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 181 Episodes.
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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 -
Runaway Prophet | Plants and People
Episode | March 20th, 2022 | 39 mins 14 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
We conclude the sermon series on Jonah today by looking at chapter 4 and the final scenes of Jonah’s heart. The fish has spit him back on land, he has proclaimed the gospel, people have repented and been saved, and now Jonah is angry. As we study the conversation between Jonah and God, we see that Jonah’s heart is idolatrous and ignorant. He has built his identity on something other that God, and has a desire opposed to God’s will. Can we not do the same thing in our own lives? Tim Keller puts it this way – “You are never father from God that when you are close to God and say no.” From the study in Chapter 3 we saw that God delights in mercy not in justice, and now we see that he gives Jonah a new heart even in his own idolatrous and ignorant anger. Are you Jonah or Nineveh?
Are there places in your life that you are saying no to God? Has your heart set its desire on and are you building your identity on something other that God? You can be brought back and restored no matter how angry or how far you have run from God. Repent and ask God for a new heart and find your true identity in what He has created you and called you to be. You can always reach out with any questions or to take the next step – Burnthickory.com/next -
Runaway Prophet | Our Mission of Evangelism
Episode | March 13th, 2022 | 36 mins 53 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
As we study the third chapter in Jonah, we see Jonah come to terms with his calling, and finally obey God in proclaiming the gospel to the Ninevites. We also see how our role and mission of evangelism defines us as God’s people and how urgently people around us need to hear the good news of Jesus. We also learn that God does not delight in judgement, but in mercy, and because of this, we see a people saved from their sins. We know that salvation comes from the Lord, but do you realize that faith comes only from hearing the word of God? We see it over and over in scripture, that we are to speak the word of God into our lives and the lives of those around us every day. This is what builds faith and a faith community.
You may have joined the lost coin challenge a few weeks ago, or are participating in 321 Serve this month, but these are just starting points to beginning a missional lifestyle and seeking opportunities to evangelize and be involved personally in peoples lives in our community. Take time and answer these questions: How can I speak the word of God into people’s lives this week? How can I specifically pray for others in my life that need Jesus? As always, if you’ve got questions about who Jesus is and how to begin your faith journey, then reach out today – burnthickory.com/next. We would love to talk with you and answer any questions as well as pray with you. -
Runaway Prophet | Deep Repentance
Episode | March 6th, 2022 | 42 mins 28 secs
baptist, bible, church, preaching, scripture, sermon
We dive deeper into Jonah this week by looking at Chapter 2 as we see the storm that overwhelmed Jonah and now, he’s in the belly of the fish seeking repentance. We can also gather through scripture that God uses storms in our lives for protection, perfecting, and correcting. Being stuck inside the fist for three days, Jonah started to pray. He thought he had been abandoned and banished from God’s sight. Have you ever been swallowed by a storm in life and feel that you are forgotten by God? What we can learn from Jonah’s deep repentance is that you are not forgotten, life is meaningless without God at the center of it, and idols will never fulfil us and will always leave us empty. Salvation always comes only from the Lord, and we see that Jonah was spit out onto dry land.
Are you in the midst of a storm? Do you need to repent and be saved? What takeaways did you get from Jonah’s story? As always, we would love to connect with you and answer any questions and pray with you. You can reach out today – burnthickory.com/next.