Church at the Center: Recent Episodes
cbcsouthbridge
The Sequel - 2 Acts 1:12-26
Is there a mistake in the Bible?
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan & Benjamin Walton
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Sequel - 1
Acts 1:1-11
There are three kinds of sequel, and we're living in the best--but maybe also hardest--kind.
Scripture Reading: Ron Chernisky
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Elijah and Elisha - 4
2 Kings 2:1-22
Why are even good good-byes hard?
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Children's Message: Ron Chernisky
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Elijah and Elisha - 3
1 Kings 19
Sometimes feeling unique is great. Other times it's scary. Elijah has a crisis of purpose after his big win.
Also, Pastor Jenn makes an announcement.
Scripture Reading: Ron Chernisky
Children's Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Elijah and Elisha - 2
1 Kings 18:1, 17-46
God is going to put an end to the drought. Elijah makes sure everyone knows it's on God's terms, not Baal's.
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Children's Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Elijah and Elisha - 1
Scripture: 1 Kings 16:29-17:24
We're going to study Acts in a few weeks, but in order to get those sermons to sync up with Pentecost, let's talk about some Old Testament prophets for a month. Introducing Ahab (not a prophet) and his nemesis, Elijah.
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Children's Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Comfortable Yoke - 7
Scripture: Matthew 28:1-8
God wants to celebrate us and us to celebrate Him! Today we celebrate the lost sheep found, and the Shepherd who went to every length to find us.
Scripture Reading: Ron Chernisky
Baptisms: Dominic Schnare, Nour Hashem, Brian Lavoie
Children's Message: Ron Chernisky
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Comfortable Yoke - 6
Scripture: 2 Chronicles 20:1-26
What if worship is God allowing us to give Him permission to be Himself?
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Comfortable Yoke - 5
Scripture: Isaiah 58:1-9
What is the point of all the previous spiritual disciplines if they're not helping us to love one another?
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Comfortable Yoke - 4
Scripture: Matthew 6:5-14
What is prayer? What is prayer to you? What is prayer to Jesus?
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Comfortable Yoke - 3
Scripture: John 10:1-5; 2 Timothy 2:14-21
What is the Bible? What isn't it? and how important is it for us to read it, really?
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Comfortable Yoke - 2
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11; 1 Timothy 5:17-21
Are Christians supposed to tithe? And if we do, is anything really supposed to happen besides that we have less money to work with?
Scripture Reading: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Comfortable Yoke - 1
Scripture: Joel 2:13-17; Matthew 6:16-18
There's actually a way to intentionally "yoke" ourselves to Jesus, like He talks about in Matthew 11: spiritual disciplines. Let's talk about fasting--what it is and what it isn't.
*Apologies for the sound quality. We know. It's terrible.
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Promises, Promises - 6
Scripture: Hebrews 10:10-25 Let's talk about how we be part of God's covenant people when we don't have to offer sacrifices anymore...
___________________
Scripture: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A. G. Layte
Promises, Promises - 5
Scripture: Romans 12
Central Baptist has a "Church Covenant" which we recite together after communion once a month. What are the principles underlying it?
___________________
This is also our second in-person service cancellation in a row due to weather, so Pastor Jenn recorded all of this from home.
Promises, Promises - 4
Scripture: Mark 14:12-25
"Groundhog Day the Covenant." What does God do when humans keep breaking the covenant over and over again? He is faithful, because that is who He is.
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Promises, Promises - 3
Scripture: Exodus 20:1-24
God frees the people from slavery and essentially has to set them apart all over again.
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Promises, Promises 2
Scripture: Genesis 11:1-9; 12:1-3
God takes a do-over again, but this time it's choosing a family, not sending a flood. God chooses, and we also choose.
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Promises, Promises
Scripture: Genesis 1:24-31; Genesis 9:1-17
There are all kinds of analogies for how we can relate to God, but what does the idea of covenant tell us?
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Draw Near - Christmas Sunday
Scripture: John 17:20-26
Ever notice how the three prayers of Jesus that we know the content of, rarely get answered "yes"? Maybe prayer is something different than we thought...and is what keeps Jesus in the neighborhood.
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Paul Layte
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Draw Near - Advent Week 4: Love
Advent Reading: Hebrews 10:5-7, 10
Scripture: 1 John 4:1-12
How do you know if someone loves you? How do you know if someone loves God?
Advent Reading: John Petrelli and Kayla O'Brien
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Draw Near - Advent Week 3: Joy
Advent Reading: Isaiah 12:2-6
Scripture: Zephaniah 3:11-20 Y
ou've heard of the Prodigal Son, but what about the Prodigal Daughter? Also, God's joy is greater than His grief or His wrath.
Advent Reading: Nour Hashem
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Draw Near - Advent Week 2: Peace
Advent Reading: Isaiah 26:1-4
Scripture: Isaiah 57:14-19
God may be everywhere, but where does He live?
Advent Reading: Kristal Bonelli
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Draw Near - Advent Week 1: Hope
Advent Reading: Jeremiah 33:14-16
Scripture: James 4:1-10
This passage from James isn't an Advent passage, surely? Isn't it a little grim? True, but sometimes we need to acknowledge the grim to know we need hope--and to know where to place it.
Advent Reading: Emily Powers
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Marching Orders - Week 19
Scripture: Mark 11:27-33
The chief priests, teachers of the law, and elders make a power play, but Jesus doesn't let them.
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Marching Orders - Week 18 Scripture: Mark 11:12-25 Jesus curses a fig tree and flips out in the Temple, and then He talks about chucking "this mountain" into the sea. Is He just "hangry," or is something else going on?
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Marching Orders - Week 17
Scripture: Mark 10:46-52
If you were in this story, who would you be? What do you want Jesus to do for you? Are you willing to get loud and/or messy to ask Him for it?
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Marching Orders - Week 16
Scripture: Mark 10:16-45
It just might be possible for our righteousness to be more of an obstacle between us and Jesus than our sin is.
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Marching Orders - Week 15
Scripture: Mark 10:1-16
Talking about divorce is hard...but Jesus did it.
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Marching Orders - Week 14
Scripture: Mark 9:38-50
How can we tell if someone claiming Jesus' name is one of us?
Please note with our apologies that unbeknownst to anyone at the time, this recording got truncated after the Message in the Basket. The audio for the main message was a voice-memo recording of our Facebook livestream after the fact. You may prefer to listen here: https://fb.watch/vW0KNlMMW-/
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Marching Orders - Week 13
Scripture: Mark 9:30-37
Jesus' people--like most people--have always wanted to be great. But in the Kingdom of God, greatness is not always as it seems.
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Marching Orders - Week 12
Scripture: Mark 9:1-29
Can people change?
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Marching Orders - Week 11
Scripture: Mark 8:1-21
The disciples still don't understand bread. And maybe we don't either.
Additional note for this sermon in particular: Context in reading Scripture is important. When teaching, it's vital to remind the hearers that these words weren't written ABOUT them or TO them, but can still be FOR them. BUT...the context of the hearers also matters and legitimately interacts with Scripture in such a way that sometimes there is a message for a particular community out of a particular passage that may in certain ways be specific to them. Or even to an individual. Discerning this message takes real attention to the Holy Spirit and cooperation with the Spirit’s transforming of mind-being-behavior. But it’s important to allow for the possibility that God can speak to a person or a people specifically through something that was originally written to someone else.
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Bernice Rivera [strangely, did not get recorded for this version--apologies]
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
*Note--this sermon/service is not about "Evangelical Purity Culture" as currently commonly conceived.
Marching Orders - Week 10
Scripture: Mark 7:1-23
What's the point of rules? They might have one, but when the point of rules is rules, everything falls apart.
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Kathleen Youngs
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Marching Orders - Week 9
Scripture: Mark 6:30-56
Two familiar stories: the Feeding of More than 5000, and Jesus Walking on the Water. What is Mark talking about when he describes the disciples being amazed by the second miracle because they didn't understand the first one? "51 Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, 52 for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened."
