FirstSF: Recent Episodes
First Baptist Church of San Francisco
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New to FirstSF? We would love to connect with you! You can fill out our digital connection card through the button.
Learn more about FirstSF - https://firstsf.com
New to FirstSF? We would love to connect with you! You can fill out our digital connection card through the button.
Learn more about FirstSF - https://firstsf.com
New to FirstSF? We would love to connect with you! You can fill out our digital connection card through the button.
Learn more about FirstSF - https://firstsf.com
New to FirstSF? We would love to connect with you! You can fill out our digital connection card through the button.
Learn more about FirstSF - https://firstsf.com
New to FirstSF? We would love to connect with you! You can fill out our digital connection card through the button.
Learn more about FirstSF - https://firstsf.com
New to FirstSF? We would love to connect with you! You can fill out our digital connection card through the button.
Learn more about FirstSF - https://firstsf.com
New to FirstSF? We would love to connect with you! You can fill out our digital connection card through the button.
Learn more about FirstSF - https://firstsf.com
New to FirstSF? We would love to connect with you! You can fill out our digital connection card through the button.
Learn more about FirstSF - https://firstsf.com
New to FirstSF? We would love to connect with you! You can fill out our digital connection card through the button.
Learn more about FirstSF - https://firstsf.com
Holy Saturday is not usually a day we think of “celebrating”. It’s the day Jesus lay dead in the tomb, the day the disciples went home after walking through three exciting and enlightening years with their Lord. Then He was not. But on this day that was likely filled with confusion and depression for the disciples, Jesus was accomplishing something unseen, something hidden. Though all seemed lost above the earth, under the earth, Jesus was proclaiming his victory over death to all who had gone before him - both righteous and unrighteous. Though most of our emphasis as a modern church tends to fall on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the silence of Holy Saturday reminds us of the silent work that Jesus accomplished - and is still accomplishing - behind the veil. We may feel as if God is absent in the midst of our suffering and spiritual, or even physical, death. But Holy Saturday gives us hope; though we may not see Him working now, we know He is with us in the midst of suffering and death.
PRAYER POINTS -Voice a prayer of lament over any of the suffering or death you or those around you are currently walking through. Be so bold as to express your confusion and depression to God as the disciples must have felt. -Pray that in the midst of this suffering and felt silence from God that you would be comforted in the Spirit and reminded of Jesus’ presence, Immanuel, with you. Pray for a hope that extends beyond the seen and known present. -Consider those who are suffering around you today and how you might be a tangible representation of Jesus’ presence to them. Pray for them to find hope in the Lord who is triumphant over suffering and death, and seek to share that hope with them today.
Good Friday - the day Jesus was crucified and buried. It’s ironic that such a morbid day filled with death and sorrow for Jesus, his family, and his disciples, we now refer to as “good”. How could an innocent man’s unjust execution be considered good? This very concept is what the thief on the Cross teaches us about this day. On a day when this man faced the same morbid, slow, painful execution, Jesus gave him a word of hope: “Today you will be with me in paradise.” We don’t know the theological nuances behind Jesus’ statement, whether or not the thief would literally be in paradise with Jesus that very day, or if the marker of “today” referred to the turning point for this man’s eternal station. What we do know is that on the same day Jesus died, he declared to another dying man that he would find the hope of salvation. No earning, no working, no proof needed to justify his entrance into paradise other than the simple act of faith of believing in Jesus as the Christ and his coming Kingdom. On this day, Jesus invites us to trust in the sufficiency and finality of his death for us, resting secure knowing that no work of ours can obtain nor undo Jesus’ salvation over us.
PRAYER POINTS -Take time to pray and trust anew in Jesus’ sufficient work of salvation at the Cross. Pray that your heart would rest in this finished work and not tireless look for its justification before God or the world. -Pray for the Spirit to convict and convince you of Jesus’ invitation to paradise “today”, regardless of your sin, spiritual maturity, or knowledge. -Pray that you would have a hope that results from the assurance of this salvation, and that your genuine hope would lead you to eagerly share it with others.
