FBC Wilmington Sermons

Mary and Martha are absolutely beside themselves when Lazarus dies, and Jesus doesn’t show to save him even though he heard the news four days earlier. This story is one for the ages, and it’s one we need to sit with in order to climb out of the pain and shame we feel.

Sometimes people get it wrong. This is true for the community who assumed the woman caught in adultery needed to die. Granted, she did break the law, but Jesus throws their sin right back in their face when he drops the line, “The who’ve committed no sin may cast the first stone.” We shouldn’t be so quick to judge others when we are just as sinful.

A social scientific reading of a woman at the well shows us that she is terribly oppressed. Her life is nothing of what she thought it could be. She’s broken, bitter, tired, harassed, and a shadow of who she thought she could be. She mirrors for us what life looks like when we are at our worst: Alone and avoiding all human contact. But that’s exactly when Jesus shows up. Reflecting on this dichoto...

The story of Nicodemus has so many layers. The fact that he approaches Jesus in the middle of the night has to mean something. The fact that he questions Jesus about matters that he should know the answer due to his position as a Pharisee matters. But more than anything, the fact that there is no resolution to this story means the most to me. Nicodemus is experiencing a dark night of the soul. He...

Immediately after Jesus’ baptism, Jesus is taken to the Wilderness and tested by Satan three times. These temptations, according to Henri Nouwen, act as archetypes for the same temptations the world places on us today. Like Jesus, we are tempted to prove our worth by the world around us. If we can perform better, we can be better. Jesus knew this to be a lie. Unfortunately, this is a message we’re...

Readers get the behind-the-scenes tour of Jesus’ life in Mark 9. He takes his closest friends with him up on a mountain, and we get to go too. While up there, Jesus transfigures into his divine state, offering us a glimpse of what heaven looks like on earth. This single act offers us much in terms of faith, but sadly the disciples fail to understand its relevance. We can’t make the same mistake.

What good is our offering if it’s tainted? This is Jesus’ message for those of us who worship pretending we are reconciled with our enemies or our families. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls us to be people of salt and light, which means we have to understand the importance of reconciliation and take seriously Jesus’ pronunciation, “Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have pai...

One could argue the Kingdom of Heaven is the primary objective in Matthew’s Gospel. All the characters, the narrators, even Jesus’ teachings, they all deal with the arrival of the Kingdom of Heaven. In Matthew 5, Jesus has strong words on what it means for us to “enter” into that kingdom, and it has a lot to do with how we understand and follow the law. Here these words from one of our Associate P...

Jesus is living during a terribly oppressive time for people outside of political power, so it’s in this context Jesus speaks, “Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . blessed are the meek . . . blessed are those who mourn . . . blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness . . .” With these words, Jesus pushes back hundreds of years of hate and self-doubt by saying, “You aren’t too small...

When Jesus calls the twelve together, we see something amazing happen. Those who get to be in the Lord’s inner circle are people like you and me. It’s not just the rich or the politically powerful, but the earnest and the seeking. This unfolding in scripture sets the stage for an enormous theological truth: those who get access to God is not dependent upon your social status but rather your soul’s...

When Jesus was baptized, the heavens opened, and God said, “This is my Beloved.” Henri Nouwen believes this is the same message God says to us at our baptism. After nearly two decades of higher, theological thought and church praxis and nearly thirty years of being a Christian, I agree. Our baptism sets a trajectory and tone for the deep, deep truth of who we are in Christ: A beloved child of God.

In Matthew 2, there are two sets of Magi. The Magi of the East are scholars who feel compelled to go and meet the God of not just Israel, but in fact the world. But there is another group we don’t often think about: the Magi of the West. This group of scholars are hunkered down in Jerusalem bidding for Herod’s attention and love. These two groups create a stark dichotomy of what faith looks like w...

Rev. Dr. Jim Baldwin shares a special New Year's Day message from Genesis 19: 24-26.

As soon as the world catches their breath at the birth of Jesus, a chorus of both angels and shepherds sing! Scripture says, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven / and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” This act of worship demands our attention and our repetition.

Simeon was a devout man who was told by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem and commission the baby Messiah. Simeon arrives on cue, takes Jesus into his arms, and sings to him a song that still reverberates today. His song leads us into worship.

Zechariah was mute for the pregnancy of John the Baptist for not believing the angel Gabriel when it was prophesied that Elizabeth would bear a son. As soon as John was born, though, Zechariah’s voice returned, and he sang these words, “By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet...

Mary’s song is the gospel before the gospel unfolds. She visits her relative, Elizabeth, who is most likely her cousin, and announces in song that she will forever magnify the Lord because of this miracle. During her pregnancy, she predicts the gospel before it unfolds. Her words still ring true for us today and lead us into worship.

There are very few moments in scripture that illustrate so perfectly what God’s ultimate story looks like on earth as it is in heaven, but we get it here in Acts 10. The sequence between Peter’s dream and his encounter with Cornelius is a game-changing moment for Peter’s faith, for us the readers, and for human history. You could go as far as to say that human consciousness evolves at this moment...

Immediately following Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit descending, Peter got to work preaching and healing. So much so that the early church formed almost immediately, and communal faith, church praxis, and Christian fellowship unfolded. In these ten verses, Peter experiences what is still true for all of us at the Our Story level today.

Over and over Peter tries his best to follow Jesus, to stand up for Jesus, and to demonstrate his own faithfulness, but time and time again, his efforts fall short. Jesus calls him to deeper understanding and greater discipleship while offering abundant grace. As we look at Peter’s individual My Story, we see our own personal stories of faith, failures, and grace reflected.

The Feeding of the 5000 is the only miracle that occurs in all four gospels, which is interesting. How everyone is able to be fed and there be more food left over than what started is a mystery we cannot explain . . . but this story still has something to teach us, nonetheless. It may be the most important thing we learn.

Jesus is at a Pharisee's house. A sinful woman comes to wash his feet with her hair. Simon, the Pharisee, rebukes Jesus for letting a sinful woman touch him. Jesus tells a quick parable, challenges Simon, and surprises the room. This moment has something to teach us even today about the nature of forgiveness.

Jesus calls a tax collector, Levi, to be among his disciples. To show his appreciation, Levi throws a banquet feast. The Pharisees get frustrated with Jesus’ willingness to associate with tax collectors and say as much. Jesus’ response is something the church still needs to hear today.

Immediately following communion, the disciples argue about who among them is the greatest. Jesus squashes the conversation by answering their debate matter-of-factly. The greatest among us are those who choose to serve and not who expect to be served.

On this World Communion Day, we will focus on perhaps the most important table scene in all the Bible: Communion. Jesus, in the Upper Room, breaks bread and pours wine to demonstrate his commitment and plan for humanity.