Bakersfield First Assembly Podcast

Bakersfield First Assembly
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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.

  1. 2d ago

    Who I Am Not

    In this powerful exploration of identity, we journey through John chapter 3 to discover what truly defines us in a world that constantly tells us we can reinvent ourselves. The conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus reveals a profound truth: no matter how impressive our resume, how respected our position, or how religious our practices, outward success cannot satisfy inward emptiness. Nicodemus had everything—he was educated, influential, morally upright, part of the religious elite—yet he came to Jesus at night, searching for something more. This teaches us that we can know theology without knowing peace, understand scripture without experiencing freedom, and hold titles without transformation. Jesus introduces a radical concept that our identity requires not improvement but complete rebirth through the Spirit. The cross becomes the central place where our true worth is revealed, showing us simultaneously that we are more sinful than we realize yet more loved than we can imagine. Unlike the world's system that demands we achieve and earn our identity, the gospel invites us to receive it freely. We discover that when transformation comes from the Spirit rather than external changes, we no longer live for the acceptance of others but from being accepted by Him. This message challenges us to stop building our identity on temporary things like careers, appearance, success, or even failure, and instead anchor ourselves in the unchanging love of Christ who makes us completely new. Chapters Chapter 1: How Identity is Shaped 0:00 - 11:26 Our identity is shaped by nature, nurture, and culture, but these temporary foundations leave us searching for something more permanent and meaningful. Chapter 2: Your Position is Not Your Identity 11:26 - 21:25 The story of Nicodemus reveals that outward success, religious achievement, and social status cannot satisfy our inner emptiness or give us true identity. Chapter 3: The Necessity of New Birth 21:25 - 32:00 Jesus teaches that true transformation requires being born again through the Spirit—not behavior modification, but complete spiritual regeneration from the inside out. Chapter 4: Identity at the Foot of the Cross 32:00 - 42:14 The cross reveals both our sinfulness and God's love, providing the only path to true identity through forgiveness, adoption, and transformation in Christ. Chapter 5: Living in Your New Identity 42:14 - 49:02 We must stop building our identity on temporary things and instead receive our identity as a gift from God, living as loved children rather than condemned prisoners.

    49 min

  2. May 31

    The Gospel of Mark Volume 2 - Part 13

    This powerful message takes us deep into Mark chapter 7, where Jesus confronts the religious leaders about a critical question: Are we living with outward appearance or inner transformation? The passage challenges us to examine whether our faith is rooted in checking boxes and maintaining appearances, or flowing from a genuine, deepening relationship with God. Through the lens of Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees over handwashing rituals and traditions, we discover that God desires authenticity over performance. The religious leaders had mastered what Jesus called 'a beautiful way of doing an ugly thing'—they looked righteous on the outside while their hearts remained far from God. They even found loopholes in God's commands, declaring their resources 'Corban' to avoid caring for their aging parents. This message confronts us with uncomfortable truths: We can lead worship, pray beautiful prayers, and quote Scripture while harboring bitterness, unforgiveness, and pride in our hearts. The transformation we need isn't about external rules or traditions—it's about allowing the Holy Spirit to perform heart surgery from the inside out. Jesus makes it clear that sin originates in the human heart, not from external factors. Only through surrendering to Jesus can we experience the radical inner change that produces authentic faith. This is our invitation to move beyond religious performance into genuine transformation. Chapters Chapter 1: The Danger of Religious Performance 0:00 - 9:30 A personal story illustrates how we can maintain outward religious appearances while harboring bitterness and unforgiveness in our hearts. Chapter 2: Jesus Confronts Religious Hypocrisy 9:30 - 20:00 Jesus challenges the Pharisees who prioritized human traditions and outward purity over genuine heart transformation and obedience to God's commands. Chapter 3: The Heart of the Matter 20:00 - 30:00 True defilement comes from within the human heart, not from external sources, and only Jesus can bring about genuine internal transformation. Chapter 4: Authenticity Over Appearances 30:00 - 40:00 God desires authentic relationship over religious performance, and we must guard against looking faithful while remaining unchanged internally. Chapter 5: Grace, Not Legalism, Transforms 40:00 - 49:05 The law was meant to point us to Jesus, and only His grace and mercy can bring about lasting transformation in our lives.

