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. Or go to the pastor's YouTube channel.
Bible Studies:
We have a Bible study at the church on Thursdays, now at 10:00 am, downstairs. 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 ask).
We also have a Tuesday evening study at 7 pm at the church, not Zoomed, also using The Upper Room. 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.
Our folks at the School on Wheels fundraiser, May 2024:
2022, cont.:
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:
10-30: To Seek Out and to Save > video
11-13: Be Not Led Astray > video
11-20: Joyce Marble's Sermon:
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: 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
10-8: Give Him the Produce > video
10-15: A Feast for All Peoples > video
10-22: Joyce Marable's sermon:
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
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:
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:
12-1: Times of the Gentiles > video
12-8: Love May Overflow > video
12-15: Filled with Expectation > video
12-22: (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:
“I choose the term ‘Peace’ for that Harmony of Harmonies which calms destructive turbulence and completes civilization. Thus a society is to be termed civilized whose members participate in the five qualities—Truth, Beauty, Adventure, Art, Peace.”
— Alfred North Whitehead, Adventures of Ideas, 283
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
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 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, 12-22-24 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, 12-8-24 3:12-17 > 12-15-24
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 > 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 5:10 > 1-24-21, 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
6:36 > 9-17-23 6:37 > 9-17-23
6:42 > 1-31-21 7:6-10 > 8-8-21
7:9 > 12-24-23, 3-24 & 5-19-24
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
8:19 > 7-25-21 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 9:49 > 12-3-23
9:50 > 12-3-23 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
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
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
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 > 2-19-23 18:1-8 > 10-20-19, 1-1-23
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
18:34 > 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, 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 19:46 > 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
23:34 > 12-24-21, 2-20-22, 11-3-24 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 > 4-2-23 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
3:3 > 4-17-22 3:10 > 8-9-20
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:
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
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
3-10: Hearts and Mouths
3-17: Under His Wing
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
5-12: 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
6-23: 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
8-25: 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
10-20: Build Houses
10-27: Other Rogues
11-3: A Son of Abraham
11-10: My Redeemer Liveth!
11-17: Rivers of Living Water
12-8: 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
More Sermons at The First Church
2-2: The Meek Will Inherit
2-9: Let Your Light Shine
2-16: First Be Reconciled
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
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
8-9: 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
11-22: 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:
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
5-1: Jump in the Lake > 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
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.