Matt Petty
Co-Host of Burnt Hickory | Sermons
Matt Petty has been leading church ministries since 1997 and has seen thousands of students and adults give their lives to Jesus and begin to serve God. Matt joined the Pastoral team of Burnt Hickory in July of 2001 as the Student Pastor.
For 18 years Matt has given leadership to the RADIATE students and staff team that walks with middle school, high school, and college-aged students here at Burnt Hickory. Matt has been a key leader in student ministry here in this community as well as in the state of Georgia and nation. His love of the next generation has been on display consistently within and outside the walls of Burnt Hickory.
Matt is a native of Cobb county, and one of his desires as Senior Pastor is to see all people of his home in West Cobb and Paulding County know Jesus, serve Jesus, and for the church to be a place of love and healing that Burnt Hickory has been since its beginning.
Matt is married to his college love, Melissa, and has two boys Blake and Dalton. If not doing ministry at BHBC, you can usually find the Petty family on a sports field somewhere in Georgia or enjoying all things outdoors. Matt has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of West Georgia in Business Finance, and Masters from Liberty University in Theology.
Matt Petty has hosted 208 Episodes.
-
Moving Forward | Powerful Prayer
Episode | August 14th, 2022 | 44 mins 43 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
As we continue our sermon series Moving Forward, we focus on how personal and corporate prayer are a vital part of momentum in our lives as Christians. As we follow Jesus, the first thing we should do is pray, but usually it’s the last thing we think about. We see in Acts that the early church took prayer very seriously. They prayed regularly and with honesty. They prayed with balance but also specifically for needs. And we see that their prayer got results. Don’t know where to begin, just follow Jesus’ example in Matthew 6:9-13. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”
Is your prayer life powerful? Is it effective? How can you know that your prayers are making a difference? As always, we’d love to pray with you and answer any questions you have. Reach out today – burnthickory.com/next -
Moving Forward | Fully Submitted to God
Episode | August 7th, 2022 | 43 mins 22 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
As we continue to move forward, we look again to Joshua in scripture and the story of the city of Jericho. We learn that resistance to God’s word is a big deal, way bigger that we think, and that not fully submitting to God has serious consequences. Partial submission gives us a false sense of security and keeps the focus on us and not God. When we fully submit to God, it positions God in his rightful place, and produces greater intimacy with God.
What are ways that you are not being fully submitted to God in your life? Are you missing God’s power in your life? Are you willing to do what it takes to fully submit to God today? As always, we’d love to connect with you, pray with you, and answer any questions you’ve got. Reach out today – burnthickory.com/next. -
Moving Forward | Our Jordan Moment
Episode | July 31st, 2022 | 50 mins 33 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
We begin our new sermon series Moving Forward, by looking at Joshua and the Israelites journey crossing over the Jordan river. God wants us to move forward on our journey, and we need to stand behind God and seek his holiness. We see in scripture that holiness always precedes God’s movement, and we have to be in continual pursuit of living set apart to accomplish what God has set before us. We also look forward to where God is taking us here at Burnt Hickory as we prepare, plan, and build for the future.
As always, if you’ve got questions or want to take the next step, reach out today – burnthickory.com/next. We’d love to pray with you and help you move forward in your faith journey. -
Joyful Exiles | Living with the End in Sight
Episode | June 26th, 2022 | 44 mins 14 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
As we continue to explore 1 Peter, we learn how to live with the end in sight. We see in scripture that the end of all things is near, and because of that, we need to be alert and sober minded. God’s desires need to be placed before ours and we need to love each other deeply while practicing caring hospitality. The real question is, if you knew Jesus was returning today, what would you change about how you are serving him right now? In light of the end being near, we don’t need to get mired down in depression, but strive even more to point all glory to God and serve him faithfully.
John Piper says – “If you are most satisfied in family or job or fame or success or money or food or music or health or staying alive — if you are more satisfied in any of those than you are in God — then you diminish the glory of God, and you magnify the glory of what you’re most satisfied by. The Bible makes clear that we should live in order to display the supreme worth and beauty and glory of God. That’s our primary reason for existence.”
Based on this, how is your love for others? What things do you need to change? Are you satisfied in God? As always, if you’ve got questions, you can reach out anytime – burnthickory.com/next. We’d love to connect with you, answer any questions and take time to pray with you. -
Joyful Exiles | Finding Joy Even In The Hard Times
Episode | June 19th, 2022 | 41 mins 36 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
Struggling in life is inevitable, but as Christians, we don’t have to be miserable when life gets hard. As we continue looking at 1 Peter, we see that we can find joy even in the hard times of life. Pastor Matt shows us that we can seek peace through being humble, compassionate, and by loving one another. We know that suffering is coming, and when we prepare for it and turn the suffering into a witness because Christ has already won, then we can find ultimate joy.
What suffering in your life is robbing you of peace and joy? How does your mindset change when viewing that suffering in the light of Jesus’ victory over death? What do you need to change that will lead you to joy in the midst of suffering? If you’ve got questions or want to take the next step in your faith journey, then reach out to day – burnthickory.com/next. We’d love to pray with you and help you find joy in life. -
Joyful Exiles | Got To Keep Growing
Episode | June 12th, 2022 | 41 mins 16 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
As we explore more in 1Peter, we dig deeper into the Christian life and learn that we have to mature. We see in scripture that we should love the word of God, and that the word endures forever, it is good, and when we apply it to our lives, it gives us confidence. We also need to embrace our identity in Christ, because the 1Peter lays out that we are chosen, royalty, part of the priesthood, we are valued, and we are forgiven. And because that’s our identity, we live out our purpose through Jesus.
