We believe in teaching the Word of God.

We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and value the reading, teaching, and preaching of the Word in order to understand God, the world, others, and ourselves. Life is complex and often heartbreaking; we believe the answers to life's big questions are found in knowing and following Jesus Christ. Studying His teachings is one of the best ways for us to get closer to Him.

2023 MESSAGE ARCHIVE

First Methodist archives the weekly messages taught in our services via our YouTube channel. Stream any of these teachings below.

Message: Battle Ready - Part 7 by Pastor Chris Ritter, 5/28/23. In this concluding message of the Battle Ready series, Pastor Chris teaches from Ephesians 6 about the final component to what the Apostle Paul deemed the "armor of God."

Message: Battle Ready - Part 6 by Conner Brinson, 5/21/23. Conner Brinson brings a message from Ephesians 6 on the armor of God and, specifically, the "helmet of salvation."

Message: Battle Ready - Part 5 by Pastor Chris Ritter, 5/14/23. In Part 5 of the Battle Ready message series, Pastor Chris teaches about "the shield of faith" described in Ephesians 6.

Message: Battle Ready - Part 4 by Pastor Chris Ritter, 5/7/23. "Jesus did not call us to have a nice church," says Pastor Chris in this message from Ephesians 6. "He’s called us to thrash the gates of hell… He’s saying it’s time to put on our gospel shoes. It’s time to move forward.”

Message: Battle Ready - Part 3 by Pastor Chris Ritter, 4/30/23. Pastor Chris delivers a message about being equipped with the armor of God and teaches specifically about what Paul calls “the breastplate of righteousness.”

Message: Battle Ready - Part 2: The Belt of Truth by Tim Brinkman, 4/23/23. "We are drowning in information and starving for truth," says Tim Brinkman at the open of this message from Ephesians 6 about the armor of God. "God doesn't expect us to fight this alone or unarmed; He gives us His Spirit and he gives us tools like we see the Apostle Paul describe in Ephesians here."

Message: Battle Ready - Part 1 by Pastor Chris Ritter, 4/16/23. Beginning a new message series on being prepared for the inevitable conflicts we'll face in life, Pastor Chris preaches from Ephesians 6 about what's really behind these battles and why we can depend on God to fight on our behalf when we are in alignment with His will.

Message: Mark Part 14: Jesus & Jerusalem by Pastor Chris Ritter, 4/9/23. On Easter Sunday, Pastor Chris shares a message from Mark 16 about the triumphant and miraculous events surrounding the resurrection of Jesus.

Message: The Gospel of Mark - Part 13 by Pastor Chris Ritter, 4/2/23. In this Palm Sunday message, Pastor Chris preaches from Mark 11 about Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an act Pastor Chris calls "deliberate, dramatic, and dangerous."

Message: Staying in Fellowship with Christ by Pastor Aaron Yankee, 3/26/23. Pastor Aaron Yankee brings a message from the Gospel of John about keeping fervent in our love for and fellowship with Christ. "Let us know that it is God who has called us to this fellowship and not us," says Pastor Aaron. "Let us listen to Him. Let us follow His commands. Let us do His will. Let us live the life He wants us to live. And when we do that, the world will know us to be His disciples."

Message: Abiding Faith by Pastor Bill Smith, 3/25/23. Pastor Bill Smith brings a challenge to live a life so full of faith in Jesus it marks us as unmistakably His. "We should be so alive for God in our strong faith," says Pastor Bill, "being full of faith, that people are going to recognize there’s something different about how that person lives."

Message: The Gospel of Mark - Part 12 by Pastor Chris Ritter, 3/19/23. Pastor Chris delivers a message about what Jesus taught about servanthood and how He lived it out. "Servanthood always involves sacrifice," says Pastor Chris. "Ministry happens in the interruptions... if you don't allow any interruptions to your schedule, you're going to miss a lot of the great stuff God is doing in your life."

Message: The Gospel of Mark - Part 11 by Conner Brinson, 3/12/23. Teaching through Mark 10, Conner Brinson shares a message about the cost of being a true disciple of Jesus.

Message: The Gospel of Mark - Part 10 by Pastor Chris Ritter, 3/5/23. Teaching through Mark 9, Pastor Chris examines what he calls a "behind the scenes" moment when Jesus is transfigured on a mountaintop in the presence of John, James, and Peter, revealing Himself in glory like they had never seen before.

Message: The Gospel of Mark - Part 9 by Pastor Chris Ritter, 2/26/23. Continuing this series through the Gospel of Mark, Pastor Chris teaches from chapter eight about the "terms and conditions" of discipleship, reminding us of the true cost of following Jesus.

Message: The Gospel of Mark - Part 8 by Pastor Chris Ritter, 2/19/23. "When God doesn't have our heart, all kinds of crazy things develop," says Pastor Chris in this message drawn from Mark 7 about what Jesus taught us about our hearts and our own nature. "Our problem is not information; our problem is not education... we have a problem and it's called sin."

Message: The Gospel of Mark - Part 7 by Tim Brinkman, 2/12/23. Continuing this chapter-by-chapter series through the book of Mark, Tim Brinkman shares a message drawn from the sixth chapter about how God can transform our very humble gifts into something miraculous.

Message: The Gospel of Mark - Part 6 by Pastor Chris Ritter, 2/5/23. In Mark chapter six, Jesus deals with rejection by the people closest to Him: people from His hometown and even His own family. Pastor Chris explains that this is an example for our own lives.

Message: The Gospel of Mark - Part 5 by Pastor Chris Ritter, 1/29/23. Pastor Chris continues teaching in Mark 4 with a message about letting the power of Christ overcome fear and evil. "Evil knows it is inferior to Jesus," explains Pastor Chris. "Jesus is a limitless reservoir of hope. "

Message: The Gospel of Mark - Part 4 by Pastor Chris Ritter, 1/22/23. Pastor Chris continues this series in the Gospel of Mark teaching through chapter four and the parable of the sower.

Message: The Gospel of Mark - Part 3 by Pastor Chris Ritter, 1/15/23. Teaching through the second and third chapters of Mark, Pastor Chris continues to focus on the unique spiritual authority of Jesus. "Jesus stands as the sole and sufficient judge of the thoughts and intents of our hearts," says Pastor Chris.

Message: The Gospel of Mark - Part 2 by Pastor Chris Ritter, 1/8/23. Pastor Chris continues preaching from Mark 1, teaching on the authority of Jesus.

Message: The Gospel of Mark - Part 1 by Pastor Chris Ritter, 1/1/23. Pastor Chris embarks on a new message series through the Gospel of Mark, which tells the story of Jesus' earthly ministry from the days of preparation through the crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ.