First Presbyterian Church

First Presbyterian Church Sunday Morning Worship starts at 10:30 AM and a nursery is provided!

04/25/2026

Please join us on Sunday, April 26 when Dr. Vivian Thomlinson will bring our message. Her sermon will be on Acts 2: 42-47 "And they held all things in common..." This passage refers to the very first days of the newly birthed church of Jesus Christ, coming immediately after the receiving of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The passage shows the nascent church behaving as happy newlyweds, meeting together with one heart and one mind, eating, praying, worshiping together as one body. The haves gave to the have-nots, sharing all things equally. What a beatific, heavenly socialist society the passage depicts! Unfortunately, we all now know that no matter how wonderful the marriage, the honeymoon does not last forever. And so it was, and still is, with the Church, the Body of Christ: Utopian socialism has a limited lifespan even among Christians. Why are there disunity, factions, conflicts, inequality inside The Body of Christ on earth? The Way of the Cross is foolishness to the perishing, counter-intuitive to the worldly mindset. The gate is narrow. How can we, the Church, prolong the honeymoon, walk in the footsteps of Christ? Real moral and spiritual dilemmas. Tough questions. One Prayer: Change our hearts, O God!"

The service will begin at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome! Hope to see you there!

04/10/2026

Dr. Vivian Thomlinson will be our homilist this Sunday. Her title is "Sheep Gotta Eat!" It is based on John 21, in which the risen Jesus makes breakfast for his Disciples at Galilee.
There on the shore, He asks Peter three times, "DO you love me?" And when Peter replies in the affirmative, each time Christ commands him to feed His sheep and His lambs. This poignant post-resurrection scene brings closure to Peter's three denials of Jesus in the wee hours of Good Friday and again, as at their first calling from their fishing at Galilee, gives all the Disciples their charge to once again go out and fish for people who NEED to hear the Words of the Gospel of salvation. John Chapter 21 is the perfect epilogue for the Gospels and the supreme prologue to the Book of "Acts of the Apostles Through the Power of the Holy Spirit".
The sermon will begin at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome!

03/27/2026

Scripture Psalm 118:1-2;19-29
Title: For All time

This Sunday, March 29, we celebrate Palm Sunday. It is a Sunday of celebration as we turn to scripture that celebrates God’s amazing grace. We will remember the glorious entry into Jerusalem by Jesus, where there are shouts of Hosanna, and coats and palm branches laid on the road for his entry into the city. We will walk with those who were there when their hearts were light and their hopes in their King, the Son of God and God’s saving grace felt fulfilled. We will not visit the rest of the story, no. We will worship God with fervor and recognize as the community of God, God’s steadfast love and character.

Come join in the celebration! Renew your heart in the love of God as we too offer our palm branches and our love to God and God’s only Son, our Lord and Savior.

The service begins at 10:30 a.m.

03/19/2026

Please join us on Sunday, March 22 when Dr. Vivian Thomlinson will be bringing our message. The title is "From Death to Life" and is based on John 11, the story of Jesus's calling Lazarus to come out of the tomb after four days of death. While the story itself is perhaps the greatest of Jesus's many miracles, there are many other, more subtle spiritual lessons within the dramatic framework of a long-dead man's being resurrected. Grief, belief, love, blame, and the foreshadowing of the cross on Calvary are all important components of this supernatural event that sealed Christ's ultimate fate...and triumph on Resurrection Sunday.

The service will begin at 10:30 a.m.

03/19/2026

Currently on display through Easter, April 5, is a special outside cross installation located on the northeast corner of Church and Denton Streets at the First Presbyterian Church (401 S. Denton).

This is a remembrance of the scene on Calvary on that Good Friday when our Lord and Savior offered His precious blood to cover the sins of all believers. The congregation of First Presbyterian Church encourages everyone to stop by the crosses and take a moment to contemplate that sacred moment and Christ's sacrifice.

For questions, please call First Presbyterian Church at 940-665-5153

03/14/2026

Please join us on Sunday, March 15 when Jo Brannan will be bringing our sermon.

Scripture: Ephesians 5:8-14
Title: Saints in Action
Come join us as we find this letter to the Ephesian Christians as important for us to hear as it was for them. We know this from the contends of the letter, this Christians are identified as saints, they are in Ephesus, they are faithful, and they are in Jesus Christ. They are encouraged to action with the light of Christ that shines in them. They are the light in the midst of darkness, and the letter encourages spiritual and moral muscle to be a part of their artillery.

The service will begin at 10:30 a.m.

03/07/2026

Dr. Vivian Thomlinson will bring our sermon on Sunday, March 8. The lesson title is "Cementing the Ties That Bind" and simultaneously she will be thanking the congregation for their LOVE OFFERING to her missionary Godchildren in Haiti last Sunday and reminds us that Jesus's gospel is not exclusive but inclusive. He wants no one to perish but ALL to be saved.
The scriptures for the lesson are John 4-42 and focus on the very first evangelist to the non-Jews, the Samaritan Woman at the Well, who talked with Jesus and then went back and told her townspeople that she had spoken to a man who could be the Messiah! And the people came and saw and heard Jesus for themselves and many believed.
Sometimes we may wonder if our mission dollars would be better spent on our local missions, our "own" people. But Christ's message is that we Christians are ALL part of the same family of Christ and worthy of helping and loving, whether next door or across the seas. Blessed be the tie, our Jesus, who binds us all as living stones of His church.
The service will begin at 10:30. Hope to see everyone there.

02/18/2026

The Ash Wednesday service on Wednesday, February 18th at First Presbyterian Church will begin at 6:00 p.m.

02/17/2026

Please join us for our Ash Wednesday service on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, to observe the first night of Lent. Lent is a special time of self-reflection, prayer, and repentance as Christians observe the 40 days of Lent between Lent and Holy Thursday of Easter Week, which will fall on April 4 this year. The brief Lenten service at First Presbyterian Church will include Scripture readings, moving live music, a brief mediation, and prayer. At the conclusion of the service, attendees may come forward for the imposition of ashes on their foreheads or hands as they are reminded that "in life and in death the Believer belongs to God." We hope to see you as we observe this solemn beginning of the Easter season.

12/13/2025

Don't miss out on Sanctuary tours of the church from 3:00 until 5:00 p.m. today (Saturday, December 13) and the annual Live Nativity which begins at 6:00 p.m. On Sunday join us for a special musical presentation beginning at 10:30 a.m. at the church entitled "Let There Be Light".

12/03/2025

Matthew 3:1-12
Sermon Title: Unquenchable Fire
Date Dec. 7, 2025

Come join us as we worship this second Sunday of Advent, a time when we prepare our hearts for remembering the birth of our Savior. Last Sunday was about HOPE and this Sunday the Advent wreath is lit for Peace. Christ is our only hope, and our peace is found through him.
Our scripture is from Matthew 3:1-12 and the title of the sermon is Unquenchable Fire. We will hear the words of John the Baptist as he calls the people to repent and be Baptized “for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Be prepared to hear John’s form of call to repent and how that meshes with the ministry of Jesus. There is a stark contrast that will certainly have you meditating on the Word of God and hopefully find yourself renewed in the Spirit.
We welcome your attendance during this wonderful time of year as we prepare our hearts anew.

Jo Brannan will bring our message. The service will begin at 10:30.

Address

401 S Denton Street
Gainesville, TX
76240

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 12pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 12pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 12pm
Thursday 8:30am - 12pm
Friday 8:30am - 12pm
Sunday 9am - 12pm

Telephone

+19406655153

Website

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