FBC Wilmington Sermons: Recent Episodes
FBC Wilmington
Weekly sermons preached by pastor Barrett Owen and the ministerial staff of First Baptist Church, Wilmington. The church is located in the heart of downtown Wilmington, NC and offers two styles of worship on Sunday mornings — Modern at 9:00 and Traditional at 11:00.
August 9 | Genesis 1:26-31 & | You Belong Before You Believe Our deepest belonging begins not with what we do but with who God says we are. Before there were commandments, covenants, or churches, there was creation. Humanity is created in the image of God and declared "very good." Before there was performance, there was blessing. Before there was belief, there was belonging. Our lives begin not with God's expectations but with God's delight.
August 2 | Luke 14:15-24 | Belonging at the Table God's table is wider than we imagine. Jesus shows this by consistently creating belonging where others create boundaries. His meals become signs of the Kingdom where outsiders become insiders and strangers become friends. This sermon introduces the four dimensions of belonging and invites us to imagine God's Kingdom as a table where every dimension of belonging begins.
July 26 | John 4:34 | When Spaces Become Places: Field “Look around you and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting.” Fields represent mission, abundance, and participation in God’s work. The field is where faith leaves comfort and becomes embodied action. It’s where what has grown in us is finally given away.
July 19 | Acts 9:1-19 | When Spaces Become Places: Road The Damascus Road is not a sanctuary—it’s a pathway. Yet it becomes the place of Paul’s transformation. Roads represent transition, movement, and interruption. God often meets us not where we’ve settled, but while we are still in motion.
July 12 | Deuteronomy 8:2-5 | When Spaces Become Places: Wilderness The wilderness feels empty, but it becomes the place of testing, dependence, and identity. Israel finds itself there. Jesus clarifies his mission there. Wilderness spaces strip us of illusions and teach us trust. Sometimes the most barren seasons become the most formative places of encounter.
July 5 | Luke 24:30-35 | When Spaces Become Places: Table From Passover to Emmaus, the table becomes a revelation space. At tables, strangers become friends, forgiveness is offered, and Christ is recognized in the breaking of bread. The table reminds us that ordinary furniture can become holy ground.
June 28 | Luke 6:12 | When Spaces Become Places: Mountains In Luke 6, Jesus retreats to a mountain to pray prior to calling the disciples. Mountains have a way of connecting us to God. Think about the mountains in the Bible: Mount Sinai. Mount Zion. Mount Ararat. Mount Nebo. Mount Tabor. Mount of Olives. Mount of Transfiguration. Mount of Beatitudes. All these mountaintop places shape the story of scripture. All of them point to God’s presence, God’s stability, God’s permanence, and a meeting place between heaven and earth. Mountains are important, for they bring us to God.
June 21 | Isaiah 43.16-21 | When Spaces Become Places: River (Jayne Preaching) It’s at the river Jesus is baptized. It’s at the river where we go after we die. It’s at the river that God springs up something new . . . even in the wastelands. Rivers are important, for they bring us to God. This is true in Isaiah 43, and it’s still true today.
June 7 | Revelation 22:1-5 | When Spaces Become Places: Garden The Bible begins and ends in a garden. This symmetry matters, for it reminds us that where we are . . . our location . . . says something about our relationship with the Holy Spirit. Nature is one good way that the Holy Spirit uses to speak to us. If we have ears to hear and eyes to see, then we will experience the grace of God in places like gardens.
June 14 | Exodus 35:4-21 | When Spaces Become Places: Temple One of the most holy spaces in all the Bible is the Temple/Tabernacle. In ancient Judaism, there was even a place called “Holy of Holies.” The space where God dwells matters, and this is true in Exodus 35. As a matter of fact, the Israelite’s commitment to such a space still speaks to us today.
May 31 | 2 Corinthians 13:11–13; Matthew 28:18–20 | High and Holy: Trinity The Trinity tells us something stunning: at the center of reality is not solitude, but love. Before creation, there was communion. Before mission, there was relationship. God is not lonely power, but self-giving love bound together in relationship.
May 24 | Acts 2:1-21 | High and Holy: Pentecost If Ascension lifts Christ high, Pentecost brings heaven near. In Acts 2, the disciples are gathered when wind rushes through the house and flames rest upon them. Fire without destruction. Wind without chaos. God’s presence is no longer distant and removed, the Holy Spirit has come near.
May 17 | Acts 1:1-11 | High and Holy: Ascension The Ascension often feels like an epilogue — as though Jesus simply exits stage right. But in truth, it is a coronation. In Acts of the Apostles 1, Jesus speaks of the kingdom, blesses his disciples, and is lifted. A cloud receives him — not a weather event, but a biblical symbol of divine presence. This is enthronement language. Christ does not disappear; he reigns.
May 10 | John 14:15-21 | Life After Death includes the Spirit Jesus promises another Advocate—the Spirit of truth. In the Gospel of John 14:15–21, resurrection life is described as an indwelling presence: “I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” Life after death includes the Spirit who abides, teaches, and empowers. The risen Christ is not distant; through the Spirit, he is nearer than ever, guiding us into courageous love.
May 3 | John 14:1-14 | Life After Death Predicted Before the cross, Jesus promises, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” In Gospel of John 14:1–14, he speaks of dwelling places, abiding presence, and works greater still. Resurrection was not an accident but the fulfillment of a promise. Life after death begins with trust in the One who prepares a way through fear into hope.
April 26 Acts 2:42-47 | Life After Death for the Community Resurrection does not create isolated believers; it forms a new community. In Acts of the Apostles 2:42–47, the early church shares meals, prayers, possessions, and praise. Life after death reshapes economics, relationships, and priorities. The risen Christ gathers people into a Spirit-formed fellowship that embodies good news together.
April 19 | Luke 24:13-35 | Life After Death in Emmaus Two disciples walk away from Jerusalem, hearts heavy with disappointment. On the road to Emmaus in Gospel of Luke 24:13–35, the risen Christ draws near, opening scripture and breaking bread. Often, we recognize Jesus only in hindsight, when our hearts burn within us. Life after death is discovered on ordinary roads and around common tables.
April 12 | John 20:19-31 | Life After Death for Thomas When the risen Jesus appears in a locked room, Thomas is absent—and unconvinced. In Gospel of John 20:19–31, doubt becomes the doorway to faith. Jesus does not shame Thomas; he invites him closer. Resurrection life makes room for questions and meets us in our uncertainty, offering peace where fear once ruled.
April 5 | Easter Sunday | John 20:1-18 | From Death to Life
Before sunrise, Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb and finds it empty. In Gospel of John 20:1–18, grief turns to recognition as the risen Christ calls her name. Resurrection does not erase the wounds; it transforms them. Easter proclaims that death does not have the final word. Christ is risen—and because he lives, we are invited into a new creation, stepping from death into life.
March 29 | Palm Sunday | Matthew 21:1-11 | Marching Towards Death and Life On Palm Sunday, Jesus enters Jerusalem to shouts of “Hosanna!” Yet beneath the waving branches lies a harder truth: he is marching toward his own death. In Gospel of Matthew 21:1–11, triumph and tragedy are intertwined. The crowd longs for a conquering king; Jesus comes as a suffering servant. This week begins by asking us what kind of salvation we truly seek—and whether we are willing to follow a Messiah whose victory comes through surrender.
March 22 | Romans 8:31-39 | Nothing Separates us from the Love of God The Path of Descent leads us to the Spirit of Christ. And as Paul says, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” When we pursue God . . . there is no condemnation. Paul says, “We become more than conquerors through him who loved us” which means we experience unconditional grace.
March 15 | Romans 7:15-25 | The Inner Conflict It’s hard to go down this Path of Descent. Our flesh wants to hold on to sin. Paul goes as far to say we are enslaved to this pattern. Psychology calls this the ego. As Paul says, “For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it.” To truly become more like Christ, we must wrestle with this inner conflict and realize when left to our own devices, we sin and fall short.
March 8 | Romans 6:1-14 | Crucified with Christ The Path of Descent is best described through the ritual of baptism. When we go through the waters, we descend . . . dying to our old selves . . . crucifying our sin unto Christ . . . and rising in grace. Our ashes become redeemed when we become crucified with Christ.
March 1 | Romans 5:12-21 | Grace Abounds in the Descent When we take the Path of Descent seriously, we see a theological truth that surpasses understanding: Grace. Like Adam who came into the world and introduced sin . . . Jesus came into the world and introduced grace. Scripture says, “But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many.” In other words, when we move towards Christ, grace abounds.