Based on the identity laid out in scripture, how does that change your perspective? Are you anchored to the right foundation? Do you have questions or want someone to pray with? We’d love to connect with you and help you take the next step in your faith journey, just reach out – burnthickory.com/next -
Joyful Exiles | Living Hope
Episode | June 5th, 2022 | 46 mins
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
First Peter begins with – to the exiles scattered throughout the provinces who have been chosen. Peter is trying to encourage these fledgling Christians who are scattered to remain steadfast in the joy of Christ. Pastor Matt shows us that we too can live out joyfully even though we are exiles in this world. We should remember that God has chosen us, and He gives us a living hope. We walk out that living hope by being prepared, looking to Christ and not back to our past, being different, standing amazed and loving big. The real question is, is God just useful to you or is he beautiful to you?
What do you continue to struggle with running back to that you need to ask God to forgive you for? Are you walking in living hope? What is robbing you of your joy in remembering that God has chosen you? If you’ve got questions or need someone to pray with, then reach out – burnthickory.com/next. We’d love to connect with you and help you find your next step in your faith journey. -
Why It Never Seems To Be Enough
Episode | May 22nd, 2022 | 42 mins 15 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
Most people don’t even know where Haggai is in the bible, but this short scripture offers a lot of wisdom and instruction for life. Living sacrificially is a counter cultural way of life, but it’s the life we are called to by the Spirit. But the extent or size of that sacrifice isn’t an indication of God’s acceptance, it’s more about our intentions and placing God’s pleasure above the desire for our own. The sacrifice has to actually cost us something. The prerequisite for receiving the blessings of God is that we have to become the people of God, and when we seek Him first, He will add to us.
What does a life of sacrifice look like? How are you living in light of this? What are some things that you are placing above God that you need to reprioritize? As always, we’d love to connect with you, answer any questions, and pray with you – just reach out today! Burnthickory.com/next -
God’s Will For My Life
Episode | May 15th, 2022 | 42 mins 16 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
Understanding God’s will for our lives might seem complicated, but it might be because we are not interpreting our involvement correctly. Perhaps we are not supposed to find God’s will because it was never hidden, and our role is just to walk in it faithfully. We can be aware of walking in God’s will through remembering God’s mercies and through resisting conforming to culture in our thoughts and actions. We also see in scripture that we are to give our life entirely to God and choose to think differently that the world. As we study the bible, we see a blueprint for our lives that lays out being in God’s will. We follow him, remain in him, and he will always be with us.
When is the last time you really spent time thinking about God’s mercies? Have you decided to give yourself entirely to God? If you’ve got questions, we’d love to connect with you, talk about what it means to live a life inside of God’s will, and pray with you. You can always reach out through burnthickory.com/next. -
Lessons from the Ladies | Mother’s Day 2022
Episode | May 8th, 2022 | 42 mins 41 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
We celebrate mothers and mother figures today on this special Sunday, and we dive into scripture to see some principles from women in the bible like Deborah. God calls and equips both men and women for leadership in his kingdom. We also see that women can lead and flourish inside of God’s design for our lives. God does his greatest work through simple acts of obedience, and he never needs our ability, just our availability. God has a specific call for your life, and the greatest temptation is not to do evil, but to sit back and do nothing.
Are you aware of God’s calling for you life? Are you making yourself available and willing to do his will? Are you consistently being obedient? As always, if you’ve got questions or want to talk or pray with someone, just reach out – burnthickory.com/next. -
Lasting Faith in the Hard Moments
Episode | April 24th, 2022 | 45 mins 16 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
Once you become a Christian, life isn’t perfect. Everyone still has questions and struggles and luckily, God loves us through our struggles in our faith. As we look into scripture today, we can learn that even when we can’t see God’s hand, we can trust his heart because we remember what God is like. His character is always the same, and he is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love. We can remember what He has done in the world and for us through his Son. As we wrestle with faith, we should ask God to strengthen our ability to believe, because He is a good father.
Are you struggling with your faith? You are not alone, and we are a faith community who will walk with you through the hard moments in life with you. If you’ve got questions and want to connect with someone, them reach out – burnthickory.com/next. We’d love to answer any questions you have and take time to pray with you. -
Easter 2022 | The Resurrection Changes Everything | Burnt Hickory
Episode | April 17th, 2022 | 39 mins
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
Jesus is alive, he is alive indeed! Why is this such an amazing thing to celebrate in these modern times? The simplicity of this is the truth of the gospel, and its life changing. The resurrection of Jesus is of first importance, it was physically real, and it is for us. If Jesus had not raised from the dead, then our faith would be rendered of no use. His death was an actual event that happened in history. And we know it is for us because the resurrection provides forgiveness for our past, transforms us in the present, and secures us for the future. Because Jesus is alive, we have hope, faith, salvation, and assurance.
Do you trust Jesus? Have you given your heart to him? Is the power of the resurrection transforming you? If you’ve got any questions about Jesus and the resurrection, we would love to connect with you, answer questions, and pray with you. You can always take the next step here – burnthickory.com/next