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Marching Orders - Week 8
Scripture: Mark 6:1-13
It seems like amazing Jesus by a lack of faith should be really hard to do. All He asks for is a mustard seed’s worth, and He spent all His time around people He kept nudging for having "little faith." It's not like small faith "amounts" were a news flash to Him.
Scripture Reading: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte) - remotely, due to covid
Marching Orders - Week 7
Scripture: Mark 5:21-43
Hear Jesus' call. Remember He wants us.
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Foster Mann
Marching Orders - Week 6
Scripture: Mark 4:35-5:20
What's the most challenging place to do ministry?
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Elizabeth Cernoia
Marching Orders - Week 5
Scripture: Mark 4:1-34
Jesus tells some stories to help us understand the truth.
---------------- S
cripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Paul Layte
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Marching Orders - Week 4
Scripture: Mark 3
Imagine being in that house when Jesus asked who His mother and brothers were...?
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Marching Orders - Week 3
Scripture: Mark 2
"It's not a religion, it's a relationship." What does that mean, and is that really what we're trying to do here? Also, what Jesus does to our religious hangups.
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Bernice Rivera
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Marching Orders - Week 2
Scripture: Mark 1:16-45
Timing is everything, right? When Jesus shows up, it's
Time to follow Him
Time to be freed
Time to be healed
Time to spend time with God
Time to...well, at this point, it's probably also time to tell others about Him.
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Kathleen Youngs
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Marching Orders - Week 1
Scripture: Mark 1:1-15
John the Baptizer sets Jesus up for success...or something like that. In which we examine a biblical pattern
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte
1 Corinthians 12:15-26; 1 Corinthians 13:1-7, 13
Alas, the only part of this service that got recorded was the sermon...but that is about what the Apostle Paul calls "the most excellent way."
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
1 Corinthians 12:1-14, 27-31
What are spiritual gifts? What are they for? What are they at Central Baptist in particular?
Scripture: Mark Bertrand
Moment for Missions: Bernice Rivera
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
King of Kings - Week 12
Scripture: Daniel 11-12
How long?
What will be the outcome?
Are you ready?
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Ron Chernisky
Main Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
King of Kings - Week 11
Scripture: Daniel 10; Revelation 22:12-17
Answers to prayer:
Sometimes yes.
Sometimes no.
Sometimes I-was-on-my-way-but-I-got-held-up-by-the-Prince-of-Persia.
And there's a Man standing by us to strengthen us, no matter what.
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs [Apologies that the Scripture reading was omitted from this recording.]
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
King of Kings - Week 10
Scripture: Daniel 9; Joel 1:13-15
Bypassing blame doesn't really get us off the hook. But what if we take responsibility for wrongdoing that we didn't even commit? Should we do this? And if we did, what might it look like?
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
King of Kings - Week 9
Scripture: Daniel 8; Psalm 22:11-19
Why do the wicked prosper? And how should God's people be in the world when they do? ----------------
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
King of Kings - Week 8
Scripture: Daniel 7; Revelation 22:1-5
When we read apocalyptic writing in the Bible, we need some tools. Like...the definition of the word apocalypse ("unveiling"), and the historical context of the person receiving the vision.
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
King of Kings - Week 7 (Pentecost Sunday)
Scripture: Daniel 5; 1 Peter 5:5-11
When you take over an empire, you have to pay attention. Extra attention.
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
King of Kings - Week 6
Scripture: Daniel 5; Jeremiah 9:23-24
A different kind of king, a different kind of arrogance. Don't be afraid of evil. When God is ready, He'll wipe it off the mat in an instant.
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
King of Kings - Week 5
Scripture: Daniel 4; Revelation 22:1-5
Probably when Isaiah prophecied that the lion would eat straw like the ox, this story was not what he had in mind...
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
King of Kings - Week 4
Scripture: Daniel 3
What's the difference between using what God gives us to glorify ourselves, and joining God in glorifying Him?
We're facing some potential fiery furnaces at Central Baptist Church right now, so we have added Pastor Jenn's vulnerable announcements here.
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
King of Kings - Week 3
Scripture: Daniel 2:24-49
Why was King Nebuchadnezzar afraid of his dream? What did it mean? And how did the interpretation keep him from being so afraid?
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
King of Kings - Week 2
Scripture: Daniel 2:1-28a
What would Jesus do if He were Daniel? (Or...one way to love your enemies.)
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
King of Kings - Week 1
Scripture: Daniel 1
What can God's people do about ungodly governments?
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Good Person - EASTER SUNDAY - Charity
Scripture: Matthew 27:45-28:10
Charity might be more than we think...like the virtue that encompasses all the others.
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Good Person - Lent Week 6 - Humility
Palm Sunday
Scripture: Mark 11:1-11
What is humility? What does it have to do with peace? And what does the donkey have to do with anything?
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Good Person - Lent Week 5 - Generosity
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 E
vidently the bulk of this series on the Capital Virtues needed to be an in-house discussion, because we had three weeks in a row of varied technological glitches. We apologize for the interruption in service.
In this discussion, the virtue is generosity, and we discuss how it and the other virtues are really ways of establishing trust and freedom.
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Good Person - Lent Week 1 - Diligence
Scripture: Galatians 6:1-10
We're beginning a study on the Capital Virtues. We know that we don't earn salvation or belovedness, but if we are saved and beloved, our lives should reflect the virtuous (loving) character of God. The first virtue we're looking at is "Diligence"--which is a good one to start with, to help us with all the others! But did you know that Diligence not only has an opposing vice, but a less famous vice that occurs when we make diligence an end in itself? How do we walk the line?
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Special Music written and performed by Darcy Aucoin
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Christ In You, the Hope of Glory - Week 4
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:4-18
If Jesus said to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, does that really mean we actually need to love ourselves? What does Christian confidence look like?
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Christ In You, the Hope of Glory - Week 3
Scripture: Colossians 1:21-27
Did the apostle Paul just say that something was missing from Jesus' sacrifice?
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Christ In You, the Hope of Glory - Week 2
Scripture: 1 John 4:7-21
If glory is essence and God's essence is love, what does that mean for humans who want to glorify Him?
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Christ in You, the Hope of Glory - Week 1
Scripture: Revelation 1:8-18
If the point of human existence is to "glorify God"--well, what does that even mean?
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Cast of Characters - 5
Main Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12
The last group of characters, traveling to find the promised King.
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Kathleen Youngs
Cast of Characters - Advent 4
Advent Reading: Genesis 1:1-5, 26-31
Main Scripture: John 1:1-18
A God's-eye view of Christmas
Advent Testimony: Roberta Stephanos
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Cast of Characters - Advent 3
Advent Reading: Psalm 16
Main Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25
God invites Joseph into the good conspiracy He is setting up for joy to the world. But saying yes to God and His conspiracy always involves a sacrifice.
Advent Testimony: Ray Petrelli
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Cast of Characters - Advent 2
Advent Reading: Luke 1:46-55
Main Scripture: Luke 1:26-45
Mary had every reason not to have peace. How did she find it?
Advent Testimony: Bernice Rivera
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Cast of Characters - Advent 1
Advent Reading: Isaiah 40:1-11
Main Scripture: Luke 1:5-25
Hype for the Trailer...if John the Baptizer was the "trailer" for Jesus, and Jesus is the main event, what kind of movie are we watching--and being invited into? Could it be...a comedy?
Advent Testimony: David Bertrand
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Christ The King Sunday
Ezekiel 34:11-16; Matthew 25:31-46
Did you know there are dragons in the Bible? How does a shepherd beat a dragon?
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Like of God - Ordinary Time
Philippians 4:10-23
How can we continue to care for each other as things change?
