FirstChurch Message of the Week

Do we realize that we have been chosen by God? But what have we been chosen to do? Volunteer at a feeding center. Call that person you haven’t seen in church in a while. Ask the church, what do they need and how could you help? Show extra kindness to the checkout person or the person next door. Pray for God to lead you toward fruit, fruit that will last.  In this week’s Message of the week, we are...

Sometimes it’s hard to know where God is calling us or where God is even present in our lives. Do we miss God working right in front of our eyes? Do we rest in God’s presence or do we choose to grind our way through the busy parts of our lives and subconsciously ignore the work of the holy spirit in our lives? In this week’s Message of the week, Pastor Bryce Blank shares from Isaiah 40 and challen...

How do you explain dinosaurs or the theory of evolution? Is astrology Anti-Christ? How can we hold creation and science in tension – can we believe in both? Hopefully, thoughts like this keep us curious enough to keep asking questions, and to find peace in the fact that God alone knows all things.  In this week’s Message of the week, we hear from Pastor Jen Tyler who shares from Acts 17. She will...

How do you know when God is at work and doing something in your life? When you look back, do you recognize what God has done in the past; for you and for humanity? How about trusting that God will do good things in and through you in the future? In this week’s Message of the week, we hear from Pastor Bryce Blank who shares from Ezekiel 36 and reminds us that despite our hardened hearts, God is wor...

Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do good people experience bad things? Why is there suffering in the world at all – can’t God just take care of it?      In this week’s Message of the week, we continue our worship series titled, "Living Our Questions." We've all asked the question, "Why does God let bad things happen?" This week, we hear from Pastor Jen Tyler who sha...

Often God of the Old Testament and New Testament are described quite differently. For example: God in the Old Testament is described as vengeful, versus the New Testament God who is more loving. How do we reconcile this and understand that this is the same God when they are so often described and understood differently?    In this week’s Message of the week, we begin a worship series titled, "...

The Magi followed the star to Jesus, even if they hit a temporary dead end with King Herrod. Just as the stars guided the magi to Jesus, other stars guide us to Jesus. What “stars words” might help us as we seek Jesus in a new year?  In this week’s Message of the week, we hear the story of the magi from Matthew chapter 2. We celebrate the upcoming new year with a light that can only come from the...

It is the simple people who are the first to get to see this newborn king: Shepherds. Most people, even in town there in Bethlehem, had no idea the world was being changed by the birth of this child. We honor the glory and humility of the incarnation when our celebrations are easy, simple, and include the “least of these” and outcasts.  In this week’s Message of the week, we continue our worship s...

In the story of Mary and Joseph before the birth of Jesus, the innkeeper remains unnamed, even though we so often focus on the detail of how there was no room for them in the Inn. Yet there is generosity in this unnamed character. After all, they went out of their way to find some room for them – this unnamed character surely didn’t have a home big enough for several extra families to also stay wi...

Being together with beloved people we can trust and find rest in is THE most important thing when we have good news (or difficult news, for that matter). That was certainly true here, where Elizabeth and Mary spent 3 months together before the birth of their sons – 3 months of GREAT JOY in being together. As we prepare for Christmas, might we too get “wrapped up” in the joy of being together to su...

In this season of preparing for the coming of the Christ Child, we are reminded of the importance of generations of preparation before us. In this story we are reminded of the ways others – not just Mary and Joseph and their family – also prepared in ways they perhaps didn’t fully understand. What might we need to do – or stop doing as we make time to listen – in order to prepare and make space fo...

God has already given us all we need… are we ready to step up? We might feel like we aren’t worthy to proclaim the good news because of our history, or status. Together, we will explore ways God uses “ordinary” — faithful — people, and some of the many gifts God has given us.    In this weeks Message of the Week, we are blessed to be lead by our FirstChurch Youth. Alayna Nelson shares from John 13...