February 22 | Romans 5.1-11 | A Path of Descent Scripture says, “God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” Jesus takes the Path of Descent to bring us out of our sin . . . and we must do the same. Our path is one that starts with suffering which luckily produces endurance which produces character which produces hope. We get to hope through taking a Path of Descent starting with our suffering.
February 15 | Matthew 17:1-9 | Transfiguration Sunday The Transfiguration, like Jesus’ baptism, is another archetypal story. It happens but then also offers new depths for what it could mean today. The story, in and of itself, is a reminder that God is enacting things much deeper than what our day to day lives comprehend. And God’s wisdom is wider than our narrow understandings of faith. Peter misinterprets this moment because he wasn’t deep or wide enough to realize it. It’s one reason we keep coming back to this story year after year. It’s easy for us to miss its depth and breadth too.
February 8 | 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16) | The Spirit Reveals God is Deep and Wide
Paul aggressively positions the story of Christianity as one in which the Holy Spirit wants to take us on a journey that is both deep and wide. As a matter of fact, Paul says the Holy Spirit is the only one who can comprehend God but, thankfully, the Spirit takes us deep into God and connects us to the mind and mysteries of God too. The Holy Spirit is the bridge that allows our faith to go both deep and wide.
February 1 | Matthew 5:1-12 | Jesus’ Sermons are Deep and Wide All throughout the gospels, Jesus teaches and preaches. His most famous is the Sermon on the Mount. For three chapters he waxes poetic on the depth and breadth of faith, loving neighbors, being a good person, and living for the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ preaching is one that is both deep and wide.
Matthew 4:12-23 | Being a Disciple is Deep and Wide After Jesus is baptized, he calls his disciples to join him in spreading the gospel message wide. The disciples learn quickly that if they are going to be up to this challenge, they’re going to have to find new depths. The call to discipleship is one that requires our willingness to go deep so we can go wide.
January 11 | Matthew 3:13-17 | The Baptism Waters are Deep and Wide The story of Jesus’ baptism is one of the most archetypal stories in all the gospels. When Jesus emerges from the baptismal waters, God’s voice booms across the cosmos saying, “This is my son, my beloved, in whom I’m well pleased.” This single statement is one of the deepest, most spiritual claims in all the Bible and it propels Jesus’ ministry far and wide.
January 4 | Matthew 2:1-12 | The Magi Travel Deep and Wide The Magi travel wide to find the newborn baby king. And this journey takes them to new depths. As a matter of fact, v10 says the Magi were “overwhelmed with joy” when they realized the star guiding them had stopped. To be a person that can follow God on faith, being open to what’s new, takes depth.
God is With Us | John 1:1-5 | Rev. John Daniels | 12.28.2025 Sermon Synopsis - The first five verses of the Prologue to John say a tremendous amount about God’s presence among us. These five verses hold powerful prose and theological conviction on why we Christians can surrender to the hope, peace, joy, and love found in Christ.
Christmas Eve | Emmanuel: Christ is With Us | John 1-1-5 | Rev. Barrett Owen | 12.24.2025 Sermon Synopsis - The Christ in-breaking changes the world forever. Never again will humans feel or be separated from God. The God of the Universe has stepped down into time and space and because of this . . . we have a future in which we are never alone. Christ is always with us.
Emmanuel: Love is With Us | Isaiah 11:1-10 | Rev. Barrett Owen | 12.21.2025 Sermon Synopsis: To be Christian is to embrace and share that love with the world. We can do this because we know and feel that this love is first with us. Israel felt this love, and we can too.
Emmanuel: Joy is With Us | Isaiah 35:1-10 | Rev. Barrett Owen | 12.14.2025 To be Christian is to embrace and share that love with the world. We can do this because we know and feel that this joy is first with us. Israel felt this joy, and we can too.
Emmanuel: Peace is With Us | Isaiah 2:1-5 | Rev. Barrett Owen | 12.7.2025 To be Christian is to embrace and share peace with the world. We can do this because we know and feel that this peace is first with us. Israel felt this peace, and we can too.
Emmanuel: Hope is With Us | John 1:1-5 | Rev. Barrett Owen | 11.30.2025 To be Christian is to embrace and share hope with the world. We can do this because we know and feel that this hope is first with us. Israel felt this hope, and we can too.
November 23 | Psalm 100 | As for Me and My House . . . We’ll Choose Gratitude On this Thanksgiving Week, it is important to see that our faith must abound with gratitude. Our faith, our church, our ways of operating as a religious institution is present because of God’s steadfastness and love. When we gather, we can’t help but be grateful. Gratitude can be chosen even when emotions are steeped in hurt or resentment. The effort to choose gratitude, especially in difficult times, strengthens our spiritual resolve.
November 16 | Psalm 1 | As for Me and My House . . . We’ll Have a Rule of Life Psalm 1 serves as an introduction to the entire book of Psalms, presenting a fundamental choice between two paths: Path of the “wicked” and the path of “delighting in God’s law.” It is a blueprint for living a blessed, disciplined, and fruitful life. This blueprint in Christianity is a called a Rule of Life. It is the blueprint of what our spiritual lives must include.
November 9 | Psalm 65 | As for Me and My House . . . We’ll Show Hospitality Psalm 65 speaks powerfully of God's hospitality toward people and the earth. The psalm is a song of praise and thanksgiving for God's provision and grace, which can inspire and inform our own practice of hospitality towards one another. As God treated us and the world, so we should treat one another.
November 2 | All Saints Day | As for Me and My House . . . We’ll Remember | Psalm 42 On this All Saints Day, we are challenged to remember. Memory is a spiritual discipline. Memory is not a neutral act. For Christians, the interpretive principle for memory should be Christ. Remembering can involve reflecting on challenging experiences and processing them with God. This practice admits our inability to handle the past on our own and strengthens our dependence on Christ.
October 26 | As for Me and My House . . . We’ll Keep the Sabbath | Psalm 127 This short psalm reminds us that all the nonstop effort in the world is in vain if we do not learn to rest. Verse 2 says, “In vain. You rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves.” In other words, we must be people who build in rest to our work. The psalmist sings it. It’s one of the ten commandments. It’s baked into the rhythm of life from Genesis 1. It is the most repeated commandment in the Old Testament. We should take it more seriously.
As for Me and My House . . . We’ll Read Scripture Spiritually | Psalm 23 Christians need to learn to read scripture spiritually. There are many practices that can do this but the most well-known is Lectio Divina. It is a way to pray the scriptures slowly reflecting on their meaning in a way that is less mechanical, mental, but, rather, spiritual. Psalm 23 is a great text to demonstrate this, for it is the most comforting chapter in all the Old Testament. It begins with the image of God as the Great Shepherd coming to us and guides us home into the afterlife. It has so much imagery, this chapter will give ample opportunity for people to develop a skill to read scripture spiritually.
October 12 | Psalm 37:1-9 | As for Me and My House . . . We’ll Practice Stillness | Christians have inner lives. They have access to God which comes to us as a still, small voice. It comes thanks to the gift of the Holy Spirit, and it needs to be cultivated. Our inner, spiritual lives are open canvases that need to be explored through study, stillness, solitude, and silence.
Psalm 146 | As for Me and My House . . . We’ll Sing | Tracie is preaching To build up a Christian life, you need to worship. You need to come to the “water” and experience the overflowing grace of God so you can be “filled up” to go back out into the world and share it. A life of worship is essential for a life of faith.
September 28 | James 5:13-20 | A Woven Mercy “If anyone among you wanders from the truth and is bought back by another,” . . . they will be saved together. In other words, . . . our lives are intricately connected and woven together, so much that when we are suffering, we can call on our neighbor for help, and when we are thriving, we can worship together. These shared moments are God’s woven mercies for us.
September 21 | James 3:13-4:3 | A Gentle Mercy The true sages of our day live out of a wisdom that is from “above." Wisdom from “below” is bitter, envious, boastful, and full of false truths. Wisdom from above is gentle, peaceable, and bears no trace of partiality. To live with wisdom, we must learn of mercy that is gentle.
September 14 | James 3:1-12 | A Merciless Tongue Our words are used to cut people down and drown people out. Our tongues are like tameless beasts used to both praise the Lord and curse our neighbor. This ought not to be so. For us to live with mercy, we must learn to control the parts of us that seek mercilessness.
September 7 | James 2:1-17 | A Working Mercy A faith without works is dead. Lifeless. Pointless. The faith we have in God and in one another must birth in us action and care and a willingness to give of what we must serve one another.
