flood, the pride of Babel, and God's response to mankind's self-promotion. From the Table of Nations to the Tower of Babel, we discover how God's redemptive plan is at work, even when humanity chooses its own way.
You’ll learn:
- Why God scattered the nations
- How language, identity, and purpose are connected in Scripture
- Why trying to "make a name for ourselves" misses the mark
- How God's heart has always been for all people, every nation
In this message, Pastor Kyle walks through Genesis 9, where God makes a covenant with Noah after the flood, a powerful reminder that even after judgment, God’s heart is still full of grace, mercy, and generosity.
We explore:
The meaning of God’s covenant and the rainbow as a sign of His faithfulness
How God’s justice and mercy work together
What it means for us to live as people who reflect God’s promises
Whether you’re new to the Bible or have heard this story many times, this message invites you to reflect on God’s unchanging character and His invitation to trust Him fully.
Challenge this week: Are you trusting God’s promises, or relying on your own strength?
On Mission
2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Genesis 12:1-3, Isaiah 43:7, Habakkuk 2:14, Luke 19:10, Matthew 28:18-20
Acts 16:6-10
Romans 15:20-21
1 Corinthians 9:16
Galatians 2:7
1 Corinthians 15:3
James 1:5
Proverbs 16:9
Jeremiah 31:31-33
Acts 14:20-28
Acts 15:1-21
Galatians 2:11-14
Romans 14:1-3, 12-15, 21-23
Acts 13:13-52
1 Samuel 15:22
Psalm 51:16-17
Isaiah 1:11-17
Genesis 15:6
Romans 4:1-3
Hebrews 10:1-5,11-12
Hebrews 11:13, 39-40
Colossians 1:25-27
We had to close the campus on Sunday, February 6, 2022, so we replayed this sermon from 2019. We hope that if it's new to you that you enjoy it! And if it's not new to you, we hope that the timeless truths still speak to you today.