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 198 Episodes.
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In The Pit of Depression
Episode | March 5th, 2023 | 45 mins 58 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
Depression is when you are looking into the now and into the future, and all you feel is despair, suffocating darkness, and no clear way back to joy. Today we study Jerimiah chapter 3 to see what scripture says about dealing with depression and finding joy in what seems like a place of no hope. We learn that its ok to express raw emotions to God when we are struggling, and many of the greatest Christ followers in history are not those that God delivered from pain and sorrow, but those who God delivered through it. Learn how to recall and search for the goodness of God and discover the good lessons God is trying to teach you in your time of despair.
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Shining Like The Stars To The Nations
Episode | February 26th, 2023 | 45 mins 5 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
This morning in our bible study, we look at Philippians chapter 2, where we dive into what it means to have true joy. To shine the salvation message of Jesus like the stars to the dark world, joy has to replace a critical, grumbling, and arguing heart. We know that this world is crooked and perverted, but we as Christ followers must recognize our position and we must grow from that. We also learn that we must live out our calling through our attitude and actions if we are to shine like the stars.
Are you living out your calling with joy? Have you recognized your position in Christ? Are you growing in Him? As always, we’d love to connect with you, answer any questions you have, and take time to pray with you. You can always take the next step by visiting burnthickory.com/next. -
The Transformed Life | Saul’s Illuminated Jesus Moment
Episode | February 12th, 2023 | 42 mins 33 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
In our bible study today, we look at Saul’s conversion in Acts chapter 22. The significance of this divine face to face encounter with Jesus is absolutely life changing for Saul, even to the point of his name change. We look at the aspects of the contact, conviction, the conversion, and ultimately, the commission of Paul in this experience. As believers, we each have a purpose and a story. God never leaves us where we are. We need to ask two simple but life changing questions – who are you Lord, and what shall I do?
Have you had a defining Jesus moment? Have you asked these life changing questions? Do you want to find your purpose as a follower of God? As always, we’d love to connect with you, answer any questions you have, and take time to pray with you. You can also take the next step by visiting – burnthickory.com/next -
The Transformed Life | Wisdom from Zacchaeus
Episode | February 5th, 2023 | 41 mins 57 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
As we continue our sermon series on the transformed life, we study Zacchaeus, and we learn some big lessons from this little character as he came face-to-face with Jesus. As we study scripture, we learn that no one is beyond the goodness of Jesus, and it’s a God-breathed, soul-level curiosity that positions us to actually meet Him. When Jesus looks up at Zacchaeus, he calls out to him in the tree, and gives him a personal invitation. We see that every invitation from Jesus demands a personal response, and this invitation was more than just a visit at his house. Zacchaeus was invited to abide with Jesus, and he accepts. His life is completely changed because of his encounter with Jesus. We need to inspect our own lives for the evidence of the invitation and encounter with Jesus. The good news is that Jesus truly comes to seek and save the lost!
What evidence is present in your life of the change that has happened after encountering Jesus? Have you received His invitation and responded? If not, take the next step today. We’d love to pray with you and answer any questions you have, so reach out today. You can always take the next step here – burnthickory.com/next. -
The Transformed Life | The Disciples’ Upper Room Feast
Episode | January 29th, 2023 | 38 mins 23 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
Today, we study scripture and look at feasts in the bible, specifically at the upper room feast, and the impact on the lives of the disciples as they at face-to-face with Jesus. We see that the first feast was not just about eating a meal together, but in picking a team. God provides a way for life, but it requires a sacrifice and an active faith. All of the struggles of this world are temporary because we will be wholly, joyfully, and eternally united with Jesus.
Are you trusting in Jesus with life’s struggles? Have you given your life to Jesus as a sacrifice? Do you know that your eternity is provided for because of Jesus’ redemption of your sin? As always, if you’ve got questions or need prayer, we’d love to connect with you. You can take the next step in your faith journey by visiting – burnthickory.com/next -
The Transformed Life | Woman at the Well
Episode | January 22nd, 2023 | 41 mins
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
We continue our sermon series called the Transformed Life where we’re looking at the lives of people from scripture and how their lives were changed after coming face-to-face with Jesus. We are studying John chapter four and the woman at the well. We learn that how we perceive Jesus will shape everything about us. Jesus fully sympathized with what this woman was going through, and he fully sympathizes with us too. In fact, Jesus desires to reach into the deepest depths of our souls so that he can heal us from the inside out, and the good news is that he saves people who no one else would normally think are worthy to be saved. Thank God that we have such a merciful and wonderful savior!
