The First Church

The First Church. Preaching the Gospel of Jesus.

29 Howard St., P.O. Box 361, West Bridgewater, MA 02379

Sunday worship, 10:00 a.m. Established 1651

Bible study on Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. (508) 587-3118

Sunday Worship

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 and, for sermons before 8-10-24, on the pastor's YouTube channel. The pastor is unable to update his YouTube account because Google has cut off all university accounts.

Bible Studies:

We have a Bible study at the church on Thursdays, now at 10:00 am, downstairs. We are now reading the letters of Paul chronologically. Open to everyone. Personal insights and sharing welcomed.

We also have a Tuesday evening study

now at 6:30 pm at the church, also reading the letters of Paul. Come one, come all.

From Blessing of the Animals, 2020:

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.

Partial Index:

Micah
3:6 > 11-5-23 3:9-12 > 11-5-23

5:2-5 > 12-23-18

6:6-8 > 1-29-17, 2-11 & 12-23-18, 10-6-19, 1-29-23, 12-29-24
6:7 > 10-27-19, 9-15-24 6:8 > 4-16 & 8-20-23

7:1-2 > 11-5-23

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

4:10 > 12-4-22 7:10 > 3-23-25

8:16 > 1-16-22 8:16-17 > 3-23-25

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

9:9-12 > 7-9-23 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, 12-22-24 2:7 > 12-24-21

2:10 > 2-7-21 2:22-40 > 12-27-20, 12-31-23

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, 12-29-24

2:52 > 4-3-22 3:1-6 > 12-9-18, 12-8-24

3:12-17 > 12-15-24 3:15-17 > 12-16-18

3:21-23 > 1-13-19 3:18-23 > 1-12-25

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

4:18 > 12-4 & 12-11-22 , 10-29 & 12-10-23

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

4:21-30 > 1-30-22 4:24-30 > 2-3-19

4:25-27 > 3-24-24 4:29 > 8-9-20

4:44 > 12-26-21 5:1-10 > 2-23-25

5:10 > 1-24-21, 1-21-24 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

6:35-37 > 3-16-25 6:36 > 9-17-23

6:36-37 > 3-16-25 6:37 > 9-17-23

6:42 > 1-31-21 7:6-10 > 8-8-21

7:8-10 > 3-16-25

7:9 > 12-24-23, 3-24 & 5-19-24, 3-16-25

7:13 > 3-12-23

7:50 > 10-7 & 12-23-18, 1-31-21, 7-9 & 12-10-23

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, 12-10-23, 2-11-24, 4-6-25

8:16 > 12-10-23 8:17 > 2-17-19, 7-25-21

8:19 > 7-25-21 8:21 > 3-16-25

8:26 > 9-8-24 8:26-37 > 6-19-22

8:37 > 9-8-24 8:48 > 1-31-21, 12-10-23

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

9:20 > 2-27-22 9:28-36 > 2-27-22, 3-2-25

9:48 > 3-16-25 9:49 > 12-3-23

9:50 > 12-3-23 9:51-56 > 3-16-25

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

9:54 > 1-3-21 10:1 > 10-13-24

10:4-5 > 10-13-24 10:16 > 5-10-20

10:18 > 3-14-21 10:25-29 > 7-10-22

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

10:28 > 12-5-21 10:39 > 4-12-20, 4-3-22, 4-20-25

10:40-42 > 4-6-25 10:42 > 4-7-19, 4-12-20, 4-3-22

11:5-13 > 7-24-22 11:20 > 4-21 & 9-15-24

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

12:13-21 > 8-4-19

12:32 > 4-5 & 8-30-20, 9-12-21, 12-3-23, 9-15-24

12:32-36 > 8-4 & 8-11-19

13:1-5 > 3-17-19, 3-20-22, 3-23-25

13:10-17 > 8-21-22 13:11 > 6-2-24

13:14 > 6-2-24 13:15-16 > 6-2-24

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

13:31-35 > 3-17 & 12-22-19 14:1 > 9-4-22

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

15:3-7 > 6-19-22 15:7 > 3-27-22

15:8-10 > 9-15-19, 3-31-24

15:10 > 3-27-22 15:11-32 > 3-31-19, 3-27-22, 3-30-25

15:21-24 > 9-15-24 15:28 > 7-7-24

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::11-21 > 10-9-22 17:19 > 12-10-23

