Our folks at the School on Wheels fundraiser, May 2019:

Bible Study:​​

  We have a Bible study at the church on Thursdays, now at 10:00 am, downstairs with social distancing but with no mask requirement. We have resumed reading the pastor's book, To Unite the Scattered Children of God. Open to everyone. Personal insights and sharing welcomed. No prior knowledge needed. No meeting on May 25.

Sunday Worship

In-church services take place at 10 a.m. on Sundays. Those who are vaccinated need not wear masks. 

  The pastor pre-records the sermon at home and posts it Sunday morning at Facebook.com/Stephen.Finlan1. You can click on the videos that'll be there. Video links of the most recent sermons are also posted here. Or go to my YouTube channel.

Pastor

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.

From Blessing of the Animals, 2020:

​ ​


Quote of the Week:

“May the hand of God protect us. May the way of God direct us.
May the shield of God defend us. May the host of God guard us.
     —Against the snares of the evil ones,
   —Against temptations of the world.
May Christ be with us! May Christ be before us!
May Christ be in us, Christ be over all!”  ​          

— Saint Patrick


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

Bible study on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. 

READ A SERMONClick 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

12-30: Debating with Scholars

2019

1-6: 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

7-7: The Dust of Your Town

7-14: The Word is Very Near

7-21: Hospitality

7-28: Jenny Williams's sermon:

    For the Beauty of the Earth

8-4: How Can I Give You Up?

8-11: The Real Treasure

8-18: A Better Country

8-25: Warren Turner's sermon:

​   The Jesus Ethic

9-1: Repairer of the Breach

9-8: You Will Do Even More

9-15: A Broken Spirit

9-22: Faithful in a Little

9-29: The Good Fight


More Sermons at The First Church

10-6-19: 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

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:

    Lead Me Not into Temptation

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

4-12 (Easter): There They Will See Me > video

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

8-2: Increasing and Yielding

8-9: Where Are Prophets without Honor?

8-16: From the Heart

8-23: The Living God

8-20: Even the Dogs

9-6: Regaining That One > video link

9-13: Live to the Lord > video link

9-20: May Not Perish > video

​9-27: Change Your Minds > video

10-4: To Collect His Produce > video

10-11: ​Invite Everyone? > video

10-18: Not the Son of David > video

10-25: Render to God > video

11-1: One Father > video

11-8: Reveals His Thoughts > video

11-15 (at home): Friends of God > video

11-22: The Least of These > video

11-29: One Like a Son of Man > video

12-6: Prepare the Way > video

12-13: Cause to Spring Up > video

12-20: She Who Believed > video

12-24: The Whole Life

12-27: Living on Hope > video

2021:

1-3: He Has Made Him Known > video

1-10: Why the Baptism? > video​

1-17: Baptizes with the Holy Spirit > video

1-24: Drop What You're Doing > video

1-31: Teaching with Authority > video

2-7: In Whom There Is No Deceit > video

2-14: Many Who Were Sick > video

2-17: The Moth Does Not Consume > video

2-21: Sharon Fenn's sermon:

    Search for the Rainbow in your Heart

2-28: What Were You Arguing about? > video

3-7: Overturning the Tables > video

3-14: Falls into the Earth > video

3-21: Not by Might > video

3-28: (Palm Sun.): Deeply Grieved > video

4-4 (Easter): Why Are You Weeping? > video

4-11: God Is Love > video

4-18: We Will Be Like Him > video

4-25: There Will Be One Flock > video


Partial Index:

​Micah
1:6 > 9-25-22                               1:16 > 9-25-22

2:9 > 11-7-21                               3:3 > 6-16-19               
6:6-8 > 1-29-17, 2-11 & 12-23-18, 10-6-19, 1-29-23
6:7 > 10-27-19                              6:8 > 4-16-23