    49 min

  3. May 24

    The Gospel of Mark: Volume 2 - Part 12

    This powerful message takes us into Mark chapter 6, where Jesus sends out His twelve disciples on their first real mission assignment. What's remarkable about this passage is that Jesus doesn't wait until they're fully trained or completely prepared—He sends them out immediately, two by two, into villages that desperately need to hear about the Kingdom of God. The disciples receive five critical elements for their mission: authority and power over unclean spirits, simplicity and margin in their approach, complete dependence on God for provision, graciousness in their interactions, and preparation for inevitable hostility. These weren't scholars or religious elites—they were ordinary fishermen and laborers who had been following Jesus. Yet He stamped them with His authority and sent them out anyway. This should encourage us tremendously because God still uses ordinary people filled with the Holy Spirit to accomplish extraordinary things. The challenge for us today is recognizing that we too are sent—not just to live comfortable church lives, but to carry the gospel to our streets, our workplaces, our neighborhoods. The same authority Jesus gave those first disciples is available to us through the Holy Spirit. The question becomes: are we willing to be sent, and who are we willing to be sent to? Chapters Chapter 1: Introduction: The Fear of Sharing Faith 0:00 - 9:46 We explore the intimidating experience of sharing our faith with others through a personal story of being sent out to evangelize as a new believer, highlighting the common fear many Christians face. Chapter 2: Sent with Authority and Power 9:46 - 18:42 We learn that Jesus sends us out with His authority and power, not depending on our own talents or abilities, but on the divine empowerment He provides. Chapter 3: Sent with Simplicity and Dependence 18:42 - 28:17 We are called to travel light in life and ministry, creating margin for God to work and learning to depend on Him rather than our own resources. Chapter 4: Sent with Grace and Prepared for Hostility 28:17 - 39:41 We must be gracious in our interactions with others while remaining prepared for rejection, understanding that not everyone will receive the gospel message. Chapter 5: The Vision: A Church Sent to Transform 39:41 - 45:51 We are called to be a church that goes out with authority to impact our city, growing in mission and reaching every tribe, tongue, and nation with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

    46 min

  4. May 17

    The Gospel of Mark Volume 2 - Part 11

    This powerful message takes us into the heart of Mark chapter 6, where we encounter a sobering reality: the people of Nazareth, who knew Jesus best, were the ones who rejected Him most completely. We discover how familiarity can become our greatest spiritual danger. The hometown crowd saw Jesus as just the carpenter's son, someone ordinary they watched grow up in their small village of perhaps 500 people. They couldn't reconcile the ordinary with the divine, and their unbelief created an atmosphere so resistant that Jesus could do very few miracles there. This passage reveals a progression we must guard against: familiarity leads to offense, offense reveals pride, and pride hardens into unbelief that limits what we experience of God's power. The tragedy isn't that sinners rejected Jesus, but that people who thought they knew Him best couldn't see Him for who He truly was. We're challenged to examine our own hearts: Have we domesticated Jesus? Have we made Him so familiar that we've stopped expecting Him to move? The call is clear: never lose wonder, refuse cynicism, honor what God is doing around us, and keep our hearts open. Proximity to spiritual things doesn't guarantee transformation. We can attend church, know Bible stories, and still miss Jesus if we allow familiarity to blind us to His extraordinary nature. Chapters Chapter 1: The Danger of Familiarity 0:00 - 10:53 We explore how the people of Nazareth were offended by Jesus because they were too familiar with Him, unable to see His divinity beyond His ordinary appearance. Chapter 2: Offense Reveals Pride 10:53 - 19:59 We learn that the offense taken by Nazareth's people revealed their pride, as they refused to accept that someone they considered ordinary could have authority over them. Chapter 3: Unbelief Limits What We Experience 19:59 - 29:24 We see that unbelief created an atmosphere where Jesus could do few miracles in Nazareth, demonstrating how our lack of faith limits what God can do in our lives. Chapter 4: Keeping Our Hearts Open 29:24 - 44:15 We receive practical guidance on how to avoid the spirit of Nazareth: never lose wonder, refuse cynicism, honor what God is doing, and keep our hearts open.

