First Baptist Church of Orange Park - Sermon Audio

We must stop saying "no" for people regarding Christ prior to even sharing. This sermon covers chapters 25 and 26 in Acts with a focus on Acts 26:24-29.

As Paul awaits trial in Jerusalem his nephew hears of a plot to have him killed. Then, the undercover, escape at night with 200 soldiers is underway. It's an amazing story, but ultimately the theme is centered on God, his glory, his story, and how seemingly insignificant things (and people) can make major impacts. The same is true for Christians today, if we would just believe.

Dr. Jeff Iorg is the President of Gateway Seminary in California. As one of our six Southern Baptist Seminaries, Gateway is serving the Lord well by training students in the ministry who will serve his church globally. Dr. Iorg preached at FBCOP on this day from Colossians 3.

Paul declared that he had lived his life "before God in all good conscience up to this day." In the face of severe trials and accusations, Paul showed that his character and actions as a Christ-follower matched his stated faith. We can all learn from this, especially in an era where character no longer seems to matter to many.

Our Student Minister, John Green preaches from Jeremiah on the wellness of our souls. John serves as our Student Minister and also as the Director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Clay County, Florida.

Our Associate Pastor Brian Hoffman and his family will be leaving our team at the end of 2021 to prayerfully consider the launch of a house church. We have been so blessed to have the Hoffmans as part of our church family and leadership team and know that God has much for them and their family. Brian preached today from Genesis 3 about how the message of Christmas is part of the message of Eden.

Bob Bumgarner, the Lead Missional Strategist for our Jacksonville Baptist Association preached this day at FBC Orange Park. He preached from Luke 1.

The Lord's Supper is one of the ordinances of the church, but as vital and important as it is for the church, often it just becomes routine. Associate Pastor Brian Borden shares from 1 Corinthians 11 about the biblical requirement to partake in a worthy manner.

Paul, under arrest in Jerusalem, gives his testimony to the mob who desired him dead. Then, Paul reveals his citizenship in Rome and it changes everything for him during this dire time.

When Paul was rescued from the mob in Jerusalem he was asked by the Roman commander who he was. After some confusion about his identity, he was able to share not only who he was, but whose he was. This message centers on knowing our identity in Christ and how vital this is.

When a mob grew in Jerusalem and sought to kill Paul, God rescued him. Yet, the motivations of those who attempted to rid the world of Paul are very revealing. So much so, that their fear-based, lie-believing, mob-mentality actions can (and are) often replicated today in the church.

When Paul arrived in Jerusalem he shared with the church there that many Gentiles had become Christians. The church glorified this publicly, but were still wrestling with the fact that those whom they were opposed to prior were now brothers and sisters in Christ. They also were believing rumors about Paul's teachings thus creating a potential wedge of disunity in the church. Competition, distrust,...

Speed bumps are designed to make drivers slow down, be careful, and notice things that may be harmed due to their speed. In this passage, we encounter a speed bump that causes us to pause and ask the question "How can two Christians have opposing views on how God is leading?"

As Paul is leaving Ephesus he seeks to avoid the long goodbyes that are inevitable. Yet, he does meet with the elders of the church and shares much in a farewell statement to these brothers. Goodbyes are hard for many. Yet, for children of God, they prove to be temporal.

The story of the man falling asleep during Paul's sermon and falling out of a three-story window and dying is a bit humorous (don't worry, he is brought back to life by God through Paul and all is good.) However, there is much more here than an issue of narcolepsy in church. What is it God would have us learn from this account? Pastor David Tarkington speaks of this in today's sermon.

In this portion of scripture, the writer states places Paul has been and people he holds dear. While seemingly just a transitionary passage, there is much here regarding the need for true friends in life. This should be taken to heart.

The riot in Ephesus centered around Paul was launched by a man named Demetrius who was more concerned about his bottom line than others. This parallels what happens continually today, and sometimes is revealed in the machinery of the church.

This may be one of the strangest stories in the Bible. It involves a popular preacher, miraculous handkerchiefs, profiteering from religion, Satanic panic, identity confusion, violence, public nudity, book burning and things that normally don’t happen on a Sunday morning during church services.

Paul was a disciple who multiplied disciples. The model of pouring into individuals as followers of Christ is the model of replication we are to follow. Yet, often we have settled into the model of church we have known for so long that we consider success being everything other than what Christ has commissioned us to do and be.

We meet Apollos in this passage as well as some disciples in Ephesus who had not yet heard of the Holy Spirit or the message that Jesus was and is the Christ. The facts are that people do not know what they do not know and therefore, we, as the church are called to go and tell them the truth of the gospel.

We live in a culture that now views death as an abooration or as morbid only. Yet, the Scriptures speak much of death. With a cultural avoidance of the reality of death, we are left with softened terms of the reality as we seek to counsel one another. Yet, here is the truth, the Christian who avoids speaking of, thinking about, or facing the reality of death will never fully grasp all the gospel o...

Paul finished the second missionary journey and made his way back to Antioch. In these closing moments of the trip we see what values Paul held and his commitment to the Lord. These are ours as well...or at least, should be.

When Paul arrived in Corinth, as his final stop on the second missionary journey, he arrived wounded and weak, but met a couple God used to encourage him. God also released Paul to focus primarily on reaching the Gentiles. Paul's continued efforts to fulfill the Great Commission encourages us to press on as well.

When Paul arrived in Athens he was taken by the over 30,000 statues and idols in the city. The Holy Spirit revealed the nature of the hearts of this full, but empty city. In this passage we are reminded to be sure to keep the gospel as the main thing and not an afterthought in our conversations with others.

When Paul and Silas entered into Berea, after their pushback in the city of Thessalonica, they were met by those who were open to the teachings of. the gospel, researched the Scriptures, and responded well. Our mission as Christians today is no different than Paul's. We must continue speaking the truth...even in the difficult places.