Zechariah
​4:2 > 12-4-22                       4:6 > 1-29-17, 7-15-18, 1-9-22

4:10 > 12-4-22                     8:16 > 1-16-22

9:9 > 4-2-23

9:9-10 > 8-19-18, 4-14-19, 10-18-20, 3-7 & 3-21-21, 4-10-22

9:10 > 4-2-23                       12:10 > 1-27-19

Luke
1:26-32 > 12-18-22                1:33 > 12-6-20

1:35 > 2-7-21                         1:35-45 > 12-20-20

1:38 > 12-18-22                     1:39-45 > 12-19-21

1:39-53 > 12-22-19                2:7 > 12-24-21

2:10 > 2-7-21                         2:21-39 > 1-1-23

2:22-40 > 12-27-20               2:25-32 > 7-18-21

2:25-36 > 12-24-19                2:30 > 7-26-20

2:38 > 7-26-20                       2:41-52 > 12-26-21

2:42-52 > 12-30-18                2:52 > 4-3-22

3:1-6 > 12-9-18                      3:7-9 > 1-10-21

3:12-18 > 12-12-21                3:15-17 > 12-16-18

3:21-23 > 1-13-19                  4:1-13 > 3-6-22

4:16-21 > 8-19 & 12-30-18, 2-3-19

4:18 > 12-4 & 12-11-22            4:18-19 > 1-10-21, 1-30-22

4:21 > 1-10-21, 1-30 & 12-11-22      4:21-30 > 1-30-22

4:24-30 > 9-9-18, 2-3-19          4:29 > 8-9-20

4:44 > 12-26-21                        5:10 > 1-24 & 12-12-21

5:21 > 1-8-23                            5:23-25 > 1-8-23

5:31 > 6-27-21                          5:31-32 > 9-15-19                    5:32 > 10-30-22                       6:17 > 6-14-20, 1-30-22

6:17-21 > 2-17-19                    6:17-23 > 2-13-22

6:20 > 3-21-21                         6:26 > 2-13-22

6:27-28 > 2-20-22                   6:27-36 > 2-17-19                    ​6:31-38 > 2-20-22                    6:35 |> 1-2-22

6:35-36 > 9-9-18, 6-28-20        6:42 > 1-31-21

7:9 > 1-9-22                            7:13 > 3-12-23

7:50 > 10-7 & 12-23-18, 1-31-21      8:2-3 > 4-9-23

8:15 > 10-7 & 10-21-18, 2-7, 6-20, 8-15 & 8-22-21, 4-10-22

8:17 > 2-17-19, 7-25-21, 7-31-22        8:19 > 7-25-21

8:26-37 > 6-19-22                  8:48 > 1-31-21

8:50 > 4-30-23                       9:4 > 6-14-20

9:20 > 2-27-22                       9:28-36 > 2-27-22

9:49-50 > 5-15-22                  9:51-56 > 6-26-22

9:52 > 6-14-20                       9:52-55 > 1-28-18

9:54 > 1-3 & 1-10-21            10:1 > 7-3-22

10:5-11 > 7-7-19                    10:16 > 5-10-20

10:16-19 > 7-3-22                  10:18 > 3-14-21

10:18-20 > 8-26-18, 7-7-19       10:25-29 > 7-10-22           

10:25-37 > 9-9-18, 7-14-19, 7-10 & 9-4-22

10:28 > 12-5-21                       10:39 > 4-12-20, 4-3-22

10:42 > 4-7-19, 4-12-20, 4-3-22     11:5-13 > 7-24-22

11:50-51 > 3-17-19                   12:4 > 4-30-23

12:13-21 > 8-4-19, 7-31-22        12:28 > 1-10-21

12:32 > 4-5 & 8-30-20, 9-12-21    

12:32-36 > 8-4 & 8-11-19         12:32-37 > 8-7-22

13:1-5 > 3-17-19, 3-20-22         13:10-17 > 8-21-22

13:20-21 > 9-8-19                     13:30 > 9-19-21

13:31-35 > 3-17 & 12-22-19, 3-13-22

13:34 > 7-3-22                          14:1 > 9-4-22

14:7-11 > 9-22-19                      14:7-14 > 9-4-22

15:1-10 > 9-11-22                      15:3-7 > 6-19-22

15:7 > 3-27-22                           15:8-10 > 9-15-19

15:10 > 3-27-22                         15:11-32 > 3-31-19, 3-27-22

16:1-13 > 9-18-22                      16:8 > 1-2-22, 2-5-23

16:10-13 > 9-22-19                   17:1-4 > 10-2-22

17:11-19 > 10-13-19                  17:11-21 > 10-9-22

17:21 > 8-12-18, 7-14 & 10-6-19      18:1 > 2-19-23
​18:1-8 > 10-20-19, 1-1-23        18:8 > 7-19-20, 4-11-21

