The First Church

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.

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

From Blessing of the Animals, 2020:

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 are now reading passages from the current issue of Upper Room. Open to everyone. Personal insights and sharing welcomed. The Zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84534175240?pwd=dFkvQzVOdFRDOXZiYWVla1h5QUt1QT09 If they ask for a passcode, it's 527525 (but they probably won't).

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:

 Quote of the Week:

“God be in my head, and in my understanding; God be in my eyes, and in my looking; God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking; God be at my end and at my departing.” — A Book of Hours (a 16th century devotional book)

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.

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
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

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

Partial Index:

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

2:9 > 11-7-21 3:3 > 6-16-19
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
6:7 > 10-27-19 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 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

9:9-12 > 7-9-23 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, 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 2:52 > 4-3-22

3:1-6 > 12-9-18 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 , 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 > 9-9-18, 2-3-19

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

4:44 > 12-26-21

5:10 > 1-24 & 12-12-21, 1-21-24

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 6:36 > 9-17-23

6:37 > 9-17-23 6:42 > 1-31-21

7:9 > 12-24-23, 3-24-24 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

8:16 > 12-10-23 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, 12-10-23 8:50 > 4-30-23

9:4 > 6-14-20 9:20 > 2-27-22

9:28-36 > 2-27-22 9:49 > 12-3-23

9:49-50 > 5-15-22 9:50 > 12-3-23

9:51-56 > 6-26-22 9:52 > 6-14-20

9:52-55 > 1-28-18 9:54 > 1-3-21

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 > 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

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

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, 3-31-24

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

17:19 > 12--10-23

17:21 > 8-12-18, 7-14 & 10-6-19, 2-18-24

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, 7-9 & 12-10-23

19:1-10 > 11-3-19, 11-7-21, 10-30-22 19:8 > 7-23-23

19:9 > 5-10-20, 5-8-22, 7-23-23 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, 8-20-23 20:27-38 > 11-10-19, 11-6-22

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

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

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

24:47 > 5-16-21, 4-2-23 24:47-53 > 4-14-24

24:49-52 > 6-16-19

Colossians

1:15 > 5-10 & 6-28-20, 8-27-23

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

2:3 > 12-3-23 2:7 > 12-3-23

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

2:10 > 7-3-22 2:15 > 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

1:15 > 9-10-23 1:17 > 12-1-19, 6-28-20, 1-2-22

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

2022:

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 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

1-22: 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: 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: (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.

​​Bible Study:​​

Bible Study: