Baptist Church of West Chester

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.

Pastor Evan reflects on the Psalmist strategy for passing on faith: Story! Then, he interviews Josh and Margie from the congregation.

What is ancient love poetry doing in the Bible? Can it have anything to say to us today? Pastor Evan explores how Song of Songs helps us see how creation and our bodies our good, how love has costs, and that committed love, romantically, in community, and with Christ, is worth pursuing.

Guest Rev. Dr. Meg Biddle looks at Luke 15:1-6 with fresh eyes and challenges us to create and foster communities of love and inclusion.

Pastor Evan explores the questions of the teacher of Ecclesiastes, his assertion that all is breath, and how Jesus helps us find meaning in life when it is so short and unpredictable.

Pastor Evan explores how Proverbs speaks to us today and how we discover and apply wisdom today.

Rev. Dr. Richelle Foreman Gunter, Associate Pastor of St. Paul's Baptist Church in West Chester, preaches from Romans 8:31 and reflects on the God who still holds the world! Intro and Outro music by music by falling forever' https://ffm.bio/fallingforever

Pastor Evan shares from Ephesians 4:31-5:2 and reflects on God's Plan for Us after a great week of Kids' Camp.

Pastor Evan Duncan looks to Psalm 42 & 43 to help us navigate and reflect upon times when God feels distant.

Pastor Evan Duncan explores the early church metaphor for the trinity as a dance (Perichoresis)

Rev. Dr. Marsha Brown Woodard encourages us to go beyond the instructions towards the assignment God has given us. 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 looks at two of Jesus' parables in Luke 15 - the lost sheep and the lost coin. 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

Jim Layton shares a dramatic sermonic retelling of Luke 15:11-32

Pastor Evan Duncan explores the story of Jesus healing a women who is bent over by illness on the Sabbath and the two short parables that follow.