18:9-14 > 10-27-19, 10-23-22     

18:19 > 12-27-20, 10-3-21, 11-13-22

18:25, 27 > 1-31-21                 18:34 > 3-26-23

18:38-42 > 5-10-20                  18:42 > 10-7-18                      

19:1-10 > 11-3-19, 11-7-21, 10-30-22

19:9 > 5-10-20, 5-8-22            19:12-24 > 12-22-19

19:29-40 > 4-14-19                  19:35-40 > 4-10-22

19:41-44 > 2-14-21                   19:44 > 3-13-22

19:46 > 7-11-21                  20:27-38 > 11-10-19, 11-6-22

21:2-4 > 7-11-21                       21:5-6 > 11-28-21

21:5-8 > 11-13-22                     21:20 > 11-28-21

21:20-24 > 11-13-22                 21:25-27 > 11-28-21

22:31-34 > 4-5-20                     22:43 > 2-7-21

22:54-62 > 4-5-20                      22:61 > 1-28-18

23:34 > 12-1-19, 12-24-21, 2-20-22

23:43 > 12-1-19                        23:46 > 4-7-23

24:10-11 > 4-12-20                   24:11 > 4-4-21

24:13-32 > 4-26-20                    24:13-35 > 4-16-23

24:32 > 1-9-22                           24:35 > 4-4-21

24:38 > 4-4-21

24:47 > 5-16-21, 4-2-23            24:49-52 > 6-16-19

Colossians

​1:15 > 5-10 & 6-28-20           

1:16 > 10-7-18, 5-24 & 8-2-20, 4-25 & 5-16-21, 2-13-22, 6-12-22, 4-23-23

1:19 > 5-16-21, 5-22-22             1:27 > 12-18-22

2:9 > 5-16-21                              2:9-10 > 12-22-19

2:10 > 7-3-22                          2:15 > 8-26-18, 5-16-21, 7-3-22

3:3 > 4-17 & 5-22-22                          3:3-4 > 6-21-20

3:10 > 8-9-20                          3:12-17 > 1-6-19, 12-26-21

3:22 > 9-8-19


James

1:17 > 12-1-19, 6-28-20, 1-2-22

1:17-22 > 9-2-18                     1:22 > 9-30-18, 7-14-19

1:27 > 9-2 & 9-30-18             2:12-18 > 9-9 & 9-30-18

2:20 > 9-26-21                        ​2:24 > 6-28-20, 9-26-21

3:1-6 > 9-16-18                       ​3:16-17 > 7-15 & 9-23 & 9-30-18

3:9-11 > 10-7-18                     3:16-4:3 > 9-19-21

4:1-8 > 7-15 & 9-23-18                   4:7-8 > 9-19-21
5:13-20 > 9-30-18​​, 9-26-21       5:16 > 2-12-23


Easter, 2021:

more sermons

​2021, cont.

