Our current and past sermon series and their available resources are below! Series are listed in the order they were preached.
Christ Alone: Experiencing the Preeminence of God's Eternal Son in Colossians
It’s one thing to verbalize the centrality of Christ in all we do. It’s quite another to experience it. We talk about the Lord’s priority, but often fail to live in light of it. Thankfully, in the four chapters of Colossians, God gives us a picture of the church and life that revolves around the all-encompassing preeminence of Christ. From our individual habits to our mutual relationships, Christ’s exclusive position as the true center of “all things” changes everything. Dig in with First Family Church this year as we mine the Apostle Paul’s Spirit-inspired letter to the Christians in Colossae in our 20-week series “Christ Alone: Experiencing the Preeminence of God’s Eternal Son.”
Community Outreach Week
A global heart always begins with a local hand. That’s precisely why we’re complementing GO Week, our annual focus on the nations, with CO Week — eight days of intentional attention to the fields right around us. Over the course of two Sundays, we opened up Acts 1–2 and saw how both the Ascension and Pentecost were the theological and geographical triggers that sparked the New Covenant mission of God through His church.
The Final Word
In the two most climactic events of human history, God had the final word. Both on the cross and at the grave, God spoke definitively and assuringly. Promisingly and invitingly. Lean in and listen during Passion Week 2024 as Todd unleashes the lion of God’s Word for every sinner and saint—all of us—who stand in need of a Savior.
Living Proof: The Fruit of the Spirit and the Kingdom of God
What are the external traits that prove internal transformation? Does inside change show up on the outside? Journey through this series from Galatians 5 centered on nine significant ways the Spirit manifests himself in our lives.
Following and Fishing: Who Disciples Are and What Disciples Do
What’s at the core of the call from Christ? Are there central expectations when it comes to Christian discipleship? In a two-week look-back at Jesus’ summons to his first four followers, Todd and Travis aim to highlight and connect the inseparable and essential components of life as a disciple of Jesus. Through a clarifying look into Matthew 4:18–22, this short, startling series could rightfully shape, not simply what you do, but why you do it.
Christmas Chronology: Treasures from the Timeline of Christ's Birth
Journeys reveal all kinds of interesting and intriguing gems of both information and experience. Christ’s condescension to earth as the incarnate Son of God was no different. His ancestry is rich with stories of grace and grit, powerful moments of divine providence poetically and succinctly relayed to us through the names of the most unlikely people. The same is true for Joseph and Mary’s travel log. Rumors, dreams, angels, and a long trip to a crowded city with no room give us clues to the heart and plan of our Trinitarian God.
Let’s not leave out the magi. Gifts for a king is what they brought, but little did they know this king was wearing the flesh and bone of a little boy who was a threat to Herod but a joy to the wise men. What an ironic way to teach us about the risk and cost of true worship.
Why? Delving into Life's Dark Dilemma in the Book of Job
No one seems exempt from wondering why. Whether in the small details or the large crises, our hearts and minds often question, not only what’s happening, but why it’s happening. It’s life deepest and often darkest dilemma.
Job was no exception. In the midst of near unfathomable anguish, Job probed the caverns of the why canyon. How did his friends reply? What did God say? Was there ever even an answer to his ultimate question of why? Join Pastor Todd and FFC in a short but poignant series through the Old Testament book of Job in which we will daringly delve into the dilemma of the universal question — “Why?” — and humbly emerge with a more bold and beautful faith in the God who not only knows the what and the why, but the who in the middle of it all.
Philippians: Living in the Joy of Gospel Partnership
The book of Philippians, inspired by God and penned by Paul, is simply a missionary update from one of history’s foremost evangelists and church planters. It’s a sincere thank you letter, as well as a heartfelt plea for continued partnership. What a timely epistle for us to discover in-depth as God continues to forge within this flock a multiplying mindset, which will undoubtedly require a partnership perspective. After all, that’s how gospel progress occurs—through partnerships. Won’t you join us as we open up the pages of Philippians and rejoice in all that God can and will do as his people band together for the progress and joy of his gospel.
