First Baptist Church Sermons

Isaiah

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 through 66. Isaiah 53, Isaiah 6, and Isaiah 7:14 are among the passages explored. When we see God as high and lifted up, it changes everything.

Christian Conduct That Glorifies God: Following In His Steps

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, only a willingness to keep trying and to trust God with what you cannot control.

Judge Not???

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 discernment are not the same thing, and God alone knows the heart.

Amos

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. It did not. Through five visions and a series of warnings, Amos delivers a message that still lands hard: privilege increases accountability, complacency is spiritually dangerous, and one day every person will stand before a holy God. The question is not whether you will meet Him. The question is whether you are prepared. The book of Amos ends with hope, and so does this message.

Scripture Snapshots: Amos

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 parallels to the church today are hard to miss. Judgment is certain, but so is the mercy God extends to those who will seek Him.