    44 min

  5. May 10

    The Gospel of Mark Volume 2 part 10

    This powerful message invites us to explore a profound truth that challenges our understanding of God: the difference between knowing His greatness and trusting His goodness. Through the intertwined stories in Mark 5 of Jairus and the woman with the issue of blood, we discover that God's delays are not denials, and His timing often tests our faith in ways we never expected. The woman who suffered for twelve years represents those of us who feel isolated, broken, and desperate—yet her simple act of touching Jesus' garment reveals a deep messianic faith. When Jesus calls her 'daughter,' we witness the beautiful transformation from clinical healing to relational restoration. Meanwhile, Jairus faces every parent's nightmare as his daughter dies while Jesus stops to address someone else's need. This tension reveals a stunning reality: God doesn't just give us what we want; He gives us what we need. The woman needed public healing to be restored to community. The little girl needed not just resurrection but the tender care of a meal. Jairus needed to learn that God's favor isn't about status but about grace. When we feel forgotten, when someone else's miracle comes first, when things get worse before they get better, we're invited to remember that God is both powerful enough to act and personal enough to care about every detail of our lives. Chapters Chapter 1: Understanding God's Greatness Versus His Goodness 0:00 - 7:23 We explore the difference between knowing God's power and knowing His heart, recognizing that while we may see His greatness, we often struggle to trust His goodness. Chapter 2: Two Desperate People Meet Jesus 7:23 - 17:04 We encounter Jairus, a wealthy synagogue ruler whose daughter is dying, and a woman who has suffered from bleeding for twelve years, both desperately seeking Jesus. Chapter 3: When God's Delays Test Our Trust 17:04 - 25:04 We witness Jesus stopping to address the healed woman while Jairus waits, and then receiving the devastating news that his daughter has died, challenging our understanding of God's timing. Chapter 4: God Gives What We Need, Not Just What We Want 25:04 - 32:00 We discover that Jesus raises Jairus' daughter from death and addresses each person's unique needs—public restoration for the woman, food for the girl, and a lesson in grace for Jairus. Chapter 5: Trusting God's Goodness in Every Circumstance 32:00 - 36:14 We are challenged to trust God when He delays, when He answers others first, and when things get worse before they get better, finding our assurance in the cross.

    36 min

  6. May 3

    The Gospel of Mark Volume 2 - Part 9

    This powerful exploration of Mark chapter 5 confronts us with an uncomfortable truth: we cannot solve spiritual problems through physical means. The story of the demon-possessed man living among the tombs reveals how evil left unchecked grows exponentially, transforming someone's son into a person so consumed by darkness that no chains could hold him. What makes this passage particularly striking is how it exposes our modern attempts to address spiritual warfare through politics, morality, or therapy alone. While these tools serve their purpose, they cannot eradicate the root of evil that exists within the human heart. The line between good and evil runs right down the middle of every human heart, and we discover that sin gives the enemy a foothold, a place to plant himself and progress further into our lives. Pride, bitterness, and self-centeredness become the agreements we make with darkness, often without realizing it. But here's the beautiful paradox: when Jesus encounters this man, we see a foreshadowing of the cross. Jesus will eventually exchange places with him, becoming naked, bleeding, crying out, and driven into the tomb so that this man and all of us can be clothed, healed, and set free. The cost of dealing with evil is never small, but resurrection destroys what we cannot overcome on our own. Chapters Chapter 1: The Reality of Evil in Our World 0:00 - 9:29 We explore the tension between God's sovereignty and the existence of evil, examining why evil exists and how ancient philosophy wrestled with this paradox. Chapter 2: The Purpose and Origin of Evil 9:29 - 18:10 We discover that evil exists not because of God, but because of human free will and sin, and that God could have created a world without evil only by eliminating genuine love and freedom. Chapter 3: Man's Inability to Solve Evil 18:10 - 26:54 We examine the story of the demon-possessed man in Mark 5 to understand how human attempts to solve evil through politics, morality, or therapy ultimately fail because evil is a spiritual problem requiring a spiritual solution. Chapter 4: Jesus: The Only Solution to Evil 26:54 - 38:34 We discover that Jesus is the only solution to evil, having absorbed it on the cross, and that confronting evil will cost us something but offers the freedom that only He can provide.

