First Baptist Church of Asheville Podcast

The first of a two-sermon series on the minor prophet Amos, this sermon points to the plumb line God shows him—a metaphor for God’s judgment—as a blessing in disguise for a people who’ve gone astray. Amos’s prophecy declares that there can be no justice without judgment. Therefore, God’s judgment on people and on nations is finally good news. Judgment enables us to see the crooked places that they may be made straight, and to open sore wounds that they may be healed.

The post Finally Comes the Plumb Line (Amos 7:7-17) — Mack Dennis appeared first on First Baptist Church.

July 6, 2025

The post Gratitude for a Reckoning (Psalm 30) — Mack Dennis appeared first on First Baptist Church.

Third Sunday after Pentecost · June 29, 2025

The post I’m Preparing for Re-Entry (Luke 15:11-24) — Craig Hines appeared first on First Baptist Church.

Second Sunday after Pentecost · June 22, 2025

The post A Calamitous Miracle (Luke 8:26-39) — Tambi Swiney appeared first on First Baptist Church.

Rather than offering a systematic description of the “Three Persons of the Trinity” (a concept the church would define later on), Paul here describes how the inner life of God “pours into our hearts.” The mysterious interplay of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit creates an excess of grace into which we are invited, and by which we are made able to endure suffering, develop character, and enjoy the hope that does not disappoint. Put simply (ha!) by God’s grace we are given a share in the dynamic life of God.

The post The Trinity Overflows (Romans 5:1-5) — Mack Dennis appeared first on First Baptist Church.

The Greek pneuma, from which we get the words wind, breath, spirit, stands out in a special way on Pentecost. And yet the moment Pentecost begins is not a rush of violent wind but “a sound like” the rush of a violent wind. Pentecost is a sound, and at this sound the crowd gathers in bewilderment. They aren’t confused by the message, but are instead amazed that they can actually understand it! Today we celebrate that the sound of Pentecost is the sound of the gospel beginning to make sense to us and to those all over the world with ears to hear.

The post The Sound of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21) — Mack Dennis appeared first on First Baptist Church.

Jesus’ question sounds odd. Who wouldn’t want to be made well? But the sick man’s reply is unconvincing. After 38 years he couldn’t figure out a way into the pool at Bethzatha? Couldn’t the sick man have put in a little more effort across the last four decades if he really wanted to be well? But on this Sabbath day, the good news is that the Lord of the Sabbath can’t help himself. On this day of rest and restoration, Jesus heals him anyway: “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” And in spite of his stammering excuses, the man is nevertheless made well.

The post Do You Want To Be Made Well? (John 5:1-9) — Mack Dennis appeared first on First Baptist Church.

Typically we read this John passage at the height of Lent on Maundy Thursday, but it takes on a different hue in the Easter season. The pericope sits between Judas’s betrayal and Peter’s denial, strengthening the gravity of Jesus’ command to love one another. With Jesus going “where you cannot come,” what’s at stake with the church’s obedience is whether God’s glory will now be made visible in Jesus’ physical absence. Will the church glorify God with the love of Christ, or become “invisible” in the shadows of human agendas and cowardice?

The post God’s Love Glorified (John 13:31-35) — Mack Dennis appeared first on First Baptist Church.

Peter doesn’t raise just anyone, but a specific woman named Tabitha who had endeared herself to the wider community by serving the poor with her gifts. The early church held up Tabitha’s story because she lived her life for others. That her death leaves everyone crestfallen raises the question, “How might our own deaths affect others?” Learning how to live shapes how we die, and learning how to die shapes how we live. Tabitha’s life story invites us to examine our own lives, that we may begin planning for our funerals as soon as possible.

The post The Last Rise First (Acts 9:36-43) — Mack Dennis appeared first on First Baptist Church.

May 4, 2025

The post Liturgies of the Iconoclasts (Revelation 5:11-14) — Mack Dennis appeared first on First Baptist Church.