Baptist Church of West Chester

In this opening sermon of our new series, Creature and Co-Creator, we explore the creation poem of Genesis 1 as a declaration of God's character. Rather than a story of violence or chaos, Genesis introduces us to a Creator who delights in beauty, makes space for life to flourish, and invites humanity to join in the ongoing work of creation. From Bob Ross to Babylon, this message reminds us that we are both creatures who need Sabbath and co-creators called to cultivate a more hospitable world.

What happens when the place you expected to find relief becomes a place of disappointment? In this message, Pastoral Resident Alicia Teet-Jeter explores how God meets us in seasons of uncertainty, transforms our bitterness into deeper trust, and reveals Godself as the Lord who heals.

How do we live as faithful wheat in a weedy world? God is the gardener. Our calling isn't to root out every weed but to become faithful wheat ourselves. Pastor Evan reflects on Jesus' parable of the wheat and the weeds.

In this message, we explore Galatians 5:13–15 alongside the complicated story of America's pursuit of liberty, asking how truthful memory, honest reflection, and Christ-shaped love can guide the way we use the freedom we've inherited. Freedom without love consumes. Freedom with love transforms. We discover Paul's declaration, not of independence, but of interdependence.

What does God require of us? In this message from Micah 6:6–8, we explore the call to "do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God" alongside the powerful true story told in "Just Mercy." Drawing on the work of Bryan Stevenson and the Gospel's vision of justice, mercy, and restoration, we are challenged to consider how we treat the people society fears, forgets, and condemns.

In this week’s Sacred and the Screen, we explore Psalm 8 alongside Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life. Beneath a sky full of stars, the psalmist wonders why the God who made the cosmos would care about us at all. The film asks a similar question through one family’s experience of beauty, suffering, love, and loss. Together, Psalm 8, Job, Hebrews 2, and the story of Jesus lead us to a simple but profound hope: God is with us, and this is not the end. Even in a world marked by grief, we are invited to walk the way of grace, trusting that resurrection has the final word.

"Start fighting wolves before you know it everyone you don't understand is a wolf." In this week's Sacred and the Screen message, we explore Jesus' encounter with the woman saved from stoning (John 8:2–11) alongside Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man. Both stories challenge our instinct to judge, expose, and fight our enemies. Instead, we are invited into the difficult work of grace, repentance, and restoration.

What keeps us stuck? Fear. Self-doubt. The need to hold on to what feels safe. This week, we continue our Sacred and the Screen series by exploring Jeremiah's call alongside Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Like Miles Morales, Jeremiah doesn't feel ready for what lies ahead. Like Jeremiah, many of us wonder whether we're qualified, capable, or enough. But God's call has never depended on our qualifications. It depends on God's presence. Together we'll explore what God may be calling us to let go of, what needs to be torn down, and what God is inviting us to build and plant in our lives, our church, and our community. "You won't know you're ready. It's a leap of faith."

Pastor Zach Lambert joins us to talk about his book, Better Ways to Read the Bible.

What do we do when God feels absent? In this message from Psalm 42, we explore one of Scripture's most honest prayers alongside Pixar's Inside Out. The psalmist cries out in grief, longing for God's presence while wondering where God has gone. Rather than hiding sadness or pretending everything is fine, Psalm 42 shows us a faith that makes room for lament, questions, and hope. Drawing on themes from Inside Out, we consider the role of sadness in our lives, why we often try to suppress difficult emotions, and what it means to bring our whole selves before God. Along the way, we discover a surprising truth at the heart of the Christian story: the places where God feels absent are often the places God meets us most deeply. Through the witness of the Psalms, the suffering of Christ, and the promise of God's presence, we are reminded that there is nowhere God is not.

On Pentecost Sunday, Pastoral Resident Alicia Teet-Jeter reflected on what it means to be “Empowered by the Spirit to Meet the Moment.” From Acts 2 and Philippians 4, she explored how God meets us in seasons of waiting, fills ordinary people with courage, and offers peace in the middle of uncertainty. The same Spirit that empowered the early church still strengthens us today with joy, gentleness, prayer, and hope for the road ahead.

What if the way forward is down? While people are obsessed with status, success, and self-promotion, Philippians 2 invites us into the upside-down way of Jesus. Christ did not grasp for power or exploit privilege. He emptied himself. He humbled himself. He loved sacrificially. From T-ball dogpiles to Roman honor culture to our modern obsession with influence and winning, we are reminded that the Kingdom of God moves differently.

