First Baptist Church of Jacksonville

What fuels a life of passion for Jesus? Pastor Trevor Komatsu reveals three habits: celebrate the cross—let Christ's sacrificial death control your heart; remember your death—the old, sin-dominated you is gone; and live with purpose—stop living for comfort or approval and live for Him instead. Whether you're riding a spiritual high or struggling to recapture old passion, these practices will reignite your desire to glorify Jesus.

Many times Christians can feel that life leaves them weary, discouraged, and ready to give up, but God has not left us to fight alone. In this message from Ephesians 6, discover how the armor of God points us to Christ, equips us for spiritual warfare, and gives us the strength to stand firm. If you've been struggling with temptation, trials, or spiritual fatigue, we would love to offer biblical encouragement to keep trusting the Lord and pressing on.

When fear grips your heart, where do you turn? Pastor Andrew Morrell shows three realities from Psalm 56 that transform panic into faith: you're in good company—even King David struggled with fear; you're in good hands—God cares deeply and has infinite power; and there are good steps—trust God and worship him even in your scariest moments. Through Christ's victory over death, you have every reason to say with David, "In God I trust. What can man do to me?"

Dreams reveal God's purposes, prepare the world for Jesus, and point to the need for his Word. In this message from Genesis 41, Pastor Heath Lambert reveals three truths about biblical dreams: God uses dreams for revelation—speaking clearly to covenant people like Joseph and confusingly to outsiders like Pharaoh to exalt a covenant member and glorify himself; God uses dreams throughout Scripture to prepare for Jesus—from Joseph's dreams to the dreams surrounding Jesus's birth, all pointing toward the Messiah; and God is not using dreams for new communication today—after Jesus's resurrection, the Bible records no more dreams from God because we now have the complete revelation in Christ. Once Jesus came, died, and rose, we no longer need dreams. What we need is the Word of God and knowledge of who Jesus is and what he did for us.

Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and glorify God. In this message from Matthew 5:16, Pastor Scott Connell reveals that light's nature is to illuminate darkness—and as followers of Jesus, you are the light of the world. Your light shines through three dimensions: character transformation grounded in the fruits of the Spirit, words of truth spoken in love, and acts of compassion and generosity. This calling belongs to the church collectively—you are "a thousand points of light" in Jacksonville. But light only fulfills its purpose when it shines; hidden under a basket, it's useless. Whether through sin, compromise, laziness, fear, or helplessness, many conceal their light. Jesus calls you to engage your dark world beneficially through good works performed from a pure heart that wants God glorified, not yourself.

You're at your low point when suffering teaches you what you need most. In this message from Genesis 40, Pastor Heath Lambert shows how Joseph's simple statement—"Do not interpretations belong to God?"—reveals three transformations: Let hard times teach you to be humble by removing pride and self-exaltation; let hard times teach you to care by noticing others' troubles instead of fixating on your own; and let hard times teach you to honor God by giving him credit and telling the truth even when it costs you. Joseph goes from a boastful dreamer to a humble servant, and his low point of imprisonment becomes the path to his exaltation. Just as Jesus suffered to prove God rescues his people, your low point is not the end of your story—God is in the business of bringing his people through.

Even when everything works against you—your circumstances, your relationships, your reputation—God is still with you. In this message from Genesis 39, Pastor Heath Lambert shows how Joseph was enslaved, falsely accused, and imprisoned, yet succeeded because "the Lord was with Joseph." But here's the incredible promise: you can have more of God than Joseph had. When you trust Jesus, the Holy Spirit doesn't just come upon you—he dwells in you forever, making your heart his home. No matter what this world throws at you, you can succeed through suffering with God living inside you.

True worship isn't about empty religious performance—it's about loving God and loving others. In this message from Micah 6:6-8, Pastor RJ Lago exposes Israel's hypocrisy: they offered sacrifices and ceremonies, yet God rejected their worship because they lacked love for their neighbors. God's answer is clear: "Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God." True religion requires both proper worship and genuine love for others—the fruit reveals the roots. If your faith doesn't produce love for God's people, you don't know him. What does your life's fruit reveal about your worship?

