Pastor
The First Church. Preaching the Gospel of Jesus.
29 Howard St., West Bridgewater, MA Established 1651.
Sunday worship, 10:00 a.m. (508) 587-3118
Different Bible studies on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Our folks at the School on Wheels fundraiser, May 2019:
Pastor Steve Finlan (MTS, Boston University, 2013; Ph.D. University of Durham, 2004) began serving at First Church in August 2018. Some of his sermons are posted below.
United by love and guided by the teachings of Jesus,we maintain a
welcoming house for the worship of God.
We study the Bible, and teach in Spirit and in truth. We seek to build
a sustaining and caring community of faith. Reflecting our
history, we have affiliation with both the UCC and the UUA.
Bible Studies:
We have two Bible studies on Thursdays, at 10:30 am and 1:00 pm. The morning session is studying Galatians, and the afternoon study is reading Acts of the Apostles. We will do these studies by Zoom for the time being. I'll invite church members. Or write me at sfinlan@bu.edu. You can download Zoom for free at zoom.us
Quote of the Week:
“The perfect Christian is not one who is necessarily impeccable and beyond all moral weakness; but he is one who, because his eyes are enlightened to know the full dimensions of the mercy of Christ, is no longer troubled by the sorrows and frailties of this present life. . . For such men, true lovers of God, all things, whether they appear good or evil, are in actuality good. . . All things enable them to grow in love.” — Thomas Merton, Life and Holiness, 118–19
Sunday Worship
Church is suspended for now. Be cautious and keep safe!
The pastor is doing a sermon, song, and prayer on Facebook Live every Sunday at 10:00. If you can go to Facebook.com/Stephen.Finlan1 , you should be able to see the live stream, or come back later and click on the video that'll be there. Starting June 21 we plan to do our Sunday services by Zoom. You need to be on our email list to get the invite.
Partial Index:
Micah
3:3 > 6-16-19
6:6-8 > 1-29-17, 2-11 & 12-23-18, 10-6-19
6:7 > 10-27-19
Zechariah
4:6 > 7-15-18 9:9-10 > 8-19-18, 4-14-19
12:10 > 1-27-19
Luke
1:39-53 > 12-22-19 2:25-36 > 12-24-19
2:42-52 > 12-30-18 3:1-6 > 12-9-18
3:15-17 > 12-16-18 3:21-23 > 1-13-19
4:16-21 > 8-19 & 12-30-18, 2-3-19
4:24-30 > 9-9-18, 2-3-19 5:31-32 > 9-15-19
6:17-21 > 2-17-19
6:27-36 > 9-9-18, 2-17-19 7:50 > 10-7 & 12-23-18
8:15 > 10-7-18 8:17 > 2-17-19
9:52-55 > 1-28-18 10:5-11 > 7-7-19
10:16 > 5-10-20 10:18-20 > 8-26-18, 7-7-19
10:25-37 > 9-9-18, 7-14-19
10:39 > 4-12-20 10:42 > 4-7-19, 4-12-20
11:50-51 > 3-17-19 12:13-21 > 8-4-19
12:32 > 4-5-20 12:32-36 > 8-4 & 8-11-19
13:1-5 > 3-17-19 13:20-21 > 9-8-19
13:31-35 > 3-17 & 12-22-19 14:7-11 > 9-22-19
15:8-10 > 9-15-19 15:11-32 > 3-31-19
16:10-13 > 9-22-19 17:11-19 > 10-13-19
17:21 > 8-12-18, 7-14 & 10-6-19
18:1-8 > 10-20-19 18:9-14 > 10-27-19
18:38-42 > 5-10-20 18:42 > 10-7-18
19:1-10 > 11-3-19 19:9 > 5-10-20
19:12-24 > 12-22-19 19:29-40 > 4-14-19
20:27-38 > 11-10-19 22:31-34 > 4-5-20
22:54-62 > 4-5-20 22:61 > 1-28-18
23:34 > 12-1-19 23:43 > 12-1-19
24:10 > 4-12-20 24:11 > 4-12-20
24:13-32 > 4-26-20 24:49-52 > 6-16-19
Colossians
1:16 > 10-7-18, 5-24-20 2:9-10 > 12-22-19
2:15 > 8-26-18 3:12-17 > 1-6-19
3:22 > 9-8-19
James
1:17-22, 27 > 9-2 & 9-30-18, 7-14 & 12-1-19
2:12-18 > 9-9 & 9-30-18
2:9-11 > 10-7-18 3:1-6 > 9-16-18
3:16-17 > 7-15 & 9-23 & 9-30-18 4:1-8 > 7-15 & 9-23-18
5:13-20 > 9-30-18
READ A SERMON: Click on a title. A tab will open at far lower left of screen. Click on that to open the Word file.