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Like of God - Ordinary Time - Week 24
Philippians 4:1-9
A moment of Depeche Mode when the sermon goes in a totally different direction than the title picked a week before. "People are people so why should it be, you and I should get along so awfully." And what do we do when both we and the person we don't get along with are followers of Jesus?
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Like of God - Ordinary Time - Week 23
Philippians 3:12-21
What to do before we've "arrived."
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Ron Chernisky
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Like of God - Ordinary Time - Week 22
Philippians 3:1-14
If you were the perfect example of your people group, is there anything that would make you give up that identity for another one? The Apostle Paul would--if it meant he could be close enough to share literally everything about his identity with Jesus.
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Like of God - Ordinary Time - Week 21
Philippians 2:12-30
The kinds of things that make for stardom in our world are maybe a little different than what can make us "shine like the stars in the universe" as the Apostle Paul describes. The difference might be who we're trying to make famous.
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Like of God - Ordinary Time - Week 20
Philippians 2:1-13
Knowing God's will is easy, actually--it's to follow the way of Jesus. But what--really--is the way of Jesus?
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Like of God - Ordinary Time - Week 19
Philippians 1:18-30
We talked about God having the kind of love that means He likes us, too. But can we "like" God? Can we have affection for Jesus? What happens when we do?
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Like of God - Ordinary Time - Week 18
Philippians 1:12-18, Matthew 20:1-16
Who here is competitive? What happens when people get competitive about Jesus? And is there really no such thing as bad publicity?
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
The Like of God - Ordinary Time - Week 17
Philippians 1:1-11
Do you think God loves you? Do you think God likes you? What's the difference? Is there one?
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Exodus 3:7-12; Acts 16:23-34
Sometimes we view salvation as a way to escape the hardship of life but the truth is with Christ's salvation even hard times are manageable with God. This does not mean we go out and find trouble but it does mean we have a new hope when we experience hardships.
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Foster Mann
Rescued - Ordinary Time - Week 16
Ezekiel 33:7-11; Psalm 119:33-40; Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:15-20
The shipwreck/rescue analogy is back. What do we do when our fellow rescuers get disconnected from the ship?
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Rescued - Ordinary Time - Week 14
Jeremiah 15:15-21; Psalm 26:1-8; Romans 12:9-21; Matthew 16:21-28
How do we live the life of the rescued among the ones who are still shipwrecked?
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Rescued - Ordinary Time - Week 13
Isaiah 51:1-6; Psalm 138; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20
The longest running Reality Show ever...but the goal is NOT to vote anybody off.
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Rescued - Ordinary Time - Week 12
Isaiah 56:1, 6-8; Psalm 67; Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32; Matthew 15:21-28 Once we're rescued, what do we do about the people who are still shipwrecked?
In this service we discuss some obvious barriers to helping rescue others, and some maybe less obvious ones.
Is 56:8 – The Sovereign Lord declares—He who gathers the exiles of Israel: ‘I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.’
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Rescued - Ordinary Time - Week 11
1 Kings 19:9-18; Psalm 85:8-13; Romans 10:5-15; Matthew 14:22-33
When the word "saved" gets so churchy it loses its meaning, might "rescued" do a better job? We start imagining a metaphorical shipwreck, and the Captain who rescues us.
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Moment for Missions: Bernice Rivera
Message in a Basket: Paul Layte
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Ordinary Time - Week 10
Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:22-33
At some point when we're walking with God, it's likely to turn into a wrestling match. Can we trust Him?
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Ordinary Time - Week 9
Genesis 29:15-28; Psalm 105:1-11; Romans 8:26-39; Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
What do you do when you're trying to follow God but you can't trust the people around you to do the same thing?
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Ordinary Time - Week 8
Genesis 28:10-19a; Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24; Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
When God gets your attention, can you trust Him with your dreams? Can you trust His? Also, we included the announcements this week because there's no recording of last week's service...
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Ordinary Time - Week 6
Genesis 24:1-28, 58-67; Psalm 45:10-17; Romans 7:15-25; Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
What can we tell about God's desire for relationships when the location and time in history and culture is so different from where we're standing?
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Ordinary Time - Week 5
Genesis 22:1-14; Psalm 13; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew10:40-42
What do you do when the choice is between God and God's promise?
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Ordinary Time - Week 4
Genesis 21:8-21; Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17; Romans 6:1-11; Matthew 10:24-39
God--both the "Old Testament God" and the "New Testament God" sees outcasts...but not as outcasts.
Scripture: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Ordinary Time - Week 3
From Impossible to Wondrous Laughter
Bringing God's promise to birth in you.
Many thanks to Rev Donnamarie Brown for bringing the message to us while Pastor Jenn is away.
Scripture Reading: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Rev Donnamarie Brown
Ordinary Time - Week 2
Genesis 12:1-9; Psalm 33:1-12; Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
God called Abraham to go somewhere he'd never been--at age 75. But maybe it was something more than location that God was up to.
Scripture: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Trinity Sunday
Ordinary Time - Week 1
Genesis 1:1-2:4a, Psalm 8, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13, Matthew 28:16-20
Sometimes when you want to know where you're headed, it's good to go all the way back to the beginning.
Scripture: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Pentecost/Shavuot
Numbers 11:24-30; Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13; Acts 2:1-21
Are we uncomfortable with the Holy Spirit? We shouldn't be! The Spirit is the One who enables us to become the kind of humans God intended, so that His Kingdom may come and will be done on earth as it is in the heavens.
Scripture: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Easter Week 7
Acts 1:6-14; Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35; 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11; John 17:1-11
It's exam season. This is where the rubber meets the road...and the glory in suffering—what’s good about grief—is how much genuine love results.
Scripture: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Easter Week 6
Mother’s Day
Acts 17:22-31; Psalm 66:8-20; 1 Peter 3:13-22; John 14:15-21
What is "the good life"? Is there such thing as a one-size-fits-all? Why do people everywhere and throughout history look for it? And does God have anything to do with it?
Scripture: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Easter Week 5
Acts 7:55-60; Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16; 1 Peter 2:2-10; John 14:1-14
"Father" is a tricky term to use for God nowadays...but that's what Jesus called Him. What does it mean for God to be our Father? Also, we try to tackle "simple" subjects like the Trinity and stuff.
Scripture: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Easter Week 4 Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 23; 1 Peter 2:19-25; John 10:1-10
The Good Shepherd can lead us through some sketchy places. What do we do about abuse?
Scripture: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Easter Week 3
Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35
Jesus' life, death, and resurrection are a great graciousness to us--and not because through them our sins have been forgiven. Today we talked about the grace of being perpetual "foreigners" and loving each other sincerely.
Scripture: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Easter Week 2
Acts 2:14, 22-32; 1 Peter 1:2-9
Easter is a whole season of celebration! "We're in an Easter world now."--Kathleen Youngs
Scripture: Lilly Dolan
Message in a Tote Bag: Lilly Dolan
Main Message: Kathleen Youngs
Easter Season Week 1
John 20:1-18
What do we do when the Good News sounds like bad news? How can we get back to the Good News again?
Scripture: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Lent Week 6 - Palm Sunday
Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 36:5-11; Hebrews 9:11-15; John 12:1-11
Mary poured expensive perfume on Jesus' feet. Judas said they should've sold it and given the money to the poor. John tells us why Judas, specifically, was wrong in his protest. But if someone else had said it, would the objection have been worth considering?
Scripture: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Lent Week 5 Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6-11; John 11:1-45
Let's talk about Death--that topic that is so far beyond the realm of polite conversation we can't even name it as one of the things we don't talk about. Also, there are zombies in the Bible.
Scripture: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Lent Week 4
1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41
Are you a good judge of character? Sometimes even when we are, we struggle to see all the way past the surface. Only God sees ultimate reality, but as we turn to Him we can learn to see the bigger picture of His intentions for our people, each other, and even ourselves. It's all still grace.
Scripture: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Lent Week 3 Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-11; John 4:5-42
Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts. (Even if the sermon needs to be a little longer!)
