First Baptist Church of Asheville Podcast

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Paul takes pains to describe his peculiar mode of speech. He doesn’t arrive as a silver-tongued orator, doesn’t aim for persuasion, and only addresses a most relevant subject among the educated elite of Corinth—wisdom—in light of Jesus’ crucifixion. Rather, he speaks a new language, intelligible only to those who’ve received the Spirit. Recalling Anselm’s credo ut intelligam (“I believe so that I may understand”), today we gather to discern the gifts of baptized speech, delighting in its hidden mysteries and glimpses of “the depths of God.”

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Micah 6:8, a favorite verse for many, showcases a quarrel between God and God’s people that centers on the shape of religious devotion. Like frustrated lovers arguing in public, God wonders, “What more could I have done for you?” while God’s people wonder, “What more do you want us to sacrifice?” God resolves the tension by distilling the essence of the law and the prophets. Perhaps to Israel’s surprise, God asks only for justice, kindness, and humility—far less than they expected, but also far more than they imagined.

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“Immediately they left their nets and followed him,” Matthew says (v. 20). The phrase appears again in verse 22, “Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.” Jesus’ call inspires prompt responses from the first disciples. On one hand, we can imagine the disciples being bored with their small town fishing villages and eager for adventure. On the other, commercial fishing ain’t that bad a way to spend a life. Maybe what’s really going on is that Jesus’ voice is so compelling, and the adventure to which he calls us is so fresh, new, and inspiring that when we truly hear his clarion call we can’t imagine responding any other way.

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In the second Servant Song, Isaiah discloses God’s intentions for post-exilic Israel to be “a light to the nations.” More specifically, God’s concern is for the returning exiles to focus their mission not merely on the recovery and reestablishment of their own tribes, but on being visible witnesses of God’s justice and freedom on behalf of a watching world. On this MLK, Jr. weekend, we recall how prophetic communities have embodied Isaiah’s vision. We’ll also recall the early Baptists’ dreams of a visible church and what that means for us today.

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January 4, 2026

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