First Church Podcast

You cannot have a comeback if you stay in your setback! So how do you get through what you are going through? In this special Easter message, Pastor Daryle Williams reminds us that God has revealed to us a profound lesson in overcoming setbacks and experiencing comebacks.

Jesus is King! For a follower of Christ, that has to be more than simple lip service. To say truly say He is King requires from us a profound commitment to worship, serve, and trust Him. Only then to we begin to experience what it means to live in His kingdom.

“I think myself happy!” These are the apostle Paul’s words to Agrippa in Acts 26:2. Paul was in a desperate situation, imprisoned, and facing certain death. Yet, he was still able to be happy because his joy came from his internal faith in Jesus Christ and not his external situations.

Witness the awe-inspiring authority of Jesus as He taught people and expelled demons. Through the divine synergy of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, His power flowed effortlessly. Join us in this message to explore how we, too, can tap into the transformative power of the Word, empowered by faith and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus, a man of flesh, embodied the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. As followers, we too can unlock the fullness of God’s blessings by embracing the indwelling, guidance, and empowerment of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

At his baptism, Jesus heard the Father say three things, “You are mine, you are loved, and you bring me joy.” You and I as children of God need to know that the Father is saying the same three things to us - you are His, He does love you, and you do please Him. The first statement is our identity - we are His children. The second statement is unconditional - He will always love us. And the third statement is emotional - Your Father in heaven expresses emotion over you. Hear these words and believe them.

Just as Jesus listened to the Father's voice declaring, "You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy," it is imperative for us to internalize and embrace the truth that we belong to God, that He loves us deeply, and that we have the capacity to bring Him joy.

The Book of Luke describes many instances of Jesus eating with those that were not like Him - Pharisees, tax collectors, sinners, and others. From this we can learn that Jesus modeled hospitality, God loves strangers, and true hospitality heals.

John the Baptist came with the message, "Prepare the way of the Lord." He further challenged his hearers to surrender to the lordship of Jesus by living lives of repentance, being baptized, serving others and living a life filled with the Holy Spirit.

Luke is the only Gospel writer that tells the story of 12 year old Jesus in the temple. From this account, we can learn that Jesus, though He was the Son of God, was born humble, poor, and different than any other boy. Yet He confounded the religious teachers with His knowledge as a young man.