Scripture: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Rev Jennifer A G Layte (Pastor Jenn)
Lent Week 2
Genesis 12:1-4; Psalm 121; Romans 4:1-5, 13-17; John 3:1-17
What if there are two slippery slopes, and all you need to avoid either one is trust?
(Somehow Scripture reading did not get recorded on this one.)
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Rev Jennifer A G Layte (Pastor Jenn)
Exodus 24:12-18; Psalm 2; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew 17:1-9
Epiphany Week 7 - Transfiguration Sunday
Pastor Jenn tries to make sense of the Transfiguration.
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Special Music ("In the Room" by Reddick): Tim Gunderman
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Rev Jennifer A G Layte (Pastor Jenn)
Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 119:1-8; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9; Matthew 5:21-37
Epiphany Week 6
What if following the "laws and ways" of God could actually be enjoyable?
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Rev Jennifer A G Layte (Pastor Jenn)
Isaiah 58:1-9a; Psalm 112:1-10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-16; Matthew 5:13-20
Epiphany Week 5
Possibly Pastor Jenn tried to pack too many of the relevant Scriptures into one sermon, but then again, it's important to learn how to think about the written word of God in the way the Living Word of God (Jesus) does, right?
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Rev Jennifer A G Layte (Pastor Jenn)
Micah 6:1-8, Psalm 15, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Matthew 5:1-12
Epiphany Week 4
Last week we asked, "Did the Apostle Paul just say 'be perfectly united in EVERYTHING'? When has that ever happened?" This week we talked about some more reasons WHY that rarely happens, and some practical approaches to getting there more often. There was a disturbance in the service which indicated to many of us that perhaps this message was extra important for us to hear. The disturbance has not been edited out of this video, but the details and context remain private to our congregation.
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Unfortunately, Rev Barb's mic was not working and there is no audio for the Message in a Basket this week.
Main Message: Rev Jennifer A G Layte (Pastor Jenn)
Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27:1, 4-9; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23
Epiphany Week 3
Did the Apostle Paul just say "be perfectly united in EVERYTHING?" When has that ever happened? Also, the difference between cookies and puzzles.
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Rev Jennifer A G Layte (Pastor Jenn)
Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 40:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42
Epiphany Week 3
Who is, or are, the Chosen? And what is he/are they chosen for?
Scripture: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 3:13-17
Epiphany Week 1: what the story of Jesus and John the Baptist at Jesus' baptism shows us about deriving our identity from the God who created us in His image. Also, is it possible that sometimes our correct ideas about God and ourselves protect us from an actual relationship with Him?
This sermon was preached at and for Central Baptist Church in Massachusetts, but also in conjunction with The Pilgrimage's online Winter Solace retreat.
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Rev Jennifer A G Layte (Pastor Jenn)
January 1, 2023, was the fourth annual "Celebration Sunday"--Central Baptist's "holy talent show" where we worship God together through the talents and gifts He has given us. There were a lot of people brimming over with creative testimonies to God's greatness this year!
Isaiah 7:10-16, Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25
Series: Already/Not Yet
Asking for signs, putting God to the test...are we too pious to accept God's invitation to love?
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Isaiah 35:1-10, Psalm 146:5-10, Luke 1:46-55, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11
Series: Already/Not Yet
Is it okay if we don't feel joy already? And...do we even know what joy is?
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12
Series: Already/Not Yet
In the reality we're familiar with, people who try to rule the world bring anything but peace...
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 122, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44
Series: Already/Not Yet
It's the first Sunday of Advent. During Advent, we become more aware of the Already/Not Yet condition in which we live since Jesus' first arrival. Today we talk about the eternal reconciled "mountaintop experience" God has on His Christmas wishlist, and how we can live the Already in the Not Yet until Jesus returns and makes it the Now.
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Ephesians 6:18-24
Series: The Family You're a Part Of - Episode 12
Kathleen Youngs fills in for Pastor Jenn and wraps up our series on the Family of God.
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Kathleen Youngs
Ephesians 6:10-17
Series: The Family You're a Part Of - Episode 11
The best offense is...[fill in the blank] Who are we really fighting, and what is really the point of the armor of God? Thanks to Pastor Keith Myer for the bulk of the end of the main message.
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Ephesians 5:21-6:9
Series: The Family You're a Part Of - Episode 10
More Awkward Conversations with Pastor Jenn! Today's is about submission. Who's in charge here?
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Ephesians 5:3-20
Series: The Family You're a Part Of - Episode 9
The one that could get Pastor Jenn canceled... Also, there was a baptism today.
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
Series: The Family You're a Part Of - Episode 8
What the family of God does about speech, anger, and work. It's something to do with good stewardship of words, and generosity of soul.
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Ephesians 4:11-24
Series: The Family You're a Part Of - Episode 7
Do you want to grow up, or not? Apostle Paul gives us some bizarre baby "cartoons." Also we get a new outfit.
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Ephesians 4:1-13 Series: The Family You're a Part Of What makes a good quality life? Humility, gentleness, patience, love, and peace. "If we move to the next section of this book and obey all the rules to the letter and ignore this part--where we allow our spirits to be formed in humility, gentleness, patience, love, and peace, we will not exhibit Jesus' life, and we will not be living a life worthy of the calling we have received.
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Ephesians 3
Series: The Family You're a Part Of
What if the reconciliation between people through Jesus Christ is a greater miracle and mystery than the reconciliation between people and God through Jesus Christ?
[Apparently we are not yet out of the woods regarding our latest spate of technology issues. Thank you for your ongoing patience.]
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Ephesians 2:11-22
Series: The Family You're a Part Of - Episode 4
How would YOU describe what the gospel is?
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
This was the Sunday when everyone was either on vacation or was sick--or both. Rev Barb was already scheduled to preach, but we canceled the in-person service and she presented this from home. Thanks, Rev Barb!
Ephesians 2:1-10
Sermon Series: The Family You're a Part Of - Episode 3
Doesn't get much more life and death than this...
Scripture Reading and Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
The month of September was a bit, shall we say, "upheaved" at Central Baptist Church. Between vacations and covid, a service got canceled, not all of our usual technology experts were on hand, and...this particular recording was recorded via Voice Memo app from the Facebook livestream. Thank you, listener, for resuming your patience with us and participating in the worship of a small but very grateful and faith-filled church.
Ephesians 1:15-23
"Here we are, Jesus--signed, sealed, delivered..." How the Holy Spirit is essential to, well, pretty much everything.
Apologies to Stevie Wonder, and everyone who hears a snippet of Pastor Jenn trying to sing (with a cold) in this recording...
Scripture Reading: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: The Family You're a Part Of - Episode 1
Ephesians 1:1-14
"Remember the family you're a part of" can sound like a threat. "Don't make us look bad" or something like that. But what if there were a family where you were wanted from start to finish, and you were chosen and empowered to exhibit the altogether wonderful family resemblance and weren't on our own to do it?
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Any Questions? (Episode 6)
28 August 2022
Acts 17:16-34
Is the Bible enough? Why should we bring in references to other resources when we have a book that came from God? Or should we? Pastor Jenn talks about playing Hide and Seek with Jesus and shows us the Apostle Paul doing just that.
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Ray Petrelli
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Central Baptist Church has an active capital campaign to restore key aspects of our historic 1860's era building. This is partly for the historic value, but even more so we can more faithfully serve the community where God has placed us, using the resources God has given us. If you would like to participate in this good work, please visit our website, cbcsouthbridge.org, and designate your gift to "Ezra's Purse." Thank you.
Series: Any Questions? (Episode 5)
21 August 2022
Genesis 3:14-16; Joel 2:25-32
Is God a misogynist? Well really? What is God like? What did God intend for humans? And what kind of punishment are we even talking about?