Maundy Thursday, or “new commandment” Thursday, marks the final day before Jesus’ betrayal and death. On this night, Jesus shared the Passover with his disciples and washed their feet. The significance of foot washing has been somewhat lost on us today. In first century Palestine, where the primary means of travel was by foot, in open toed sandals on dirt roads, foot washing was a necessary act of physical and ritual cleansing upon entering any building or residence. It was a dirty job, one assigned to the lowliest of servants and slaves. For Jesus, the Master and Teacher, to wash his disciples’ feet was an absurd, role-reversing act of humiliation. Then Jesus gives them the command: “As I have loved you, so you also are to love one another.” This act stands as an example of the kind of love Jesus desires and expects of his disciples as we extend humble service and hospitality to those around us - even the Judas’. But it also pointed to what he was about to accomplish at the Cross. We now have the responsibility, and the joy, to enter into this same kind of counter-cultural love as we humbly serve one another within the church and extend it to those outside the church.
PRAYER POINTS -Give thanks for the counter-cultural act of humiliating love Jesus extends to us and the open, hospitable invitation He gives us into relationship with Him. -Consider the ways you can extend that same humble, hospitable love to others. Pray for fellow brothers and sisters at FirstSF that we would go great lengths to love and serve one another. -Pray for your time tonight at your Passover Outreach Dinner. Pray for the non-believers who will be coming into your home, that you would go to great lengths to display the humiliating, sacrificial love of Christ in a way that demonstrates the Gospel to them.
On the Wednesday of Holy Week, we are told little about the events surrounding Jesus, except that the plan of betrayal was put into motion by the chief priests, scribes, and Judas. It’s a bit jarring to think during this week leading up to Passover - a week filled with the remembrance of Israel’s exile, the atonement of the sacrificial lamb, and God’s redemption of his people - that the leaders of Israel had murder on their minds. Instead of being filled with gratitude for God’s supernatural salvation, they were filled with resentment towards this Prophet of God. Imagine if our Pastors of FirstSF were plotting to frame and murder one of our Deacons just days before Easter! But even this heinous act of sin was done under the umbrella of God’s sovereignty. In our own sin, we are led to remember the grace of Christ that extends without running dry. We are also reminded that no matter the evil or injustice we experience today, the Cross is a monument to show God’s good, sovereign purpose through even the worst of circumstances.
PRAYER POINTS -Spend some time examining your heart and where you might be filled less with gratitude toward God, and more with anger, bitterness, lust, and the like toward your neighbor. Confess your sins and find comfort in the Cross that is both the result and the answer to the problem of our sin. -The Cross invites us to cry out against evil and injustice around us. Pray for circumstances in your life and the world around you, pleading with God for his justice, but also to seek comfort and rest in his sovereignty and goodness. -Pray for those in your life who are burdened by the sin and evil in the world - whether their own sin that weighs on their minds, or the sin in the world that angers their hearts. Pray that they would come to know the comfort of the Cross, and that God would give you the boldness to speak that comfort to them this week.
On Holy Tuesday, Jesus is busy discoursing with the Pharisees in the Temple and warning them of the Son of Man’s coming judgment. Upon leaving the Temple, he sits with his disciples at the Mount of Olives and exhorts them to “stay awake” in anticipation of the Son of Man’s return and subsequent judgment. As we are now 2,000 years removed from that Holy Tuesday, the temptation to “fall asleep” as we await his return is just as prevalent today as it was then. Jesus’ warning to his disciples is one we should consider each day His return is delayed. It may be another 2,000 years before Jesus returns, but until then the call is the same: stay awake and alert to the pressures and draws of this kingdom as we live and hope for Christ’s Kingdom to come.
PRAYER POINTS -Consider where Jesus is warning you to “stay awake” and not be drawn to the earthly comforts of this life. Confess the ways you have “fallen asleep” to the things of God and lived more for this earthly kingdom. -Pray for your heart to seek God and long for his Kingdom over this world. Pray the Spirit to impress upon you the urgency of Christ’s return in a way that shapes our everyday comings and goings. -Pray that the hope we have for Christ’s return would be known by those around us. Consider how you can share the urgency of that hope with your friends and family this week.