17:21 > 7-14 & 10-6-19, 2-18, 8-11 & 11-3-24

18:1-8 > 10-20-19 18:8 > 4-11-21

18:9-14 > 10-27-19 18:19 > 12-27-20, 11-13-22

18:25, 27 > 1-31-21 18:33 > 4-13-25

18:34 > 3-26-23 18:38-42 > 5-10-20, 4-6-25

18:42 > 10-7-18, 7-9 & 12-10-23

19:1-10 > 11-3-19, 10-30-22 19:8 > 7-23-23

19:9 > 5-10-20, 5-8-22, 7-23-23, 4-6-25

19:12-24 > 12-22-19

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

19:41-44 > 2-14-21 19:46 > 7-11-21, 8-20-23

20:27-38 > 11-10-19 21:1-4 > 1-28-24

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, 12-1-24 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

23:32 > 4-13-25 23:34 > 12-24-21, 2-20-22, 11-3-24

23:39-49 > 4-13-25 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

24:35 > 4-4-21 24:38 > 4-4-21

24:47-53 > 4-14-24

Colossians

1:15 > 5-10-20, 8-27-23

1:16 > 10-7-18, 5-24 & 8-2-20, 4-25-21, 2-13-22, 4-23-23, 7-28-24

1:27 > 12-18-22 2:3 > 12-3-23

2:7 > 12-3-23 2:9-10 > 12-22-19

3:2-3 > 2-16-25 3:3 > 4-17-22

3:10 > 8-9-20 3:12-14 > 2-16-25

3:12-17 > 1-6-19, 12-26-21 3:22 > 9-8-19

James

1:2 > 6-9-24 1:5 > 6-9-24

1:5-6 > 7-21-24 1:15 > 9-10-23

1:17 > 1-2-22 1:17-21 > 9-1-24

1:22 > 9-30-18, 7-14-19 1:27 > 9-30-18

2:1-5 > 9-8-24 2:12-18 > 9-30-18

2:17 > 9-8-24 2:20 > 9-26-21

2:24 > 9-26-21 3:1 > 9-15-24

3:1-6 > 9-16-18 3:3-9 > 9-12-21

3:4-10 > 9-15-24 3:9-11 > 10-7-18

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

3:16-4:3 > 9-19-21, 9-15-24 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 5:16-20 > 9-29-24

Easter, 2021:

More Sermons at The First Church

2020, cont.

2-2: The Meek Will Inherit

2-9: Let Your Light Shine

2-16: First Be Reconciled

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

6-14: Freely You Received

7-5: Revealed to Infants

7-12: It Shall Not Return to Me Empty

7-26: A Pearl of Great Value

8-2: Increasing and Yielding

8-9: Where Are Prophets without Honor?

8-16: From the Heart

8-20: 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

11-22: 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

1-17: 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?

4-11: God Is Love > video

4-18: We Will Be Like Him > video

4-25: There Will Be One Flock > video

5-2: Abide in Me > video

5-9: I Call You Friends > video

5-23 Pentecost: 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: It 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

10-10: Who Then Can Be Saved? > video

10-24: Call Him Here > 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

12-19: 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

1-16: 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

3-20: 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

5-8: Our God > video

5-29: You Have Loved Them > video

6-5: The Father Is in Me > video

6-19: Those Who Did Not Seek Me > 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

8-14: Reckoned Righteous > video

8-21: Be Set Free > video

9-4: They Cannot Repay You > video

9-18: Faithful in a Little > 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

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

11-13: Be Not Led Astray > video

11-20: Joyce Marble's sermon:

The Trinity

12-4: Prepare the Way > video

12-11: The Lame Shall Leap > video

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.

