Claim OwnershipFirst Bentonville Podcast
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Encouraging messages and teachings from First Bentonville. A Northwest Arkansas church, located in downtown Bentonville, AR.
96 Episodes
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This week's message explores how the Holy Spirit's role in salvation provides believers with an unchangeable inheritance. When we hear the gospel and place our faith in Christ, we are immediately sealed by the Holy Spirit—a divine guarantee of our salvation that cannot be altered. The Holy Spirit serves as both a seal of ownership and a pledge (down payment) of the complete inheritance we will receive at the redemption of our bodies, all designed to bring praise to God's glory.
This week's message explores the profound truth that our salvation originates entirely with God through His sovereign choice. Before the foundation of the world, God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless, predestining us for adoption as His children—not based on anything we've done, but according to His grace and love. We are accepted in "the Beloved" (Jesus), which means God loves us with the same love He has for His Son, and our identity is secure in Him before we ever achieved anything.
This week's message explores wisdom from Proverbs 1, defining it as seeing and responding to life from God's perspective rather than relying on our own understanding. True wisdom begins with reverence for God and is gained through studying His Word, obeying His commands, and cultivating a deep, personal relationship with Him.
This sermon explores Psalm 1:1-4, contrasting the blessed life of those who delight in God's law with the fate of the wicked. It emphasizes how believers should avoid worldly influences and instead be rooted in Scripture, resulting in spiritual prosperity and God's favor. The message highlights that when God plants us by His Word, He provides for us, produces fruit through us, and preserves us—leading to true soul prosperity and blessing.
This week's message explores the incredible spiritual inheritance believers receive through Christ, emphasizing that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Just as earthly inheritances pale in comparison, our connection to Christ grants us access to unfathomable riches—wisdom, grace, redemption, and divine guidance for both spiritual and practical matters. The key is understanding that we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places, giving us access to everything we need, and our lives should visibly reflect this transformative connection. True spiritual wealth comes not from our own understanding but from trusting God and accessing the resources He has already provided through our relationship with Jesus.
This week we kick off a new series through the book of Ephesians. In Ephesians 1:1–2, we explore the incredible spiritual inheritance believers have in Christ. Paul emphasizes three key themes: discovering our God-given purpose as apostles called by His will, understanding our position as saints set apart for His possession, presence, character, and glory, and receiving God's provision of grace and peace. The message challenges us to move beyond merely doing for God to becoming who God created us to be. True purpose, peace, and impact flow from intimate relationship with Him—not from religious activity alone.
This week's message explores the biblical foundation of the Church, beginning with Jesus' declaration in Matthew 16:18 that He would build His church on the confession that He is the Christ. The birth of the Church occurred at Pentecost in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit descended on believers with wind and fire—traditional symbols of God's presence—marking them as God's new temple. Through speaking in tongues, the Gospel was immediately sent to people from every nation, fulfilling God's plan for a Church without walls that exists to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.
In "Hello My Name Is Mercy", we explore God's nature as the "Father of Mercies" and "God of All Comfort," emphasizing that mercy defines everything God does and that true comfort comes not from removal of suffering but from drawing closer to Christ. Paul describes God through direct action rather than theological categories, showing that our God uniquely acts in human history. The message challenges us to step out of our comfort zones to experience Christ's comfort more deeply, reminding us that the gospel represents the fullest expression of God's mercy and that even in our bitterest suffering, we will find unexpected sweetness at the bottom of the cup.
Experience the joy and wonder of Christmas! Christmas at First Bentonville Church—a celebration filled with the magic of the season! Whether you celebrated with us in person or are tuning in for the first time, this special service brings the true meaning of Christmas to life through powerful worship, an inspiring message, and unforgettable moments for the whole family. Grab your hot cocoa, gather your loved ones, and let Christmas at First Bentonville Church be part of your holiday tradition. Hit play and let the celebration begin! Merry Christmas from our church family to yours! We're so glad you're here.
In week two of our series, the message explores how Christmas represents God's response to humanity's fall from glory through sin. Jesus Christ came as the incarnation of God's glory, becoming human to restore what was lost when sin entered the world. Through His suffering and sacrifice, Jesus not only offers forgiveness but restores believers to the glory God originally intended for humanity, transforming salvation from mere pardon into complete restoration.
