Wednesday, October 14, 2026.

Collective memory plays a vital role in how we understand and practice our faith. From the Old Testament commandment to "Remember the Sabbath" to Jesus' command to "Do this in remembrance of me" at the Lord's Supper, there's a divine purpose and real power to the practice of sacred memory. This one-week adult Bible study led by Casey Callahan will explore the Power of Memory in Scripture.

Leader: Rev. Dr. Casey Callahan

Worship with First Baptist Church of Asheville. Sundays: Bible study at 10:00 a.m., worship at 11:00 a.m. · 5 Oak Street, Asheville, NC · fbca.net

October 18, 2026. Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost. Year A.

The leaders approach Jesus with a conniving riddle: Do we pay taxes to Caesar or not? If Jesus says yes, he angers the anti-Roman crowd, but if he says no, he invites Rome’s wrath. Jesus circumvents the plot by exposing the idolatry of his questioners, who produce a graven image (the coin) in full view of any bystanders. They marvel at Jesus’ final question and response, “Give to God the things that are God’s.” But Jesus prompts us all to consider a lesson engraved in his clever response, “What does being made in the image of God require of me?”

Scripture: Matthew 22:15-22
Preacher: Rev. Dr. Mack Dennis

Cover art: Power Play, Lisle Gwynn Garrity [Lisle Gwynn Garrity | A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org

Worship with First Baptist Church of Asheville. Sundays: Bible study at 10:00 a.m., worship at 11:00 a.m. · 5 Oak Street, Asheville, NC · fbca.net

October 4, 2026. Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost (World Communion). Year A.

Psalm 19 praises creation and describes it as “telling” and “proclaiming.” We learn the heavens and the earth are really quite eloquent, even if “their voice is not heard.” The poem quickly shifts to describe the life-giving eloquence of the law (Torah). The Psalm’s structure invites us to see God’s creation and God’s word in mutually illuminating conversation. Creation elicits our awe and wonder, while God’s word deepens our perception, care, and enjoyment of creation, allowing its inarticulate beauty to “speak” with even more power.

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Mack Dennis

September 20, 2026. Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost. Year A.

All the laborers, even those arriving at day's end, get paid the same salary. What kind of twisted wage theft is this? Then the landowner places the late laborers in the front of the line so the early laborers witness his strange generosity. It's just not...just. Pair this with the lectionary's glimpse of Jonah's insolence about Nineveh, and we discover this Sunday's texts are designed to provoke a mutiny among those of us who've been doing most of the work. Or maybe they're designed instead to open our hearts to the glad news of God's unjust grace.

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Mack Dennis

Worship with First Baptist Church of Asheville. Sundays for Bible study at 10:00 a.m.. and worship at 11:00 a.m. Learn more at fbca.net.

September 6, 2026. Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost. Year A.

The core of the Passover story provides a detailed sequence of food preparation and mealtime. God not only commands the Israelites to prepare the lamb just so but also to eat it hurriedly. The meal upon which the Lord's Supper is founded is no casual affair, but fuel for a dangerous departure from domination, nourishment for a great escape from slavery, a communal meal to commemorate God's deliverance from the powers that be.

Preacher: Rev. Dr. Mack Dennis

Worship with First Baptist Church of Asheville. Sundays for Bible study at 10:00 a.m.. and worship at 11:00 a.m. Learn more at fbca.net.