What does it look like to live with joy when life feels uncertain? In this message from Philippians 1:1–19a, we step into Paul’s letter to a beloved community navigating fear, pressure, and an unknown future while Paul himself writes from prison, facing the possibility of death. And yet, his words overflow with gratitude, love, and joy. This sermon explores Philippians as a kind of field guide for Christian living in hard times. He offers a prayer for a way of following Jesus that loves well, learns what matters, becomes whole and bears fruit.

In Acts 16:11–40, we encounter the surprising beginnings of the church in Philippi. Through Lydia, the enslaved girl, and the jailer, we see that the good news of Jesus meets people exactly where they are and sets them free in profoundly different ways. What begins as a conversation by the river, a disruption in the streets, and a song in the dark becomes something the empire could never have imagined: a new kind of community.

What if the person you’ve written off is the very person God wants to transform? This week, we explore the powerful story of Saul’s encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1–19a). Saul is “breathing threats and murder” against the early church. Yet in a moment, everything changes. Blinded by light, undone by grace, and restored through the courage of an unlikely disciple named Ananias, Saul’s life becomes a testimony to the transforming power of Christ. In this message, we wrestle with these questions: Can God really change that person? Do we have a resurrection-shaped imagination big enough to believe in transformation? Where might God be calling us, like Ananias, to show up with courage and compassion? -- Subscribe for more sermons, reflections, and conversations exploring faith, justice, and the way of Jesus. Music by falling forever https://ffm.bio/fallingforever

Rev. Prof. Dr. David P. Gushee is Distinguished University Professor of Christian Ethics at Mercer University, Chair of Christian Social Ethics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Senior Research Fellow, International Baptist Theological Study Centre. He is also the elected past-president of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Christian Ethics. He also serves on the Wisdom Board of the Post Evangelical Collective. Dr. Gushee is the author, co-author, or editor of 30 books, including the bestsellers Kingdom Ethics and Changing Our Mind. His other most notable works are After Evangelicalism, Defending Democracy from its Christian Enemies, Introducing Christian Ethics, and The Sacredness of Human Life. He is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading Christian moral thinkers. In his Sunday message, Dr. Gushee reflected on the rise of Christian support for authoritarianism and how we might respond today faithfully.

The resurrection restores beauty to a world that often feels colorless, broken, or lost. In this sermon, Pastor Evan takes us with Mary Magdalene from the darkness of grief to the moment she encounters the risen Jesus in John 20:1-18. From the garden of Eden to the garden of resurrection, we see that the Gardener is still at work cultivating life, restoring hope, and calling each of us into His story. “I have seen the Lord.” — John 20:18

After Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey (not a warhorse), a group of Greeks ask to see Jesus. Initially, it seems like John forgets all about them as he moves the story forward. Pastor Evan argues that Jesus does respond to the Greeks but sharing how his death and resurrection will lead to the empowerment of his followers to show Jesus to the world.

John 19 shows us what it looks like when we choose control over the freedom Jesus offers.

“What is truth?” In John 18:28–40, Jesus stands before Pilate while the religious leaders and the Roman governor all look at the same man but see completely different things. Their assumptions about power, comfort, and control shape how they interpret what’s right in front of them. In this sermon, we explore how Jesus reveals that truth isn’t merely an argument to win, it’s a life to follow. When we see the world through the light of Christ, it reshapes how we understand power, love, and the kind of community we are called to build.

In this message from John’s Gospel, Pastor Evan describes the powerful contrast between Jesus’ courage and Peter’s denial. As Jesus stands firm before the authorities, Peter, trying his best to stay close, finds himself overwhelmed by fear. Three times he says, “I am not,” and the rooster crows. But the sound of the rooster is not just he mark of failure—it is also the sign that dawn is breaking. This sermon explores how the story of Peter reminds us that our worst moments do not define us. Even when fear wins, even when we fall short of who we hope to be, God’s grace continues to move. The light still breaks into the darkness. The same Peter who denied Jesus is later restored and called to “feed my sheep.” In Christ, failure is not the end of the story. Redemption begins even in the moment the rooster crows.

When we know who we are and where we are going, we can live differently. Insecure people cling to status. Secure people lay it down. Pastor Evan Duncan reflects on Jesus' washing of his disciples feet and how it challenges hierarchies and invites each of us to see how : You may need to lower yourself. You may need to let yourself be lifted up. And we all need to lift each other.

Can we believe that God, acting through Jesus, really has power over the course of life and death? And if so, will he use it for our good? Pastor Evan Duncan asks these questions as he guides us through John chapter 11. In it, we discover that resurrection for Lazarus means execution for Jesus. The Lord who stands at Lazarus’s tomb is the Lord who will stand in his own. And because he traded his life for his friend, death does not have the last word.