August 31 | James 1:17-27 | An Undefiled Mercy Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, according to James, is this: “to care for the orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” It is time we take these words to heart. Our religion is only as pure as our ability to care for those who are need of care.
The final lesson for Timothy from a dying Paul is to endure. Paul believes the Lord will come to rescue the faithful, and we must not give up or walk away. Christian work is hard, but God will strengthen us with the resolve and endurance we need if we remain faithful.
August 17 | 2 Timothy 3:14-3:17 | Equipped for Every Good Work Paul warns Timothy that culture will have ‘itching ears.’ What he means is that people will find teachers that speak to their own desires even if it’s a false witness or doctrine. To push against this cultural trend, Christians need to feel comfortable convincing, rebuking, and encouraging others who have fallen prey to false myths.
August 10 | 2 Timothy 2:8-15 | Speak Well Perhaps the most profound advice from Paul to Timothy is found here: ‘Remind them of this and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening.’ What we say (and how we say it) matters to our faith and witness. This applies to us in all aspects of our lives (both digital and real life).
August 3 | 2 Timothy 1:3-14 | Do Not Be Ashamed We have a testimony. God has suffered unto us in the world, and it is our calling to share this with everyone. We do this best if we learn to not be ashamed of our faith but claim it. Live out of it.
Why would a competent sower sow seeds on ground he knows won’t take root? It seems bizarre, but that’s how the Kingdom of Heaven works. Despite some things taking root, the Kingdom spreads everywhere and to everything. The farmer, like God, is giving everyone a chance to find their place in Kingdom work.
The Kingdom of Heaven is growing and producing good wheat. Unfortunately, weeds sprout up in the middle of the good growth. Should you cut it out? According to Jesus, “No. You should not.” Let the weeds and wheat grow together. They will be separated in the harvest. Similarly, people in the Kingdom of God will also do so.
Could you sell everything you own? I could only if what I was buying in return was worth it. Jesus offers us an image of the Kingdom that he believes is worth it. He says the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl that is so mesmerizing it enraptures us to sell everything we have to buy it.
Kingdom of Heaven is like a Mustard Seed | Matthew 13:31-32 | Rev. Jayne Davis
A mustard seed starts small and seemingly insignificant, but it grows like wildfire. According to Jesus, the Kingdom of Heaven starts similarly. It was insignificant at first, but now it has caught fire across the globe, and our actions help spread it.
Walk Humbly | Micah 6:8 | Dr. Jim Baldwin
Christians do not get to be the morality police walking around “doing justice” and “framing what is loving” or “deserving of mercy.” A third element must be baked into the pie: Walking Humbly. Micah is referring to the long stretch of a life of faith. We are to be humble people. And this stance needs to be how we move through life.
Christians who take scripture and spirituality seriously must love kindness (also translated mercy). It’s an imperative from God that we lead with love, we incorporate kindness, we generate forgiveness. It is required by God.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
You can’t read the Old Testament without bumping into the word justice. It’s everywhere. But what is it? What does it mean to “do justice”? What kind of justice is scripture promoting, and why is it required by God?
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Pentecost is the ultimate testimony. It is all our testimonies. It is the time in history where God looses the Holy Spirit upon the world. Everything now is infused with God, and everything now has access to the Divine. It is the way in which we are tethered to the Divine Realm.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
June 1 | Acts 10:39-47 | Peter’s Testimony: Baptized by the Holy Spirit Peter’s inner and outer change lead him to new theological depths. The concept of baptism is changed for him and his awareness of what gift God gives humanity and how to receive it: Being baptized by the Holy Spirit. The same is still true for us.
May 25 | Acts 10:24-38 | Peter’s Outer Change Because of Peter’s inner change, his faith now takes him to new heights and new territories. Peter’s engagement with Cornelius cannot be overlooked. For the first time, Peter realizes God’s love extends beyond the Israelites and into any and all people. This outer change is because of an inner change in Peter’s testimony.
May 18 | Acts 10:1-16 | Peter’s Inner Change Peter’s dream is a game-changing moment for scripture. It moves the theological needle in a way that most other chapters aren’t able to because it holds such a powerful engagement between Peter and God. Not only does Peter engage God in a dream, but God’s profound declaration changes his inner world forevermore. It has the power to change ours too.
May 11 | Acts 9:7-20 | Paul’s Shock Point The spiritual depth in this section of scripture cannot be overlooked. Paul’s eyes are made new. He is “born again.” This encounter is a shock point in Paul’s spiritual life showing us that we all need to pay close attention to those “no going back” moments. They matter to our testimony and push our faith forward. Because of this moment, nothing for him stays the same for Paul, and these moments can change us too.
May 4 | Acts 9:1-9 | Paul’s Life Before Christ Before Christ, Paul struggled. As a matter of fact, he persecuted Christians and was seeking out a life to harm and hurt. Even though there’s not much to redeem in these six verses, they will help anchor us a we also look beyond this text to other moments of Paul’s faith experience. It should not be lost on us that if God can take Paul to further God’s mission in the world, then anything is possible for us too.
April 27 | John 20:19-31 | Sorrow Mingles with Love The story of Doubting Thomas is worth studying. It starts with sorrow. Thomas misses the big moment of when Jesus resurrects. His doubts are fueled by sorrow. Yet it is in his sorrow that he finds love. This pattern is still true today. It is in the midst of our sorrow that God’s love appears.
April 20 | Easter Sunday | John 20:1-18 | Love Mingles with Sorrow In life, pain is inevitable. Sorrow is part of the deal. To be human is to suffer, but humanity and life are also meant for us to love. When we experience “no greater love than this,” when we experience Divine Love, it is life changing. Unfortunately, though, as Mary knows, it also leads to sorrow. To love something deeply will inevitably lead to sorrow. But that sorrow is also where we find love. These two, love and sorrow, flow mingled down.
April 13 | Palm Sunday | Luke 19:28-40 | Sorrow and Love Meet Palm Sunday shines light on the sins hiding in the dark. The Temple is being run by sins in the dark. Herod is being controlled by sins in the dark. Rome functions sinfully and in dark, sinister ways. The Pharisees have hidden, private agendas. And it is Palm Sunday that the darkness comes face to face with light. On Palm Sunday, sorrow and love meet.
April 6 | John 12:1-8 | Mary’s Centering Prayer Mary anoints Jesus’ feet. She declares in this act that his death will have purpose and meaning. The whole story is like a centering prayer for us to reflect on the power and majesty of Christ’s death. There is so much in this story that still matters today.
March 30 | Luke 15:1-3,11b-32 | Centering Case Study Part II The Parable of the Prodigal Son is the Best case study in the Bible for comparing living from the center vs. the circumference and then returning from the circumference to live in the center. So much about life and feeling the depth and pain of the human struggle is on full display in this parable. It is no wonder it stands as perhaps the most significant parable in all the Bible. It still has so much to teach us.
In Luke 15, Jesus introduces three parables that deserve our attention. The first two are the Lost Sheep and Coin. Together these parables help us see that no matter how hard we try to avoid it, sin is part of the deal. We will lose our way. We will find our way to the circumference. We must learn to see when we were (or are) lost, admit we have missed the mark, and repent so we can be found.
March 16 | Luke 13:31-35 | Centering from Others Others are looking to trap and kill Jesus. But Jesus rightly demonstrates how we can live out of the center of our lives and not be swayed by what others say or think of us. It may be easy for Jesus, but it’s not for us. We have a lot to learn in centering ourselves from others.
March 9 | Luke 4:1-13 | Centering from Sin Jesus is tempted in the wilderness by Satan. How he confronts his temptations is a Masterclass in centering ourselves. We have a lot to learn from Jesus here.
March 2 | Luke 9:28-36 | Homecoming The story of the Transfiguration is out of this world, but at the same time, it is a blessing of how Jesus is making for humanity a new home. The Transfiguration reminds us of all that Jesus is more than human, and his work on this earth is more than simple. He is bringing all of us “home.”
February 23 | Luke 6:27-36 | Homework Just like in Matthew, Jesus rattles off his “But I say to you” phrases. He touches on how we are to love our enemies and be merciful. We are not supposed to judge, and we are always to forgive. The lessons in this text prove that we have some serious homework to do.
February 16 | Luke 6:17-26 | Homesick Jesus heals everyone up and down the coast of Tyre and Sidon. They had diseases and unclean spirits, and Jesus healed them all. After he healed them, he spoke what is essentially Luke’s version of the Beatitudes, and what we see is that part of Jesus’ healing and teaching is that he has come to help heal and bless the homesick.
