PODCAST · religion
Houston's First Baptist Church
by Pastor Gregg Matte
Houston's First Baptist Church is a relevant biblical community where we gather our hearts, grow our souls and give our lives as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). This podcast provides weekly messages from Pastor Gregg Matte and others. Visit us at HoustonsFirst.org to learn more about HFBC, and visit us in person the next time you're in Houston!
Episodes
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What Got You Here Will Not Get You There: Seeing Differently
Life has seasons where the next step feels unclear, even when you know God is at work. Numbers 13 speaks directly to that experience through the story of twelve spies sent to scout the land of Canaan. Before they left, Moses gave them a simple but powerful charge: be courageous. The first…
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Trusting God: Quit Complaining
Life rarely goes the way we plan, and the wilderness seasons can feel confusing, uncomfortable, and even unfair. Numbers 11 pulls back the curtain on what happens in our hearts when the journey gets hard. The Israelites had been freed from slavery in Egypt and were being led clearly by God, with…
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Trusting God: God's Clock and Cloud
God led the Israelites through the wilderness using a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When the cloud moved, they moved. When it stopped, they stopped. This was not a system built around human schedules or preferences. It was a daily, visible reminder that God provides...
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Trusting God: To Heal
When sickness enters our lives, the instinct is to ask why. But Scripture redirects that question toward something more important: where do we turn? The Bible offers several reasons why sickness exists in the world, including the brokenness of a fallen creation, the consequences of unwise…
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Trusting God: Seasons of Life
Life moves through seasons, and God has a distinct purpose for each one. Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that there is a time for every activity under heaven, and Numbers 8 gives us a surprisingly practical picture of this through the lives of the Levites. Their service followed a clear arc: a time…
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Live Worthy - Brandon Ayers
What does it actually look like to live a life worthy of the Gospel? Paul answers that question with striking clarity in Philippians 1 and 2. It starts with one thing: living as citizens of heaven in a way that reflects the good news as genuinely true. His roadmap begins not with more prayer or...
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Moving with God Together: Four Attributes of an Impactful Person
What does it truly mean to make an impact? A women's basketball coach at Texas A&M offered a simple but powerful distinction: success is what happens to you, while impact is what happens because of you. Numbers 8, set against the backdrop of the Israelites preparing to journey through the...
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Moving with God Together: Blessed
The Priestly Blessing from Numbers 6 is one of the oldest and most significant passages in all of Scripture. Archaeologists discovered it inscribed on silver scrolls dating back to 600 BC, predating the Dead Sea Scrolls by 400 years. God gave this blessing directly to Moses, instructing the...
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Moving with God Together: Plan to Succeed
The Book of Numbers follows the Israelites on their journey from Egyptian captivity toward Canaan, the land God had promised them. They knew where they started and where they were headed, but everything in between was uncertain. That tension is deeply familiar. God rarely hands us a detailed...
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Holy: Jesus is Our Path - Leviticus
There is a profound difference between believing in God and truly belonging to Him. One is a starting point. The other is a way of life. Leviticus 26 lays out an extraordinary promise: if God's people walk with Him and honor His commands, the blessings will be overwhelming. Food, security, peace,...
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Holy: Jesus is Our Holiness- Leviticus
God calls His people to be set apart, not because they have earned it, but because He has already loved them. Leviticus 20 lays out this call with clarity, commanding God's people to follow His statutes and avoid the ways of the surrounding nations. The reason is not about performance or...
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Holy: Jesus is Our Atonement - Leviticus
The Day of Atonement, known in Hebrew as Yom Kippur, is one of the most profound pictures in all of Scripture of what Jesus Christ would accomplish on the cross. Positioned at the center of Leviticus, which itself sits at the center of the Torah, this ancient ceremony was never merely a Jewish...
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Holy: Jesus is our High Priest - Leviticus
Leviticus is one of the most overlooked books in the Bible, yet it carries a profound answer to one of the most important questions anyone can ask: how does an unholy person connect with a holy God? Built around the concept of holiness, the book moves through sacrifices, priestly ordination, and...