On the Monday following Palm Sunday, Jesus is found in the Temple. Here we get the famous account of Jesus “turning over tables”. At first glance, it may seem as if Jesus is simply overreacting in a fit of rage, then excusing it in the name of God. However, this is far from the toddler-like tantrums we often see all over social media, justified in the name of “righteous anger.” Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple prepared the way for what he was about to do at the Cross. In driving out the money changers and merchants, he was removing all barriers that prevented people - especially the poor and outcast - from access to God at his Temple. This brief instance is a reminder that Easter accomplishes our salvation by removing every barrier between us and God, and has given us unfettered access to a redeeming relationship with him.
PRAYER POINTS -Give thanks that the work of Jesus has removed every barrier between us and God, and welcomes us to come to Him to find our life and filling (cf. Isaiah 55:1). -Pray over any barriers you may still feel between you and God. Whether it be self imposed expectations, your own sin, or even other Christians’ negative examples, pray that the Spirit would comfort you with the spiritual reality of Christ’s love and acceptance towards you. -Pray for the “outcasts” or those whom you know are far off from God. Pray that the obstacles preventing them from exploring Christianity and faith in Jesus would be removed. In your prayers, consider how God wants to use you specifically to remove those barriers in their lives.
Sermon Discussion Questions For the Week of July 4, 2021
Sermon Information:
In the Lord Philippians 4:1-9
Stand firm in the Lord. (v. 1) Agree in the Lord. (vv. 2-3) Rejoice in the Lord. (v. 4) Trust in the Lord. (vv. 5-7) Walk in the Lord. (vv. 8-9)
Discussion Questions:
1) Do you tend to think of the Christian life as living for the Lord or living in the Lord? What is the difference between the two? Why might we need to keep both phrases in mind as we live the Christian life?
2) What was Paul’s solution to the dispute between Euodia and Syntyche? Can you think of a time when you saw a disagreement in the church resolved in a God honoring way?
3) Paul calls us to rejoice in the Lord always. What does it look like for you to rejoice in the Lord during a difficult or sorrowful season of life? How might the peace of God, which comes from trusting in the Lord, be connected to this?
4) What usually makes you anxious? What do you do to relieve your stress/anxiety? Read Matthew 6:25-34 and Philippians 4:6-7. How can you apply these verses to the anxieties in your life?
5) What do you often think about? Where does your mind tend to wander? Consider what Paul says in Philippians 4:8. What does it practically look like for you to think about these things? How can you intentionally do this?
Sermon Discussion Questions For the Week of June 20, 2021
Sermon Information:
Pressing on Toward the Goal Philippians 3:12-20
We must press on from our position in Christ.
How do we do this? Stay humble, hungry, and faithful. Look at faithful followers, look out for enemies of the gospel, and look to our Savior.
Discussion Questions:
1) When it comes to running the race of the Christian life, do you resonate more with Harold Abrahams or Eric Liddell? Abrahams ran because he felt pressure to prove himself. Liddell ran because he felt God’s pleasure. Which better describes you?
2) Read Philippians 3:13. Do you tend to think more about your past failures or successes? What past thing do you need to “forget”?
3) When do you tend to struggle to stay hungry for God? Are there certain times or seasons of life where your passion tends to fade? Have you found certain practices that help you to regain your hunger for God?
4) Read 1 Corinthians 11:1, Philippians 3:17, and 2 Thessalonians 3:6-9. Discuss what these different verses state about imitating faithful followers of Jesus. Are you someone that other Christians can imitate?
5) When it comes to those who don’t follow Jesus, we must love them, but we also must be careful not to join them on their journey to destruction. How can we do both? Which of those two (loving and watching out for) do you tend to struggle with most?
Sermon Discussion Questions For the Week of June 13, 2021
Sermon Information:
Rejoicing in Knowing Christ Philippians 3:1-11
When it comes to pursuing joy, there are two options: We can place our confidence in ourselves. We can place our confidence in knowing Christ.