February 9 | Luke 5:1-11 | Homemaking Jesus calls his disciples to a life that leaves their temporary home to help go and build a new one. There is so much in this text: A great teaching moment, a great catch of fish, great doubt, and a great line, “now you will fish for people.” Studying this test will help us see that we make our home by walking and following Jesus.
February 2 | Luke 4:21-30 | Hometown What Jesus does in the synagogue is too much. The people cannot handle it. It is so off-putting they riot against Jesus to hurl him off a cliff which leads Jesus to declare, “No prophet is accepted in a prophet’s hometown.” This scripture is the underbelly of what it looks like to refuse to think deeply about the theology of home.
January 26 | Luke 4:14-21 | Home Free In one of the most provocative teachings in all the gospels, Jesus stands and reads from Isaiah in the middle of a worship service. People are floored by what he says and even what he does not say. This singular moment defines his ministry better than any other text in the gospels and it is built around the fact that Jesus is ready to set people free as well as become the fulfillment of one of Israel’s most important prophecies.
January 19 | John 2:1-11 | Homemade
Jesus’ first miracle in the Gospel of John is turning water into wine. He’s at a wedding reception in Cana and the party runs out of wine, so Jesus fixes the problem by making more wine than the party needed. Multiple themes emerge within this story, none more important than Jesus brews the new idea that in God’s home, there will be abundance, not scarcity.
January 12 | Luke 3:21-22 | Homebody When Jesus was baptized, the heavens opened and God said, “This is my Beloved.” Henri Nouwen believes this is the same message God says to us at our baptism. Our baptism sets a trajectory and tone for the deep, deep truth of who we are in Christ: A beloved child of God. By claiming this beloved-ness, we are creating a home from within. When we’re baptized, we are welcoming Christ into our inner lives.
January 5 | Matthew 2:1-12 | Homeward Jesus is born! Magi come from the East to honor and give global credibility to Jesus as King. The story takes many turns but what is fascinating is that God appears to the Magi in a dream and tells them to go home another way showing us that God cares very much about how we are getting home.
Comfort in Anxiety - Luke 2:41-52 - Even Jesus's parents were anxious, but the community of faith can support parents in the holy task of raising kids in the knowledge and grace of God's favor and love.
Christmas Eve is the ultimate promise of comfort. Our King of Kings and Prince of Peace is here. His love will cover the sins of the world. His life will be an example to follow. We are no longer alone and no longer have to be afraid. We’re given by God tidings of comfort and it’s bound in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.
Mary’s song is the gospel before it unfolds. She visits her cousin Elizabeth and announces in song that she will forever magnify the Lord because of this miracle. During her pregnancy, she predicted the gospel before it unfolded. Her words still ring true for us today and lead us into worship.
Mary’s is comforted by an angel of the Lord telling her she will bear a son. She’s afraid at first but then internalizes the depth of what is being asked of her and finds deep in her soul . . . joy. The joy she has for the role she’s asked to play brings comfort to us all.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
The comfort we need this Christmas is one of peace. We need peace of mind, peace of spirit, and peace on earth. We can rightfully assume this peace will not be contrived of by human hands. We need the peace that surpasses understanding. We need the peace of God that comes with God-sized comfort.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
To close out the third portion of Isaiah, we get these words:
We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls on your name, or attempts to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand. (Isaiah 64:4-8)
The hope found, even in grief and despair, is the same hope we need this Christmas. We haven’t always lived up to our end of God’s covenant with us, but God is still the ‘potter, and we are the clay.’ Carrying this kind of hope in the midst of the darkness is what we need this Christmas.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
As humans, we are going to suffer. It is part of the deal. But whatever we suffer from, it does not diminish us. Our brokenness does not define us because in the end, we are made new. The lovely and the unlovely of our lives are held gently in the hands of the One who makes all things new. This promise is given to us in Revelation 21 and stands as a core pillar of our Christian faith.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
As humans, we sin. We fall short. But we can never do too much that pushes us beyond the bounds of forgiveness. We are never not forgivable. Being forgiven, or better said, “knowing God always offers forgiveness, is a core truth of our spiritual lives. We are called to receive and to offer the forgiveness that has already been given to us too. We find these values flying off the page in the Parable of the Prodigal Son.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Another core truth of scripture is that we are never not tethered to God. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we have constant access to the Divine Realm and that tethering allows for messaging to come from us and to us and from God and towards God. In short, we are tethered to God at the core of our being and can be in a relationship with God.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Henri Nouwen helped bring the core belief that we are God’s Beloved into our spiritual consciousness. His Beloved Theology emerges from the pages of scripture and emphasizes that God looks at us lovingly. He goes as far as to say, “Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life is belief because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us ‘Beloved.’ Being the beloved is the core truth of our existence.” To claim our belovedness in God is no small feat. To help, we need to know we are marked from the very beginning.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
“You have heard it said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecutor you . . . For if you love this who love you, what rewards you have?” Christians who claim to be salt and light in the world must show the world what it means to love beyond reward. Learning this lesson is not easy.
-Rev. Dr. Jim Baldwin
What good is our offering if it’s tainted? This is Jesus’ message for those of us who worship pretending we are reconciled with our enemies or our families. People of salt and light understand the importance of reconciliation and take seriously Jesus’ pronunciation, “Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”
-Rev. Barrett Owen
One could argue the Kingdom of Heaven is the primary objective in Matthew’s Gospel. All the characters, the narrators, and even Jesus’ teachings deal with the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven. In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus has strong words on what it means for us to “enter” into that kingdom, and it has a lot to do with how we understand and follow the law.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Our faith doesn’t end after we’re baptized; it begins. We have so much more to do and become after we believe. Jesus addresses this very concern in the Sermon on the Mount and calls us all to be two things: Salt and Light. Thinking about how we are both metaphors may be some of the most powerful and helpful images in all the Bible. In short, the work is not done. We can always shine more light.
Think about a refugee family. A mom and dad fleeing war, terror, and disease. Think about their little children having to leave everything they own behind except for a baby doll and the clothes on their back. Think about what they hear when Jesus says, “Blessed are you, sweet family, for when people revile you, persecute you, and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely. Rejoice if you can. Be glad if you can, for your reward is great in heaven.”
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Think about the disciples and women who chose to follow Jesus’ ministry. Think about what they hear when Jesus says, “Blessed are you who are persecuted for righteousness’s sake, for yours is the kingdom of heaven.”
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Think of all of the people crossing the Jordan or from around the Mediterranean, thousands on the hillside looking to build a life that no longer segregates, hurts, or hates. Think about what they hear when Jesus says, “Blessed are you peacemakers, for you will be called children of God.”
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Think about all the children running around on the hillside overhearing Jesus waxes poetic. Think about what their little ears hear when Jesus says: “Blessed are you, children, for you, are the pure in heart. You deserve a world better than this. On this side of eternity, we’ve failed you, but in God’s realm, you will be blessed, for you will see God.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Think about the Roman centurion overlooking this Sermon on the Mount scene feeling convicted by Jesus’ words. Think about what he hears when Jesus says, “Blessed are you, officer, for you are merciful. In God’s realm, you too will receive mercy.”
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Think about the widowed woman who lost her husband to a war she didn’t agree with. Now she spends her day raising awareness, organizing marches, and fighting for people who don’t have enough to eat. Think about what she hears when Jesus says, “Blessed are you, ma’am, for your hunger and thirst for righteousness. Your faith and tenacity in morality and equal rights are endearing. In God’s realm, you will be filled.”
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Think about the teenage father who goes to work every day trying to provide. He doesn’t try to fight the system. He doesn’t resist. He’s a nobody from nowhere. But he cares for his family. He tries to provide, but he can’t seem to make ends meet. Think about what he hears when Jesus says, “Blessed are you, young dad, who chooses to be meek, for you will inherit the earth. You're striving and hoping have a place with me. My kingdom is for you.”
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Think about the senior adult sitting a few rows back on the hillside. Three years ago he lost his wife. He can’t work. Disease wracks his body. The government won’t help. The religious leaders tell him he’s too sinful to cure. He lives every day as if it’s his last. Think about what he hears when Jesus says, “Blessed are you who mourns, for you will be comforted. Your brokenness and pain have a place with me.”
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Think about the single mother with kids who have been rejected by society. She’s sitting on the grass rocking her twin girls feeling her future won’t matter ever again. Think about what she hears from Jesus: “Blessed are you single mom, who is poor in spirit, broken by society, culture, religion, and politics. Blessed are you, for the kingdom of heaven is yours.”
