Matt Petty

Ignite | A Direction to Walk

Episode  |  August 29th, 2021  |  44 mins 24 secs

baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon

As we continue our sermon series called Ignite, where we look at instances of fire in scripture, we look into Exodus Chapter 13, where we see the Israelites being led through the desert by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. What we can take away from this bible study is that God is the sole maker of our way, and the holder of our salvation. Even when we don’t see the end in sight, even when we cannot understand our circumstances, even when we feel we’ve been left stranded, God is always faithful, and His promises always come to be. He is faithful to lead us where He wants us to go because we are His. God’s way is eternally better than ours, and He puts us in the right place, the right way, and at the right time.
Do you feel stranded and left in the dark? Are you dealing with understanding God’s timing in life? Then take a minute to reach out to us through burnthickory.com/next

Ignite | A Distaste For Sin

Episode  |  August 22nd, 2021  |  42 mins 25 secs

baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon

We often try to shape God into our image of what we think He should be instead of understanding that we are created in His image. This gives us a distorted comprehension of how sin effects our lives every day, and we rebel against the only thing that can truly satisfy our soul – God Himself. This week during our Ignite Sermon Series, Pastor Matt brings us to Exodus chapter 32, where we see the Israelites who have been brought out of Egypt, start to grow restless and start to look for things to worship other than God because they didn’t feel satisfied. We do this in modern times, we build idols that take the place of God – when we place importance of things, people, and circumstances above God in importance. A lot of times, our idols are revealed to us when we are stressed and in turmoil, but we have to remember that God is the only thing that will satisfy.
What we see in scripture today is that we should never treat sin as if it will not have consequences, and we need to be running away from sin rather than drifting towards it. Are you creeping towards sin? Have you built idols that are trying to satisfy the need of worship in your life? Would you like someone to talk with or pray with you today? Then reach out to us – burnthickory.com/next, we’d love to answer any questions and pray with you.

Ignite | A Deepened Holiness

Episode  |  August 15th, 2021  |  40 mins 11 secs

baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon

Today we explore Isaiah Chapter 6 as we continue to look for examples of fire throughout the bible and we study the passage where Isaiah is brought before the Lord, and his lips are cleansed by a hot coal. We see that God’s holiness affects us in that we are to be separated and set apart as a reflection of Him. We also learn that holiness magnifies our corruption and mandates our purification. When we boast about our accomplishments of faith, we lose sight of God’s holiness. What is it that you see as a strength that God needs control of in your life?

In the bible, later on in Isaiah, we see that it’s the voice of God that calls us out - to be set apart and no longer be unclean. In this sermon, pastor Matt preaches about what it means to have faith and be purified from sin, because God is holy, and we need to know that we are to be holy too.

Are you standing before a holy God with unclean lips? Do you need to be saved? Has God’s holiness motivated your commission in life? If you’ve got questions, please reach out, we’d love to pray with you - BurntHickory.com/next

Ignite | A Dependent Faith

Episode  |  August 8th, 2021  |  44 mins 5 secs

baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon

As we explore places in scripture that contain fire, we come across the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego who were thrown into the fiery furnace. God never asks us to put faith in our ability, and it’s not focused on our desires or outcome when dealing with difficulties in life. He reminds us in Philippians and James that our faith is placed in His ability and His promises. We too often try to treat God like a genie, who’ll grant our wishes, and we see in this bible study that God works according to His will. Conversely our trust in Him is not dependent on God granting every request we make, but it’s founded in His eternal steadfastness and truth. Let’s face it, when life is tough, God will not always prevent us from being in the fire, but He will preserve and grow us through the fire.
Are you going through a fire right now in your life? Does it seem that you are stranded and alone? Then reach out, we’d love to pray with you and help you see that God is with you in the midst. BurntHickory.com/next

Ignite | A Desire to Follow

Episode  |  August 1st, 2021  |  42 mins 16 secs

baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon

We begin our new sermon series called Ignite by exploring places where we see fire in scripture. Fire can represent many things, and this week, we are looking in Exodus 3 where Moses encountered the burning bush, a tree literally engulfed in flames, but not ever burning up. Just as God physically spoke to Moses through that burning bush, we can learn that while God's presence is personal, His holiness deserves our undivided worship. We are also reminded in that fire that God’s timing is not our timing, and as we hone our patience, we should not grow weary waiting on God because our desire to follow Him should be what’s ignited in us as we grow as Christians.
The question for you is, are you positioned in your everyday rhythms of life to experience God? He is patient with us, not wanting us to perish, but to come to repentance. Take time to pray this week that God will ignite in you a desire to follow Him. Do you have questions about who Jesus is, or why salvation from sin is so important? Then feel free to reach out, we’d love to answer any questions and pray with you – burnthickory.com/next