Discussion Questions:
1) What are the most common ways that people in the church tend to put their confidence in themselves? What are the ways people outside the church tend to put their confidence in themselves? In which areas are you most tempted?
2) Read Philippians 3:3. What are the three marks of a Christian listed in this verse? Read John 4:23, 1 Corinthians 1:27-31, and Galatians 6:14. Discuss how these verses speak to the three marks that we see in Philippians 3:3.
3) Do you ever approach Christianity as an “addition” to your life? Or think of following Jesus as one of many things that you’re called to do? What’s the danger of this way of thinking? What can you do to reset your thinking on a regular basis?
4) What are the different types of sufferings that we face as Christians? How does suffering enable us to know Christ better?
5) These are the words on William Borden’s tombstone: “Apart from faith in Christ, there is no explanation for such a life.” Would people say that about your life? What changes might God be calling you to make so that others could see your faith in Christ more clearly?
Sermon Discussion Questions For the Week of June 6, 2021
Sermon Information:
Model Servants Philippians 2:19-30
In Timothy and Epaphroditus, we see: Christlike Companionship Christlike Concern Christlike Courage Faithful followers of Jesus are a way for us to experience the joy of Jesus. We must be changed by Jesus in order to do the work of Jesus.
Discussion Questions:
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When you think of a ‘model servant’ or a ‘faithful follower of Jesus’, who comes to mind? What specifically comes to your mind about them?
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Read Acts 16:1-3, 1 Corinthians 4:16-17, and 2 Timothy 1:3-7. How do these verses speak to the Christlike companionship of Paul and Timothy? Do you have a Paul in your life? Do you have a Timothy?
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Read Philippians 2:3-4 and 2:20-21. Can you think of a time when someone thought of your interests ahead of their own? How can you put the interests of others ahead of your own this week?
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There’s a good chance that we will never have to risk our lives for the sake of the gospel. If that is the case, then what will Christlike courage look like in our lives?
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Over the past year, have you missed the joy that comes from fellowship with other believers? What can you practically do to experience that joy more often?
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Why is it important to remember that we can’t just follow the examples of Timothy and Epaphroditus, but that we need to be changed as they were?
Sermon Discussion Questions For the Week of May 30, 2021
Sermon Information:
Shining As Lights Philippians 2:12-18
God’s grace empowers believers to work out their salvation for His glory and for their joy.
Process Power Purpose Product
Discussion Questions:
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What is the difference between ‘working for your salvation’ and ‘working out your salvation’? What can you do to keep the proper mindset (working out instead of for) in your daily life?
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What are you most tempted to grumble and complain about? How does grumbling and complaining damage your witness?
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Read 1 Corinthians 15:10, Colossians 1:29, and Philippians 2:13. What does it look like for God and His grace to empower your work? Have you experienced this in your own life?
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How has FirstSF done a good job of shining like lights in our city? In what ways could we improve?
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The product of working out your salvation is joy in all seasons of life. Have you seen this in your own life? How could you work to cultivate joy in the midst of life’s difficult seasons?
Sermon Discussion Questions For the Week of May 23, 2021
Sermon Information:
The Mind of Christ Philippians 2:1-11
The call for unity. The need for humility. The example of Christ.
Discussion Questions:
In you experience, what are the issues or situations that have brought disunity in a church?
Read Ephesians 4:1-6. Compare this passage with Philippians 1:27-2:4. What do these passages teach us about unity in the church?
When you think of humility, name one person that comes to mind (preferably not someone in your group). What qualities or actions demonstrated their humility most clearly to you?
When you read Philippians 2:6-8, what questions do you have? What thoughts first come to your mind as you read about and consider the humility of Christ?
Do you think we as Christians think of and speak of the exaltation of Christ enough (those truths found in Philippians 2:9-11)? What comfort can we draw from Christ’s exaltation?
How will you apply the truths of this passage in your life this week?