-Rev. Barrett Owen
A Christ-soaked life has a devotion aspect to it that must be nurtured. In Colossians 4:2, we read: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” To truly be Christ-soaked in our actions, aspirations, and attitudes, we need a devotional life that is like a faucet running over a sponge, so when we get bumped up against or challenged or squeezed, that which comes out from the inside is what was poured into us through a life of devotion. This is the best way to live in a relationship with others.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Our actions matter. It’s why the author of Colossians includes a list that of how we need to act towards one another, even those we struggle to like. Colossians 3:12-14 says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” A Christ-soaked lives these verses.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
We as humans are buried in sin and shame, yet God makes us alive in Christ. Our baptism mirrors this beautifully. We die to our old ways and old selves and rise again in new life in Christ. As Baptists, our immersion practices make this just an amazing example of what it means to be soaked, through and through, with the love of Christ.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Christ is the head of the cosmos and the source of all creation. Christ is at the top of the known universe and everything in time and space bows the will of Christ. These major doctrinal themes introduced to this early church are still around today. Everything in the universe belongs and is a part of Christ.
-Rev. Dr. Jim Everette
There’s a season for everything. Things come and go. There’s always a beginning and an end. When we realize this unfolding, our faith deepens. Gratitude leads. We come to appreciate more deeply the moments we do get and realize they are gifts from God.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Ecclesiastes reminds us that we shouldn’t be so confident in our understanding. The best we can do is remember that we were created for a season, for a time, and that our creature-ness will eventually come to an end. Seeing life from this angle brings with it a certain wisdom that helps us see beyond vanity.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
At the end of the book, Job and God mend their divisive and frustrating relationships with humanity and each other. Job wants God to show up and right the illegitimate wrongs. God wants everyone to understand their place within God’s realm. Seeing how these relationships come to an agreeable end is the thing from which wisdom is made.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Despite our best attempts at living with wisdom, some of the most hallowed assumptions are proven false by experience. We often think wisdom supersedes experience, but not in Job. Experience re-authors our understanding of wisdom. It reminds us that real-time and real-emotions shape and color our understanding of God. Job learns this in difficult ways. How he process this pain is for us to understand too.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Proverbs 22:1-2 reminds us we must recalibrate our minds from thinking being rich is better than having a good name. Having a good name and being seen as in favor with others is better than being wealthy.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
The Book of Proverbs is a positive, hollowed assumption about the goodness of life and the justice of God. Almost every section of scripture reminds us to live positively and with fidelity and hope. Proverbs has a way of using real-life applications to paint a picture of the past and ultimately our future. Out of the hundreds of proverbs available, Proverbs 12:25 offers a way in which we can live with the anxiety of our day but not be overcome by it.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Pentecost is the moment that the Spirit-promised becomes the Spirit-provided. Undoubtedly the third highest holy day in the Christian calendar, this day remembers when God’s spirit was poured out on all people, everywhere.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
"Everything is moving towards eternity. All of our actions and hopes and theology and practices and all of our faith is moving us towards the ultimate end that we know as eternal life. And one of the things that 1 John reminds us is that when we engage with this God in the created order by following Jesus . . . we are given eternal life."
-Rev. Barrett Owen
The beginning and end of everything is love. Another way to say this is, “Everything begins and ends out of love.” Love is at the beginning of everything . . . and love is what’s left after everything is gone. Love is before it all and through it all and after it all. Love is eternal.
-Dr. Jim Everette
God is love. For those who abide in love, remain in love, and invest in love, and inject love into their being . . . abide in God. And God abides in them. We invite God in, and God’s abiding love takes on new life in us. We could say, “Every time we love, or feel love, or share love, or every time we engage in loving acts . . . we become that which comes from God. We reflect God. Because we are what we eat. And since God is love, we are love.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
The God of the Universe, in all God’s great mystery and unknowing, that God receives us out of (and comes to us in) love.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
People don’t really believe they’re made from God’s light. When it comes to their own private relationship with God . . . they carry this myth that they’re made from the darkness. That they’re evil. But that’s a lie. You are a reflection of God’s light . . . it’s inside of us . . . and Jesus died on the cross so we could see it and feel it and claim it and shine it!
-Rev. Barrett Owen
We must be followers of the light. God is our light. God is that which we follow and how we see. There’s no darkness in him either. And if we’re going to follow it . . . we must live in a way that makes us able to absorb and reflect that light . . . which means there can’t be darkness in us either. And yet sin is darkness.
-Rev. John Daniels
What makes Holy Week holy is that it bridges death and life. It says that which dies eventually lives. And if things want to truly live, then they’re going to have to die. Holy Week captures the essence of every aspect of the human condition and ends with Jesus overcoming the grave. You could even say by his resurrection he turns graves into gardens.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
What makes Holy Week holy is that it bridges death and life. It says that which dies eventually lives. And if things want to truly live, then they’re going to have to die. Holy Week captures the essence of every aspect of the human condition and ends with Jesus overcoming the grave. You could even say by his resurrection he turns graves into gardens.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
What makes Holy Week holy is that it bridges death and life. It says that which dies eventually lives. And if things want to truly live, then they’re going to have to die. Holy Week captures the essence of every aspect of the human condition and ends with Jesus overcoming the grave. You could even say by his resurrection he turns graves into gardens.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
John 12:28 is a passage we don’t often quote but we should: “Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came for heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” Here is the voice of God speaking to Jesus saying that a way has been made for us all to move our shame to glory. But the way is going to include death.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
In his shame, Nicodemus shows up to Jesus in the middle of the night wanting answers to questions he does not know how to ask. He is ashamed of the current trajectory of the Pharisees, but he can’t name it in the light. He’s burdened by shame. Jesus offers life altering answers to his questions but the story does not say if Nicodemus heeds Jesus’ advice. The story just ends making me wonder, “Can we really let go of shame?”
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Jesus overthrows the tables in Jerusalem’s Temple. He makes a whip of cords and drives the people and animals out too. There are a lot of things we keep stocked in our Temple, our body, soul, and mind that need to be cleared out. Jesus demonstrates in life what needs to also happen inside of each of us.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
The only time in scripture that Jesus calls someone Satan is right here, and he says it to Peter. Peter’s shame is what we need to see because it closely resembles ours. He didn’t want Jesus to die but rather conquer the world as it was on earth. He could not accept another way, and this was his shame. It's not much different today.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
The act of baptism is one of renewal. We die to our old self and rise again in new life. It is past time our shame is baptized. But beware, just because we name it and let go of it, that does not stop it from trying to come back to tempt us. The arch of Jesus’ baptism to his testing in the wilderness is similar to our arch too. Shame creeps in to test us all the time. But if we can remember the core truth of our existence, we can learn to not let it take power over us.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up to a mountain and they see Jesus transform before God, Elijah, and Moses. Immediately, Peter wants to start talking and build an alter. God steps in and changes the energy of the discussion. Peter is being sweet, but he’s misguided. He’s strong-willed but doesn’t have all the facts. Even these people need to be loved. Jesus shows us how.
-Rev. Becca Jones
In the gospels, Jesus heals the sick constantly. So much so that it becomes a priority of ministry for Jesus and the disciples. Nothing has changed today. Sickness is a part of life. Being neighborly means creating the space necessary to see who is ill and showing up and offering healing. This happens in Mark 1 and can/should still happen today.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Most everyone we meet is walking wounded. We carry deep-pitted scars that affects the way we walk and engage others in the world. Followers of Christ must be able to see those who are wounded both emotionally and physically. And we need to do what the characters in Mark 2 do, carry those people to Jesus.
-Rev. J. Barrett Owen
In the gospels, Jesus calls individuals to follow him. These disciples become intricate to the spread of Jesus’ movement of love. These disciples were strangers at first but quickly became partners in a shared mission. They bring different skillsets and different perspectives to the table. Christianity should continue to work this way moving forward.
-Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Loving the cantankerous souls of the world is challenging. It may need to be said that loving others doesn’t mean we have to be in constant relationship with them. Instead, loving our neighbors means we genuinely wish them well. In John 1, Jesus calls disciples and not all of them have the most open spirit. Philip takes convincing. He’s hard-hearted. But through love, relationships change.
-Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Jesus is born! Magi come from the East bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. To dismiss these travelers would be to dismiss the moment the world-stage declares Jesus as the rightful king. The only way this moment could have happened is for Mary and Joseph to not be afraid of strangers. They opened their soul to their global neighbors. We can too.
Rev. Barrett Owen
Loving our neighbors is a command from Jesus and is part of who he is described to be in the opening words of John's Gospel. Hear this message from our Minister to Students, Josh Godwin on sharing the love of Christ.