Have you found the life of dignity, meaning, and kingdom purpose that Jesus promises? Have you been saved? Do you want to know more about this compassionate and merciful Jesus? We’d love to answer any questions and take time to pray with you, so reach out today. You can always take the next step by visiting – burnthickory.com/next. -
The Transformed Life | John the Baptist’s Prison Doubt
Episode | January 15th, 2023 | 42 mins 39 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
We continue our study of people who came face to face with Jesus in scripture with our focus this week on John the Baptist. Even though John knew that Jesus was the awaited Messiah, the one he had proclaimed, he faltered with doubt while in prison. His doubt shows us that serious doubt can creep into true faith and dealing with long term struggles can challenge even the most faithful of believers. We can find hope in our personal testimony of what God’s done and our future blessings. If you’re dealing with doubt, remind yourself that God loves you and His wisdom is far superior that ours, and know that you are not alone in your doubt.
As always, we’d love to take the time to answer any questions or take time to pray with you. Feel free to reach out today, and you can always take the next step by visiting – burnthickory.com/next -
The Transformed Life | Man Born Blind
Episode | January 8th, 2023 | 44 mins 34 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
We begin the new year with a new sermon series where we look at the impact Jesus had on the lives of people who came face to face with Him. As we study scripture, we see in John chapter 9 the story of the man born blind. And we learn that God’s eternal purposes in our sufferings are always more important than our understanding of the causes of our sufferings. In other words, Jesus cares deeply for those suffering, and He has compassion, and His purposes are eternal. We may not be able to understand why we are suffering, but we know the one who can make us whole again. We also learn about the spiritual blindness of the Pharisees and religious people and Jesus gives us a stern warning about being spiritually blind to Him. Paul David Tripp puts it this way - “Spiritual blindness isn’t like physical blindness. When you’re physically blind, you know you’re blind, so you compensate for this significant physical deficit. But spiritually blind people are not only blind, but they are also blind to their own blindness. They think they see well, so the spiritually blind person walks around with the delusion that no one has a more accurate view of himself than he does”
Are you making the hurting a point of discussion? Have you given your suffering to Jesus? Do you believe that He knows you and has compassion for you? As always, we’d love to connect with you to pray for you or answer any questions, so reach out. You can always take the next step – burnthickory.com/next -
Christmas At Burnt Hickory | Live Worship December 25, 2022
Episode | December 25th, 2022 | 37 mins 55 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
Merry Christmas! We celebrate the birth of Jesus through worship and a short message of hope. The real reason for Christmas began some 2000 years ago in a most peculiar and unimportant place, but impacted the entire world. The importance of this day is that Christ came to earth as an infant, to be Emmanuel, God with us.
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Peace is Worth the Wait | God With Us
Episode | December 18th, 2022 | 42 mins 9 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
As we draw the advent season to a close and move into celebrating Christmas Day, we look at Simeon and Anna in our final sermon in the series God With Us. We learn that it’s the Holy Spirit that give us clarity and insight into the things of God, and waiting is a key element of the Christian life. We have to remember that God sees us. He has not forgotten us. Out act of waiting doesn’t mean that we have done something wrong. We also see that God’s answers do not always match our limited expectations and timing.
In fact, Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it this way – “The Advent season is a season of waiting, but our whole life is an Advent season, that is, a season of waiting for the last Advent, the time when there will be a new heaven and a new earth.”
As you learn to trust in God and his timing during life, it’s beneficial to be a part of a faith community that encourages you and reminds you constantly of God’s promises. We encourage you to join a church like Burnt Hickory, plant yourself, and be a part of God’s plan and purpose. You can find out more about discovering membership at Burnt Hickory here - https://www.burnthickory.com/next-steps/discover-membership/
As always, if you’ve got questions or want to take the next step in your faith journey, just reach out today – burnthickory.com/next -
Magnify The Lord | God With Us
Episode | December 11th, 2022 | 41 mins 10 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
In our sermon series God With Us, where we are looking at the story of the birth of Jesus and how it changed the lives of the people around him, we look to Mary. We learn that there’s a difference between clarifying questions about God’s plan and doubting God. God is not like man, and he always fulfills his promises, and this was a serious task for Mary to trust God and believe in his plan. We also learn that God’s love knows all of us from the beginning and it extends his mercy to us. The real question is, have you truly seen yourself as a sinner in need of the mercy of God? Is your faith at a point to where nothing else matters more than answering the call of God, even if there are consequences? Learn more about the consequences Mary faced as she placed her faith in God, and how if we have the same approach to listening to God it will change our life.
If you’ve got questions or need someone to pray with, then reach out today. You can always take the next step in your faith journey by visiting Burnthickory.com/next -
The Wise Still Seek & Worship Him
Episode | December 4th, 2022 | 37 mins 49 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
We reflect on the wise men as they sought and worshiped Jesus this week as we continue our sermon series God With Us. We learn that despite the distance, discomfort, and danger, the wise men worshiped Jesus at his birth. What led them to him was the Holy Spirit, the scriptures, and a star God placed in the heavens. Even today, the wisest thing you can ever do is to drop what you’re doing and seek and worship Jesus. Take time to assess how you are responding to Jesus, and may God fill your heart with overwhelming Joy.
What does worship mean to you? How are you responding to Jesus? We’d love to connect with you if you’ve got questions or want to pray. You can take the next step – burnthickory.com/next.