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.
Bible Studies:
We have a Bible study on Thursdays, at 10:30 am. It has resumed at the church, downstairs with social distancing and masks. It also can be accessed by Zoom. We are reading Isaiah.
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.
Sunday Worship
We have resumed in-church services, limited to 25 in the sanctuary and 25 in Fellowship Hall, with mandatory mask-wearing. The service is also broadcast on the radio (only within a half-mile of the church) on 102.9. Come join us at 10:00 am. Wear a mask.
The pastor also pre-records the sermon and posts it at Facebook.com/Stephen.Finlan1. You can click on the video that'll be there. Video links of the most recent sermons are also posted here.
Quote of the Week:
“When Jesus said, ‘You must go and learn what this saying means, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice”’ (Hos. 6:6), there is nothing to show that the disciples sensed his meaning . . . The saying [was] repeated twice (Mt. 9:13; 12:7) . . . Apparently no one took the trouble to note that Jesus was challenging his hearers to try to realize what Hosea meant when he declared that God had no use for sacrifices but in their stead desired only right human conduct.”
— Leroy Waterman, The Religion of Jesus, 97-98
Harvest Marketplace
Our Harvest Marketplace was a great success, drawing in over $7,500. Thanks for helping us with the work of the church. Contributions to the church can be sent to P.O. Box 361, West Bridgewater, MA 02379.
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, 10-18-20
12:10 > 1-27-19
Luke
1:39-53 > 12-22-19 2:25-36 > 12-24-19
2:30 > 7-26-20 2:38 > 7-26-20
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 4:29 > 8-9-20
5:31-32 > 9-15-19 6:17 > 6-14-20
6:17-21 > 2-17-19 6:27-36 > 2-17-19
6:35-36 > 9-9-18, 6-28-20
7:50 > 10-7 & 12-23-18 8:15 > 10-7-18
8:17 > 2-17-19 9:4 > 6-14-20
9:52 > 6-14-20 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 & 8-30-20 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 18:8 > 7-19-20
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 24:10-11 > 4-12-20
24:13-32 > 4-26-20 24:49-52 > 6-16-19
Colossians
1:15 > 5-10 & 6-28-20 1:16 > 10-7-18, 5-24 & 8-2-20
2:9-10 > 12-22-19 2:15 > 8-26-18
3:3-4 > 6-21-20 3:10 > 8-9-20
3:12-17 > 1-6-19 3:22 > 9-8-19
James
1:17-22 > 9-2 & 9-30-18, 7-14 & 12-1-19, 6-28-20
1:27 > 9-2 & 9-30-18 3:9-11 > 10-7-18
2:12-18 > 9-9 & 9-30-18
2:24 > 6-28-20 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
12-23: To Love Kindness
12-24: What Child Is This?
12-30: Debating with Scholars
1-6: The Word Dwells in You Richly
1-13: I Will Be with You
more sermons
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: I Will Pour Out My Spirit
6-7: Make Disciples
6-14: Freely You Received
6-21: Everything Secret Will Be Known
6-28: A Cup of Water
7-5: Revealed to Infants
7-12: It Shall Not Return to Me Empty
7-19: Groaning for Redemption
7-26: A Pearl of Great Value
8-9: Where Are Prophets w/o Honor?
8-16: From the Heart
8-23: The Living God
8-30: Even the Dogs
9-6: Regaining That One >
9-13: Live to the Lord > video link
9-20: May Not Perish > video link
9-27: Change Your Minds > video link
10-4: To Collect His Produce > video link
10-11: Invite Everyone > video link
10-18: Not the Son of David > video link
10-25: Render to God > video link
11-1: One Father > video link
11-8: Reveals His Thoughts > video link
11-15 (at home): Friends of God > video link
11-22: The Least of These > video link
11-29: (not yet)
Links to Pastor Steve's books
browse Salvation Not Purchased: Overcoming the Ransom Idea to Rediscover the Original Gospel Teaching
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
1-27-19: 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
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