First Baptist Church Sermons

Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount with a warning that still hits home today: it is possible to say all the right words, do all the right religious things, and still not know Him. In Matthew 7:21-29, He describes two professions and two builders, exposing the difference between empty religious activity and genuine, obedient faith. Pastor Andrew walks through why sincerity, zeal, and even ministr...

Noah faced a task that made no sense to him, building a massive ark for rain he had never seen, for a flood no one could imagine. He did not need to understand it. He simply obeyed. This message walks through Noah's obedience in Genesis 6 and 7, the ark's single door, and what it means that God Himself shut Noah in and shut the rest of the world out. It is a call to trust God's word even when it s...

The book of Nahum is only three chapters, easy to overlook, and it is not even directed at Israel or Judah. Yet this study on Nineveh's judgment reveals the character of God Himself: patient, merciful, and unwavering in justice. A hundred years after Nineveh repented under Jonah's preaching, the city returned to violence and idolatry, and Nahum announces that God has not forgotten. This look at Na...

As America marks 250 years of independence, this message compares the freedom our nation offers to the far greater liberty found in Jesus Christ. Drawing from Luke 4, where Jesus reads Isaiah's prophecy in the synagogue and declares it fulfilled, this study looks at how spiritual freedom costs infinitely more than any earthly liberty, how it must be guarded against compromise, and why it was never...

False prophets rarely announce themselves. Jesus warned that they come disguised as sheep while inwardly they're ravening wolves, and the only way to spot them is by their fruit. Working through Matthew 7:15-20, this message walks through how doctrine, character, and influence reveal what's really going on beneath the surface. It also looks at why spiritual discernment requires knowing scripture f...

What was the world really like just before the flood, and what does it say about today? Dr. Bryan Stensaas walks through Genesis 6, showing how wickedness spread from Cain's example until society became godless, and how God's holiness, omniscience, and justice demanded judgment. Yet in the middle of that judgment, grace stood out. Noah did not earn God's favor, he simply believed God and obeyed hi...

Who is a God like ours? Pastor Andrew gives an overview of the often overlooked book of Micah, a short but powerful prophet who ministered alongside Isaiah during a time of corrupt leadership and social injustice. The message traces three cycles of judgment and hope, showing how God demands justice because he is holy, yet delights in mercy. Along the way, key prophecies point straight to Jesus, in...

What does true beauty look like in God's eyes? Pastor Andrew opens 1 Peter 3 to show that lasting beauty is found not in outward appearance but in a meek and quiet spirit. Looking at the example of Sarah's trust in Abraham, he explains how a wife's Christ-like character can powerfully influence her husband and her home, even in difficult circumstances. This message reminds every believer that God...

There are only two roads, and you're already walking one of them. From Matthew 7:13-14, Pastor Andrew looks at the wide gate and the narrow gate, the path that feels easy and crowded versus the one that leads to life. He explains why so many religions exist and why that makes the Truth harder to find, why sincerity and good works can never save anyone, and why Jesus alone is the Way to the Father....

What does it take to be a man who isn't afraid? Looking at Caleb's life in Joshua 14, Pastor Andrew shows that godly manhood isn't measured by power or position but by faithfulness to God. Caleb wasn't afraid to lead, wasn't afraid to face giants, and wasn't afraid to wholly follow the Lord, even at 85 years old. This Father's Day message is a challenge to every father and man to lead their family...

What does it really mean to ask, seek, and knock? Many take Matthew 7:7-12 as a promise that God grants whatever we request, but in context Jesus is teaching us how to gain the wisdom we need to deal rightly with people. Before judging others, we're called to seek God's perspective rather than our own limited view, trust that His judgment is perfect even when ours fails, and treat others with the...

The book of Isaiah has 66 chapters, a key theme of salvation, and more prophecies about Jesus Christ than any other Old Testament book. Pastor Andrew walks through the structure, major themes, and key passages of this sweeping prophetic book, from God's holiness and Israel's sin in chapters 1 through 39, to the comfort, redemption, and stunning portrait of the suffering Messiah in chapters 40 thro...

