First Presbyterian Church of Griffin - Sermons

As Ezra is called to go to Jerusalem and sent by the king of Persia, he does not go alone. Ezra has many join him on his journey and seeks out those he feels are missing from it. In our own walk, who are those we journey with? who might be missing?

What have you set your heart upon? Is it your family? Your Job? Your garden? What if everything we could possibly want or need, and every answer we seek for our lives, and seeing favor from those around us had little to do with choosing to make those things happen?

When we think about our lives, we often think about ourselves as the main character. But, what if we are not the main character but just in the supporting role? And what if the supporting role is exactly the role that we are called to as followers of Jesus Christ?

When we follow the mission of God placed upon our lives, it is in those moments trouble comes. However, we have a Lord that is not unfamiliar with the trouble when following the Father. Let us follow his lead in our lives.

When the Lord stirs the spirit of a people toward His purposes, the people will be joined together as one. Unity is an undeniable characteristic of the people of God, serving Him and His purposes. How are we upholding unity in the Body of Christ for the glory of God?

God has been at work throughout all history to the building and breaking of kings and kingdoms, but also His people. He has spoken and keeps His promises through His sovereign hand and can work through whoever He deems necessary to accomplish His ends.

As we come to the end our our series, The Word Still Stands, we circle back to a thread throughout, that as the Word still stands relevant today, spurring all of history forward, it is still a personal Word for you and for me that we should read for our own formation. Daniel is an example of a man who allowed the Scriptures to form him as he poured over them and was shaped by them during the Babylonian captivity.

From the very beginning, God created a place for humanity to flourish as they glorified their Creator. From the Fall, the purpose has alway been one that returns to Paradise, where God may be eternally glorified.

The Lord has uniquely chosen to partner with his Church to carry the good news of the Gospel into all the world. Though capable of not needing us, God co-labors with His people of the Word to reach the world with the Word.

The Word of God goes out in its authority because it is Kingdom driven from a Heavenly Father. It does not stand void or without power as it purposefully drives its people to be a kingdom of priests who inhabit the Word.

SERGE Mission Partner George Mixon opens the Bible to Luke 11:1-13, where Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, and how this teaching informs us in our adoption as sons to God the Father, and our newfound access through that adoption.

What do we mean when we say that Scripture is authoritative? From where does it derive its authority and to what end does it exercise authority over us? In 2 Timothy 3:10-17, we find Paul’s exhortation to know that Scripture is God breathed and speaks into our very lives.

Our world is filled with those that would have used to believe that the Bible is antiquated and should be abandoned. However, the Bible reveals a better way and its power to settle our lives should we carry a proper Biblical worldview.

Jesus has been crucified, dead, and buried. The Sabbath is now over, and the faithful women who have been ministering alongside Jesus are returning to the tomb to anoint His body. Only, upon their arrival, they discover that he is not there and are filled with alarm at the start. Why is their alarm so significant, and how are we to respond to this Good News?

As Jesus stands before Pilate accused of insurrection, instead of defending himself, He makes no further answer. The silence of Jesus is a the loudest silence in history because it is not out of resignation, but surrender. His silence is for our salvation. How will you respond?

The unnamed woman who anoints Jesus with costly perfume is a picture of wholehearted devotion. Through the contrast between her extravagant act and the fear, greed, and legalism of those who surrounded Jesus, we are challenged to move beyond surface-level familiarity with Christ and pursue a costly, beautiful intimacy with him.

Jesus calls us to watchfulness, not as anxious sign-readers obsessing over the end times, but as present, faithful witnesses ready to proclaim the gospel. We are challenged as listeners to keep our eyes on what truly matters and trust the Holy Spirit to speak through us when it counts.

In Mark 12, the parable of the vineyard tenants tells the story of God’s remarkable patience with his people — and the profound love behind sending his own beloved Son. When the leaders rejected Jesus, God opened salvation to all who believe. A rich reminder that we are grafted in by grace.

