First Church Sermons

Do you want to be great? James and John did. In this message from Mark 10:35-45, Pastor Tag looks at the day the two brothers (and their mother) asked Jesus for the seats of honor in His kingdom. Jesus’ answer still surprises us: “You do not know what you’re asking.”

Would you sell everything you own for one pearl? In this message from Matthew 13:44-46, Pastor Tag looks at Jesus' short parable about a merchant who finds something so valuable that he gives up all he has to get it.

What does true freedom in Christ actually look like? In this message from Galatians 5:13-26, Pastor Bob unpacks Paul's call to God's people: "You were called to be free... but serve one another humbly in love." Freedom isn't license to indulge ourselves — it's freedom for love.

She was the last person anyone would expect Jesus to choose. In this message from John 4:4-30, Joe Marks unpacks the story of the Samaritan woman at the well — a Jesus-initiated appointment that crosses every cultural, social, and religious boundary of the day.

What do you do when the wine runs out — when you've reached the point of complete emptiness, not just running low? Guest speaker Tiont Williams brings a powerful message from John 2:1-11, the wedding at Cana, speaking directly to anyone entering the last stretch of the year running on empty.

Is there a simple, repeatable formula for a successful Christian life? Pastor Tag says yes — and finds it packed into just seven verses of Psalm 37. Like stones across a creek, four key words carry us step by step: Trust, Delight, Commit, and Rest.

Stress and pressure are part of life — but the Apostle Paul, writing from some of the hardest circumstances imaginable, gives us four vivid pictures for facing them in 2 Corinthians 4. Pastor Tag walks through Paul's own words describing his emotional and physical struggles, pairing each hardship with its counterbalance and a striking illustration drawn straight from the ancient world:

What does it actually mean to represent Jesus Christ to the world? In this message from 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Pastor Tag unpacks the striking fact that Paul uses the word "ambassador" — and what it means for every believer who carries that title.

What did Jesus actually mean when He told Nicodemus, "You must be born again"? In this message from John 3, Joe Marks unpacks a phrase that's often misunderstood — both by the world and by the church. Nicodemus was successful, respected, and rule-following — nothing like the "dramatic turnaround" story we usually picture. So why did Jesus use this language with him?

In one of the most unique moments in the Gospels, Jesus combines a short parable with a miracle — and the lesson goes far deeper than a temple tax. Pastor Tag walks through Matthew 17:24-27, where tax collectors ask Peter if Jesus pays the two-drachma temple tax. Jesus' response — a brief teaching on kings, sons, and taxation — leads to one of the most understated yet profound miracles in Scripture: a coin found in the mouth of a fish, in the exact amount needed.