Recent Worship
What's your real financial endgame? To provide? To save? To spend? In 1 Chronicles 29:10-16, King David's ancient prayer reveals a liberating answer that changes everything about how we view our money, our stuff, and our purpose. Today we explore the one filter that transforms how we think about wealth, spending, and generosity.
Additional Scripture texts are 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 and Matthew 6:19-24.
Financial conversations often trigger shame, anxiety, or guilt. But what if God's perspective on money is actually liberating? For three weeks in October, Pastor Julie will preach the sermon series “Entrusted: A Journey from Anxiety to Generosity.” We’ll be invited to learn from the financial wisdom of three teachers—Jesus, King David, and the prophet Malachi—as we ask together, “What does a generous life look like?” Additional Scripture texts are Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7 and 2 Timothy 2:8-15.
World Communion Sunday
October 5, 2025
For five weeks we've been walking with Job—a good man who lost everything and dared to demand answers from God. In todays texts, Job wants a courtroom. God gives him a safari. When our neat theological boxes shatter, we demand explanations. But what if the presence of an untamed God is what our crushed hearts actually need? As Pastor Julie concludes her sermon series, When Life Unravels, we'll explore why the God who shows up anyway—even without answers—changes everything about how we face our hardest moments.
Additional Scripture texts are 1 Corinthians 13:7-13 and Luke 17:5-10.
As we come to Christ's table this Sunday, we'll be joining with Christians around the world in celebration of World Communion Sunday. As is our custom on communion Sundays, we'll collect a benevolence offering.
Life has a way of falling apart when we least expect it. The ancient story of Job offers profound wisdom for navigating our darkest moments.
Today Pastor Julie will preach the message, “The Comfort that Hurts," from a compilation of texts in Job 4, 8, 11, 16, and 17. These texts focus on Job’s friends, and have something to say about how not to care for those who love and suffer. Additional texts are Romans 12:3, 9-16 and Luke 16:19-31.
Life has a way of falling apart when we least expect it. The ancient story of Job offers profound wisdom for navigating our darkest moments. During these five weeks, we are walking with Job through catastrophic loss, honest lament, misguided comfort, and divine mystery. This series invites us to bring our whole selves—including our questions, anger, and doubt—to God, and to stay open to God's presence even when life unravels around us.
This Sunday, our guest preacher will be Jeff Chu. His sermon is from Job 19, and is titled, “The Complaint That Trusts.” Additional texts are 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 and John 5:2-17.
A celebration of life will take place this morning at 11:00 in the First Baptist Church Sanctuary for our brother William "Wil" McBeath who died Monday, September 15.
Life has a way of falling apart when we least expect it. The ancient story of Job offers profound wisdom for navigating our darkest moments. During these five weeks, we are walking with Job through catastrophic loss, honest lament, misguided comfort, and divine mystery. This series invites us to bring our whole selves—including our questions, anger, and doubt—to God, and to stay open to God's presence even when life unravels around us.
Today’s sermon is from Job 3, titled, “The Truth We Must Speak.” Additional texts are Hebrews 12:1-3 and Mark 15:22-24.
Life has a way of falling apart when we least expect it. The ancient story of Job offers profound wisdom for navigating our darkest moments. Over five weeks, we'll walk with Job through catastrophic loss, honest lament, misguided comfort, and divine mystery. This series invites us to bring our whole selves—including our questions, anger, and doubt—to God. We'll discover that faith isn't about having all the answers, but about remaining open to God's presence even when life unravels around us.
Pastor Julie will begin the series with a sermon from the first two chapters of Job titled, “The Question We Can’t Escape.” Additional texts are Timothy 1:1-2, 12-17 and Luke 13:1-5.
In worship, we will also welcome our Chancel Choir back from their summer respite, celebrate communion, and take a special collection for our benevolence offering.
Colossians 3:12-17
Today in worship, Pastor Julie continues the sermon series: Letters from the Road.
