First Baptist Church of Orange Park - Sermon Audio

The white elephant gift is something that has been the theme of Christmas parties for generations. Yet, the possible origination of the gift goes back to an ancient story of the King of Siam giving albino elephants to his enemies in order to burden them with something that would require much care, time, and unexpected expense. Sometimes in life, we allow ourselves to fall prey to the enemy's tacti...

Athletes for decades have signed "Philippians 4:13" under their autographs. It's a popular and powerful verse, but it has nothing to do with winning a ballgame. Yet, there is something to be taken from this passage, as long as it is not removed from context. In this sermon Pastor David Tarkington completes the series through Paul's letter to the church at Philippi and speaks of how we can know, le...

There are things that rob Christians of their joy. Paul knows this and addresses it head on. Also, there are divisions that often develop within the church. This too is covered in this message as we know to ignore issues does not make them go away.

God expects his children to mature in the faith. Unfortunately, many seem content to stand at the starting line, refusing to move forward in faith. Paul addresses this to the church at Philippi and to us today.

Dave Paxton preached at the FBCOP campus on October 28, 2018 on this passage.

To work out one's salvation is not the same as working for one's salvation. Paul instructs the church to continue working out. This speaks to spiritual growth and discipleship. This is the calling for all believers in Christ.

We are commanded to have the mind of Christ. Yet that concept means more than just asking ourselves "What would Jesus do?"

To walk in a manner worthy of the gospel is a heavy task. Yet, that is what is commanded of Christians. This is not a works-based theology, but the results of being a child of God. This message also addresses the requirement of service within God's church from his children and how doing nothing for the Kingdom is nothing other than sinful.

Paul clearly stated that his life was all about Christ. How would you fill the blank? "For me to live is _____________"?

How can you have joy and peace when your circumstances are far from joyous? Paul is in a Roman prison and from all accounts, should be miserable. Yet, he declares that God has given him joy and an amazing perspective on life that is not defined by his circumstances. This is powerful and available to all.

To have someone you know and love praying for you is a great gift. Paul's prayer for the Philippian Christians was powerful and encouraging. Just as this church had someone dear to them praying for them, so too do all Christians today and throughout time.

Joy is a choice, yet sometimes it seems as if we think joy just falls upon us as Christians automatically. Paul speaks of this joy that is accessible and available for Christians, though he himself was chained up in a Roman prison. How can a man going through great difficulty be joyous and thankful?

The introduction of Paul's letter to the church at Philippi is often read quickly, or even ignored. Certainly there's not much to gain from the salutation, right? Pastor David Tarkington begins this series with an examination of these two verses and reveals how God's plan of salvation and result of salvation is expressed by Paul here. Not only relevant for the church in Philippi, but for all belie...

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the pinnacle of the gospel. Christ defeated death and sin and rose again. He remains alive for all eternity. Because he lives, we as Christians live. As we close out this series through the Gospel of Matthew we are forced to respond to the resurrection. Everyone is. How you respond is vital.

When darkness fell upon the earth from Noon until 3pm, while Jesus was on the cross a miraculous and amazing separation took place. God was separated from God. The second person of the Trinity did not cease being God and was not removed from the Trinity. So, what happened? In this sermon, Pastor David Tarkington speaks on this and the message of the cross that is often missed.

This message addresses two things - the act of suicide and whether it is the unpardonable sin and the question of what we must do with Christ. The first looks to the end of life for Judas the betrayer. The second looks to the poignant question asked by Pilate when Christ was brought before him. Both of these men sought absolution from people rather than forgiveness from God. This is all too often...

Preached on July 5, 2018 by Pastor David Tarkington at First Baptist Church of Orange Park. When Peter denies Christ while standing in the courtyard of the High Priests's home, his failure did not begin there. There was a progression of responses that began with pride and ultimately led to humiliation. However, the great news of this story is the restoration of Peter by Christ. This offers hope fo...

Jesus went with his eleven disciples (Judas had been dismissed) to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. The name means the Garden of the Olive Press, or the Garden of Intense Pressure. That is what Jesus was facing as the cross and all that it meant was before him. Yet he prayed the prayer we must echo - "No my will, but yours alone God." This sermon speaks of that time of pressure and how we can fac...

Judas ate the Passover meal with Jesus and the other disciples, but when it came time for the Lord's Supper to be instituted, he was dismissed. There was no room at the table for one who does not know Jesus as Lord. This message resonates today as we realize God has invited us to join him, but we must surrender fully in order to join in.

When we read of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, it's clear that there are details many miss. Even more needed is the reality that while we may not want to admit it, we all can relate to Judas more than we would like. The gospel takes us from betrayal, to belief, to belonging, if we surrender to Christ. Judas never did and remained in the first category. May we be cognizant of this and ensure we ar...

In what could be considered a passage of Scripture simply present to transition from one story to the next, the value of God's inerrant Word appears when you see how three, short, perhaps seemingly unrelated stories actually reveal much about God, His grace, and His expectation of his disciples both in the story and today.

Jesus finishes the Olivet Discourse with a tragic parable revealing what will occur at the end of time. There will be a divide where those who know Christ receive their eternal reward and those who do not will get their's as well. It's a challenging message and one that is often misunderstood, at least when it comes to the serving of the "least of these." For believers, it is vital to know. For un...

Jesus tells his followers a parable about a rich land owner and three servants. The parable of the talents reminds us that while we await Christ's return, there remains work to be done. This is not a works theology assertion, but a reminder that Christians are to be about the business of making disciples daily.

Jesus uses an illustration of a wedding to describe what it will be like when he returns for his church. Yet, due to our understanding of the common western, American version of weddings, much is lost to the reader when Jesus speaks of the bridesmaids, the lamps, and the wedding. In this message, Pastor David explains the three-levels of weddings in first-century Israel and how Jesus' use of this...

Dave Paxton preaches this sermon at the First Baptist Church of Orange Park campus.