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Holy: Rhythms of Connection - Leviticus
Leviticus is one of the most overlooked books in the Bible, yet it is filled with some of the most powerful pictures of Jesus Christ found anywhere in Scripture. At its core, the book answers one essential question: how do sinful people draw near to a holy God? Every offering, every feast, and...
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Biblical Moments in American History | Robert Morgan
Robert Morgan, Associate Pastor of World Outreach Church, shares that America's founding was deeply shaped by Scripture, reminding us that God still calls us to build our lives on the unchanging foundation of His Word. Long before the Declaration of Independence, pastors were preaching from...
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Joy Amid Hard Times | Daniel Ritchie
Born without arms, Daniel Ritchie, Vice President of the Southern Baptist Convention, shares that life can be really hard, and circumstances will often disappoint. But Romans 15:13 points us to a God who is not just a giver of hope but the very source of it. Christian hope is not fragile or...
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Spiritual Growth - Father's Day | Chad Chambers
Chad Chambers, Executive Director of C.H.A.R.M. Prison Ministry, shows us that growing in godliness is not passive. It requires the same intentional effort and discipline we give to every other area of life. Based on 1 Timothy 4:6-16, the foundation of spiritual growth begins with where we place...
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The Prodigal Son - Father's Day | O.S. Hawkins
O.S. Hawkins, Chancellor of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, explains that the parable of the prodigal son is not primarily about a rebellious child. It is about the Father, and through Him, a portrait of who God is and how He relates to us. The Father's love is tough enough to release,...
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Suffering is a Seed | John Wethington
John Wethington, Senior Pastor of New Day Church in Houston, shares from Genesis 50 and the story of Joseph, exploring how God works through life's most painful seasons. Reflecting on his own experience of losing his wife after a three-year battle with brain cancer in her early thirties, John...
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Rescue from Above | Dr. Bill Blocker
Dr. Bill Blocker, President of the College of Biblical Studies in Houston, Texas, shares the story of 33 Chilean miners trapped underground for 69 days and how it illustrates our need for rescue from above. Just as those miners couldn't save themselves and needed help from the surface, we need...
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Flip the Script (Job 42)
What do you do when life suddenly falls apart? In the final message of our study through the Book of Job, we explore one of Scripture’s most powerful stories of suffering, perseverance, and restoration. Job’s journey takes him from unimaginable loss to a deeper intimacy with God, revealing…
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People of Prayer - Memorial Day 2026
Prayer is essential for spiritual strength, yet many struggle with consistency. Through the examples of Paul and Silas praying with joy in prison, Anna's sacrificial devotion to prayer and fasting, and Epaphras wrestling in prayer for others, we learn three powerful approaches to prayer. Paul…
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God's Perspective is BIGGER! (Job 38-40)
The Book of Job reveals the secret to moving from asking why to trusting who. Sometimes the question isn't whether God can answer our questions, but whether we can handle His answers. Through Job’s perseverance, we’re reminded to trust God’s character and wisdom even when life doesn’t make sense.
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More Than Fixing: How Great Friends Connect (Job 2:10–3:1)
The book of Job reveals powerful principles for offering godly counsel to those in pain. Job's friends initially demonstrated wisdom by traveling to be with him and sitting in silence for seven days, practicing the Ministry of Presence. However, they failed when they began offering simplistic...
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Faith When Life Crashes (Job 1-2)
Life often blindsides us with unexpected suffering, but the story of Job offers profound wisdom for navigating devastating seasons. Job was a righteous man who lost everything in a single day - his wealth, servants, and all ten children - yet chose to worship God rather than curse Him. His…
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A Special Message from Dr. John Piper
The story of Lazarus in John 11:1-6 reveals a shocking truth about God's love. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, He deliberately stayed away for two days, allowing His beloved friend to die. This wasn't cruelty but love—a love that prioritizes what we need most over what we want most. True...