Paul calls us to "clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, and patience" as we learn to live in community with flawed people. We need to recognize we're all part of the community of "as is." When we embrace this reality and clothe each other with unconditional love, we demonstrate what the gospel looks like in practice.
Accompanying scripture texts are Psalm 133 and Luke 13:10-17.
Today in worship, Pastor Julie continues the sermon series “Letters from the Road” with the message, Beyond Peace of Mind from Philippians 4.
In a world that whispers worry and shouts fear, how do we access real, down-to-the-core peace? This Sunday we'll hear Paul's transformative vision in which every concern becomes an opportunity for deeper communion with God. The peace of God isn't the ab1sence of trouble, but the presence of divine resources deployed around our hearts.
Accompanying scripture texts are Proverbs 3:1-12 and John 14:1-4, 27-31a.
Today in worship, Pastor Julie will continue the sermon series: Letters from the Road.
We spend enormous energy hiding our failures, but Paul discovered something revolutionary: "When I am weak, then I am strong." God doesn't waste our defeats—they become raw material for resurrection. What if the very thing you're most ashamed of could become your greatest gift?
Accompanying scripture texts are Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 and Luke 12:32-40.
Today in worship, we will celebrate communion together, and Pastor Julie will begin a new sermon series: Letters from the Road.
The Apostle Paul wrote his letters from dusty roads, crowded cities, and even prison cells —circumstances that deepened his understanding of what it means to live in Christ. His words speak with startling relevance to our modern battles with comparison, failure, anxiety, community, and fulfillment. Join us as we discover how these letters, tested by hardship and refined by experience, offer Christ-centered wisdom for living with purpose and grace.
Romans 12 gives us Paul's beautiful paradox: the way to true unity isn't by minimizing our differences, but by excelling at seeing and celebrating the sacred value in each unique person among us.
Accompanying scripture texts are Psalm 107:1-9, 43 and Luke 12:13-21.
Today in worship, Pastor Eric completes the sermon series, Without a Net: Life Lessons from Elijah. This morning, scripture gives witness to the dramatic shift of prophetic leadership from Elijah to Elisha as they journey together to the Jordan River.
The prophet Elijah, who last week faced depression, now ascends to heaven in a chariot and horses of fire. Elisha picks up Elijah's fallen cloak and returns to the Jordan, where he strikes the water as Elijah had done, calling on "the Lord, the God of Elijah," and the water parts again. The watching prophets recognize that Elijah's spirit now rests on Elisha and bow before him, confirming the successful transfer of prophetic authority from one generation to the next. What does it mean when we are called to pass the baton of faith, leadership, and servanthood into the hands of others?
Accompanying scripture texts are 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 and Mark 9:2-9.
The prophet who called fire from heaven is now hiding under a desert shrub, praying to die. What does Elijah's breakdown teach us about faith, exhaustion, and the God who meets us with breakfast in our darkest moments? Join us as we explore what happens when caring people encounter sick systems—and how God responds to our exhaustion not with shame, but with food, rest, and the reminder that we're not alone.
Ever pray for something urgent and hear only silence? Elijah prayed seven times for rain before seeing even a tiny cloud. This Sunday we'll discover why persistence in prayer matters, how to recognize small beginnings of God's answers, and what it means to run toward promises that are still forming.
Today in worship, Pastor Julie continues the sermon series, Without a Net: Life Lessons from Elijah, with the message, “Persisting in Prayer,” from 1 Kings 18. Accompanying scripture passages are James 5:13-18 and Matthew 6:25-34.
Today in worship, Pastor Julie will continue her new sermon series – Without a Net: Life Lessons from Elijah. In this series, we meet Elijah, one of the Bible's most fascinating characters.