In the first message of our new series, we explore the profound meaning of Christmas through Philippians 2:5-11, revealing that Jesus' birth wasn't just a historical event but God's ultimate demonstration of love and humility. By stepping down from heaven's glory to become human, Jesus showed us who God truly is, how far He will go to reach us, and established Himself as the Lord who deserves first place in our lives. The core challenge is moving beyond celebrating Christmas as a cultural event to embracing Jesus' lordship through surrender, obedience, and daily trust—even when it's difficult or inconvenient.
In the final message of our series, we explore God's kingdom work in a world filled with evil, using the parable of the dragnet from Matthew 13:47-50. Jesus teaches that God is currently extending His kingdom to all people without prejudice, like a net gathering fish of every kind, while a future judgment will separate the righteous from the wicked. We are called to live with urgency, casting the gospel net widely without hidden prejudices, recognizing that we are gatherers, not sorters. The reality of coming judgment should motivate us to compassionate witness and prayer, not condemnation, as we share the good news that offers salvation from judgment through faith in Christ.
The next message in our series explores the parable of the pearl from Matthew 13:45-46, reinterpreting it with God as the merchant and the church as the pearl. The beauty of the pearl reveals how Christ's sacrifice on the cross covers our brokenness, transforming us into something precious. The merchant's pursuit demonstrates God's seeking love for us, and the price paid—everything—shows our immense value to Him. Our response should be joyful obedience rooted in gratitude, leading us to gather, grow, serve, and go into the world seeking others.
This week's message reveals that we are God's treasure—the prize Christ joyfully gave everything to obtain. Through the parable of the hidden treasure, we see that Jesus didn't just save us out of duty, but out of deep love and delight, surrendering His glory, position, and life on the cross. Our worth is not based on our performance but on the infinite price He paid, and understanding this truth calls us to live securely, gratefully, and surrendered to the One who treasures us.
This week's message explores Jesus' parable of the leaven in Matthew 13:33, challenging the common interpretation that the church will transform the world for good. Instead, it presents leaven as a symbol of hidden corruption and false teaching that infiltrates truth. The lesson emphasizes that believers are called to be a pure offering to God—living with devotion, discernment, and intentionality—while remaining vigilant against deception in an increasingly difficult world. Our response to God's mercy should be lives of worship, service, and unwavering commitment to Scripture's authority.
This week's message explores Jesus's parable of the mustard seed as a warning about the apostate church at the end of the age. While the gospel seed is powerful and transformative when planted in hearts, the church can grow into a corrupted "tree" that harbors false teachings and deceptive spirits disguised as truth. Believers are called to test every spirit, abide in Christ's true teachings, and distinguish between mere religion and genuine salvation through Jesus alone.
In week two of our series we explore the parable of the wheat and tares from Matthew 13, teaching that good and evil coexist in the world by God's sovereign design. The enemy (Satan) deliberately sows evil wherever God plants good, yet believers are called to trust God's timing rather than try to root out evil prematurely. Through daily surrender, faith, and choosing good over evil, we can trust that God works all things—even the presence of evil—together for His glory and our ultimate good.
As we begin our new series, "Good vs Evil", Pastor Chris explores how Christians should view and respond to evil in the world through the parable of the sower. Jesus teaches that the Word of God is like seed that falls on different types of hearts—hardened, shallow, crowded, and fruitful. As followers of Christ, we are called to sow good seed abundantly in a dark world, overcoming evil with good and allowing God's Word to transform our hearts into fruitful soil that impacts others for His kingdom.
This message from Proverbs 6:6-11 encourages us to learn wisdom from the ant's diligent work ethic and preparation. Just as ants work together in different roles within their colony—workers, harvesters, nurses—we are each uniquely placed in the body of Christ with specific purposes. The dynamic characteristics of ants—being highly aggressive in their mission, time-conscious, collaborative, and following a clear trail—serve as a powerful model for how believers should approach Kingdom work with urgency, unity, and perseverance.
The final message in our series explores the power of prayer through the example of Jabez, emphasizing that we have direct, confident access to God through Jesus Christ. We are encouraged to pray specifically and significantly for things that align with God's will, trusting that He hears and answers according to His perfect timing and purposes. The key lesson is that prayer is always the answer in every situation, and as children of God, we should never limit our requests, knowing that God can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine when our requests, character, and timing align with His will.
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