First Church Williamsport

Abiding in God's word fortifies us so we can be resilient in overcoming temptation. Matthew 4:1-11 Reverend Matthew Lake April 6, 2025

Abiding requires trust that God sees us and is in control, even when we can’t see God. Genesis 21:8-21 Reverend Janet Durrwachter March 30, 2025

When we abide with God, spiritual and non-spiritual needs are met. We are reassured that God is in control, and that we are not alone in our despair. 1 Kings 19:1-18 Reverend Matthew Lake March 23, 2025

Jonah shows us the transformative power, peace, presence, and challenge that abiding in God fosters. Jonah 1:1-4, 11-12, 17; 2:1; 3:1, 7-10 Reverend Matthew Lake March 16, 2025

Abiding in Christ necessitates us to model after Abraham; to trust God as we walk into the unknown. Genesis 12:1-4, Genesis 15:1-6 Reverend Matthew Lake March 9, 2025

We must be aware of the desires of our heart, so our actions can honor God. Exodus 20:1-17 Reverend Matthew Lake March 2, 2025

The truth will set you free. Exodus 20:1-16 Dr. Benjamin Conrad February 23, 2025

God invites us to live distinctly by trusting Him to care for all our needs, thereby rejecting the impulse to steal from others. Exodus 20:1-15 Reverend Matthew Lake February 16, 2025

Living into a life of no adultery fosters a deeper foundation in God that allows us to experience intimate love with God and our spouses in the community of God’s people called the church.  Exodus 20:1-14 Reverend Matthew Lake February 9, 2025

The sixth commandment reminds us that giving and taking life is God's responsibility. We live distinct lives when we choose to see people as God sees them and to treat them accordingly. Exodus 20:1-13 Reverend Matthew Lake February 2, 2025

Our relationship with our father and mother lays a foundation that affects all our other relationships. God wants all of us to live a life of freedom, and we aren’t going to be able to do that if we can’t honor our parents. Exodus 20:1-12 Reverend Janet Durrwachter January 26, 2025

Sabbath rest is not an escape from reality. Sabbath rest is an incredibly significant way to fully live into God’s reality as the distinct people of God. Exodus 20:1-11 Reverend Matthew Lake January 19, 2025

Honoring the name of the one, true, Triune God through obedience is a way to live into joy and embrace our identity and distinctiveness as children of God. Exodus 20:1-7 Reverend Matthew Lake January 12, 2025

The ten commandments are not simply a check list of moral rules to follow. They are commandments by which we live as the distinctive people of God. Exodus 19:3-6; Exodus 20:1-6; 1 Peter 2:9 Reverend Matthew Lake January 5, 2025

Matthew 7:24-29 Mitch Marcello December 29, 2024

Jesus, born in the flesh as the Son of God, is an unexpected event for which words are not fully adequate. The birth of Christ deserves pondering in our heart and celebration with our whole being. Luke 2:1-20 Reverend Matthew Lake December 24, 2024

In Joseph, we understand that we are called to act in accordance with what God wants: quietly, obediently, whether we fully understand or not, and whether we were expecting it or not. Matthew 1:18-25 Reverend Matthew Lake December 22, 2024

Luke 1:39-55 Caroline Glazier December 15, 2024 (Advent: Joy)

Through the vulnerable vessel of a child, God will bring forth peace in such a way that all of Creation and all of humanity will rejoice and learn to live without fear in the incredible beauty of that peace. Isaiah 35 Reverend Matthew Lake December 8, 2024 (Advent: Peace)

Prepare for Christmas by repenting so that you can experience the hope that the kingdom of heaven has come near. Matthew 3:1-12 Reverend Janet Durrwachter December 1, 2024 (Advent: Hope)

By keeping our eyes fixed on the Sovereign Lord, we realize we are part of something greater than ourselves where God can do more than we ask or imagine throughout the generations. Psalm 141:8, Ephesians 5:25-27, and Ephesians 2:19-22 Reverend Matt Lake November 24, 2024

Sharing the faith from one generation may be the most significant thing a Christian can do. We can invest in future generations today by partnering in the Jubilee Vision campaign which seeks to lay a foundation of faith, establish a bedrock of well-being, and offer liberation from debt. Leviticus 25:10, 12a and 2 Timothy 1:3-8 Reverend Matthew Lake November 17, 2024

The church, as God’s people, choose to invest in the community in which they find themselves so that they and the entire community may prosper.  Leviticus 25:10, 12a and Jeremiah 29:4-7 Reverend Matthew Lke November 10, 2024

God calls us to love our children by welcoming them and training them up in the ways of the Lord. In the spirit of Jubilee, the people of First Church seek to lay a strong faith foundation for our kids today and tomorrow through their prayers, time, and financial resources. Matthew 18:1-5, James 3:5b, and Leviticus 25:10, 12a Reverend Matthew Lake November 3, 2024 (All Saints Day)

We experience praise as a way of life when we live into the reality of Jubilee. Psalm 150 Pastor Matthew Lake October 27, 2024