How do we use, let alone recognize the abundant gifts God has given us? All that we acquire comes from God. Our management of these gifts is an important part of stewardship. It matters what we do with our time, talents, and finances.    In this weeks Message of the Week, we encounter the question; how do we give of ourselves fully? We hear from Pastor Jen Tyler who shares from Mark 10, and highli...

Evangelism is a fundamental part of who we are. The first step to inviting others to know Jesus better, is to seek to set an example to all we meet through our own words, actions, and interactions.    In this weeks Message of the Week, we recognize all the saints that have gone before us. What does their example of a life of witness show us today? Pastor Bryce Blank shares from 1 Peter and challen...

How important is church, really? Is it that necessary to connect with others believers? Old Testament and New Testament authors would stress that it is. In our church culture today, how do we connect with God AND each other? Is there more than one way to be present in our church community?     In this weeks Message of the Week, we hear from Pastor Jen Tyler. She shares from Ecclesiastes 4 and remi...

Prayer is an essential part of our lives and connection to God. How and why does it matter? What does it mean for us to commit to supporting the church with our prayers, and why is that so important? We might ask ourselves, does God really answer prayer? How do we know that God is listening?     In this weeks Message of the Week, we begin our stewardship worship series titled "Membership to Di...

We are called to recognize our God for all that we have been given. We are called to praise God. Praise is often thought of in accompaniment with music in the context of worship. Why is that? How has our praise evolved over the years? What does it mean to praise God? How can we do so in other ways?    In this weeks Message of the Week, we wrap up our Back to the Basics worship series with a messag...

How are we connected? One of John Wesley’s main focuses was that we remain connected; to God, to those around us, and to our world. This means working with our brothers and sisters in Christ to discern God’s work and then act in ministry to/with our world. Connection points to Methodism’s origins by referring to the relationships that exist between preachers, people, and God. This practice of join...

Prayer seems like it should be so simple. Yet when it comes to actually praying it often feels awkward and complicated. What should you actually pray about? What do you say? Is there anything you shouldn’t say? Do you have to speak out loud? Where do you even start? Who even has time to pray? The truth is, prayer is simple. It’s like talking with a good friend. And here’s the best part: No matter...

Our Bible is often very confusing to read. How do we read it? What is the difference between the various translations and why are they important? Understanding how to read scripture will allow the Word of God to speak to our lives.   In this weeks Message of the Week, we continue our fall sermon series, Back to the Basics where we revisit the basics of faith. This week we hear from Pastor Bryce Bl...

We are a people following after Christ. However, that is not always easy. We are called to support one another through the various seasons of life and the challenges that come our way. We are also called to lean into God.   In this weeks Message of the Week, Pastor Bryce Blank shares from the second half of the book of Jude. He reminds us that we can't do life without a firm foundation. He cha...

As we step into this new fall season, with school and activities back into full swing, we are called to remain focused and faithful to God. In times of transition, it can be hard to look to God. How are we preparing to continue growing closer to God? What are we doing to live like Jesus? We are to live in the reality of who Jesus really is and who God is calling us to be.  In this weeks Message of...

Throughout history, God has called people to follow Him. They followed as He led them out of captivity into a new land. That call continues today with a commandment to love others as Jesus loved. This call to service is not a solo mission. It is a call to band together and change the world.  In this weeks Message of the Week, our Lost worship series continues with a sermon from Pastor Jen Tyler. S...

We make decisions every day. What to eat. How to dress. How many hours we spend scrolling social media. We make millions of tiny decisions every day. Many of them are acceptable, but how many are truly beneficial to our faith journey. You might ask, “how do I identify the essentials of life? How do I separate the temporary from the eternal?  In this weeks Message of the Week, we continue our Lost...

God has called us to grow in faithfulness, turn from greed and selfishness, and grow in our service and witness to proclaim His mercy and peace. The law and prophets are an example of a path that has been laid out for us to follow. Their witness and example spur us onward. With that knowledge all we need to be is BOLD. Easy, right?  In this weeks Message of the Week, we continue our Lost worship s...