Elijah stood before his nation and posed the challenge that still confronts us today: "How long will you go limping between two opinions?” In our world, the ancient god Ba’al has simply changed business cards. Ba’al now runs offices on Wall Street and in Washington, Silicon Valley, and Hollywood, promising prosperity, power, and fame to all who devote their lives to that quest. But when drought comes and our systems start failing, we discover that these hollow gods cannot deliver. Join us as we consider what it means to stop fence-sitting and choose—with our whole hearts—the One who brings authentic power, purpose, and joy.
Today’s message is titled “Choosing God,” from 1 Kings 18:17-39. Accompanying scripture passages are Ephesians 3:14-21 and Matthew 6:19-24. We will take communion together, and collect a benevolence offering after worship.
Today in worship, Pastor Julie begins a new sermon series – Without a Net: Life Lessons from Elijah. In this series, we meet Elijah, one of the Bible's most fascinating characters.
He was remarkably human—he experienced fear, loneliness, and doubt like we do. But Elijah also had this amazing ability to trust God without a net, taking leap after leap of faith, trusting God would catch him. Join us for five weeks as we discover how Elijah's willingness to take risks and speak hard truths to his world can inspire our own journey of faith.
Today's message is titled “Trusting the Promise,” from 1 Kings 17:8-16. Accompanying scripture passages are 1 Peter 5:6-11 and Luke 9:51-62.
Today in worship, Pastor Eric preaches the message A Healing Question, based on Luke 8:26-39. Accompanying scripture passages are 1 Kings 19:1-7, 8-15a and Galatians 3:23-29.
Jesus' question to the demoniac—"What is your name?"—initiates healing by inviting the man to reclaim his true identity beyond what possesses him. As Richard Rohr suggests, being "possessed" means allowing unhealthy others to define us, whether through career status, political tribalism, or family dysfunction.
The man's response—"Legion"—reveals how he has become what has afflicted him, but Jesus serves as a perfect mirror, reflecting back his true self rather than his distortions. Christ doesn't simply exorcise negative identities but performs what Rohr calls a "positive repossession," freeing the man from defining himself by his afflictions and guiding him toward joy rather than merely away from suffering.
This transformation from isolation to wholeness calls the church to a similar ministry—becoming communities that mirror people's true identities in Christ rather than reflecting society's judgments. When we serve as this positive mirror for one another and the church, we participate in Christ's ongoing work of liberation, creating spaces where people discover not just freedom from what possesses them, but the joy of authentic belonging.
Today is Trinity Sunday, when we celebrate God as revealed in three persons - Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit. We celebrate our graduates in worship, and Pastor Eric preaches the message A Guide We Can Trust, based on John 16:12-15. Accompanying scripture passages are Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 and Romans 5:1-5.
The incarnation was foundational for the gospel writer John. It might have been easy for John to dismiss the Holy Spirit, or any new understanding of Christianity after Jesus returned to God. However, John chose to hold onto the possibility that the Spirit that Christ gave to us makes possible a “deep understanding of what Jesus means for one’s own time,” says one theologian.
That same Spirit holds together all the disparate and fragmented parts of our lives, fills in all the gaps, owns all the mistakes, forgives all the failures—and loves us into an ever-deeper life with God in Christ. Can we imitate John, and trust the Spirit to hold our whole lives, and guide us as we discern what it means to be followers of Christ today?
Today in worship we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Christ followers after his ascent to heaven. Pastor Julie preaches the message The Unprejudiced Spirit, based on Acts 2:1-21. Accompanying scripture passages are Romans 8:14-17 and John 14:8-17, 25-27. We also dedicate to God Jermaine Ricardo Kittrell.
We’re located at 16th and O Streets NW—in the heart of Washington, a mile north of the White House. We are part of the Dupont Circle and Logan Circle neighborhoods. Need more info? Call us or click below.
We look forward to greeting you in person. In the meantime, you can request prayer or ask a question by calling or sending an email.
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The First Baptist Church of the City of Washington, D.C.
1328 16th Street NW Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 387-2206
Office Hours
Monday-Thursday 10 AM–4 PM
Friday-Saturday Closed
