What does First B Jackson teach about unity?
Drawn from the messages where it was actually addressed: the words said from the front, the passages taught, and where to hear the whole thing.
At First B Jackson, the teaching on unity starts with the prayer Jesus prayed the night before the crucifixion. John 17 comes up again and again in these messages as the ground floor of the whole conversation: Jesus asked the Father that his people would be one, just as the Father and the Son are one, and he connected that oneness directly to the world's ability to see that he actually came from God. Unity is not a program or a value the church decides to adopt. It is something Jesus himself asked for, and the early church in Acts was the first answer to that prayer.
Pastor Ryan walked through every use of the Greek word homothymodon in Acts, a word meaning "with one accord" or "according to one passion," and showed that Luke wove it through the whole story as an intentional thread. The disciples gathered in the upper room before Pentecost, the believers sharing meals and property in the early chapters, the Jerusalem Council working through a hard disagreement together, all of it carries that same word. But Pastor Ryan also made clear that it is entirely possible to be unified and be wrong. The crowd that stoned Stephen moved with one passion too. So did the silversmiths shouting for Artemis in Ephesus. Genuine unity, the kind the New Testament commends, is not just concord. It is a shared orientation toward God and toward truth.
When that orientation is present, the results are visible to people outside the church. Pastor Joseph Kamau Kabui, preaching from John 17:20-26, put it plainly: most people think of evangelism as going out to tell, but the world can come to know Jesus simply by watching how believers live together. Unity is itself a witness. That same thread runs through the Acts 4 passage taught on the first Sunday of Advent, where the connection to John 17 was made explicit: the early church being one of heart and soul was the prayer of Jesus being answered in real time, and the world noticed. Where that unity breaks down, as it did between Euodia and Syntyche in Philippians 4, the letters of Paul treat it as a serious matter, not a footnote, because the mechanism for getting along is not trying harder but being oriented toward the Lord together.
Taught from John 17 · Acts 2:43-47 · Acts 15:24-29 · John 17:20-26 · Acts 4:24-26
The passage taught · Acts 12:20-23
20 Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus, the king’s personal aide, their friend, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king’s country for food.
21 On an appointed day, Herod dressed himself in royal clothing, sat on the throne, and gave a speech to them.
22 The people shouted, “The voice of a god, and not of a man!”
23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he didn’t give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.
World English Bible
The messages that teach on it
- September 7, 2025 Unity Is Confusing for the World and Very Attractive A Wyoming congregation studies the Greek word "homothymodon" through Acts, exploring what it means to pursue genuine unity rooted in Christ rather than mere agreement.
- June 29, 2025 That All of Them May Be One Pastor Joseph Kamau from Kenya preaches on John 17, calling believers to unity that witnesses to the world and reflects our oneness with God.
- December 1, 2024 One of Heart and Soul A sermon from Acts 4:32-5:11 on the early church's unity, generosity, and faith, with lessons from Barnabas and the sobering story of Ananias and Sapphira.
- February 11, 2024 God Saved Me and He Gave Me Peace Pastor Carl walks through Philippians, tracing Paul's call to unity, humility, and the peace that comes through faith in Christ rather than through anything the world offers.
- February 1, 2022 I Want Them With Me Where I Am Jesus prays for His disciples and for all future believers in John 17. Pastor Nick walks through what Jesus asked for us: unity, joy, truth and eternal life.
Mentioned along the way
- September 13, 2026 Philippians Chapter 4:14-23 Pastor Ray closes Philippians and opens Colossians, showing how Paul's gospel of grace, contentment, and unity speaks across every congregation, culture, and century.
- August 30, 2026 Saddling Up Anyway A sermon on Philippians 4:4-9 about rejoicing, gentleness, prayer, and training your mind to dwell on what is true, honorable, pure, and good.
- August 23, 2026 Scubula: Counting It All Loss for Christ A sermon from Philippians 3 on trading religious pride and moral license for the one thing that actually matters: being found in Christ.
- June 21, 2026 Grace and Peace, Always Paul closes Ephesians with grace and peace, then opens Philippians with the same. A study of how joy, unity, and humility flow from the gospel.
- May 18, 2025 Two Issues Acts 15 shows Paul and Barnabas splitting over John Mark, and Timothy being circumcised despite the Jerusalem Council. Two hard lessons on unity, rights, and the gospel.
- February 11, 2024 Joy in the Lord, Whatever Comes Pastor Carl and Ray walk through Philippians, showing how Paul's joy, humility, and peace in prison point believers toward trusting God over anxiety.
- February 11, 2018 The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ Be With You All The pastor closes Philippians with a look at grace, unity in Christ, and how every book of the New Testament begins and ends with the same gift.
- November 26, 2017 Philippians 1.27.2.2 Contemporary Servcie (3) Pastor Ray walks through Philippians 1:27-30, calling Christians to stand firm together in one spirit, striving fearlessly for the gospel rather than settling for an individual faith.
- July 9, 2017 Doing Follows Being Walking through Ephesians 1-3, the pastor shows how God's grace transforms dead sinners into one body, calling the church to be what it already is before doing anything.
- March 15, 2015 Set Something Aside Paul walks through 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 to show what the Bible actually says about giving: who, how often, how much, and why it matters for the whole church.