-Rev. Josh Godwin
The true light that shines at Christmas is for everyone. And the most amazing part of it is darkness cannot snuff it out. Christ is the light that shines love to all corners of the world. It flows fro the heavens, from the manger, and lands in the souls of all people and creatures. Seeing this light, and shining this light, is the call of Christmas on our lives.
-Rev. J. Barrett Owen
As Matthew tells it, Joseph wants nothing to do with Mary’s pregnancy until an angel of the Lord stepped in and spoke. This voice was game-changing for Joseph, and what unfolds still has ramifications for us today. This voice gave Joseph the deep joy needed to move forward from his fear.
-Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Matthew’s gospel opens with a very intentional genealogy. On the surface, it is quite boring, but as you dig into it, you discover it is anything but. Matthew knows what he’s doing. He’s opening his gospel by setting the stage that this newborn baby matters. He comes with a grand tradition. And he’s its fulfillment and the promised peace for the future of God’s chosen people.
-Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Jeremiah prophecies about how God will fulfill the promise made to the house of Israel. He says a shoot or branch will spring up for David and through the lineage of David. As matter of fact, Jeremiah 33:16 says: “In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’” So much hope is bound up in this prophecy. We now know this is the prophecy that is fulfilled in the birth of Jesus, who comes through the lineage of David.
-Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Why do we hate the season of waiting so much? We spend most of our time there - waiting for that new opportunity, new job, new thing to excite us. We are waiting to find joy in our new circumstances but that joy never lasts. This sermon will explore the fallacy with expectational thinking and how we can find true, lasting joy and peace in our relationship with God.
-Dr. Jim Everette
To finish out this chapter, Jesus offers yet one more story. This time he draws on apocalyptic imagery that divides the people of the earth into sheep and goats. Hearing the words of this parable read out loud may be the most important spiritual exercise of the year. To be a sheep, we must help, love, and notice the ‘least of these.’ To be a goat, we simply have to overlook the ‘least of these.’ For what we do unto the least of these, we do unto Jesus. This teaching lesson is the last one we get before reading about the Pharisees plot to kill Jesus.
-Rev. J. Barrett Owen
As the gospel continues to move towards the cross, Jesus retreats with his disciples on the Mount of Olives and teaches them privately. Here, he offers a warning to the disciples to keep their lamps trimmed and burning by telling a parable full of sadness and uncertainty for five bridesmaids.
-Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Still on the Mount of Olives with the disciples, Jesus follows up last week’s parable with another. It’s equally as concerning. A servant gets thrown into outer darkness because he didn’t make much of the talents (gold) given to him. This story, along with last week’s, is a warning from Jesus to his disciples that they must make something of the time and opportunities given to them.
-Rev. J. Barrett Owen
The tumultuous relationship between the religious authorities and Jesus is getting worse. To open this chapter, Jesus denounces their leadership by calling them hypocrites. He ends his admonishment by reminding us all in v11-12: “The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Now confronted by the Pharisees (not just the Temple elders and Sadducees), this religious group tries to trap Jesus by asking him what the greatest commandment is. Jesus’ answer has reverberated across centuries and should shape our entire moral lens. All decisions must fit under the framework of Loving God and Loving Others as we Love Ourselves.
Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Still talking to the chief priests and elders in the Temple, Jesus offers another parable, and it is equally as dark as the first. Much needs to be made about the type of story Jesus tells to the religious leaders. His parables are dark, full of death and corrupt leadership. Why do you think he speaks in this way? The parable is nuanced and full of imagery. Working our way through it together will not be a light-hearted task.
-Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Verse 43 pretty much says all we need to know about the divisive nature of Jesus’ teachings in Jerusalem. He says to the chief priest and elders in the Temple: “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.” Think about this. Jesus tells the religious authorities that the kingdom of God will not be their reward but rather those who produce the fruits of the kingdom. This parable predicts Jesus’ death as well as indicates the religious sector on wickedness.
Rev. J. Barrett Owen
When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. He said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, ‘Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!’ Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this.
Rev. J. Barrett Owen
At the end of it all, Jesus will return to reign. This is the Christian belief, and it is the ultimate end and the ultimate establishment of a new order. Revelation calls it a New Heaven and a New Earth. We can easily see it as a complete re-ordering of what was into what was always meant to be.
Rev. J. Barrett Owen
The church is meant to be the continuation of Jesus following his ascension. The church is the new presence of Christ in the world . . . the figurative Body of Christ. The church, therefore, is the established new order for how faith will follow and spread. The church, when healthy, is the greatest sign of the kingdom of God coming to earth and it’s worth our time reflecting on how we further it today.
Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Jesus is the ultimate sign of a re-ordering. He brings new life, teachings, and opportunities for the poor to experience the Kingdom of God. He revolutionizes what can be and offers transformation and healing to all who follow him. He is the ultimate sign that something good can resurrect from evil.
Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Towards the end of Israel’s monarchy, prophets showed up to warn of impending doom. They were the voices of the disorder trying to help Israel reorder their lives. Their entire goal was to bring self-reflection and repentance into the public conversation. It didn’t always work, and Israel remained under foreign rule for hundreds of years because of it.
Rev. J. Barrett Owen
For decades the Israelites bounced around in exile. They were defeated and destroyed by the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians. This dark period caused terrible strain on the traditions and customs of the old order. The same is true for us when we’re thrown into exilic periods of faith. Seeing this disorder as a growth opportunity, though, can change everything for us, just like it did Israel.
Rev. J. Barrett Owen
As time and community developed, the Israelites wanted more structure. They established a judicial system and it imploded disastrously. The entire book of Judges is an arch that tells the sad story of what happens when we are left to our own devices as humans: We hurt and hate. The book of Judges is the transitioning from Order to Disorder.
Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Moses does the hard work of leading God’s people away from captivity. He settles them into a new land traversing through all kinds of wilderness. He even establishes a law for them to follow. The Exodus story and the emergence of the 10 Commandments show us that we are meant to establish an ordered way to live in community (too bad we struggle with this so much).
Rev. J. Barrett Owen
God orders the world in seven days and sets a universal pattern for us image-bearers: Work six days and rest one. Work is essential to life. We work alongside God and fulfill our duties as the image-bearers of God, and then we rest. The relationship between work and sabbath is paramount to understanding the natural order and rhythms of life.
Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Finally, there are enthronement psalms that celebrate the Lord as the rightful king. These psalms are what the trajectory of the whole Psalter points us to — a future with God as King. Take Psalm 99: “The Lord is King, let the people tremble! He sits enthroned on the cherubim, the earth quakes! He is exalted over all people. Let them praise your great and awesome name. Holy is He!” This sermon will cast a vision for how the Psalms point us to God’s future reign.
-Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Communal lament is cathartic and necessary. It speaks hyperbolic words that may not actually come to pass but words that need to be expressed regardless. In Psalm 14 you hear, “Fools say in their hearts there is no God . . . The Lord looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God. They have all gone astray, they are all perverse. No one does good. No, not one.” This level of hyperbole says something about the Israelites.
-Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Wisdom Psalms provide instruction in right living and right faith. Take Psalm 1: “Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers, but their delight is in the law of the LORD.” Or Psalm 133, “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity.” Both psalms remind us of the need for right living and right faith. This sermon will remind us of the power of claiming the truths of these ancient wisdoms.
-Rev. Jayne Davis
“The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures . . . he restores my soul." Psalm 23 is an individual hymn of thanksgiving. It is from the lips of David thanking God for God’s provisions. We can learn a lot about this posture of praise and offering ourselves to God in this kind of prayer. This sermon explores how.
Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Psalm 24 has some of the most revered one-liners: “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it. Who shall stand in his holy place . . . those with clean hands and pure hearts . . . Who is this king of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of Glory.” This hymn of communal thanksgiving reminds us of our need for corporate worship and collective praise. This sermon will focus on the power of communal thanksgiving.
-Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Royal psalms speak of the Lord’s provisions for the Israelite kings (David and Solomon) who reigned in Jerusalem during their monarchy. This psalm blesses the kingship of David and gives God the praise for his courage and leadership. These psalms remind us of Israel’s need to bless those in authority and to see how God is using the kings to further the ongoing creation of the wold. It also gives us a glimpse into how God’s people saw God working in this world. Some things are not that different today.
-Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Creation psalms celebrate God’s sovereignty over the created world and the special place of human beings in it. These psalms remind us that nature is our first Bible and that God’s fingerprints are all over the created order. Like in Psalm 8 when it says, “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?” This sermon lifts up the human need for finding God in nature and praising God for it.
