Wisconsin Avenue Baptist Church of Washington DC

Finding Comfort and Healing When Your Suffering

In this message Pastor Lynn reflects upon the book of Job and its relevance to our own suffering in a time of loss (Job 9 and 10). In Job we meet a man who lost everything, including family and health, and who experienced anguish and the senselessness of what was so intensely personal. In response to the tragedies of his life, we also find Job being honest with God about his pain, about his emotions, about his inability to make sense of what was happening to him. Something we can easily identify with because it is part of being human. Throughout this Old Testament book, Job speaks in the biblical language of lament. Likewise, we should lament in our suffering. We should love our hurting neighbors in their lament. We should not try to figure out why they, or we, are suffering. But instead, we can depend on the presence of God in Christ, the One who is with us in all our suffering and lament. 

Remembering For What Lies Ahead

In this devotional message, Pastor Jim reminds us to look forward with hope to what lies ahead, and in doing so, to remember who God is. In Deuteronomy 8:1-18, Moses gave instructions to Israel as they prepared to cross the Jordan River into the promised land. And like them, we regularly need to remember God and how God leads us through our own wilderness when daily sustenance is scarce and we must put our hope and trust in the Lord our God to meet our daily needs. After the closing prayer, Pastor Jim refers to the "Desert Song," which is a worship song that was sung as a prayer. You can watch this lyric video and pray it by going here. 

The Sand in Our Shoes

Pastor Lynn begins this message by saying, "For a Christian, the distinction between big things and little things is somewhat artificial because everything great or small is under the Lordship of Jesus." However, he goes on to preach, "This distinction is useful, and sometimes there are reasons a person may want to focus on the little things." In fact, sometimes the big things might be too hard, too overwhelming, too painful to talk about. "Or maybe," Pastor Lynn suggests, " it is because God has packed so much beauty and fragrance into a little thing like a rose that our life would be diminished if you just walked past it without noticing." The truth is: Nothing is too big and nothing is too small for God.
(Psalm 8, Proverbs 30:24-28, Matthew 10:29-31, 23:23-24, 25:21)

Faith in Action

In this devotional message, Pastor Jim preaches on Hebrews 11:1, which reads, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." A verse that could also be translated, "In faith things hoped for become realized." Meaning, in faith we act in relationship to God to bring into reality the things we hope for. This is a relational faith, a living faith. Pastor Jim expounds further on this idea by considering the life of Abraham (Heb 11:8-19) and then how Jesus showed himself to be the truly faithful one throughout his life (Heb 12:1-3). 

Am I a Neighbor?

On Love in Action Sunday, Pastor Lynn preaches on the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). A parable that shows us what it means to love God and neighbor, and it illustrates faith and love are inseparable. Jesus uses this parable to teach us there is no separation between what we believe and how we live. The question then is: who actively lives love so they are a neighbor as demonstrated by their actions towards others? Or, to ask oneself, am I a neighbor to this person?

Set Free to Love

For this devotional message, Pastor Jim reflects on what it means to be truly free. When considering the story of Paul and Silas's imprisonment in Acts 16:16-40, he asks, "Who in this story was truly free?" Then, after addressing this question, he follows it by asking a related question, "What is our freedom in Christ for?" Consider for yourself the biblical answers to these two important questions. 
If you listen until the end of the closing prayer, Pastor Jim refers to a song of declaration titled, "Break Every Chain." If you want to listen to it, please go to this wonderful recording on Youtube performed by Tasha Cobbs. 

A Season of Repentance

In this message, Pastor Lynn and Minister Leslie reflect on recent events and share their thoughts on what it means to have a heart of repentance. The first scripture passage is taken from 2 Chronicles 7:14, which says when there is heartfelt repentance by the people of a nation, resulting in genuine change and reform, God honors that repentance with forgiveness and healing. Likewise, in Jonah 3:1-10, repentance is not limited to the nation of Israel. It is required when the prophet Jonah is sent by God to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria and a world power in the ancient world, which was the enemy of Israel. This is in a moment in our nation's history to repent as well. To change our direction and to be spared the bitter judgement that falls on nations that fail to protect the vulnerable and provide justice for all. 

How do I. . .?

In this week's devotional message, Pastor Jim asks the questions, "How do we move from a broken life to a healed and transformed life? From disregarding and being complacent about our neighbor to living a compassionate life?" Questions he answers by reflecting on Psalm 25:1-15 and how the psalmist prays to God to be taught by God and to learn God's ways. As the psalmist prays, "Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long" (Ps 25:5). 

Transformation of Life

In this devotional message, Pastor Lynn focuses on the miraculous healing of the lame man in Acts 3:1-12, 16. He explains, "It is not whether or how much silver or gold we have, what the world needs is the love and power of Jesus Christ. It wasn't the money the beggar collected at the gate of the temple. And what we have been blessed with to share, through the Holy Spirit, is the love and grace of God." Drawing from this story, you can expect God to exceed your expectations. You can learn from Peter to rely on the power and love of God. You can be like the lame man and open your heart to the joy of God's presence. It is the Lord who is the source of all your joy no matter your circumstances. It is through God's Spirit we receive the love and power of Christ that transforms our lives and the lives of those around us. 

Spirit of Comfort

In this devotional message, Pastor Jim preaches on 2 Corinthians 1:2-11 and explains how there are times when we need to feel uncomfortable. Moments when we need to be taken out of our "comfort zones" and confront a situation as it really is. Times when it is for the good of my neighbor that I need to feel their grief and discomfort. Times when we are to feel discomfort in order to bring comfort to another person near us.