Jesus enters Jerusalem to shouts of ‘Hosanna!’ — but the crowds want a king who will overthrow Rome, not a savior who will go to the cross. This Palm Sunday message challenges us to stop creating Jesus in our own image and embrace who he truly is.

In Mark 10:1–12, the Pharisees test Jesus with a question about divorce, but Jesus reveals the deeper issue, a heart that seeks the bare minimum from God. By pointing back to creation’s purpose and the image of being “yoked together,” Jesus invites us to move beyond minimums and discover what we were truly made for in him.

Jesus’ desire for his disciples is that they would see and understand what the Messiah must do. The Gospel of Mark now leads towards the cross, but the Messianic expectation still invades the hearts of his followers. How are we to see and understand the path Jesus must take, and how are we to respond?

This week we open the Bible to Mark 8:1-26 as we continue our walk through the Gospel of Mark, chapter-by-chapter, to become better Bible readers. This week in our passage we see how a miracle moment teaches us more about what the author is trying to tell us about Jesus and our faith.

This Sunday we continue our walk through the Gospel of Mark, learning to ask the text questions to become better Bible readers ourselves. This week we look at how in a single passage two things are happening and a single moment ties them together in Mark 6:30-44 as Jesus shows compassion to the multitude.

This Sunday we continue walking through the Gospel of Mark chapter-by-chapter to become better Bible readers. This week we open to Mark 5:1-34, and take a comparative approach to the text between the two stories that are written in the passage. How does comparing and contrasting stories teach us about Jesus and ourselves?

This morning we continue our walk through the Gospel of Mark chapter-by-chapter with the purpose of becoming more literate Bible readers. Today we open to Mark 4:35-41 where Jesus calms the storm. In this passage 4 questions are asked: how do they challenge us as believers in Christ?

This Sunday we continue our chapter-by-chapter walk through the Gospel of Mark. Along the way we learn practical ways to be in our Bibles more and read them with intentionality. Today, we open to Mark 3:22-30 to allow ourselves to be challenged by difficulty texts that we often gloss over.

This Sunday we continue our chapter-by-chapter walk through the Gospel of Mark. Along the way we learn practical ways to be in our Bibles more and read them with intentionality. Today, we open to Mark 2:1-12 to see how to find the importance in a passage, particular how Jesus has the authority to forgive.

This Sunday we begin the New Year by opening the Gospel of Mark. We will walk through the Gospel chapter by chapter each week and take a deep dive into how we read the scripture for ourselves. Today we open to Mark 1:1-13 to see how God is the Promise Keeper.

Happy New Year from First Presbyterian Church of Griffin. We hope that this year in 2026, the Lord will invite you to a year of deeper transformation through the reading of the Word. This morning Pastor Austin opens to Psalm 119:105-112, where we see the importance of the Scriptures for our Spiritual Formation.

This Sunday is the second Sunday in Advent where we continue exploring how the Advent of Jesus is a compelling subversion to society norms. This Sunday we open to Luke 1:26-33 and see how God used the coming of Christ to overturn socio-economic status.

This Sunday is the first Sunday in Advent, the season on the liturgical calendar that marks the anticipation of the arrival of The Christ Child, Jesus. We celebrate and honor our Lord this Sunday by looking at the way in which the Lord subverts societal understanding of beauty from Luke 2:1-12.

This week join us as we finish our series The Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6, when Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray. In this sermon Pastor Austin opens to Matthew 6:13 where we ask ourselves how we prayer against temptation and the evil one and why is it necessary.

This Sunday we continue our series The Lord's Prayer, an expositional walk through the prayer the Jesus taught his disciples to pray. Open you Bible with us to Matthew 6:12, where Jesus teaches us to pray for forgiveness and that we might forgive others. How are you asking the Lord for daily forgiveness and extending the forgiveness extended to you to others?

