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Discovering Jesus with FirstNaz Zephyrhills

Discovering Jesus with FirstNaz Zephyrhills

By: Discovering Jesus with FirstNaz Zephyrhills and Pastor Nick Deford
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Sermons, Seminars, Classes, Q&A's, and Discussions from Pastor Nick Deford and others who join at First Nazarene Church in Zephyrhills Florida.
We talk about Jesus-Who he was, is and what he is doing. We look at how that intersects us where we are and what he is calling us to do as we work alongside him. Christianity Spirituality World
Episodes
  • S4 Ep136: Philip the Non-Conformist Preacher

    S4 Ep136: Philip the Non-Conformist Preacher
    Jun 28 2026
    What if the very road God sends you down looks like a dead end—a desert path with no clear destination? In Acts 8:25–40, Philip demonstrates radical, Spirit-led obedience when an angel commands him to leave a thriving revival in Samaria and travel alone to a barren desert road. There, in what Pastor Nick calls a divine appointment written across centuries, Philip encounters an Ethiopian eunuch—a powerful royal treasurer who had traveled 1,200 miles to worship at the Jerusalem temple, only to be turned away because of who he was. Yet this man refused to let rejection define his pursuit of God; he bought a scroll of Isaiah and kept seeking. Pastor Nick draws a powerful parallel between Philip's journey and his own friend John—a stonemason-turned-pastor who delivered a breathtaking message of hope at his own son's funeral—reminding us that God doesn't define us by who we were, but by who He's calling us to become. Just as Philip was obedient without knowing the full roadmap, and just as God miraculously provided water in the desert for baptism, God will provide everything you need for the mission He places before you. Don't silence the voice of the Spirit—respond today, step onto your desert road, and trust that He has already gone ahead of you.
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    45 mins
  • S4 Ep135: Do we still need that knife?

    S4 Ep135: Do we still need that knife?
    Jun 21 2026
    What if the very people meant to welcome others into faith have instead become the gatekeepers keeping them out? Pastor Nick delivered a powerful message rooted in Acts 15, where Jewish believers demanded Gentile Christians follow the entire law of Moses before being accepted—a burden, Peter declared, that "neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear." Pastor Nick's distinctive insight cuts to the heart: when we appoint ourselves as the Holy Spirit's enforcement arm—targeting others with our personal convictions and spiritual timelines—we don't sharpen people's faith, we orphan them from it. He reminded the congregation that the Spirit of God knows every person more intimately than they know themselves, and He has a sovereign, perfectly timed plan to reveal truth to each heart. Whether you've been wounded by someone else's spiritual gatekeeping or quietly guilty of imposing your own convictions on others, grace meets you right there. The two great commandments—love God completely, love your neighbor as yourself—fulfill everything. Don't wait for someone else's permission to pursue Jesus. Stop standing in the way of others. And if God nudges you toward that one person today, don't hesitate—go.
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    50 mins
  • S4 Ep134: Preach the Word

    S4 Ep134: Preach the Word
    Jun 14 2026
    What happens when a young pastor faces an impossible city? Pastor Nick paints the vivid backdrop of ancient Ephesus—a place where demon-possessed men beat seven exorcists bloody and naked, where million-dollar collections of magic books burned in public squares, and where riots erupted over declining idol sales. Into this spiritual battlefield, the Apostle Paul sent young Timothy with a charge that still echoes today: "Preach the message. Be ready, whether it is convenient or not." Pastor Nick reveals how Paul's final words to Timothy weren't just ancient history—they're a blueprint for faithful ministry in our own chaotic times. When people "accumulate teachers for themselves because they have an insatiable curiosity to hear new things" and "turn away from hearing the truth," the church needs leaders who will burn their compromise like those Ephesian magicians burned their books. Paul's drink offering—poured out completely, never to be reclaimed—challenges us to examine what we're truly willing to sacrifice for the Gospel. The time for casual Christianity is over; Christ is calling His church to compete for the crown, not for our own glory, but to cast it at His feet in victory.
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    44 mins
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