Our folks at the School on Wheels fundraiser, May 2024:

2022, cont.:

12-18: The Obedience of Faith > video

12-24: What Child Is This? > video

2023:

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

2-26: 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

4-7 (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: In the Names > video

6-11: Mercy Not Sacrifice > video

6-18: Your Faith > video

6-25: A Resurrection Like His > video

7-2: Slaves to Righteousness > video

7-9: Revealed to Infants > video

7-16: God's Will Be Done > video

7-23: You Judge with Mildness > video

7-30: What Is New and What Is Old > video

8-6: Milk without Money > video

8-13: A Still Small Voice > video

8-20: I Will Gather Others > video

8-27: What Is Good and Perfect > video

9-3: Showing Honor > video

9-10: The Three-Step Method > video

9-17: Having Mercy > video

9-24: The Daily Wage > video

10-1: I Go, Sir > video

10-8: Give Him the Produce > video

10-15: A Feast for All Peoples > video

10-22: Joyce Marable's sermon:

The Gospel of Thomas

10-29: Whose Son Is He? > video

11-5: All Brothers > video

11-12: The Dead in Christ > video

11-26: You Gave Me Food > video

12-3: Any Spiritual Gift > video

12-10: One Coming > video

12-17: What Is Sown > video

12-24: Hope of the Magi > video

12-31: The Consolation of Israel > video

2024

1-7: Heavens Torn Apart > video

1-14: We Have Found Him > video

1-21: A Prophet Like Moses > video

1-28: Was Tested > video

2-4: Become All Things > video

2-11: The Face of Jesus Christ > video

2-18: The Kingdom Is Near > video

2-25: Faith As Righteousness > video

3-3: Zeal for Your House > video

3-10: Saved by Grace > video

3-17: The Law Within > video

3-24: The Gate of the Lord > video

(Easter): The Holy Spirit w/ Power > video

4-7: Peace Be with You > video

4-14: The Messiah's Name > video

4-21:Our Hearts Do Not Condemn Us > video

4-28: Sharon Fenn's sermon:

Do You Trust God?

5-5: Faith Conquers the World > video

5-12: Joy Made Complete > video

5-19 (Pentec.): What Does This Mean? > video

5-26: Born from Above > video

6-2: Sabbath Made for Humankind > video

6-9: Being Renewed > video

6-16: The Seed Would Sprout > video

6-23: He Made the Storm Be Still > video

6-30: Created for Incorruption > video

7-7: My Grace Is Sufficient > video

7-14: Gather Up All Things > video

7-21: Compassionate Leadership > video

7-28: From Whom Every Family > video

8-4: The Bread of God > video

From here onward, clicking "video" causes a box to pop up asking you to log into Facebook. Just close that box, and you can then watch the video.

8-11: Taught by God > video

8-18: Wisdom Sets a Table > video

8-25: My Words Are Spirit > video

9-1: What Comes Out > video

9-8: For Saying That > video

9-15: Who Do You Say? > video

9-22: You Ask Wrongly > video

9-29:A Deed of Power > video

10-6: Life and Growth > video

10-13: Able to Sympathize > video

10-27: The Law Was Weak > video

11-3: With All Your Heart > video

11-10: Hope for Widows > video

11-17: Not Led Astray > video

11-24: Joyce Marble's sermon:

Worry Not

12-1: Times of the Gentiles > video

12-8: Love May Overflow > video

12-15: Filled with Expectation > video

12-22: His Mercy > video

12-29: My Father's Business > video

2025:

1-5: The Word Became Flesh > video

1-12: You Are My Son > video

1-19: My Hour Has Not Yet Come > video

1-26: Reading Out > video

2-2: Many Widows > video

2-9: If Christ Has Not Been Raised > video

2-16: Bear the Image > video

2-23: Woe Is Me > video

3-2: Seeing the Glory > video

3-9: In Your Heart > video

3-16: The Power of Glory > video

3-23: It Shall Accomplish > video

3-30: Has Come to Life > video

4-6: Something New > video

4-13 Palm Sun.: I Commend My Spirit > video

4-20 Easter: Doing Good and Healing > video

5-4: Scales Fell from His Eyes > video

5-11: (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.

Quote of the Week:

“Love cannot be abstractly spiritual, blind to the concrete personality as a whole; it must embrace both the spirit and the soul and be based upon the union of these two principles. The spiritual principle abstracted and isolated from the soul and the body cannot give rise to love for a living being. Love means descent of the spirit into soul and body.”

— Nikolas Berdyaev, The Destiny of Man, 188–89

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
8-19: That I Should Lose Nothing
9-16: Divine Things
9-23: First Pure
9-30: Whoever Is Not against Us