This Sunday, Chris Johnson, Sr. Dir of Church Engagement and External Advocacy from Lifeline Children's Services, brings a special message on Orphan Sunday. He reaches out to us with the Gospel parable on the Good Samaritan calling us to put compassion into action.

This week Pastor Austin continues in the series, The Lord's Prayer, an expositional walk through the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray. In this sermon, we open to Matthew 6:11 to understand the shift in how Jesus modeled prayer and what it means for us.

This Sunday, Pastor Austin continues the series The Lord's Prayer, and exegetical walk through the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray in Matthew chapter 6. This week we finish verse 10 with "on earth as it is in heaven." What do you think about when you pray for it to be on earth as it is in heaven? Do you think of creation? The Creator of all things? and how He is making all things new?

This morning we continue our series The Lord’s Prayer, a walk through the prayer Jesus taught His disciples to pray. We open to Matthew 6:10 to study the will of God for our lives and what it means to pray it as a prayer.

This week we continue our sermon series on The Lord's Prayer, opening our Bibles to Matthew 6:10. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray "Thy kingdom come," what are the implications of this prayer for our daily lives? It is a prayer for an immediate change and a future hope.

This morning we continue our sermon series, The Lord’s Prayer, a series walking through the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples to pray. This week we take a look at the second line from Matthew 6:9b, Hallowed Be Your Name. How does our prayer for God to be holy change us and shape us into the image of Jesus?

This morning we begin our new sermon Series, The Lord’s Prayer, a series walking through the prayer that Jesus taught his disicples to pray. This week we take a look at the first line from Matthew 6:9a, Our Father in Heaven. How does this line connect us in faith and what the Lord desires from our prayers?

This Sunday we hear a word from guest preacher, Michael Armentrout, a candidate for ordination in our denomination, ECO Presbyterians. He brings us a timely word from Matthew 14:1-23, about two kingdoms, and how the Kingdom of God looks different from the world and you and I are invited into that kingdom.

This morning we conclude our series Prayers of the People, a look at the prayers offered by figures throughout the Bible. To finish our series, Pastor Austin opens to John 17 and walks through the High Priestly Prayers given by Jesus before His disciples at the Last Supper. How does Jesus prayer model his love and care for His own?

This morning we continue our series Prayers of the People, a look at the prayers of Biblical figures. This week we open to Acts 7 to see how Stephen was empowered to pray, even in the midst of persecution. Do you still feel like your prayers are dry and dull? Listen to find how to find a vibrant prayer life.

This week we continue our series Prayers of the People, a look at the prayers of biblical figures and the examples they left behind when they prayed. This week we open our Bible to 1 Chronicles 4, where we read the prayer of Jabez. Jabez's prayer is one for all of us who are shaped by our past and how God wants to break through for us to live presently and hope for the future.

This week we have a special guest preacher, our missionary partner Michael Gordon. Michael serves with RUFs national office. This week he bring us a word from Psalm 31:7. Do you know that God understands your hurt and sees you in it?

Pastor Austin continues in the series Prayers of the People, a look at the many prayers offered by Biblical Figures to God. This week we open our Bibles to 2 Samuel 7 to read of David's prayer of Gratitude to the Lord for choosing him and his house. How can we respond like David for God's blessings toward us?

As we continue our sermon series, Prayer of the People, a look at the prayers offered by Biblical figures, this week we look at the prayer Job offers in repentance to the Lord after being rebuked by Him in Job 42. How do we repent in a manner that is effective and life changing that brings us into closer relationship with our Father in heaven?

This week we continue our series Prayers of the People, a look at the prayers offered by Biblical Figures. This week we look at Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel 1 to God for a Son. Only we realize that Hannah's satisfaction is not in her prayer being answered, but the Lord himself.

This week, we continue our series Prayer of the people exploring the prayers of Biblical figures. This week we open to Joshua 7, to see how Joshua responds to hardship among Israel in his prayer to the Lord and how we might be able to express similar sentiments in the situations we face.