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Ron Chernisky
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Central Baptist Church has an active capital campaign to restore key aspects of our historic 1860's era building. This is partly for the historic value, but even more so we can more faithfully serve the community where God has placed us, using the resources God has given us. If you would like to participate in this good work, please visit our website, cbcsouthbridge.org, and designate your gift to "Ezra's Purse." Thank you.
Series: Any Questions? (Episode 4)
14 August 2022
1 Corinthians 16:1-4; 1 Timothy 5:17-18; 6:3-10*
Is it sketchy to pay for spiritual care? Or is it absolutely the right thing to do? How giving money to the church and ministry is less about obedience and more about becoming more like Jesus--in humility, compassion, and generosity.
*Unfortunately our livestream and recording were both cut off during this service. The youth group's message in a basket was captured on a separate camera, and the regular recording system was reactivated in time for the sermon, but the rest of this Sunday's service is not available. We apologize for this.
Message in a Basket: Central Baptist Church Youth Group
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Central Baptist Church has an active capital campaign to restore key aspects of our historic 1860's era building. This is partly for the historic value, but even more so we can more faithfully serve the community where God has placed us, using the resources God has given us. If you would like to participate in this good work, please visit our website, cbcsouthbridge.org, and designate your gift to "Ezra's Purse." Thank you.
Series: Any Questions? (Episode 3)
7 August 2022
1 Kings 19:1-18
Have you heard of "spiritual wilderness"? Have you ever been in one? How do we think about it and what do we do if we find ourselves there? The third in a series on questions from the congregation.
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Sandi Gunderman
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Central Baptist Church has an active capital campaign to restore key aspects of our historic 1860's era building. This is partly for the historic value, but even more so we can more faithfully serve the community where God has placed us, using the resources God has given us. If you would like to participate in this good work, please visit our website, cbcsouthbridge.org, and designate your gift to "Ezra's Purse." Thank you.
Series: Any Questions? (Episode 2)
31 July 2022
Luke 2:41-52
Even in a church where questions are welcome, do we need to consider what kinds of questions there are? Why did Jesus ask questions?
The second in a series on questions from the congregation. Apologies to all who join us online: the first is unavailable as we met in our fellowship hall the week prior due to the summer heat. Unfortunately, while there was air conditioning in that space, there was not sufficient recording capability.
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Central Baptist Church has an active capital campaign to restore key aspects of our historic 1860's era building. This is partly for the historic value, but even more so we can more faithfully serve the community where God has placed us, using the resources God has given us. If you would like to participate in this good work, please visit our website, cbcsouthbridge.org, and designate your gift to "Ezra's Purse." Thank you.
Series: Storyteller #13
17 July 2022
Luke 20:1-19
Where did Jesus get His authority? A parable about authority, in which we see the people with the least legitimate authority are the most violent and controlling.
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Central Baptist Church is embarking on a capital campaign to restore key aspects of our historic 1860's era building. This is partly for the historic value, but even more so we can more faithfully serve the community where God has placed us, using the resources God has given us. If you would like to participate in this good work, please visit our website, cbcsouthbridge.org, and designate your gift to "Ezra's Purse." Thank you.
Series: Storyteller #12
10 July 2022
Luke 19:11-27
The king you expect might be the king you get.
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Central Baptist Church is embarking on a capital campaign to restore key aspects of our historic 1860's era building. This is partly for the historic value, but even more so we can more faithfully serve the community where God has placed us, using the resources God has given us. If you would like to participate in this good work, please visit our website, cbcsouthbridge.org, and designate your gift to "Ezra's Purse." Thank you.
Series: Storyteller #11
3 July 2022
Luke 16:19-31 Money and hell and other good topics for social gatherings. Also, did you know that there are legends about Sodom and Gomorrah? All this on Communion Sunday.
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Paul Layte
Central Baptist Church is embarking on a capital campaign to restore key aspects of our historic 1860's era building. This is partly for the historic value, but even more so we can more faithfully serve the community where God has placed us, using the resources God has given us. If you would like to participate in this good work, please visit our website, cbcsouthbridge.org, and designate your gift to "Ezra's Purse." Thank you.
NOTE: THIS EPISODE INCLUDES A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. SEE BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS.
Series: Storyteller #10
26 June 2022
Luke 16:1-15
What to do when you're faced with a passage of Scripture you don't understand. Also what to do (and what not to do) if and when you're faced with a loss of power and resources when you had them before.
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Central Baptist Church is embarking on a capital campaign to restore key aspects of our historic 1860's era building. This is partly for the historic value, but even more so we can more faithfully serve the community where God has placed us, using the resources God has given us. If you would like to participate in this good work, please visit our website, cbcsouthbridge.org, and designate your gift to "Ezra's Purse." Thank you.
Series: Storyteller #9
19 June 2022 - Father's Day/Juneteenth
Luke 15:11-32
The Prodigal Son parable takes the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin a step further. But also, we miss some important details when we focus on the son who ran away. Like, what about the son who stayed? And who's the real prodigal in all this?
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Storyteller #8
12 June 2022
Luke 15:1-10
The only difference between the sheep is that one of them is lost. And it isn't always the one you might think.
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Storyteller #7
5 June 2022
Luke 14:7-24
Ever think about how except for that one time, Jesus must've been really awkward at parties?
To guests: Sit somewhere else.
To hosts: Stop inviting your rich friends.
Someone tries to redirect Him with talk about the Feast in the Kingdom. Jesus: Yeah, about that...
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Storyteller #6
29 May 2022 - Memorial weekend
Luke 18:1-14
A stubborn widow hassles a corrupt judge for justice, an arrogant religious person tells God how awesome he himself is, and an immoral, unjust tax collector gets humble before God. Somehow all of this is connected to the Good News...and the crazy things that have been happening in the world lately.
Scripture Reading: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Storyteller #5
22 May 2022
Luke 14:25-33
Do I have what it takes to be a disciple? What if the point is that I don't?
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Storyteller #4
15 May 2022
Luke 12:13-35
Rich bank account or rich soul?
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Kathleen Youngs
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Storyteller #3
Mother's Day - May 2022
Luke 13:31-35
Is this really a parable? And what does "mother-love" have to do with either Jesus or salvation?
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev. Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Storyteller #2
1 May 2022
Luke 10:25-37
Pastor Jenn was sick this weekend. So Barb preached two Messages from her Basket, and Pastor Jenn recorded her sermon from home. This communion Sunday recording is therefore longer than usual, but such good stuff--we hope you'll listen to all of it!
Today we looked, with Jesus, at the questions, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" and "Who's my neighbor?" (Turns out they're related.) We discover that parables work because we're usually all the characters, one way or another. And also, Jesus Himself is hiding somewhere in them, too.
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket x 2: Rev. Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Storyteller #1
24 April 2022
Luke 1:1-4; Mark 4:33-34
Why do we tell stories? Why are there so many stories in the Bible? Why would Luke, trying to write an orderly account of the life of Jesus, bother to include so many of Jesus' stories which were, in fact, fiction?
Scripture Reading: Mark Bertrand
Message in a Basket: Paul Layte
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Thoughts & Prayers #7
17 April 2022 - Easter Sunday
John 20:1-10, 19-23
Five people publicly commit their lives to Jesus through baptism by immersion. Then we all learned about how prayer can form us from there: After Pausing, Rejoicing, Asking, and Yielding to the love of God, all of life can become a prayer--just as Jesus' did. (Unlike most Sundays, this week's audio includes the entire service.)
Scripture Reading: Kathleen Youngs
Message in a Basket: Sandi Gunderman
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Thoughts & Prayers #6
10 April 2022 - Palm Sunday
Luke 22:39-53
God plays by His own rules...even when it hurts Him. And He knows what it's like to hear no.
Scripture Reading: Paul Layte
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Thoughts & Prayers #5
3 April 2022
Exodus 17:8-13 A story about a battle between flesh and blood (the Amalekites against the Israelites) gives us insight into how to handle it when our bullies are NOT flesh and blood.