What does it really mean to follow Christ? Drawing from 1 Peter 2:21-25, Pastor Andrew shows that the Christian life is not just about believing in Jesus but walking in his steps. Christ is your example in how to respond when life is unfair, your substitute who personally bore your sin on the cross, and your shepherd who watches over your soul every day. Following him does not require perfection,...

Matthew 7:1 may be the most misquoted verse in the Bible, but Jesus is not forbidding all judgment. Pastor Andrew walks through the opening verses of Matthew 7 to show that the real issue is not whether we judge, but how and why we do it. Before pointing out the speck in someone else's eye, Scripture calls us to honestly examine the beam in our own. Self-righteous criticism and spiritual discernme...

The book of Amos carries a warning that cuts across centuries: privilege does not remove accountability. Jay Nickels walks through this often-overlooked minor prophet, showing how God called an ordinary herdsman to confront a prosperous nation that had grown complacent, corrupt, and hollow in its worship. Israel looked the part on the outside while drifting far from God on the inside. The parallel...

From Cain's descendants to Noah's generation, the same pattern repeats: people fill their lives with things and leave no room for God. Dr. Bryan Stensaas traces the lines of Cain and Seth through Genesis 4 and 5, showing how God never abandoned His plan even as wickedness multiplied. With the flood approaching and a world of roughly 7 billion people turning away, God still sent preachers and still...

When authority is unfair, how do you respond? Pastor Andrew walks through 1 Peter 2:18-20, showing that submission to difficult authority is not the same as approving of it. Through the examples of the Hebrew midwives, Daniel, Joseph, and ultimately Christ Himself, the call is clear: your conduct under unjust treatment is a testimony before God. Whether it costs you a job, your comfort, or your fr...

What does a minor prophet from 760 B.C. have to say to the church today? Quite a bit. Jay Nickels surveys the book of Amos, where God sends an ordinary herdsman to a nation that was prosperous, religious, and spiritually asleep all at the same time. Israel had taken God's blessings for granted, exchanged true obedience for empty ritual, and assumed their chosen status shielded them from judgment....

Can you really serve God and money at the same time? Jesus says "no". From Matthew 6:24-34, Pastor Andrew walks through one of the most searching questions in the Sermon on the Mount: who is your master? Worry, anxiety, and the constant chase for more all point to a trust problem. The answer is not more money or more security. It is seeking God first, trusting that your heavenly Father already kno...

Your actions affect more people than you realize, and God holds you responsible for where you lead them. From Genesis 4, Dr. Bryan Stensaas examines the story of Cain to show how God patiently pleads with those who rebel, how sin always carries consequences beyond just the person committing it, and how the standard you set quietly shapes the people around you. The same principle that makes sin con...

What does your attitude toward government say about your faith? From 1 Peter 2:13-17, Pastor Andrew addresses the Christian's responsibility to civil authority. Submission to government is not just a political duty, it is a spiritual one. But that submission has limits. When government demands what God forbids, believers must obey God first. Christians are called to influence society through godly...

What does your spending, your time, and your attention say about what you truly value? Drawing from Matthew 6:19-23, Pastor Andrew asks a direct question: what has your heart? Jesus warns against storing up things that decay, disappear, and ultimately cannot last. He also points to a better investment, one that moth and rust cannot touch. Where you put your treasure reveals where your heart alread...

You were created to be more than a churchgoer who blends in. Drawing from 1 Peter 2:11-12, Pastor Andrew reminds believers that this world is not your home. As strangers and pilgrims, your calling is to live differently, fight the battle against fleshly lusts, and maintain a conduct so honorable that even those who oppose you end up glorifying God. The world is watching. The question is what they...

Pastor Joel walks through Ecclesiastes 11 using three portraits from Solomon's writing: a wise merchant, a watchful weatherman, and a young man full of potential. Life is uncertain, but that is no reason to stay on the sidelines. God calls you to do something with what He has given you, to give generously and act faithfully, even when the outcome is not guaranteed. The key is not finding the perfe...

Why did God accept Abel's offering but reject Cain's? Through the account in Genesis 4, Dr. Bryan Stensaas shows that God has always required faith, not works, as the only acceptable way to approach Him. Abel trusted God's promise of a coming Redeemer. Cain came on his own terms, offering what he personally thought was good enough. That contrast is not ancient history. It still defines where peopl...