The Sermon on the Mount | Final Wise Choices

Episode  |  July 25th, 2021  |  39 mins 29 secs

baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon

This week as we conclude the sermon on the mount, we reflect on Jesus’ closing to his sermon delivered in Matthew 7:13-29. We see that we have an ultimate decision to acknowledge Jesus as Lord of our life, or to reject him. Either the path that is straight and narrow, or the wide one that leads to destruction and to a very real eternity in hell. As we look that the fork in the road, we see in scripture that we need to choose wisely our influences and set our foundation on Jesus. You see, we can know Jesus, but until He knows us, we are lost. We can look past this harsh reality in scripture and see it as a wonderful offering of salvation, all we have to do is believe.
Are there influences in your life that are not pointing you to Christ? Are you comparing the things you are being taught against biblical truth? Do you know, profess, and believe in Jesus being the Lord of your life? Reach out to us today with any questions, we’d love to talk to you about accepting Jesus as your savior – burnthickory.com/next.

The Sermon on the Mount | Golden Vision

Episode  |  July 18th, 2021  |  35 mins 19 secs

baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon

The golden rule might seem like a great command to follow, but its not actually in the bible. As we study further in the sermon on the mount in Matthew, we see that Jesus does give us reminders, challenges, and encouragements to follow that will help us actually live according to Him. Jesus encourages us to pray persistently, and to knock, and the door will be open. Pastor Matt shows us that our prayer life is just that, a life, not a one and done activity.
As we study the bible, we see also that not every prayer request is always answered, because only God knows how to give far better that we know how to ask. Take heart, God cares, has unlimited resources, and delights in blessing us as His children when we ask, seek, and knock. What things are you struggling with in prayer, and what things should you be more persistent in? We would love the chance to pray with you, so feel free to call our prayer hotline at 770-590-0372.

The Sermon on the Mount | Planks, Pigs, & Pearls: The Art of Judging

Episode  |  July 11th, 2021  |  45 mins 22 secs

baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon

Judge not, lest you be judged. Maybe you’ve seen this passage in Matthew 7, but do you really understand what Jesus is telling us here in the sermon on the mount? We as Christians are called to judge rightly, but there are some clear reminders in scripture that there is order and reasoning behind why. A majority of non-Christians see us as “judgmental” because we have not focused on restoration, we’ve just focused on being right. By no means is the bible directing believers not to call sin for what it is, sin, but it is also directing us to do it with the right attitude and motive.
Pastor Matt digs further into the sermon on the mount this week as we look at Jesus’ teachings regarding dealing with our own sin before we are to help others deal with theirs. If we are in the mindset of being judgmental, then we are not fulfilling God’s will for us, and we should stop and think about how we are interacting with people, especially those who don’t have faith. Do you have questions about who Jesus is and why the bible says you can be saved if you believe in Him? Then great, take a minute to connect with us, we’d love to answer your questions and help you take the next step in your faith journey – burnthickory.com/next

The Sermon on the Mount | Kingdom Choices

Episode  |  June 20th, 2021  |  33 mins 14 secs

baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon

In Matthew chapter 6, Jesus instructs us not to store up treasures on earth, but to store them in heaven, where they can’t be destroyed or stolen. What does this passage mean, and how do we store treasures in heaven? Pastor Matt takes us further in the sermon on the mount, where we explore Jesus’ words about what we value and our foundational choices as we live kingdom lives. The things that we adore in our hearts are what we treasure, and its an indication of what we value above our relationship with God.

The Sermon on the Mount | The Model Prayer

Episode  |  June 13th, 2021  |  50 mins 5 secs

baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon

In the sermon on the mount in Matthew 6, Jesus gives his disciples a model prayer to follow because they asked him. Jesus shares that we aren’t to pray like hypocrites as others see or hear, but that it’s a personal time between us and God the Father. What we learn through this passage is that prayer is not a way for us to use God to get what we want, or a way to impress God through our faith and actions, but a way for us to be transformed instead. If we follow Jesus’ example of prayer, we are promised that God will hear us.

The Sermon on the Mount | Blessed Kingdom Followers

Episode  |  May 23rd, 2021  |  46 mins 3 secs

baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon, sermon on the mount

What does it mean to be blessed, meek, merciful, or righteous? How are we supposed to be happy in life? We study in scripture as Jesus taught next to the Sea of Galilee, He laid out a set of a challenges that each come with a promise. These are known as the beatitudes. Happiness begins when we see our emptiness and receive God’s fullness.