God has plans for you, and they are good. In this encouraging message from Jeremiah 29:11, Sean Perron shares three truths: God has plans for your life that provide comfort in uncertainty; God's plans are good, though not necessarily filled with prosperity—Romans 8:28 promises he works all things together for good through famine, trial, and tribulation, not avoiding suffering; and God is the goal of his plans, using trials and temptations to refine you and make you more like Jesus. From his cancer diagnosis to his wedding day rain, Sean shows how God's unchangeable plans work for our good and his glory, pressing us closer to him and teaching us to seek him with all our hearts.

What happens when jealousy takes root? In this message from Genesis 37, Pastor Heath Lambert exposes the bitter fruit of sinful jealousy through Joseph's story, revealing four devastating consequences: jealousy leads to destruction as the brothers sell Joseph into slavery; jealousy leads to despair as Jacob grieves over the deceptive news of Joseph's death; jealousy leads to delusions making the brothers think their anger could fix their father's favoritism when God's promises through Joseph's dreams will come true; and jealousy leads to desensitization as the brothers eat a meal while sending word of Joseph's death, stripping themselves of their humanity. Jesus laid down his life to rescue us from the bitter fruit of jealousy.

How do you honor Jesus in the valley of the shadow of death? In this powerful and personal message from Isaiah 40:31, Trevor Komatsu shares about losing his son and reveals three ways to respond with faith when suffering: get your eyes on God by fixing them on his character and promises rather than your circumstances, recognizing he is eternal, all-knowing, and almighty; grab hold of God's power by admitting your weakness, asking Jesus for strength, and expecting him to answer—he gives power to the faint and increases strength to those with no might; and go and do the next thing, whether that's getting out of bed, serving your family, or small acts of obedience, trusting that Jesus will strengthen you even in the valley.

We live in a world where people break promises, but God keeps his. In this message from Genesis 35-36, Pastor Heath Lambert reveals the scandalous reality that God reaffirms his promises to Jacob despite three reasons we'd expect him to withdraw them: personal wickedness including scheming, deception, sexual sin, favoritism, and cowardice; family wickedness like Reuben sleeping with Bilhah his father's concubine; and fundamental weakness proven through death as Deborah, Rachel, and Isaac all pass away. We constantly use sin and weakness to break our promises, but God keeps his covenant because of who he is, not what Jacob deserves. When God promises eternal life through Jesus, you cannot sin your way out of it.

In this sermon on Genesis 34, Pastor Heath Lambert walks through the tragic story of Dinah and the sinful responses surrounding sexual assault. He contrasts dehumanization, destructive anger, and dismissiveness with the redemption found in Jesus Christ, showing how the gospel brings healing, compassion, and hope in a broken world.

Why is it hard to praise moms? In this Mother's Day message from Proverbs 31, Pastor Heath Lambert addresses the reasons Mother's Day can be difficult — women wanting to be moms but aren't, people grieving great moms who've died, or people remembering bad moms who brought pain — but focuses on the most common reason: we're selfish and ungrateful, taking for granted the wonderful gift of our mothers. Discover three biblical directives: praise your mom for her compassion in works and words; praise her hard work, both seen and unseen; and praise her godliness because a mom who loves God is one of the most precious gifts in the world.

Where are you lazy? In this message from Proverbs 24, Pastor Sean Perron stares at a sluggard's overgrown field to reveal three lessons: laziness reaps hardship slowly over time until your field is ruined with thorns and thistles—the thief comes invisibly through a little scroll, a little social, a little me time until poverty arrives like a robber; laziness reveals our hearts by choosing our schedule over God's desires rather than fearing him and walking in the good works he prepared for us; and laziness requires lordship by submitting to Jesus instead of being zealous for your own pleasure.

From nervous first-grader to preaching pastor. In this message on Isaiah 9:6, Pastor Tim Arndt reveals three gifts of the promised son: The son gives us light and joy by bringing hope to Zebulun and Naphtali's darkness through Jesus beginning his ministry in Galilee—healing the sick, casting out demons, and bringing joy where doom scrolling never could; the son gives us freedom and peace like the days of Gideon defeating Midian, freeing us from ultimate slavery to sin and death through his sinless life and resurrection; and the son gives us a king and kingdom with supernatural wisdom, mighty in battle, reigning eternally as Prince of Peace.