Scripture Reading: Tom Jernigan
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Thoughts & Prayers #4
27 March 2022
Mark 10:46-52
"Sometimes I wonder if the reason some of my prayers go unanswered is because I'm asking for the quick fix that will get me off Jesus' back, rather than the long-term solution that will bring me closer to Him." --Pastor Jenn
Technologically, this has been the weirdest recording we have ever produced. The audio was inaudible at the beginning of the service. Pastor Jenn's mic battery died 2/3 of the way through her sermon. Therefore, all that is included here is the Message in a Basket, and the sermon up through the point where the mic died, with a re-preached audio clip attached at the end, with the end of the sermon. Thank you for your grace and patience. Good news! We're getting new equipment soon. And also batteries.
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Acts 1:6-8, 12-14
Following the acrostic PRAY from Pete Grieg's book (Prayer: a Simple Guide for Normal People), this week we talked about "Pausing" before God. What if the Pause is actually when we confess: who God is, who we are without God, and who we are willing to be with God?
Scripture Reading and Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Thoughts & Prayers #1
27 February 2022
Genesis 4:19-26, Mark 1:29-37
Is prayer the number one thing humans have in common? If it is, what does it matter? How did it start? And what does it mean that even Jesus prayed?
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Temple–The Meeting of Heaven and Earth #7
20 February 2022
Revelation 21:9-22:5
What "going to church" has to do with loving our neighbor, and with God's version of happily ever after.
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Temple–The Meeting of Heaven and Earth #6
13 February 2022 1 Peter 2:1-12
God's not playing around here. Without Jesus, the Temple cannot be rebuilt. Without us, God's plan remains incomplete.
(Poem read in the sermon is by Steve Garnaas-Holmes at https://unfoldinglight.net/2022/02/11/what-if/)
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Temple–The Meeting of Heaven and Earth #5
6 February 2022
Jeremiah 7:1-7; John 2:13-24
Turns out Jeremiah and Jesus were upset about the same thing.
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
We had a blizzard and our town was requesting people stay off the roads until at least noon, so we met informally on zoom. This recording includes the full unedited zoom call.
Series: Temple–The Meeting of Heaven and Earth #4
30 January 2022
1 Kings 8:1-13, 27-30
Solomon builds God a temple--as God promised. Everyone, including God, is pretty ecstatic about it.
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Temple–The Meeting of Heaven and Earth #3
23 January 2022
2 Samuel 7:1-17
A house for God or a house for David? Also, how is it possible that David could really be a man after God's own heart.
—————
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Temple--The Meeting of Heaven and Earth #2
16 January 2022
Exodus 25:1-22
Are bricks the almond milk of building materials? What created things are all good or all bad? What's the difference between the Tower of Babel and the Tabernacle?
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Series: Temple--The Meeting of Heaven and Earth #1
9 January 2022
Genesis 1:1-2:3
Along with learning some niche jargon (apophatic and cataphatic, anyone?) let's talk about how and why God really created, and what the point of humans being made in God's image is.
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Message in a Basket: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Luke 2:22-40
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Mini Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
1 John 4
Love is the power behind the universe. And love has a shape. It's human.
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Mini-Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Ezekiel 34:10-16
Bad shepherds, no shepherds, and the Good Shepherd...
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Mini Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Isaiah 40:1-11
When peacemaking is more like terraforming than cool ocean breezes...
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Mini Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
First Sunday of Advent: Hope
Isaiah 9:1-3
A people walking in darkness have seen a great light!
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Mini Message and Main Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Matthew 28:1-10; 16-20
Now that Jesus has changed the rules, how do we live right-side-up?
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Mini Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Matthew 27:11-14, 27-31, 38-54
How important is it to you to be right or make sure other people are doing/believing/expressing the right things? Why? What's at stake? Is it possible that the "need to be right" is more an impulse of Empire than a way of the Kingdom?
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Mini Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan (03:27)
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte) (08:51)
Matthew 26:1-41
Are you playing Empire's game or living Kingdom's life?
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Mini Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Communion Song: Tim and Sandi Gunderman
Matthew 24
What will be the sign of the end of the age and Jesus' coming into His Kingdom? (A few reminders about biblical prophecy...and the Temple.)
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Mini-Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Matthew 21:1-17
You've heard of Christmas in July? Welcome to Palm Sunday in October, or something like that.
Scripture Reading: Bernice Rivera
Mini Message: Rev. Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev. Jennifer A. G. Layte)
Matthew 20:17-28
Have the disciples been getting the point? Has Central Baptist Church? Do any of us ever really know for sure what we are asking Jesus?
Scripture Reading: Ms. Bernice Rivera
Mini Message: Rev. Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev. Jennifer A G Layte)
Matthew 19:1-12
Sometimes, often, always, perhaps, there's more to Jesus' teaching that meets the eye. If you said this passage is about "divorce," that is the right wrong answer. 😉
Scripture Reader: Bernice Rivera
Mini Message: Rev. Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev. Jennifer A. G. Layte)
Matthew 18:15-35
Jesus talks about resolving sibling squabbles--or even mistreatment.
Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Matthew 17:1-13
Jesus gets reminded of His coming wedding day.
During this particular service, we were delighted to celebrate the renewal of marriage vows of one of our couples. This ceremony comprises the first half of this recording. The sermon followed in theme, but our livestream was "dumped" by our platform host as the conclusion was approaching, and unfortunately we have no files containing the end of it. We are posting this anyway, in honor of the couple and because at least some of the intent of the message was recorded before our livestream was cut off.
Marriage Vow Renewal of Gabriel and Tara Vidot
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Matthew 16
Did Jesus get grumpy?
Mini-Message: Paul Layte
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Matthew 15
Is the Messiah for the Jews or for everybody?
Mini Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Matthew 14
What if the most effective way to become like Jesus is to start by connecting with Him in the ways He became like us: His human limitations, like fatigue and grief? Connecting with Him by resting?
Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Matthew 13:10-17, 24-30, and 36-43
There's enough Jesus to offend everybody.
Pastor Jenn (Rev. Jennifer A G Layte)
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
The depth of the root determines the fruit.
Rev Jennifer A G Layte (Pastor Jenn)
Matthew 12:22-50
What do a car's cabin air filter and the human soul have to do with the unforgivable sin?
Mini Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Matthew 11:25-12:21
Being God is a burden that only God can carry.
Mini Message: Rev. Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev. Jennifer A G Layte)
Matthew 11:1-24
When our circumstances don't change--for months or even years--and the thing we believed we were preparing the way for the Lord to do doesn't seem to be happening at all, it is very tempting to ask God, "Was I wrong about You?"
Is it okay to ask that question?
Mini-Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Matthew 9:18-26
"If you're not feeling His touch upon you and your situation, reach out and touch Him."
Missions Moment: Rev Christine Keddy
Main Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Matthew 9:35-10:42
"In our Empire-bound world, everything Jesus has described is actually what it means to be like God--to be "at His level"--to have His authority...Jesus is so united to His Father, even though, when facing His own cross, He will ask for the cup to be taken from Him, He can't really imagine wanting to do anything else but the will of the Father. It's almost as if He can't imagine us wanting to do anything else, either."
Mini-Message: Rev. Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Matthew 9:1-17
I'm starting to wonder if repentance has something to do with being vulnerable with Jesus and His people.
(No Mini Message available, as it did not record.)
Pastor Jenn (Rev Jennifer A G Layte)
Matthew 8:23-34
The storm we're in can be the craziest we've ever experienced, and Jesus asleep has more authority over our circumstances than anyone or anything else. We don't need to be afraid as long as He's in the boat.
Mini Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Rev Jennifer A G Layte (Pastor Jenn)
Matthew 8:1-22
A leper, a centurion, and a mother-in-law walked into a bar...
Mini-Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn
Matthew 6-7 (focusing on 7:13-29)
The way isn't narrow because it's some fine-tuned compromise between two extremes. It's a completely different option.