Sermon Discussion Questions For the Week of May 9, 2021
Sermon Information:
To Live is Christ, to Die is Gain Philippians 1:12-26
When the gospel is the center of your life, obstacles become opportunities. Places become mission fields. People become partners in the gospel or those in need of the gospel. Life is for enjoying God and making Him known. Death only increases our joy as we dwell with God forever.
Discussion Questions:
Fill in the blank: “To live is _______.” I know the Christian answer is supposed to be Christ, but what are you most likely to replace Christ with in that blank?
What in your life are you likely to view as an obstacle? How could putting the gospel at the center of your life change that to an opportunity?
Read Acts 17:26-27. How do these verses speak to the thought that the places where God puts us are mission fields? How can you begin treating where God has placed you as a mission field?
Can you think of an example of when you naturally shared with others about something you enjoyed? Does this ever happen with your relationship with God? What can you do to help grow in your enjoyment of God?
How should Christians think about and talk about death? Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. How do these verses contribute to your answer?
Sermon Information:
Rejoicing in Prayer Philippians 1:1-11
Let’s pray with the affection of Christ for FirstSF to be sanctified in Christ.
The Affection of Christ We are partners in the gospel. We have a common need of God’s grace.
Sanctified in Christ Pray for growing love. Pray for Christlike character.
Discussion Questions:
How often do you think of Christ’s affection for you? How often do you think of Christ’s affection for others? How could you remind yourself of both more often?
One of the keys to loving others in the way that Christ loves them is remembering our common need of God’s grace. How can consider God’s grace towards us both humble us and encourage us?
What do you think it would look like for someone to abound in love, with knowledge and discernment? What would this look like specifically in your life?
Read Romans 8:28-30. How do these verses connect with Philippians 1:6? Why might it be helpful for you to keep these verses in mind as you pray for the sanctification of yourself and others?
Will you commit to praying with affection of Christ for the members of FirstSF to be sanctified in Christ? Develop a plan/strategy that will help you be intentional in prayer.
Sermon Information:
The True Vine John 15:1-11
We only receive spiritual life through our union with Christ. We only bear fruit because of our union with Christ.
What is fruit? The external result of an inward reality.
How is fruit produced? Abiding in Christ through the Word, prayer, and obedience. Pruning by God.
Discussion Questions:
What misconceptions have you had about living the Christian life? How can this teaching from Jesus help guard us from these misconceptions?
Pastor Ben described fruit as the external result of an inward reality. Do you find that we as Christians often focus on the outward rather than the inward?
Read Galatians 5:22-23. Notice that ‘fruit’ in v. 22 is singular. How might that affect the way we read these verses? In what ways have you seen the fruit of the Spirit grow in your life?
When it comes to abiding in Christ through the Word, prayer, and obedience, how would you say you are doing? Which of those three areas is the greatest struggle for you?
Read Hebrews 12:4-11. Can you think of an example of God “pruning” or “disciplining” you? Did your season of pruning lead to more fruit? Is there something that you need to let God prune from your life right now?
Sermon Discussion Questions For the Week of April 11, 2021
Sermon Information:
The Way, The Truth, and The Life John 14:1-14
What words of comfort does Jesus offer his disciples?
He tells them of a place. He reveals the path. He promises power.
Discussion Questions:
Pastor Ben mentioned how a child’s dad coming home could be both “good news” or “bad news” for the child. Can you think of another phrase that could be both good news and bad news?
Jesus spoke these words to offer comfort to his troubled disciples. What has been troubling you? How does this message from Jesus offer you comfort today?
In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis wrote, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” Have you found this to be true in your life? What does this tell us about the place that Jesus is praying for us?
How would you respond to someone who says that claiming Christianity is right and every other religion is wrong (or that Jesus is the only way to heaven) is arrogant or close-minded? Is there a way that you could respond to this that would keep the conversation going rather than it just shutting down?
Read John 14:13-14, 15:16, 16:23-24. What does it mean to ask in Jesus’ name? How can we practice this in our prayer lives?