Living with Lamenting and Longing: Psalms of Lament
It’s not natural to enjoy suffering. We all, as humans, want to be exempt from it. Yet, ironically, no one is. That’s why endurance is such a key word for the Christian. All of us, at some point, will be called upon to embrace difficulties and trials. Some longer than others, and to a greater degree than others. But endurance will be necessary for every believer, endurance that is vulnerably transparent, humbly honest, and longingly hopeful.
It is to this end that we turn to the Psalms, specifically the Psalms of Lament. These songs of the Hebrews, written in times of deep despair and distress, are human cries to God in the middle of suffering and struggle. Without a doubt each “complainer” is seeking God’s deliverance, whether individually or collectively; but the apparent delay of divine action puts each lamenter into a vice grip of sorts, squeezing them to verbalize their frustration with what they are going through mixed with their faith in who they are mourning to.
In the end, confidence emerges, but it’s not a shallow, blind confidence. It’s a tested confidence; a refined-by-fire faith that knows what it means to truly hope with deep and often sorrowful longings, not simply wish with wide-eyed, fix-it-in-the-moment, Jeanie-in-a-bottle fancies.
The Matter of Church
Whether it’s the universal church globally or our individual church locally, there are specific things that matter. A lot! Join us the rest of January as we explore four of those important elements from 1 Timothy, seeing how they matter to the BIG C church, as well as to the little c church we know as First Family. Through corporate teaching on the weekend, digital content in your Small Groups, and journals for individual weekly use, this series will utilize multiple avenues and resources to help you truly maximize the matter of church.
Holiness in the Midst of Hostility
God’s call to endure joyfully is based on the truth that we are saved securely. And the sanctification we are promised and pursue will not only occur in spite of persecution, but actually because of it. What a foundation for perseverance—that God is making us holy in the very middle of hostility. This is the message Peter proclaims in his first letter, a message of confidence and hope for God’s chosen people in times of uncertainty and doubt. In this series we explore 1 Peter in various ways, growing deeper into the reality of God’s certain work even in our current suffering.
Spiritual Warfare
Satan wages his battle in three areas, and all are pointed at one common goal. Listen for more on how and where the enemy works.
Walking with Christ
With the indicatives firmly under our feet—what God has done in Christ as laid out in Ephesians 1-3—discover the imperatives that flow from our life in this series of messages from Ephesians 4-6. “Walking with Christ” is a study aimed at helping us flesh out practically what we know is true doctrinally, namely, our union with Christ.
The Holy Spirit: God's Presence and Power with Us
Curious about the third person of the Trinity? Got questions about the why, what, and how of the Holy Spirit? Walk with FFC through ten Scripture passages that will provide insight into who he is and what he does in both principle and practice.
Union with Christ
It’s the doctrine underneath every other doctrine, the crucial chain upon which hangs all the beautiful diamonds in the necklace of biblical theology. Yes, union with Christ is the foundation you rarely see underneath the house you love to live in! Join us at First Family Church as we unearth this doctrinal foundation as presented in Ephesians 1-3, shining a light on the incredible truths you are so deeply grateful for and probably never even knew it.
The Light: Why Christmas Shines Brightly
The beauty of Christmas isn’t in lights, but in The Light: Christ. Listen as Pastor Todd digs deeper into Christ’s humanity, deity, authority, and identity.
The Counter Culture Church
Understand more about one of the ways God’s people are truly distinctive and protective in this four-part series on church discipline from 1 Corinthians 5.
The Divine Pivot
Two of the most powerful words in all of Scripture: “…but God…” There are countless verses in the Bible where things are one way, but God steps in and completely changes everything. Listen below as we look at 13 powerful “but God” moments in the Bible.