-Rev. J. Barrett Owen
This sermon will introducethe Psalms and how it is broken up into five books that each end in a doxology that tells the shape and history of the Israelite people while introducing 8 types of psalms: Community Thanksgiving, Individual Thanksgiving, Community Lament, Individual Lament, Royal, Creation, Wisdom, and Enthronement.
-Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Jim Baldwin’s life has taken many turns. When he looks at the psalter, he sees God’s handiwork with him throughout his trials and changes. In this testimonial sermon, Jim opens our sermon series by offering examples of important Psalms to his faith journey while showcasing the relevance of this ancient hymn book for us today.
Sermon by Rev. Dr. Jim Baldwin, Minister to Senior Adults
Today is Pentecost. In Scripture, this is the moment following Jesus’ ascension to heaven when the Spirit poured out on “all flesh," and everyone present began speaking in differing tongues. It’s a beautiful picture of God’s vastness, diversity, and all-encompassing love for humanity. It’s the clearest, most expansive vision of who the Kingdom of God is for, and it just so happens to be the birthday of the church.
Rev. J. Barrett Owen
One of the greatest metaphors in all of Christendom is the “body.” We talk about it at communion. Jesus breaks bread and tells us it is his body. The church is known as the “body of Christ.” Our physical bodies are made in the image of the invisible God giving us the notion that we look like God. We’re told our bodies are temples. Jesus’ body is what he sacrifices for our earthly bodies. Paul tells us we’ll have a heavenly body. The concept of Body goes deep in scripture, and we’ll tease out how that is still meaningful for us today.
-Rev. Barrett Owen
Job asks a very intimate and profound question: “What are humans, that you [God] make so much of them, that you set your mind on them?” In the asking of this question, Job ponders what happens in the mind of God which begs the question, “Can we know the mind of God?” Scripture seems to say yes. We can learn from, hold, and reflect what God holds and reflects. Using Job as fodder, we’ll explore angles and layers of what it means to have access to the Mind of God.
Rev. Barrett Owen
In order to trick Jesus, a lawyer asks what the greatest commandments are. Jesus’ response is the clearest, most direct summary of how then we should strive to live. So much so, his response has become the chief cornerstone for fleshing out vision and future as a church.
Rev. J. Barrett Owen
Jesus’ first miracle in the Gospel of John is turning water into wine. He’s at a wedding reception in Cana when the party runs out of wine, so Jesus fixes the problem by making more wine than the party needs. Multiple themes emerge within this story, none more important than the ultimate reminder of home.
Rev. J. Barrett Owen
In the Upper Room, behind locked doors, Jesus appears and does something the world must never forget: Breathes the Holy Spirit into the room. In John’s Gospel, this is Pentecost. Jesus offers the gift of the Holy Spirit to his most faithful followers. This same gift is given today. When we follow Jesus, we are given a helper, a gift. That gift is the same Holy Spirit.
Rev. J. Barrett Owen
On the Road to Emmaus, Jesus meets Cleopas and a fellow traveler. His true identity is hidden from them, and the travelers express their sadness over the death of Jesus. Jesus asks them why they are so slow to believe the prophesies listed in scripture but so quick to lose hope.
-Rev. Jayne H. Davis
Easter is the ultimate story of life, death, and resurrection. What happens on Easter Sunday changes everything for everyone for all time and each element of this story shows us God’s ultimate design and hope for bringing Jesus into the world in order to help save humanity.
We invite you to hear the message from our Good Friday service, "The Seven Last Words". During this solemn and meaningful service, seven of our ministers shared reflections on Jesus' last words on the cross as recorded in scripture.
This Palm Sunday, FBC's chancel choir presented movements from Dan Forrest's Requiem for the Living. This was a very special, fully orchestrated worship service that was a powerful experience that we are excited to share!
This Palm Sunday, our choir presented movements from Dan Forrest's Requiem for the Living. This very special, fully orchestrated worship service was a powerful experience that was too good not to share! Please enjoy!
"The Story of Palms"
Jesus entering the city gates with palms waving and cloaks laying down shows a rise in consciousness the world wasn’t quite ready for. For a split second, everyone got it: Jesus is the rightful king. Unfortunately, this moment doesn’t last in the minds of people, and Jesus is eventually sentenced to prison and publicly killed. But for a moment, the world saw something beautiful and they got it: Jesus is our rightful king.
Mary and Martha are absolutely beside themselves when Lazarus dies, and Jesus doesn’t show to save him even though he heard the news four days earlier. This story is one for the ages, and it’s one we need to sit with in order to climb out of the pain and shame we feel.
Sometimes people get it wrong. This is true for the community who assumed the woman caught in adultery needed to die. Granted, she did break the law, but Jesus throws their sin right back in their face when he drops the line, “The who’ve committed no sin may cast the first stone.” We shouldn’t be so quick to judge others when we are just as sinful.
A social scientific reading of a woman at the well shows us that she is terribly oppressed. Her life is nothing of what she thought it could be. She’s broken, bitter, tired, harassed, and a shadow of who she thought she could be. She mirrors for us what life looks like when we are at our worst: Alone and avoiding all human contact. But that’s exactly when Jesus shows up. Reflecting on this dichotomy is important for all of us even today.
The story of Nicodemus has so many layers. The fact that he approaches Jesus in the middle of the night has to mean something. The fact that he questions Jesus about matters that he should know the answer due to his position as a Pharisee matters. But more than anything, the fact that there is no resolution to this story means the most to me. Nicodemus is experiencing a dark night of the soul. He confesses his doubts and meets Jesus, but we never know what happens next. This sermon will address what happens when our story doubts.
Immediately after Jesus’ baptism, Jesus is taken to the Wilderness and tested by Satan three times. These temptations, according to Henri Nouwen, act as archetypes for the same temptations the world places on us today. Like Jesus, we are tempted to prove our worth by the world around us. If we can perform better, we can be better. Jesus knew this to be a lie. Unfortunately, this is a message we’re still trying to grasp today.
Readers get the behind-the-scenes tour of Jesus’ life in Mark 9. He takes his closest friends with him up on a mountain, and we get to go too. While up there, Jesus transfigures into his divine state, offering us a glimpse of what heaven looks like on earth. This single act offers us much in terms of faith, but sadly the disciples fail to understand its relevance. We can’t make the same mistake.
What good is our offering if it’s tainted? This is Jesus’ message for those of us who worship pretending we are reconciled with our enemies or our families. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls us to be people of salt and light, which means we have to understand the importance of reconciliation and take seriously Jesus’ pronunciation, “Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.”
One could argue the Kingdom of Heaven is the primary objective in Matthew’s Gospel. All the characters, the narrators, even Jesus’ teachings, they all deal with the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven. In Matthew 5, Jesus has strong words on what it means for us to “enter” into that kingdom, and it has a lot to do with how we understand and follow the law. Here these words from one of our Associate Pastors, Rev. Dr. Jim Everette.
Jesus is living during a terribly oppressive time for people outside of political power, so it’s in this context Jesus speaks, “Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . blessed are the meek . . . blessed are those who mourn . . . blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness . . .” With these words, Jesus pushes back hundreds of years of hate and self-doubt by saying, “You aren’t too small in God’s realm. You aren’t too broken for my future. And when it comes to the Kingdom of Heaven, you matter to God.”
When Jesus calls the twelve together, we see something amazing happen. Those who get to be in the Lord’s inner circle are people like you and me. It’s not just the rich or the politically powerful, but the earnest and the seeking. This unfolding in scripture sets the stage for an enormous theological truth: those who get access to God is not dependent upon your social status but rather your soul’s earnest search. This truth still applies today.
When Jesus was baptized, the heavens opened, and God said, “This is my Beloved.” Henri Nouwen believes this is the same message God says to us at our baptism. After nearly two decades of higher, theological thought and church praxis and nearly thirty years of being a Christian, I agree. Our baptism sets a trajectory and tone for the deep, deep truth of who we are in Christ: A beloved child of God.
In Matthew 2, there are two sets of Magi. The Magi of the East are scholars who feel compelled to go and meet the God of not just Israel, but in fact the world. But there is another group we don’t often think about: the Magi of the West. This group of scholars are hunkered down in Jerusalem bidding for Herod’s attention and love. These two groups create a stark dichotomy of what faith looks like when it’s fueled by hope and mystery or fear and certainty. Learning about these two groups will help us find ourselves in the story.
As soon as the world catches their breath at the birth of Jesus, a chorus of
both angels and shepherds sing! Scripture says, “And suddenly there was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven /
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” This act of worship demands our attention
and our repetition.
