Wisconsin Avenue Baptist Church of Washington DC

Mission of God in the World

On World Communion Sunday Pastor Lynn shares the story of God's mission throughout history and around the world. He encourages everyone to be involved in mission no matter where they may live or their occupation. Since there are various ways to be involved in missions, like supporting traditional missionaries, partnering with believers in other countries and serving locally by reaching out to secular communities and expats in your city.

Already Blessed

In this message Pastor Jim considers the people who Jesus says are blessed by God (Matthew 5:1-16). A group of people we may often think of as not being blessed due to their situations. Yet, these are the very ones Jesus says are truly blessed. Maybe it's our own understanding of what it means to be blessed that needs to be revisted and changed instead. 

The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength

Min. Leslie preaches on Nehemiah 8:9-12, a passage which tells the story of Israel returning to Jerusalem after being exiled to Babylon for two generations. The word of God was planted in the people and it produced joy. The people's joy grew, and from it, they received strength. The same can be true for us since joy is a choice. It is something we can experience in the face of loneliness, unexpected crisis, fear, sadness and suffering. Our joy is in the knowing we are not alone. God is with us no matter what comes our way. Our joy is rooted in faith in God, not our circumstances. 

How to Question God

In this message Pastor Jim preaches on the way Moses questioned God. After the people rebelled against God at the foot of Mt. Sinai (Exodus 32) and then at the border of the Promised Land (Numbers 14), God said He would destroy the nation and begin again with Moses. But both times Moses interceded on behalf of the people by speaking to God as a friend who has reasonable questions and rebuttals. And in both cases, God relented. What do these stories have to teach us about making bold requests of God today? What do they have to say about God?

Transforming Our Tears

In this message,  Pastor Lynn explains how our tears are sometimes transformed. Returning to the Book of Genesis, everything changes in Genesis 45:1-18, 24-28 when Joseph's brothers meet him in Egypt and learn of his true identity. Then, sometime later, the family patriach Jacob is reunited with his beloved son Joseph. In these events the pattern of a past life is broken. There is at last healing, forgiveness, reunion  and reconcilliation. The tears of pain and grief are transformed into tears of joy and love (Rev 21:1-4).  

Facing Your Giants

Pastor Jim begins this message by saying, "When you encounter crossroads in life, these are always opportunities to exercise your faith." An important part of a faith journey is having to make decisions based on what you believe to be true and trustworthy.  For instance, the people of Israel needed to make a decision when they arrived at the boarder of The Promised Land in Numbers 13:25-33, 14:1-11.  Either they would follow God into this exceedingly good land and face the giants or they would turn from God and return to the wilderness. As was the case for Israel, God will sometimes lead us to a crossroads of decision too.  How will we make our choice and what will we choose? 

The Lord Jehovah

As Min. Leslie explains in this message, "Names are important. They mean something." There are many biblical names for God. They all reveal something about God's nature and character. The Lord Jehovah, also known as Yahweh, is God's name mentioned most often in the Old Testament. As true today as it was in the days of King David or the Prophet Isaiah, we can more deeply know God through his many names (Isaiah 12:1-6, 26:3-4). 

Dreams Amid Disaster

Pastor Lynn continues his series of messages on the extended family story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Turning now to the story of Joseph who was Jacob's favorite son (Genesis 37:1-36). However, due to the jealousy of his brothers, Joseph was sold into slavery and found himself serving an official in Egypt. Still, even though these disastrous events unfolded, Joseph's dreams came true, but in a far greater way than could ever have been imagined. As Paul writes in Romans 8, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Discovering Yourself in the Wilderness

In this message, Pastor Jim preaches on Exodus 16:1-8, 13-31, 35, when Israel had to depend on God for their survival in the wilderness. A time when God tested the people to reveal their own hearts to themselves. God became their sole provider of daily sustenance as well as spiritual nourishment through weekly Sabbath rest. Likewise, God may take us into the wilderness to show us a new way of life too. Making us truly dependent on God as we rest assured there will be enough of what we need to live our lives. 

Wrestling with God

In this message Pastor Lynn preaches on the story of Jacob wrestling with the Divine Presence in Genesis 32:22-30. As he explains, "If your life needs to change it often will involve incredible struggle." A struggle between God's purpose and your will, your desires. And this wrestling with God is always a necessary part of the process of transformation, but it's not the solution. As with Jacob, when our struggle ends, a new day has dawned, which is the result of God's supernatural blessing. When God makes someone new by giving them a new identity to reflect this new reality.