Sermon Discussion Questions For the Week of March 28, 2021
Sermon Information:
The Good Shepherd John 10:11-30
The Character of the Good Shepherd Sacrificial love
The Activity of the Good Shepherd He pursues He protects
The Call to the Sheep Hear His voice and follow Him
Discussion Questions:
This is a week where focus on the sacrificial love of Jesus. What is something you can specifically do to remind yourself of the Shepherd’s ongoing love for you?
Can you think of a time when it was clear that God was pursuing you? Maybe it is when you first trusted in Jesus or another time when you needed to be called back to Him.
Pastor Ben mentioned the doctrine of the security of the believer. What questions or thoughts do you have concerning this doctrine? Read John 6:37-39, Ephesians 1:13-14, Philippians 1:6, and 1 Peter 1:3-5 and discuss how these verses contribute to this doctrine. Do other verses come to mind?
How much time do you think you spend listening to God’s voice? Do you feel like you know the voice of the Shepherd and can distinguish it from other voices? What can you do this week to hear God’s voice?
Pastor Ben said that we are supposed to be like shepherds who point others to the Good Shepherd. Are you doing that? Is there a “lost sheep” that God is calling you to reach out to? How could you improve in the area of making disciples?
Sermon Discussion Questions For the Week of March 21, 2021
Sermon Information:
The Door John 10:1-10
It is only through Jesus that we can experience salvation. Jesus offers eternal life and abundant life. Following others will only end in death and destruction.
Discussion Questions:
What do you think it was like to grow up with Jesus as a big brother? Do you think it is significant that Jesus’ own family members believed in Him as the Messiah?
Read John 9:18-34. Compare the different reactions from the man who had been healed, his parents, and the religious leaders.
What is the difference between Jesus claiming to be the shepherd and Him claiming to be the door? Why was it important for him to make both statements?
What do you think abundant life in Jesus looks like? Specifically, what would it look like for you to experience life abundantly? What can you do this week to experience the abundant life that Jesus offers?
Jesus says the thief comes steal, kill, and destroy. Read Ezekiel 34:1-10 to see how God described the false shepherds in the Old Testament. How can we guard against the thief/false shepherds?
Sermon Discussion Questions For the Week of March 14, 2021
Sermon Information:
The Light of the World John 8:12-30
The Claim of Jesus
The Call to the World
The Contention from the Pharisees
The Consequences of Unbelief
The Cross of Christ
The Converts to the Light
Discussion Questions:
When you think of Jesus as the “light of the world,” what is the first thought that comes to your mind? Does knowing the context in which Jesus made this statement change your view of the metaphor at all?
Can you think of a time when your trust in Jesus as the light has allowed you to ‘see in the dark’ (gave you hope during a difficult time)?
Read Matthew 5:14-16, John 12:35-36, and 1 John 1:5-7. Consider these verses in relation to what Jesus says in John 8:12.
If Jesus warned others about the consequences of unbelief, shouldn’t we do the same? How can we warn others without sounding overly condemning or judgmental?
Do you truly believe that others can believe in the gospel when you share it just as they did when Jesus preached? Who can you share the light with this week?
Sermon Discussion Questions For the Week of March 7, 2021
Sermon Information:
The Bread of Life John 6:25-35
What was Jesus teaching about Himself? He is the true and greater Moses. He is the true and greater manna. He alone is the sustenance we need. He alone is the satisfaction we desire.
Why did many grumble at this teaching? They focused on the sign rather than what it pointed to. They focused on the physical rather than the spiritual.
How can we receive the bread of life? Believe that Jesus is the bread of life, not just one who can give you bread.
Discussion Questions:
Robert Murray McCheyne said, “For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ.” What do you think is your ratio of looks at yourself to looks at Christ?
Consider the fact that Jesus revealed himself as the true and greater Moses and manna. How should this shape the way we read the OT and NT?
Can you think of a time when you found the things of the world to not offer lasting satisfaction? Read Matthew 5:6 and John 6:35. What do these verses teach us about experiencing satisfaction?
Why do you think we are so prone to focus on the physical rather than the spiritual? What can you do this week to turn your attention to spiritual matters?
How will you ‘feast’ on the Bread of Life this week?