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.
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.
Pastor
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 at home and posts it 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.
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.
Quote of the Week:
“Our whole Christian life is then a life of union with the Holy Spirit and fidelity to the divine will in the depths of our being. Therefore it is a life of truth, of utter spiritual sincerity, and by that token it implies heroic humility.”
— Thomas Merton, Life and Holiness, 68
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
1:33 > 12-6-20 1:35-45 > 12-20-20
1:39-53 > 12-22-19 2:22-40 > 12-27-20
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 3:7-9 > 1-10-21
3:15-17 > 12-16-18 3:21-23 > 1-13-19
4:16-21 > 8-19 & 12-30-18, 2-3-19 4:18, 21 > 1-10-21
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
9:54 > 1-3 & 1-10-21 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
12:28 > 1-10-21 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 18:19 > 12-27-20
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
2-23: 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: One Like a Son of Man > video link
12-6: Prepare the Way > video link
12-13: Cause to Spring Up > video link
12-20: She Who Believed > video link
12-24: The Whole Life
12-27: Living on Hope > video link
2021
1-3: He Has Made Him Known > video
1-10: Why the Baptism? < video link
1-17: Baptizes with the Holy Spirit > video
1-24: (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
2-9: Let Your Light Shine
2-16: First Be Reconciled