Bakersfield First Assembly Podcast

About Bakersfield First Assembly Podcast

Welcome to the official podcast of Bakersfield First Assembly, where our mission is simple—to make more and better disciples. Each week, join Pastor Jason Kennedy and the BFA teaching team as they bring biblically grounded, Spirit-led messages that inspire transformation and deepen your walk with Christ. Whether you're exploring faith for the first time or looking to grow stronger in your journey, this podcast is for you. Stay connected with us online at bakersfieldfirst.com or download the Bakersfield First Assembly App to access sermons, events, and more. Join us—and discover what it means to live with purpose, grow in faith, and lead with love.

Publisher

Bakersfield First Assembly

Category

religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

29 Sept 2024

Latest episode

18 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

96 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   18 Oct 2026

   The Way Up Is Down

   What does it truly mean to follow Jesus in a world obsessed with status, comfort, and climbing the ladder? In this message drawn from Mark 10:35-45, we are confronted with one of the most startling moments in the Gospels: two of Jesus's closest disciples, moments after hearing him predict his own death, ask for the best seats in his kingdom. The audacity is almost unbelievable, and yet if we are honest, the impulse behind their request lives in each of us. The message cuts straight to the heart of what discipleship actually costs. Jesus does not soften the answer. He asks whether we are ready to drink the cup he drank and be baptized with the baptism he endured, language that points directly to suffering, surrender, and death to self. Through the words of Paul in Galatians 2:20 and 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, we are reminded that the life we now live is no longer our own. True discipleship, we discover, is not a self-improvement program or a path to personal gain. It is a radical reorientation of everything we are toward the purposes of Jesus. If we have been treating faith as a way to get more out of life, this message invites us into something far greater and far more satisfying than anything comfort alone could ever offer. Chapters Chapter 1: The Context: Power as One of Three Great Temptations 0:00 - 6:53 Mark chapter 10 addresses the three great temptations of money, sex, and power, and calls us to understand them through the lens of true discipleship. Chapter 2: Discipleship Is Defined by Submission, Not Personal Gain 6:53 - 13:15 True discipleship means submitting our lives entirely to Jesus rather than pursuing status, titles, or personal advancement. Chapter 3: Discipleship Is Characterized by Death and Sacrifice, Not Comfort and Ease 13:15 - 28:40 Following Jesus means being willing to drink the cup of suffering and lay down our lives, just as he did. Chapter 4: Discipleship Is Expressed in Servanthood, Not Lordship 28:40 - 54:17 Jesus calls us to reject the world's pattern of lording power over others and instead embrace the posture of a servant who lifts others up.

2. 

   11 Oct 2026

   WEALTH

   What does it really mean to follow Jesus with everything we have? In this message drawn from Mark 10:17-31, we encounter a wealthy man who runs to Jesus with a sincere question about eternal life, only to walk away grieving because he cannot bring himself to release his grip on his possessions. The central tension of this passage is not really about money at all -- it is about authority. Who truly directs our lives? Jesus looks at this man with love, not judgment, and issues a clear and personal challenge. That same loving gaze is directed at us. The story forces us to ask ourselves whether we have quietly placed portions of our lives beyond the reach of Jesus, telling ourselves that everything belongs to God while behaving as though our finances, our comfort, and our security are entirely our own domain. The rich young man was one decision away from walking alongside Jesus. That sobering detail reminds us that proximity to truth is not the same as obedience to it. We can feel the weight of conviction and still walk away unchanged. This message calls us to move beyond emotion and into genuine, concrete action -- because stewardship, at its core, is an act of trust. Chapters Chapter 1: Everything Belongs to God 0:00 - 9:09 The passage from Mark 10 introduces the rich young ruler and establishes the foundational truth that God owns everything we have. Chapter 2: Stewardship Begins with Recognizing Jesus's Authority 9:09 - 20:49 True stewardship starts with surrendering authority over our lives and possessions to Jesus, not merely performing religious duties. Chapter 3: Stewardship Reveals Where We Have Placed Our Trust 20:49 - 34:00 How we handle our money and possessions exposes what we truly trust, and Jesus calls us to concrete, not theoretical, obedience. Chapter 4: Stewardship Flows from Grace and Becomes Real Through Obedience 34:00 - 43:54 Generous obedience does not earn salvation but flows naturally from it, and emotion alone without action is not true obedience. Chapter 5: Stewardship Invests in What Matters Eternally 43:54 - 49:45 Placing our trust and resources in the kingdom of God yields an eternal return that no earthly bank

3. 

   4 Oct 2026

   Marriage and Divorce