2017:
1-29: The Pure in Heart
3-19: In Spirit and in Truth
10-22: Forgive, Hand It On
2018:
1-21: Pour Out Your Heart
1-28: No Deceit
2-11: Healing the Broken Hearted
SERMONS AT THE FIRST CHURCH:
7-8: Who Does He Think He Is?
7-15: Righteousness and Peace Will Kiss
8-5: Bread from Heaven
8-12: Be Imitators of God
8-19: That I Should Lose Nothing
8-26: What Gives Life
9-2: Be Doers
9-9: Children or Dogs?
9-16: Divine Things
9-23: First Pure
9-30: Whoever Is Not against Us
10-7: Created the Worlds
10-21: Lord It Over
10-28: May the Lord Deal Kindly w/ you (Ruth)
11-4: Love 'm Both?
11-18: Shine Like the Stars
11-25: The Letter and the Spirit
12-2: With the Clouds
12-9: All Flesh: The Theme of Peace
12-16: With All Joy
more sermons
11-3: A Son of Abraham
11-10: My Redeemer Liveth!
11-17: Rivers of Living Water
12-1: While It Is Day
12-8: Fulfills the Law
12-15: The Least in the Kingdom
12-22: Scattered the Proud
12-24: From the East
12-29: The Fear of Death
2020:
1-5: Children of God
1-12: To Fulfill All Righteousness
1-19: Arise and Shine
1-26: The Time Is Fulfilled
2-2: The Meek Will Inherit
2-9: Let Your Light Shine
2-16: First Be Reconciled
2-23: My Holy Hill
3-1: Joseph Aoude's sermon:
3-8: Born Again
3-15: Gushing Up
3-22: Who Sinned?
3-29: Speaking the Truth
4-5: The Sheep Will Be Scattered >
> video link
4-12: There They Will See Me
4-19: Suffer Trials
4-26: Burning within Us
5-3: They Know His Voice
5-10: If You Know Me
5-17: Another Advocate
5-24:Taken Up from You
5-31: (not yet)
Links to Pastor Steve's books
browse The Family Metaphor in Jesus' Teaching
browse Bullying in the Churches
a chapter from Problems with Atonement
chapter The Apostle Paul & the Pauline Tradition
excerpt from Sacrifice and Atonement: Psychological Motives and Biblical Patterns
Link to writings at ResearchGate.
Link to writings at Academia.edu
Steve's email: sfinlan@bu.edu
Link to Steve's own website, with more sermons, book links, and research links.
More Sermons at The First Church
Newly added: Warren's Aug. 25 sermon
12-23: To Love Kindness
12-24: What Child Is This?
12-30: Debating with Scholars
1-6-19: The Word Dwells in You Richly
1-13: I Will Be with You
1-27: Drink of One Spirit
2-3: To Proclaim Release
2-17: Be . . . As Your Father
2-24: A Spiritual Body
3-3: From One Degree of Glory to Another
3-6 (Ash Wed.): Too Great a Burden
3-10: Hearts and Mouths
3-17: Under His Wing
3-24: Spiritual Drink
3-31: We Had to Celebrate
4-7: Con-Formed
4-14: A New Thing
4-19 (Good Friday): Who He Is
4-21 (Easter): My Father and Your Father
4-28: Swallow Up Death
5-5: Feed My Sheep
5-12: I Will Comfort You: Hear My Voice
5-19: Alpha and Omega
6-2: The Secret of Unity
6-9 (Pentecost): The Spirit of Truth
6-16: Was Carried Up
6-23: Jew or Greek
6-30: For Freedom
7-14: The Word Is Very Near
7-21: Hospitality
7-28: Jenny Williams's sermon:
8-11: The Real Treasure
8-18: A Better Country
8-25: Warren Turner's sermon:
9-15: A Broken Spirit
9-22: Faithful in a Little
9-29: The Good Fight
10-6: The Kingdom Within
10-13: Cleansing or Saving?
10-20: Build Houses
10-27: Other Rogues