Wisconsin Avenue Baptist Church of Washington DC

Colossians #1: Does Christ have the same place in your life that He holds in the universe?

In this first sermon of a 6-week series on the Letter to the Colossians (Col 1:15-23), Pastor Lynn asks the question, "Does Christ have the same place in your life that He holds in the universe?" He helps us to consider who we will become when we truly follow Jesus Christ. When we build our lives on Christ, they become different. There are things that will endure. The work God does in our lives, built on the Lord Jesus, lasts for eternity. 

Christ: The Wisdom and Power of God

In this message, Pastor Jim considers Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians where he explains the wisdom of God and the power of God. In 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, 2:6-13, Paul says, true wisdom and power come from God alone. Those who believe the message of the cross have done so only through the power of God. Revealing to those who believe and who are being saved that “the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Cor 1:25).This is something that is not just to be believed but it is to be experienced by those who are called by God and then trust in Christ. Those who are presently being saved in Christ alone.

Valentines and Report Cards in the School of Discipleship

When Jesus gives the Greatest Commandment in Matthew 22:36-40, Pastor Lynn explains, "Jesus is saying there is no separation between God's law and God's love." That is, if you believe in and follow Jesus, you are enrolled in the school of discipleship. This is a school where we get both valentines and report cards. Listen to this insightful message as Pastor Lynn further elaborates this teaching by considering Romans 13:8-10 and Ephesians 5:25-28, 32-33 as well.

Inward-Outward Living

In this sermon, Pastor Jim preaches on John 15:1-7 and explains how we are to remain connected to Jesus through His Holy Spirit and His Words (an inward action), which produces good things in our life for others (an outward action). This is the flow of God’s life in us. Furthermore, by remaining, growing and bearing much fruit on the vine, we show yourselves to be Jesus’ students. People who are learning from Jesus. And what are we learning? How to love!

Spying on the Future

Pastor Lynn preaches on Isaiah 43:18-19 and Numbers 13:1-33 so we can consider what God is doing that lies ahead of us. It is almost like God is saying, "Instead of looking in the rear view mirror, I want you to spy on the future. It is already springing forth. Can you open your mind? Your heart? Your spiritual eyes? And glimpse at the future I have for you?" In other words, it is God saying, "I am doing something new! It's already happening! Can you get it? Can you perceive it?"

Are you OK?

In this message, Min. Leslie Harris preaches from Jeremiah 1:5, 29:11 and asks the question, "Are you OK?" The prophet Jeremiah was called by God to deliver a message to God's people. Jeremiah faced adversity, dealt with considerable stress throughout his life and had many life experiences that were anything but easy. Even so, after Jeremiah prayed to the Lord and told the Lord all his grievances, the Lord responded by saying to the prophet, "You are OK Jeremiah because I am the Lord and I have got this and I have got you." As Min. Leslie explains, this was the message of God to Jeremiah and it applies to us today as well. 

A Place to Stand

In this sermon on Ephesians 6:10-20, Pastor Jim explains that we are to depend on God’s inward strength to empower us. We are to put on the whole armor of God to stand against the dark evil forces of our day. We are to take our stand upon the unshakeable foundation that is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Rock. We are to withstand the evil attacks from our adversary, the devil. We are to oppose evil in our midst. We are to hold our ground as people of peace and light in a dark world. We truly have a powerful place to stand in Christ. 

Blessed Are the Forgetful (Who Remember They Are Blessed)

On this first Sunday of the New Year, Pastor Lynn preaches on Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Isaiah 43:18-19 by reminding us to not get stuck in the past. The blessing of forgetfulness is built on God's forgiveness. We can only find healing and well-being when we receive forgiveness from God and then give forgiveness to others through God's grace. We can't give something we haven't received. And as Jesus teaches in the Lord's Prayer, we can't hold back the forgiveness we have received from God. 

God's Unfolding Story

On the Sunday after Christmas, Pastor Jim preaches on Luke 2:21-40 and how Jesus' birth narrative has the power to change the way we see ourselves, see others, see the world around us, and, most particularly, see God. It is a story by which we witness God working in first century Palestine, and it is a story through which we can see God operating in our lives and world today. We can be empowered by the Holy Spirit to see God’s unfolding story. A story we are invited into. A love story, an adoption story, a story God wants you to make your own.

The Peace of God

On the second Sunday of Advent, Min. Leslie instructs us that the peace of God is a lasting peace, and it is not contingent on any circumstances we may be facing. As Paul writes about in Philippians 4:4-7, there can be chaos all around us, but we can still walk in the peace of God. Now, that's something to celebrate!