Mini Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn
Matthew 5 - particularly focusing on verses 13-20
Matthew's record of this sermon of Jesus' is specifically for those of us who believe we are the people of God, who think we understand what the kingdom of heaven must look like. It is through Him that we interpret the law and the prophets.
Mini Message: Rev Barbara Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn
Matthew 4:12-5:12
Jesus' first draft picks are not who we would've expected.
Mini Message: Rev Barb Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn
Matthew 3:1-4:11
A whole bunch of characters know the Word. Not all of them know what it means. One of them embodies it.
Pastor Jenn
Matthew 2
A story about magicians, angels, a homicidal king, and the horrifying and unnecessary death of a townful of little boys. Why is this story even in the Bible?
Mini Message: Barb Jernigan
Main Message: Pastor Jenn
Matthew 1
What happens when God is with us: we get better connected to our heritage, freed from our past, and our insignificance is turned into significance.
[God with us] means God will make sure things work out. --Dr John Goldingay
Pastor Jenn
This podcast will now also incorporate audio from the "Mini Message" (formerly known as "Children's Message"), usually presented by Rev Barbara Jernigan. This particular episode also contains audio from an impromptu family meeting which happened right before our congregational time of prayer.
Psalm 8
A transition sermon between our series on Atonement (WDJD) and an extended meander through the Gospel of Matthew. Many thanks to bibleproject.com for the use of their video and teaching on Psalm 8.
Pastor Jenn
Matthew 28:1-8
Jesus defeated death. If He didn't, none of the other ways of looking at the atonement even matter.
Pastor Jenn
Leviticus 16
Sin is contagious. It needs to be eradicated. Jesus does that.
[Ironically, this is the one that didn't get preached in church, on the anniversary of our Covid lockdown, because Pastor Jenn was sick with a fever that day. (She doesn't have Covid--don't worry!)]
Pastor Jenn
Exodus 14:5-31
There is no sin that doesn't hurt anyone. The sin of slavery hurts everyone. And Jesus frees us.
Pastor Jenn
John 2
Cleaning out the good in favor of the best.
___________________
Rev Barbara Jernigan
Genesis 22:1-19
Abraham could have stopped believing that this God who had called him was really different from the gods he had left in the human-sacrificing city of Ur, and obeyed no matter what, as just one god among many.
Abraham could have held onto his belief that this God was different from the gods he had left and as such God would never ask such a thing as sacrificing the son of the promise.
Either way, the promise was doomed. Or Abraham could have found the third way.
This is the one where Pastor Jenn completely loses it in the middle.
Pastor Jenn
Genesis 15
We know Jesus died on the cross for our sins, but how did that actually work? For one thing, He fulfilled the terms of the covenant with Abraham.
Pastor Jenn
John 17
The greatest evil that could befall the Church--and consequently the world--is for God's people to become disunited from the Trinity and then from each other.
Pastor Jenn
John 4:35-42
Where Spirit-and-Truth worship occurs, mission and our fulfillment inevitably follow.
Pastor Jenn
John 4:25-38
Is it possible that this story is showing us that Jesus--that God Himself--has longings deeper than His incarnate physical needs, too?
Pastor Jenn
John 4:16-26
"A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth..." Finally we get to talk about what our theme verse means!
Pastor Jenn
Thank you for joining us in "remote worship" today. You may continue to worship and learn with us throughout the week as well, through
Morning Quiet (Tuesdays at 9AM on zoom)
Prayer on the Spot (Thursdays at 2PM on Facebook),
Tithes and offerings, which may be offered by sending a check to Central Baptist Church, PO Box 886, Southbridge, MA 01550, or online at cbcsouthbridge.org
John 4:10-18
God is the only one worthy of our worship... Worship benefits us because it is in our nature to worship. It is why we exist. The most true-to-ourselves, human thing we can do is worship. But, because that's true, we are liable to worship anything.
True worship? False worship? What difference does it make?
Pastor Jenn
John 4:1-9
When God is so worthy, He humbles Himself to ask you for something...
Pastor Jenn
Today in Adventures in Glitchy Technology, the livestream cut out about halfway through the sermon and even though the beginning and the end were recorded, the middle third was lost. I tried to "re-preach" that part and insert it, but if there are some "idea breaks," that, in this case, is why. Pray for us!
(Seriously. Pray for us. None of the stuff that happens every single week is anything we can ever plan for. Our tech team shows up an hour early to make sure last week's issue doesn't happen again...and then something else does.)
2 Peter 3:1-2, 14-18
Old Testament? Jesus? New Testament? How we need the Spirit and the Word to hear God's transforming voice.
Pastor Jenn
Acts 2:1-8, 36-47
Pentecost at Advent??
_________________
Pastor Jenn
_________________
Note: Every week the "sound issue" is different this season, it seems. Thanks for hanging in there with us today! And please keep praying for resolution!
Mark 1:9-35
What's in your trunk?
Pastor Jenn
As you are aware, if you listen to these regularly, we at Central Baptist are not equipped with the most streamlined tech equipment. Lately, in order to livestream video without jamming signals, we have to make an audio recording of the livestream, separately, which is what contributes to the "inside a tin can" sound quality of the last few months. We apologize that today the sound is even worse, due to some additional technological glitches on Sunday. We're grateful for your prayers for us in all areas...including this one. Thank you for your patience.
Daniel 2:31-35
Whose prophecies and hope is the Messiah anyway? And how will we recognize Him?
Pastor Jenn
Galatians 6
Nobody likes self-control. The guy in the 1600's who put the verse numbers in your Bible? Put self-control in a whole separate verse from the other fruit of the Spirit! But of all the attributes listed, this is the one contributes most directly to Gospel freedom. How can that be?
Pastor Jenn
(This recording also includes the children's sermon by Rev Barbara Jernigan.)
2 Timothy 2
Persecuted Christians, veterans, and faithfulness and gentleness...in the aftermath of a contentious election.
Pastor Jenn
Romans 12:1-2, 9-21
Our loving devotion is pleasing to God, and the more devoted we are, the more His loving will is pleasing to us. Goodness is, well, good.
Pastor Jenn
Ephesians 4:22-32
Patience loves by holding back--even letting go of--the fear and anger of impatience when a situation doesn't go according to plan...or a person 'doesn't go according to plan.' We talked about times that we must love patiently from a distance. But kindness moves outward. Kindness reaches out to bless another person, whether they deserve it or not.
Pastor Jenn
Psalm 27; 2 Peter 3:8-9
"God, why do you put up with us? Why have you let this species keep going this long??"
Pastor Jenn
Philippians 4:1-9
If the salvation Jesus sacrificed Himself for is shalom-peace, reconciled well-being, then true peace is the lived-out expression of the essence/glory/love of God
So, if we are true peacemakers, true cultivators of wholeness around us, true bringers of wellbeing, then we prove that we have the love of God—we take after our Father. We are clearly His children.
Peacemaking is our witness.
Pastor Jenn
Hebrews 12:1-13, 18-24
Maybe the reason joy is so hard to come by is that in this life, it comes through struggle...and we would rather avoid struggle. Except by doing so, we end up also avoiding joy
Pastor Jenn
Galatians 5
Does your life "taste like" Good News? Just say no to the zombies.
Pastor Jenn
Galatians 3:23-4:31
"The greatest proof that the Good News of Jesus Christ is good, is not a great sermon, or even a great personal testimony, though we've seen that those are powerful and Apostle used his earlier in this letter. The greatest visible proof that the Good News of Jesus Christ is good, is a reconciled community from every tongue, tribe, language, nation, gender, birth order, whatever--worshiping and serving God together."
Pastor Jenn
Galatians 3
"[The Flesh] can produce a very 'righteous' morality, but it nullifies grace. I hope that you can see that the essential mark of a Christian is not how far you have progressed in sanctification, but on what you are relying to get there."