5-2: Abide in Me > video link

5-9: I Call You Friends > video link

5-16: The Fullness > video 

5-23: He Will Declare It to You > video

5-30: Born of the Spirit > video

6-6: My Mother and My Brothers > video

6-13: Jenny Williams's sermon:Be Kind

6-20: It Grows, He Knows Not How > video

6-27: Wholesome Forces > video

7-4: A Prophet Among Them > video

7-11: Troubling Prophets > video

7-18: Sheep without a Shepherd > video

7-25: Take Him by Force > video

8-1: Give Us This Bread > video

8-8: The Bread of Life > video

8-15: Wisdom Was There > video

8-22: Is Is from Within > video

8-29: Spirit That Gives Life > video

9-5: Jenny Williams's sermon: United

9-12: No Magical Escape > video

9-19: One Such Child > video

9-26: A Cup of Water > video

10-3: The Imprint of God > video

10-10: Then Who Can Be Saved? > video

10-17: It Is Not So Among You > video

10-24; Call Him Here > video

10-31: No Other Commandment > video

11-7: Widows' Houses > video

11-14: When Will This Be? > video

11-21: Jenny Williams's sermon:

      On Being Thankful, part 2

11-28: A Righteous Branch > video

12-5: Spiritual Milk > video

12-12: The Wells of Salvation > video

12-19: I Will Write Them on Their Minds

        > video

12-24: Compassion for Others

12-26: All Were Amazed > video

2022:

1-2: The World Came into Being > video

1-9: Wisdom Made Known > video

1-16: His First Sign > video

1-23: Release to the Captives > video

1-30: Many Lepers > video

2-6: Love Hopes All Things > video

2-13: Blessed Are You Who Weep > video

2-20: Be Merciful > video

2-27: Being Transformed > video

3-6: The Temptation > video

3-13: I Have Desired > video

3-20: Neither He Nor His Parents > video

3-27: Like a Hired Hand > video

4-3: Leave Her Alone > video

4-10: Command Peace > video

4-15 (Good Friday): My God, My God

4-17 (Easter): Say to Them > video

4-24: The Doors Were Locked > video

5-1: Jump in the Lake > video

5-8: Our God > video

5-15: Love One Another > video

5-22: The Advocate > video

5-29: You Have Loved Them > video

6-5: The Father Is in Me > video

6-12: All the Truth > video

6-19: Those Who Did Not Seek Me > video

6-26: The Fruit of the Spirit > video

7-3: As a Mother > video

7-10: Which Was a Neighbor? > video

7-17: Sharon Fenn's sermon:

      What a Friend We Have in Jesus

7-24: Persistence > video

7-31: Vanity of Vanities > video

8-7: Purses That Do Not Wear Out > video

8-14: Reckoned Righteous > video

8-21: Be Set Free > video

9-4: They Cannot Repay You > video

9-11: Finding the Lost > video

9-18: Faithful in a Little > video

9-25: The Love of Money > video

10-2: No Offense > video

10-9: The Kingdom Within > video

10-16: Jean Upton's Sermon:

      Don't You Think It's Time

10-23: We Have Sinned > video

10-30: To Seek Out and to Save > video

11-6: I Myself Shall See > video

11-13: Be Not Led Astray > video

11-20: Joyce Marble's Sermon:

     The Trinity

11-27: No One Knows > video

12-4: Prepare the Way > video

12-11: The Lame Shall Leapvideo

12-18: The Obedience of Faith > video

12-24: What Child Is This? > video 

2023:

1-1: Falling and Rising of Many > video

1-8: That Message Spread > video

1-15: Only Speak the Word > video

​1-22: Follow Me > video

1-29: Blessed Are the Merciful > video

2-5: Practice What You Preach > video

2-12: Be Reconciled to Your Brother > video

2-19: That Voice > video

2-26: Worship the Lord > video

3-5: Born of the Spirit > video

3-12: The Hour Is Coming > video

3-19: The Sassy Blind Man > video

3-26: I Am the Resurrection > video

4-2 (Palm Sun.): Mounted on a Donkey > video

4-7 (Good Friday): Into Your Hands

4-9 (Easter): Do Not Hold on to Me > video

4-16: Our Hearts Burning > video

4-23: God Raised Him Up > video

4-30: He Did Not Threaten > video

5-7: Show Us the Father > video

5-14: In Him We Live > video

5-21: Alta Pratt's sermon:

    In God's Time, We'll Understand

5-28: I Pour Out My Spirit > video

6-4: (not yet)



Links to Pastor Steve's books

browse To Unite the Scattered Children of God

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

a chapter from 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.