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Matthew Overview: Upside Down but Right Side Up
The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah and King to a Jewish audience after 400 years of silence between the testaments. Beginning with a revolutionary genealogy that includes five women with scandalous backgrounds, Matthew shows that Jesus came to create a new family for...
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Plan of Plans: The Great Commission
The Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20 reveals God's specific mission for every believer's life, yet only 17% of Christians know what it is. Jesus gave His disciples four key elements: His complete authority over all things, the call to reach all nations and people groups, the responsibility to...
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Easter 2026: Empty + Empty = FULL
Easter reveals a profound truth about God's mathematics: Empty Cross + Empty Tomb = Full Life. While we often try to fill our hearts with temporary things like money, approval, or success, these are like broken cisterns that cannot hold water. Jesus emptied Himself on the cross, taking our...
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Broken For You 2026
George Wright, Senior Pastor of Shades Mountain Baptist Church, shares that Habakkuk models authentic faith in times of crisis, bringing honest doubts to God, trusting His sovereignty, and embracing the truth that the just shall live by faith.
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Palm Sunday: Saddle Up and Celebrate
Palm Sunday reveals Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem as the fulfillment of ancient prophecy and the beginning of the most important week in human history. Just as the disciples prepared a donkey to carry Jesus, we must prepare ourselves to carry Christ forward in our daily lives. This…
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The Garden of Gethsemane: The Soil, the Weeds, and the Blessing
The Garden of Gethsemane holds deep significance as the place where Jesus prayed before His crucifixion, offering timeless lessons about surrender, prayer, and finding strength in difficult moments. The name Gethsemane means olive press, symbolizing how crushing pressure can produce something...
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The Lord's Supper
The Lord's Supper serves three essential purposes that make it far more than a simple ritual. First, it calls believers to remember Christ's death, keeping the cross central in their minds and hearts. Second, it prompts self-examination, inviting believers to confess sin and recommit to faithful...
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The Transfiguration
Minister to Singles and Metro Venue Pastor, Brandon Ayers, shares how the transfiguration of Jesus in Matthew 17 provides a profound moment of clarity about His true identity. When Jesus revealed His divine glory on the mountain, His face shone like the sun and His clothes became white as light,...
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Kingdom Come: Take Up Your Cross
Following Jesus requires three essential components: denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following Him. Denying yourself means yielding to God's control and saying no to your own desires. Taking up your cross involves willingly enduring shame and suffering for Christ's sake, publicly...
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Kingdom Come: Who Do You Say I Am?
Jesus asked His disciples the most crucial question anyone will ever face: Who do you say that I am? At Caesarea Philippi, surrounded by temples to false gods, Peter gave the perfect answer: You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. This wasn't just human wisdom but divine revelation. Your...
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Kingdom Come: New Lens on Life
The rich young ruler had everything our culture values - wealth, youth, and power - yet he walked away from Jesus sad and empty. When Jesus asked him to sell his possessions and follow Him, the man couldn't do it because his possessions had captured his heart. This story reveals that salvation...
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Kingdom Come: Walking Faith
Peter's water-walking experience in Matthew 14 reveals three essential steps of discipleship. First, new steps and first steps are always the hardest, whether it's following Jesus initially or taking steps of obedience like generous giving. Second, we must stay focused on Christ rather than…
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Kingdom Come: God's Math
The feeding of the 5,000 reveals how God's mathematics work differently than ours. When Jesus received news of John the Baptist's death, He moved from grief to compassion, seeing the crowd's needs despite His own pain. The disciples only had five barley loaves and two fish from a boy's lunch, but...
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The Last Days: Part 3 - Living a Life That Counts
Executive Pastor, Dr. Stephen Trammell, shares that the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 reveals how believers can live meaningfully while anticipating Christ's return. God entrusts each person with resources according to their abilities, expecting faithful stewardship rather than…
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The Last Days: Part 2 – Waiting Faithfully
Jesus gave us 15 signs in Matthew 24 to indicate His return is approaching, but no one knows the exact timing except the Father. These signs, like birth pains, will increase in frequency and intensity. The key isn't knowing when He's coming, but being ready when He does. Jesus contrasts two types...