For the Common Good 2
In our continuing probe of spiritual gifts, Pastor Todd and Pastor Travis take a closer look at Romans 12:1-8 in another 5-weeks of messages centered around “For the Common Good,” First Family’s second season of sermons in this series. They’ll be co-teaching this passage. Listen and dig in with them for a plain and simple look at spiritual gifts.
Son of God, Servant of Man: The Gospel According to Mark
If anyone deserved to be served, it was Jesus. Yet, he actually became the servant, modeling for us what it looks like to live an intentionally sacrificial life for his Father’s glory and the ultimate good of all who would believe. This is what Mark records for us in his Gospel — the Son of God being the servant of man. Explore this second book of the New Testament with First Family as we delve into its theme, texts, and topics, seeing how God would have us live as his servants in the footsteps of Jesus.
The Line: Tracing the Gift of God's Son
What appears to be simple chronology is actually deep theology. Explore Matthew 1:1–6 with Pastor Todd in this special four-week Christmas series designed to trace the gift of God’s Son through the line of David.
View seriesFor the Common Good
How does God’s Holy Spirit manifest his presence and power? How does it show up? What should we expect? Find a refreshing focus on the gift of the Holy Spirit, as well as the gifts of the Holy Spirit, in this series from 1 Corinthians 12:4–11.
view seriesWorshiping Together: 4 Habits of an Engaged Church
What indicates that a church collectively, or a church member individually, is truly engaged in the mission Christ left to his followers? Look with Todd through the lenses of four essential, biblical habits that simply rehearse, albeit in a fresh way, FFC’s commitment to celebrating the gospel, growing in community, and serving the mission. Join us this January for a topical series that will launch us into 2019 with a compelling call to action.
view seriesThe kings and The King
Israel's biblical history is more than military conquest in chronological sequence. It is messianic prophecy in narrative form. This is especially and beatifully seen in the books of 1–2 Samuel, 1–2 Kings, and 1–2 Chronicles. Prepare to enjoy the adventure of the Old Testament in our 2017–2018 series, "The kings and the King," and appreciate anew the anticipation of Christ woven throughout each of these historical books.
view seriesThe Dangerous Duty of Soul Watching
Few people ever call their church leaders "soul watchers," but that is precisely what they are! Just what does this mean and how is it done? Listen in as Todd takes two weeks to discuss both the accounting aspect, as well as the advantage aspect, of soul watching, unpacking this first-century phrase that gets to the heart of the matter for both the shepherds and sheep at First Family Church.
view seriesA Week in the Life of Jesus
Take a journey through Passion Week with Pastor Todd and the teaching team at First Family, seeing, not only the evidential clues for the historical reality of Christ's death, but the mind-blowing implication of it for our lives today.
view seriesMerry Christ[ology]mas
Take a closer look at Christ himself in this 2-part Christmas series from Pastor Todd.
view seriesThe Matter of X
Listen to our conference messages, and you’ll receive clarity into the matter of multiplication as you hear from our very own church planters. Each message, you’ll gain specific insight from their particular context that will help you embrace God’s mandate to "make disciples of all nations.” These sessions will prove to be insightful and valuable as you continue to journey towards multiplication in your life personally and within your church corporately.
view seriesTraction: Getting Past Your Past
This topical series is aimed at helping us make serious and observable progress in our spiritual growth. We'll do this by identifying 6 major strongholds that keep us from growing and maturing, and keep a majority of professing Christians in bondage, spiritually immature and selfish.
view seriesIntentional Discipleship for Normal People
This series is a follow-up to the series we did called Intentional Evangelism for Normal People. Our primary goal with this series is to see every FFCer connected to/embrace a continuously multiplying lifestyle of discipleship on both ends—discipling and being discipled. Or, to say it another way, we long to see every FFCer connected to a discipling relationship on both ends — discipling and being discipled—in a multiplicational and continuous fashion. This is an audacious goal, but one that is commanded by Jesus in Matthew, modeled by the apostles in Acts, and patterned by church elders in 2 Timothy.
