First Baptist Church of Orange Park - Sermon Audio

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.

When Paul and Silas are called the "ones who turned the world upside down" it was clear to all that God was revealing that the status quo had to go. May we be known as those who turned the world upside down as well.

When Lydia, the demon-possessed girl, and the Philippian jailer became Christians their names were entered on a long ledger title "Unlikely Christians" along with Paul, Silas, Mary Magdalene, and every other believer to have ever lived. The gospel of Jesus Christ takes the undeserved and gives life and hope. That message remains true.

Dr. JimBo Stewart serves as the Church Replanting/Revitalization Specialist from the North American Mission Board and the Jacksonville Baptist Association preached on the biblical reasons for partnering with declining and dying church.

The second person to hear the gospel in Philippi from Paul and his missionary team was a demon-possessed girl. She was being spiritually pimped out by heinous slave-owners and was called "Python." This young girl's salvation was miraculous (as all salvation experiences are) and yet shows how the gospel is good news for everyone.

When Paul and his missionary team obeyed God's command to go to Macedonia, they met a woman named Lydia. This woman was wealthy and influential and a God-fearer, but she did not know Christ. In this sermon Pastor David Tarkington looks to this passage for the timeless principle that can change our lives for the good and God's glory.

"When God closes a door...he opens a window" may look good on a t-shirt or mug, but it is not in the Bible. This descriptive passage of Paul's second missionary journey shows what God expects his followers to do when he closes a door. The actual response may surprise many.

Paul and Silas begin their missionary journey and add a young disciple named Timothy to their team. Timothy's addition shows that God intends for ministry to be intergenerational as each person brings their unique giftedness to the mission. The mission and the message remain the same today as it did for this first century missionary team. *We apologize for the glitches in the audio and video. We h...

Associate Pastor Dave Paxton preaches on the role of the father in the family and the equipping of families for discipling their children well.

Associate Pastor Brian Hoffman preaches from Matthew 25 at First Baptist Church of Orange Park.

Paul and Barnabas begin planning for their second missionary journey, but this time there is a disagreement that threatens to end the trip before it even begins. What about the mission makes it so vital that even with challenges, frustrations, and disagreements, it must go on? What is it about the mission today that requires the same devotion? This sermon preached at First Baptist Church of Orange...

The Church in Jerusalem sends Barsabbas and Silas with Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch. The "Jesus plus..." heresy is growing there and these church leaders must address it. The point for today (and every era of church) is that doctrine matters. The gospel matters. The truth matters. And it must be preached and taught clearly.

Whenever you add anything to Christ for salvation, you actually remove Christ and eliminate the power of the gospel. This has been a problem since the first century and remains an issue in the church world today. Paul and Barnabas addressed this in Antioch and their response is ours.