Simeon was a devout man who was told by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem and commission the baby Messiah. Simeon arrives on cue, takes Jesus into his arms, and sings to him a song that still reverberates today. His song leads us into worship.
Zechariah was mute for the pregnancy of John the Baptist for not believing the angel Gabriel when it was prophesied that Elizabeth would bear a son. As soon as John
was born, though, Zechariah’s voice returned, and he sang these words, “By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in
darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” We would do well to let this song lead us into worship today.
Mary’s song is the gospel before the gospel unfolds. She visits her relative, Elizabeth, who is most likely her cousin, and announces in song that she will forever magnify the
Lord because of this miracle. During her pregnancy, she predicts the gospel before it
unfolds. Her words still ring true for us today and lead us into worship.
There are very few moments in scripture that illustrate so perfectly what
God’s ultimate story looks like on earth as it is in heaven, but we get it here in Acts 10. The
sequence between Peter’s dream and his encounter with Cornelius is a game-changing
moment for Peter’s faith, for us the readers, and for human history. You could go as far as to
say that human consciousness evolves at this moment and there is no going back. When it
comes to engaging God’s ultimate “The Story,” we need to look no further than Acts 10.
Immediately following Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit descending,
Peter got to work preaching and healing. So much so that the early church formed almost
immediately, and communal faith, church praxis, and Christian fellowship unfolded. In these
ten verses, Peter experiences what is still true for all of us at the Our Story level today.
Over and over Peter tries his best to follow Jesus, to stand up for Jesus, and to
demonstrate his own faithfulness, but time and time again, his efforts fall short. Jesus calls him to deeper understanding and greater discipleship while offering abundant grace. As we look at Peter’s individual My Story, we see our own personal stories of faith, failures, and grace reflected.
The Feeding of the 5000 is the only miracle that occurs in all four gospels, which is interesting. How everyone is able to be fed and there be more food left over than what started is a mystery we cannot explain . . . but this story still has something to teach us, nonetheless. It may be the most important thing we learn.
Jesus is at a Pharisee's house. A sinful woman comes to wash his feet with her hair. Simon, the Pharisee, rebukes Jesus for letting a sinful woman touch him. Jesus tells a quick parable, challenges Simon, and surprises the room. This moment has something to teach us even today about the nature of forgiveness.
Jesus calls a tax collector, Levi, to be among his disciples. To show his appreciation, Levi throws a banquet feast. The Pharisees get frustrated with Jesus’ willingness to associate with tax collectors and say as much. Jesus’ response is something the church still needs to hear today.
Immediately following communion, the disciples argue about who among them is the greatest. Jesus squashes the conversation by answering their debate matter-of-factly. The greatest among us are those who choose to serve and not who expect to be served.
On this World Communion Day, we will focus on perhaps the most important table scene in all the Bible: Communion. Jesus, in the Upper Room, breaks bread and pours wine to demonstrate his commitment and plan for humanity.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the most important teachings in all the Bible. It has enormous implications for our lives. Together, all three characters experience something different around the table, and we need to hear about and from all three.
Jesus continues teaching to the tax collectors and sinners. He tells two incredible parables of sheep and coins getting lost and being found. Together these parables help us see that no matter how hard we try to avoid it, sin is part of the deal. We will lose our way. We must learn to see when we were (or are) lost, to admit we are sinners, and to repent so we can be found.
While Jesus was eating with Pharisees, he noticed something odd. The Pharisees immediately chose the seats of honor. Jesus takes this moment to teach them all about true humility. This lesson still applies today.
While eating dinner at the house of a Pharisee, Jesus noticed a man with dropsy (a physical ailment). He turns to the Pharisees and says, “I can heal him, but it’s the Sabbath. Is it lawful for me to do it?” What happens next is something we all need to learn.
Self-control is the ability to harness your actions, your thoughts, and your feelings, knowing you represent Christ to others. People are going to see Christ through you. If you can’t control your tongue or actions, what, then, will people think about your Christ?
Jesus teaches us in the Beatitudes that gentleness doesn’t mean soft. It means nonviolent. And the more nonviolent we are, the more we look like Christ and live out of the Spirit. In this simple, yet profound beatitude, Jesus lifts up the humble, the lowly, and gentle above the rest.
"God’s hand has been on my life since the beginning . . . even before the beginning,” says Jeremiah. The truth for him is still true for us today. God’s faithfulness has been with us every day of our lives.
Goodness is seeing the best in someone or something. It’s choosing to live with moral excellence. And it’s a gift that comes from God and fruit of the spirit that we may most need to cultivate.
The prophet Micah tells us we are required to love kindness. This language is direct and important for us to grasp. We are to cherish how we treat the other. We are to be attentive and alert in how we engage our neighbor. We are to actively love being kind to everyone.
Habakkuk is fed up with waiting on God. The destruction of Israel and the sinfulness of other nations is too much to stay silent about . . . so Habakkuk laments. Through lamenting, he arrives on a firmer foundation, and by the start of the second chapter he is ready to stand on a watchtower and wait. It took lamenting, but he learned that strength rises when we wait upon the Lord.
We need peace. We need peace of mind, peace of spirit, and peace on earth. We can rightfully assume this peace will not be contrived of by human hands. We need the peace that surpasses understanding. We need the peace of God that comes with God-sized comfort even in the midst of our chaos.
Love is the greatest expression of God in the world. Paul gives us a timeless description and definition of what true love looks like in the world in 1 Corinthians 13.
This sermon will give an overview of the Fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5 and compare it to the fruit of the world. There are two lists in Galatians 5, but only one is birthed from a life lived in the Spirit.
Once you find Deep Joy, there’s a new set of rules in which we are more willing to live by that become quite helpful in our attempt at imitating Christ: “Let your gentleness be known to everyone. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” You can know you’re living with joy if you are consciously living from these scriptural truths.
Paul’s words in Philippians 3 speak to why we must pursue joy: “Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you.” In other words, we must press on towards joy. It’s how we move beyond our pain.
Philippi was a military city in which many theologians believe Rome’s top officials retired. It was a perfectly nationalistic city that paid significant tribute to Caesar. This detail matters when you think of the dangerous proposition that Paul gives the Christians that they must live as Christ, denouncing Caesar and declaring Christ as Lord. So how will they be able to do such a thing? They humble themselves with joy.
How we operate in the world matters. How we associate with one another (like loving our neighbor) should be godly. Paul understands this reality and delivers an impassioned letter to his friends and church community in Philippi to remind them of what he already knows to be true: “If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” (Phil 2.1-2)
Like Matthew, Luke includes a fine commission, but his version is a bit different. The energy is the same, but the command is different. Instead of ‘go make disciples,’ Luke tells the world to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins. Becoming awakened (coming alive) to the importance and power of these two words . . . and helping others see it, too . . . is paramount for the church to move people towards God.
Jesus meets disciples on his walk to Emmaus but disguises himself as a stranger. After an incredible dialogue we hear the disciples reflecting to one another, “Were our hearts not burning within us?” This line is the moment consciousness evolves for them, and their souls come alive. The storyline is one of the most well-known scenes in the gospels. Hearing it again through the lens of how we can come alive in Christ changes everything for us.
A lot of people call themselves Great Commission Christians. I get it. It’s the clearest, most direct understanding of Christian duty. Go make disciples. Baptize them. Go. Do it. It’s direct. Positive. Action-oriented. Most people come alive when they realize they have work to do. Well, that same is still needed today. It’s time for the church to come alive.
Jesus shows up in Galilee unexpectedly. The disciples are fishing and Jesus makes a charcoal fire awaiting their catch of fish. They catch nothing until Jesus calls out to them. What he says at that moment makes the disciples come alive and is truly (and theologically) profound. Jesus’ words have reverberating significance for us even today. If you want a sneak peek into what he says, it’s verse five.
Thomas has to touch Jesus before he believes. Thankfully, Jesus meets Thomas in his doubt, and we see Thomas's character unfold in a way that mimics all of our lives. His faith comes alive when he owns his doubt and is able to see and touch Jesus. It’s not far-fetched to say, “Thomas’ doubt leads him to a deeper form of faith.” Ours can too.
John 20 has five scenes. Five times the resurrected Jesus shows up unexpectedly and five times a person or group come alive in ways they have not before. Sitting with these stories you realize they all have different starting blocks which means Jesus comes to them in their own narratives based on their own circumstances. The same is true for us. Jesus meets us where we are, as we are, and offers us a way to come alive.