To be broken hearted and meek may seem like a disadvantage, but as we mourn, we are promised comfort and we’ll see the kingdom of God. These beatitudes are also a way to measure how we are reflecting God’s glory, as well as a flashlight to bring vision to our lives. We are excited to be digging into the sermon on the mount beyond just the beatitudes, so make sure you tune in next Sunday.
What does it mean to be blessed, meek, merciful, or righteous? How are we supposed to be happy in life? We study in scripture as Jesus taught next to the Sea of Galilee, He laid out a set of a challenges that each come with a promise. These are known as the beatitudes. Happiness begins when we see our emptiness and receive God’s fullness.

To be broken hearted and meek may seem like a disadvantage, but as we mourn, we are promised comfort and we’ll see the kingdom of God. These beatitudes are also a way to measure how we are reflecting God’s glory, as well as a flashlight to bring vision to our lives. We are excited to be digging into the sermon on the mount beyond just the beatitudes, so make sure you tune in next Sunday.
What does it mean to be blessed, meek, merciful, or righteous? How are we supposed to be happy in life? We study in scripture as Jesus taught next to the Sea of Galilee, He laid out a set of a challenges that each come with a promise. These are known as the beatitudes. Happiness begins when we see our emptiness and receive God’s fullness.

To be broken hearted and meek may seem like a disadvantage, but as we mourn, we are promised comfort and we’ll see the kingdom of God. These beatitudes are also a way to measure how we are reflecting God’s glory, as well as a flashlight to bring vision to our lives. We are excited to be digging into the sermon on the mount beyond just the beatitudes, so make sure you tune in next Sunday.
What does it mean to be blessed, meek, merciful, or righteous? How are we supposed to be happy in life? We study in scripture as Jesus taught next to the Sea of Galilee, He laid out a set of a challenges that each come with a promise. These are known as the beatitudes. Happiness begins when we see our emptiness and receive God’s fullness.

To be broken hearted and meek may seem like a disadvantage, but as we mourn, we are promised comfort and we’ll see the kingdom of God. These beatitudes are also a way to measure how we are reflecting God’s glory, as well as a flashlight to bring vision to our lives. We are excited to be digging into the sermon on the mount beyond just the beatitudes, so make sure you tune in next Sunday.
What does it mean to be blessed, meek, merciful, or righteous? How are we supposed to be happy in life? We study in scripture as Jesus taught next to the Sea of Galilee, He laid out a set of a challenges that each come with a promise. These are known as the beatitudes. Happiness begins when we see our emptiness and receive God’s fullness.

To be broken hearted and meek may seem like a disadvantage, but as we mourn, we are promised comfort and we’ll see the kingdom of God. These beatitudes are also a way to measure how we are reflecting God’s glory, as well as a flashlight to bring vision to our lives. We are excited to be digging into the sermon on the mount beyond just the beatitudes, so make sure you tune in next Sunday.
What does it mean to be blessed, meek, merciful, or righteous? How are we supposed to be happy in life? We study in scripture as Jesus taught next to the Sea of Galilee, He laid out a set of a challenges that each come with a promise. These are known as the beatitudes. Happiness begins when we see our emptiness and receive God’s fullness.

To be broken hearted and meek may seem like a disadvantage, but as we mourn, we are promised comfort and we’ll see the kingdom of God. These beatitudes are also a way to measure how we are reflecting God’s glory, as well as a flashlight to bring vision to our lives. We are excited to be digging into the sermon on the mount beyond just the beatitudes, so make sure you tune in next Sunday.
What does it mean to be blessed, meek, merciful, or righteous? How are we supposed to be happy in life? We study in scripture as Jesus taught next to the Sea of Galilee, He laid out a set of a challenges that each come with a promise. These are known as the beatitudes. Happiness begins when we see our emptiness and receive God’s fullness.

To be broken hearted and meek may seem like a disadvantage, but as we mourn, we are promised comfort and we’ll see the kingdom of God. These beatitudes are also a way to measure how we are reflecting God’s glory, as well as a flashlight to bring vision to our lives. We are excited to be digging into the sermon on the mount beyond just the beatitudes, so make sure you tune in next Sunday.

The Heart of Compassion | Making an Impact in Kibera Kenya

Episode  |  May 16th, 2021  |  43 mins 32 secs

africa, baptist, bible, church, compassion, compassion for kids, evangelism, feeding the hungry, feelings of compassion, good news, gospel, heart of compassion, kenya, kenya ministry center, kenya news, kibera kenya, kibera kenya slums, making an impact, ministry, mission trip, mission trip to africa, missions, preaching, saving the lost, scripture, sermon, swahiba

It’s a special Sunday at Burnt Hickory where we get to celebrate our relationship with Peter, our mission partner from Kenya, as well as surprise him with a financial gift that will establish our footprint for generations in Kibera. Burnt Hickory has been generously giving towards the Kenya Ministry Center, and God has blessed that gift in the form of being able to purchase the land, build the center, and even furnish this church plant and missions headquarters in Kenya.