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The Last Days: Part 1 - Knowing the Signs
Biblical prophecy reveals specific signs that indicate Christ's return is approaching, including widespread deception, wars, natural disasters, persecution of Christians, and the cooling of love among believers. Jesus described these signs as labor pains that intensify over time, culminating in a...
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Doxology
Downtown Campus Pastor, Leon Brooks III, explores Jude 24-25, which reveals that Jesus has the power to keep believers from stumbling in their faith and present them blameless before God. While some people fall away from Christianity, those who remain faithful can attribute their perseverance to...
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The Story: Part 2 - Wise Men
The story of the wise men in Matthew 2 presents us with a crucial question: Who is truly ruling your life? These historical figures weren't Jewish, yet they traveled hundreds of miles following a star to find the newborn King. Their journey reveals that wise people are seekers who actively pursue...
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The Story: Part 1 - The First Family Tree of Christmas
The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 reveals God's incredible plan to use imperfect people for His perfect purposes. Five women are mentioned in Christ's lineage, each with a shocking story: Tamar the deceiver, Rahab the prostitute, Ruth the foreigner, Bathsheba the victim, and Mary the humble...
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The Kingdom Is Like: Part 3 - God Is on the Move!
In Matthew 13:44-46, Jesus tells two parables about a hidden treasure and a precious pearl to reveal a profound truth: while we often see ourselves as seekers of God's treasure, we are actually the treasure that God seeks. God takes the first step in pursuing us, demonstrated ultimately when…
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The Kingdom Is Like: Part 2 - The Fruitful Heart
Minister to Married Young Adults and The4 Venue Pastor, Brad Talbert, explores the four types of hearts that receive God's word differently revealed in Jesus' parable of the sower. The hard heart has no room for spiritual truth to penetrate. The shallow heart receives God's word with initial joy...
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The Kingdom Is Like: Part 1 - Small Things Make a Big Difference
The parable of the mustard seed reveals that God's kingdom grows through small, faithful actions rather than grand gestures. Just as the tiny mustard seed becomes a large tree over time, our spiritual lives are built through daily moments of obedience and trust. This principle applies to…
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Feedback: Part 3 - Who We Should Be
Our words serve as spiritual health monitors, revealing the true condition of our hearts. Jesus teaches that just as a tree is known by its fruit, our inner spiritual condition is revealed through our outward words and actions. The Pharisees focused on external appearances while neglecting…
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Feedback: Part 2 - Who He Is
In a world full of opinions and feedback, the most important question remains: Who is Jesus Christ? Moving beyond human approval to divine truth, Jesus demonstrates that success isn't measured by crowd size but by obedience to God's will. The mathematical impossibility of fulfilled prophecies...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Houston's First Baptist Church is a relevant biblical community where we gather our hearts, grow our souls and give our lives as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). This podcast provides weekly messages from Pastor Gregg Matte and others. Visit us at HoustonsFirst.org to learn more about HFBC, and visit us in person the next time you're in Houston!
HOSTED BY
Pastor Gregg Matte
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Houston's First Baptist Church have?
Houston's First Baptist Church currently has 1000 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Houston's First Baptist Church about?
Houston's First Baptist Church is a relevant biblical community where we gather our hearts, grow our souls and give our lives as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). This podcast provides weekly messages from Pastor Gregg Matte and others. Visit us at HoustonsFirst.org to...
How often does Houston's First Baptist Church release new episodes?
Houston's First Baptist Church releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 1000 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
Where can I listen to Houston's First Baptist Church?
You can listen to Houston's First Baptist Church on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Houston's First Baptist Church?
Houston's First Baptist Church is created and hosted by Pastor Gregg Matte.
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