View seriesIntentional Evangelism for Normal People
Rooted in Acts 17, Todd helps us form a truly theological basis for sharing the gospel with others, speaks about frequency of sharing, and urges us to create room for interruptions.
view seriesOrdinances of the Church
The Bible teaches us of two ordinances that the church is to observe until the Lord Jesus Christ returns: Baptism and Communion. These straightforward messages detail the ordinance aimed at the individual (baptism) and the ordinance aimed at the body of Christ as a whole (communion).
view seriesDoctrine That Goes the Distance
In a time when people are believing anything, or sometimes nothing at all, God’s people are radically different. We believe God’s Word. But just what are those core doctrines in God’s Word that we believe? How should they affect us? What does it mean to build your life around absolute truth and not changing opinions? Discover this and more in FFC’s summer series, “Doctrine that Goes the Distance."
view seriesBorn This Day
It’s more than just a day, and surely more than a holiday. But why? What sets Christmas day apart? The beauty of Christmas day lies not in what we do or how we do it, not in what we give or how we give it. In fact, it’s uniqueness does not rest in anything related to us. Christmas day is precisely Christ’s day, the day we celebrate who was "born to us in the city of David.” And who was born that day? No doubt a baby. For sure a Savior. Thankfully the long waited one, the promised Christ. Jesus. The Lord.
view seriesChurch 101
In three powerfully pointed chapters, Paul provided for Titus the basic how-to manual for the church at Crete. It’s relevant and authoritative for us today as well, describing and prescribing God’s instructions for his Son’s body, the church. Join us this November for Church 101—and watch yourself grow in your commitment to live a fully faithful life as a member in God’s family.
view seriesWith the Word to Neighbors and Nations
Every year during GO Month, we preach through a special missions-based mini-series. Everything going on in October are efforts towards “neighbors” or “nations”!
view seriesWhile We Wait: Exhortations from 2 Thessalonians
With so much uncertainty and hostility all around us, have you ever wondered, "What now?" Maybe, after seeing increased local and global persecution, you've thought, "What's a Christian to do?" Take heart—fellow believers in Thessalonica had similar thoughts in the first century, and the Apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote to encourage them how to live in their crumbling culture in light of their coming Christ. This September and October we will be gleaning these practical and powerful principles in our series, "While We Wait: Exhortations from 2 Thessalonians," digging our feet deep into endurance and obedience as we await our Lord's return.
view seriesWhen Ancient Meets Current
In both positive and negative ways, Revelation 2–3 describe seven of the historical churches of John's day. Yet, by application, there is much we can learn about our own day, even our own church. Journey with First Family to seven cities and seven churches, seeing how what was ancient is actually very current. Let's discover together that the way forward is actually the way backward, and that the biblical understanding of what God expects from his church never goes out of style.
view seriesShoe Leather Theology
Where faith is sown, it will be shown. Where grace takes root, there will be fruit. This is the essentisl message of James, a five-chapter book near the end of the New Testament—that true belief in God never resides alone but is always accompanied by timely behavior for God. Join us in 2016 as we “work out our salvation,” putting shoe leather on our theology for the glory of God.
view seriesThis Incomparable Gospel
Todd lays out for us precisely what the gospel is and what the gospel does, why we preach and believe it, and how this fundamentally connects to the resurrection in this series from 1 Corinthians.
view seriesTo Fulfill
Jesus’ life isn’t just a coincidence in time, or some ironic connection to a few earlier predictions. Not at all! Jesus embodies the ultimate fulfillment of God’s long-time promise in the Old Testament, for he is the final completion of all the prophets have said. Join us this Christmas as we explore Matthew’s five fulfillment scenes that all point to one Savior—Jesus Christ the Messiah.
View seriesOne: Insight from the Single Chapter Books of the New Testament
Great things can often come in small packages. Listen as the importance of the smallest books in the New Testament is laid out.
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