The greatest miracle in John 9 is not that a man sees the world. It’s that he sees God. Watch Pastor Evan Duncan's sermon from Sunday, Feb 15 at the Baptist Church of West Chester

Rev. Dr. Brian Ellis-Gibbs, National Coordinator for Healing and Transforming Communities at American Baptist Home Mission Societies, preaches from John 5:1-15

Pastor Evan invites us to explore Nicodemus' journey of belief across the Gospel of John. Are we willing to risk being born from above?

Pastor Evan Duncan looks at John's account of the cleanses of the Temple by Jesus. Why did Jesus get angry? Why did John include this story here? What do we do when we are angry that things aren't the way they should be?

Pastoral Ministry Resident Alicia Teet asks, what do we do when the wine runs out?

Jesus invites disciples to come and see from a variety of backgrounds. Will you come and see? Pastor Evan Duncan preached this sermon on Jan 4, 2026 at the Baptist Church of West Chester

Religious leaders question John the Baptizer. In his response, we see ways we may discover who we are. Pastor Evan Duncan preached this sermon on Dec. 28, 2025 at the Baptist Church of West Chester

When the angel says, “Nothing is impossible with God,” he’s not offering a blank check for whatever we want. He’s declaring that God will do impossible things as God moves towards what God wants: restoration, reconciliation, and redemption.

How could we know a God big enough to create the cosmos? Only if that God chose to reveal God's self. Pastor Evan shares about the Joy when find when God turns on the lights.

Are we ready? Are you willing to be submerged in the Spirit? What is holding you back? Pastor Evan Duncan looks at Mark 1:1-8 and reflects on how we prepare for the King who came at Christmas and is coming again.

“This passage presents us with two important Christian truths: that this seemingly substantial world is not going to last for ever, and yet the faithfulness of God and of God’s Christ will never come to an end.” - John Polkinghorne Pastor Evan considers Jesus' apocalyptic words in Mark 13 and how they can provide us with hope in unstable times.

How do we respond to the ruins in our lives and the lives of our neighbors? How do we respond to the ruins in our community and in our nation and in our world? Pastor Evan looks to Nehemiah story and how his burden led him to pray and fast and use his position to meet needs. However, his separatist views hindered his effectiveness. How will we respond to the burdens in the world?

What might we miss if we close ourselves off to the hospitality and community God is inviting us to be and create? Who might we miss? Pastor Evan looks at Ezra's actions against "foreign" wives and children and contrasts it Isaiah 56 and the welcome of Jesus.

What do we do with our source material? Pastor Evan looks at's Zerubbabel's attempted reforms after exile and the disconnection between his separatist position and the way described in Isaiah 56 and through the life and teachings of Christ.

Who are we when things don't go our way? Monica Kumar reflects on 2 Corinthians 3:13-18 and the idea of being thin spaces in the world.

Thanks for listening to the Baptist Church of West Chester podcast. If you have questions, want to connect, or would like to support God’s work in the world through our community, find us at bcwc.org. Intro and outro music by falling forever https://ffm.bio/fallingforever

Pastor Evan continues to share the practice of a Rule of Life and invites us to consider how we are creating space for our own spiritual growth and the flourishing of our neighbors in our work.

Pastor Evan introduced the concept of a Rule of Life and invites us to consider how we are creating space for our own spiritual growth and the flourishing of our neighbors

"My poetry is jamming your machine … With pictures copied from a world unseen" - Malcom Guite Pastor Evan reflects on John's vision of the multi-ethnic celebration at the throne of God and how God’s family is more expansive than we may believe. God’s desired future challenges our assumptions, biases, and limited experiences. The Overview Effect - Revelation 7:9-10 - World Communion Sunday 2025

Pastor Evan concludes this four part deep dive into Romans Chapter 8. In these final verses, Paul assures the church in Rome that God is for us, Christ is with us, and nothing can separate us from God's love. We explore what "us" means, how Paul ties his argument to references of stories from Abraham and Jesus, and what that means for us today.

Pastor Evan explores Paul's argument about the implications of our status as children of God for creation.

Pastor Evan encourages us to ask what we are inheriting and what we are passing on with a look at Romans 8:12-17

Pastor Evan begins a series on Romans 8 with a message on Romans 8:1-11.

Pastor Evan looks at 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 and the vocation of all Christians to be reconciled and be reconcilers.

Pastor Evan reflects on the joy of healthy community and how Paul embodied joy even in prison as he remembered what God had done before, anchored himself in Christ, and looked to the future. After the reflection, Pastor Evan interviews Kyle, Donna and Craig about their stories.