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. It can be reached by Zoom, too. We are now reading one of the pastor's books, called To Unite the Scattered Children of God: Hope for the Spiritual Uniting of Humanity, from Isaiah to the Present Day. Open to everyone. Personal insights and sharing welcomed. No prior knowledge needed.
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.
From Blessing of the Animals, 2020:
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.
Our folks at the School on Wheels fundraiser, May 2019:
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.
Quote of the Week:
“Surely it was intolerable to believe that all those subtle notions of sacrificial satisfaction, of justification, of substitution, had ever crossed the Saviour’s mind at all.”
— A. C. Benson, Beside Still Waters, 95
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
12-30: Debating with Scholars
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
7-14: The Word is Very Near
7-21: Hospitality
7-28: Jenny Williams's sermon:
8-11: The Real Treasure
8-18: A Better Country
More Sermons at The First Church
8-25-19: 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
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
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
8-9: 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
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
6:7 > 10-27-19
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
9:9-10 > 8-19-18, 4-14-19, 10-18-20, 3-7 & 3-21-21, 4-10-22
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 7:50 > 10-7 & 12-23-18, 1-31-21
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
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 12:13-21 > 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
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
18:1-8 > 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 18:38-42 > 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 24:10-11 > 4-12-20
24:11 > 4-4-21 24:13-32 > 4-26-20
24:32 > 1-9-22 24:35 > 4-4-21
24:38 > 4-4-21 24:47 > 5-16-21
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
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
Easter, 2021:
more sermons
2021, cont.
2-28: What Were You Arguing About?video
3-7: Overturning the Tables > video link
3-14: Falls into the Earth > video link
3-21: Not by Might > video link
3-28 (Palm Sun.): Deeply Grieved > video
4-4 Easter: Why Are You Weeping? > video
4-11: God Is Love > video link
4-18: We Will Be Like Him > video
4-25: There Will Be One Flock > video
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:
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
5-15: 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:
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:
11-27: No One Knows > video
12-4: Prepare the Way > video
12-11: The Lame Shall Leap > video
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
1-29: (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.