Rev Barbara Jernigan
Galatians 1
Sermon Series: By Their Fruit You Shall Know Them
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel, which is really no gospel at all...
The Apostle Paul
How to avoid Fake (Good) News.
---------------------
Pastor Jenn
Ruth 4
Do you want to tell the story with the happy ending, or do you want to accept God's invitation to the story with the happily ever after?
Pastor Jenn
Ruth 2
Based on the way this story reads, I believe that faithful, generous love in the heart of Boaz would have been generous with any foreigner because the heart of His God welcomes the foreigner. But his faithful, generous love is drawn to this particular foreigner, because he senses the same faithful, generous love in her.
Pastor Jenn
Ruth 1:6-22
God's will, or desire, for each person of any gender, is to become more fully the person He created—not according to our culture, but according to His nature—which is hesed.
Pastor Jenn
Jonah 3
If it's not the video, it's the audio...
One day it will all work smoothly! Maybe around the time systemic injustice has been totally eradicated and God's Kingdom has come and God's will is being done on earth as it is in heaven. In the meantime, we still have Jonah the Flying Prophet...
Pastor Jenn
Jonah 1:17-2:10
"How do Christians tarnish their own image?" --Lilly
Every couple of weeks or so (seems like during especially spiritually significant services--like this one which incorporated a baptism), we have nearly insurmountable technical difficulties. In this case, the livestream feed got jammed and the full sermon didn't make it, but you'll get most of it and definitely the "punchline." Thanks for listening!
Pastor Jenn
Revelation 1:5b-8; 22:12-17
"When Apocalypse (any apocalypse) happens, the enemy wants us to see the truth of the dire situation we’re in and focus on that, getting so overwhelmed and discouraged that either we buckle under and do nothing, or rise up to try to fix the horror we’ve seen—through our own isolating, conflict-ridden, sinful, broken human ways—which only make it worse and worse.
"When Apocalypse (any apocalypse) happens, God wants us to see Himself."
Pastor Jenn
John 14:1-27 What ever happened to the Breath of Life?
Note: Pastor Jenn began speaking before the camera was ready. Notably, the first, very key, words of this talk were: "I can't breathe."
___________________
Pastor Jenn
John 11:1-44
"If anybody could change our reality right now, it's Him, right?"
Note 1: The message herein was written and recorded during a seeming lull between two notable and horrific racial murders in the USA. Grief and death are presented here more generally and vaguely than they might have been had this sermon been prepared immediately after the murder of George Floyd. Grief now (again) has an even more bitter taste. And our hope remains in the Resurrection and the Life.
Note 2: As our church attempts to reenter our building, still working with cobbled-together technology, this recording is not particularly clear. The service was transmitted to Facebook Live via a personal cell phone picking up the external mic's transmission of speakers speaking through masks. Furthermore, the simultaneous attempt to record an audio file was unsuccessful, necessitating a further recording of the Facebook video via a voice recording app on computer. We thank you for your ongoing patience as we continue to navigate these tech challenges, as well as for your continued listening.
John 9
The purpose of the Light of the World—at the beginning of creation and ever since--is life. It is to reveal and heal (or recreate, or birth) children of God, through whom to shine: more and more life and light, less and less darkness and death.
Pastor Jenn
Haggai 1:1-11; 2:1-9; Mark 11:1-11, 15-19
The true Temple is the place where God and His people are fully present with each other together.
Pastor Jenn
P.S. This is super-embarrassing but must be noted: I make a very glaring mis-explanation in this message. In it I describe there having been three temples in Jerusalem (2 rebuilds of Solomon's). This comes from my 1) being confused by the fact that the Temple during Jesus' day is sometimes known as "Herod's Temple" and 2) my having a hazier recollection of "intertestamental" history than I realized and, not having realized it, not looking it up.
In fact the third literal Temple has not yet been built. This should not substantively negate the rest of this message but needs to be pointed out and corrected nevertheless.
Jeremiah 11:1-17
Daniel 9:15-19
If God were unable to be wounded by our rejection of Him, or unable to be infuriated when He sees people in His image oppressing each other and abusing creation, that's when He would be an unjust psychopath.
Pastor Jenn
2 Samuel 7:1-17; 1 Kings 8:20-30, 65-66
Sanctification and transformation
Come from delayed gratification...
Pastor Jenn
Exodus 1:8-14; 3:1-14; 34:1-8
Sinai is all about identity. It is about who the Israelites are, and about who God Himself is.
Pastor Jenn
Genesis 12:1-5; 15:1-6; 22:1-18
The story of Abraham and Sarah not only gives us a preview of God's plan to win back the hearts of humans in general, but shows us God winning the hearts of individual humans.
Genesis 1:24-28; Genesis 2:15-25
"The only way for another created being to take over the humans' role as the God-designated rulers on the earth is to create a rift between them and God."
Pastor Jenn
Ephesians 2:4-10
Our identity comes from God alone. Our status with God--our relationship with God--our salvation--is not earned. But it can be "worked out." That is, if we have accepted Jesus' reconciling sacrifice for us, if we have "signed up" to be His apprentices, if the Holy Spirit is residing with our spirits, our lives will be an expression of that fact--of our salvation.
Pastor Jenn
Deuteronomy 12:1-14
The way the fruit of God's love through our Treasure demonstrates the extent to which all the other aspects of our lives really belong to Him.
Pastor Jenn
1 Corinthians 6:16-20 (also 1 Corinthians 3:11-17)
"Our bodies will be transformed, but they will be our bodies, resurrected just like Jesus'. What we do in and to our bodies now matters in eternity."
Pastor Jenn
John 15:12-17
If we are Jesus' friends, that means He is our friend. Which means we lay down our lives for Him first.
Pastor Jenn
In memory of an American hero.
Obituary from Belanger Funeral Home follows.
Bryan D. LeBlanc, 50, of Sayles Street formerly of Milford and Mendon, highly decorated Army Veteran, died Friday, Jan 17, at Brookside Rehab in Webster. He leaves his 2 sons Nick Rosen of Brockton, and Brandon LeBlanc of Texas, his father Charles LeBlanc of San Antonio, TX. a brother Christopher Michael LeBlanc of the Philippines, and a sister Jeannine Verburt of Universal, Texas.
Born in Boston he was the son of Charles LeBlanc and the late Ruth (Johnston) LeBlanc and lived in Texas and several others states where his Army career took him. Bryan was a highly decorated Army retired Veteran. He retired as an Army Ranger after 20 years of service. His service career took him into many dangerous zones including The Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia in 1993. He served in Desert Shield, Desert Storm, and peacekeeping missions in Egypt and Africa. After his retirement he taught science to high risk students in Texas. He coached Little League Baseball and worked security at Six Flags in Texas. He was an avid fisherman, and a Patriots and Bruins fan. Moving back to Massachusetts, he was a dispatcher for the Massachusetts State Police.
His activities ended after battling a series of 4 major strokes. With determination and will power he fought back to recover from of his ailing health and became the coordinator of Nick’s House in Southbridge, a place for veterans transitioning from life struggles. He ran the house with determination and courage. He could be seen walking his Great Dane “TUUKKA” throughout Southbridge. He was friend to all who knew him even though he struggled to communicate and would get frustrated with himself. His funeral service will be held at 6PM, Wednesday, Jan. 22, in the Central Baptist Church, Southbridge. Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery.
Psalm 90
Apparently it takes...time...to combine a sermon and a workshop. A longer listen, but the trellis can't be built without time.
"Who or what would you say your time actually belongs to? And how do you feel about that?"
Pastor Jenn
John 15:1-11
"What if redeeming the time means bringing our time—and every other aspect of our lives, ultimately—back under God’s control, so that it is no longer our jobs or our circumstances or our lack of finances or even our families in charge of us?"
Pastor Jenn
(Rev Jennifer A G Layte)