    39 min

  7. Apr 26

    The Gospel of Mark: Volume 2 - Part 8

    This powerful message takes us into the heart of Mark chapter 4, where we find the disciples in a terrifying storm on the Sea of Galilee. What makes this storm unique is that it came not from disobedience, but from obedience. Jesus himself commanded them to cross to the other side, and in following His directive, they found themselves in the fight of their lives. This challenges our common assumption that faithful obedience leads to smooth sailing. The truth is more profound: sometimes we are intentionally steered into storms for our spiritual formation. The passage reveals three crucial insights about navigating life's inevitable trials. First, storms don't indicate God's absence but often mark the very places where He is forming us. Second, we must not mistake God's silence for abandonment; His presence in our boat matters more than His immediate intervention. Third, storms force us to answer the fundamental question: who is Jesus to us? The disciples witnessed miracles before, but only in the storm did they truly encounter Jesus as the God who commands creation itself. Our deepest revelations of Christ's identity often come not in our comfort zones but in our most harrowing moments. When we trust the One who controls the storm rather than demand He remove it, we discover a faith that transcends circumstances. Chapters Chapter 1: The Inevitability of Life's Storms 0:00 - 9:11 Life is filled with inevitable storms that can shake us to our core, from personal losses to unexpected crises that test our faith and resilience. Chapter 2: Intentionally Steered Into the Storm 9:11 - 19:11 Jesus deliberately led His disciples into a dangerous storm on the Sea of Galilee, demonstrating that sometimes we face storms not because we disobeyed God, but because we followed Him. Chapter 3: God's Silence in the Storm 19:11 - 27:54 While the disciples panicked in the storm, Jesus slept peacefully in the boat, teaching us that God's silence doesn't mean His absence or lack of care. Chapter 4: Jesus' Authority Over the Storm 27:54 - 34:56 Jesus demonstrated His divine authority by calming the storm with a single word, revealing that He controls both the direction and the outcome of our storms.

    39 min

  8. Apr 19

    The Gospel of Mark: Volume 2 Part 7

    This powerful message challenges us to examine whether we're living out our faith with the right tools or merely patching things together with temporary fixes. Drawing from Mark chapter 4, we're confronted with a profound truth: the light of Christ within us was never meant to be hidden under a basket. Just as a lamp serves no purpose when concealed, our faith becomes ineffective when we compartmentalize it or keep it private. The sermon explores three dimensions of this light—the gospel truth that transforms us, the Word of God that guides our path like a lamp in dangerous territory, and the life of Christ shining through our actions. We're reminded that hidden obedience leads to revealed blessing, but hidden compromise brings consequences. The connection between the parable of the sower and how we receive God's Word is crucial: casual listening produces little transformation, while hungry, attentive listening leads to exponential growth. The challenge before us is clear—we must shine boldly, live transparently, and listen responsibly. Our spiritual growth is never neutral; we're either advancing or drifting. This message calls us to stop using inadequate methods to address our spiritual needs and instead embrace the full power of living according to our divine purpose. Chapters Chapter 1: Using the Wrong Tools for the Job 0:00 - 6:38 A personal story illustrates how trying to fix problems with the wrong tools leads to unnecessary pain and complications, just as Christians who don't act on their beliefs miss their true purpose. Chapter 2: The Light Was Never Meant to Be Hidden 6:38 - 18:16 Jesus teaches that light has a specific purpose - to shine, not to be hidden under a basket, representing how believers should live out their faith openly rather than hiding it. Chapter 3: What's Hidden Will Be Revealed 18:16 - 26:27 Nothing remains hidden forever - both God's truth and our hidden lives will eventually be revealed, whether through blessing for obedience or consequences for compromise. Chapter 4: How You Listen Determines Your Growth 26:27 - 35:45 Spiritual growth depends not just on hearing God's Word but on how we hear it and whether we act upon it, as casual listening leads to little transformation while hungry listening produces exponential growth.

    36 min
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About

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.

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