Burnt Hickory | Sermons

Easter is right around the corner, and as we look towards the resurrection, our sermon series over the next few weeks will look at Christ’s road to the cross. We’ll follow His interactions and reflections through scripture as He was facing pain and death. As we study Mark’s account in chapter 10, we learn that the greatest moment of our lives is when we recognize, trust, and surrender to Jesus. Just as some in the crowd simply sat and ignored the call that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, we, too, have the choice every day to either call out to Him or just sit with the crowd. The good news is that every cry for Jesus is heard by Him, no matter the level of the noise around you. What obstacles are currently preventing you from wholeheartedly calling out and surrendering your life to Jesus? If you have surrendered to Him, what are some symptoms of spiritual blindness being exhibited in your life? As always, if you’ve got questions or need prayer, we’d love to connect with you and take time to answer those questions and pray with you. Also, take the next step in your faith journey and celebrate it with us by visiting burnthickory.com/next.

We wrap up our sermon series on rethinking our lives as we kick off our month-long 321 Serve initiative. All March, we encourage everyone at Burnt Hickory to serve the community and neighborhoods at least three times personally, twice as a family, and once as a LifeGroup. In today’s sermon, we look at why we are saved in the first place, and that’s to serve others. We see in scripture that Jesus came not to be served as a deserving King but to serve. He is calling us to do the same, to get off the throne of self-advancement and become a servant. In God’s kingdom, the standard of greatness is measured in service, not in authority or accomplishment. What are you being called to as a servant? Are you following Jesus in His example of servanthood? What are you excited about as an opportunity for 321 Serve? As always, we’d love to connect with you, answer any questions you’ve got, and take time to pray with you. Reach out today! You can also celebrate your next step with us by visiting burnthickory.com/next.

As we rethink our lives, we explore what scripture says about dealing with temptation. Temptation is anything that promises satisfaction at the cost of our obedience to God. As followers of Christ, we are not given immunity from our sinful temptations once we accept Jesus, and we should realize that it often comes when we least expect it. Our best line of defense is to avoid the temptation by avoiding common areas where we encounter it and to flee from it at all costs. We have to count the cost if we do fall into temptation and remember that every moment of resistance to temptation is a victory in our faith journey. In light of this sermon, what are areas or people that you need to avoid in order to be victorious over temptation? How can you find support in being vulnerable with trusted Christians who can help you flee from temptation at any cost? As always, we'd love to connect with you, take time to answer any questions you've got and pray with you - especially over dealing with temptation. You can always celebrate the next step in your faith journey by visiting burnthickory.com/next.

As we continue our sermon series around rethinking our lives, we look today at the idea of finding freedom in forgiveness. God has called and commanded us as forgiven people to forgive. No matter what has happened to each of us, we can never forgive anyone more than God has forgiven us. You see, forgiveness is the act of pardoning an offender, an offense, or a debt, and true forgiveness does not bring other people who have nothing to do with the sin into the situation. True forgiveness makes the offender feel at ease and helps the sinner forgive themselves as you have forgiven them. God wants us to understand and be encouraged to walk in His full power and presence through our freedom in forgiveness. What stands out to you as a significant freedom in being forgiven? How do you need to walk out a life of forgiveness moving forward? Who do you need to forgive even though they may not be seeking your forgiveness? If you’ve got questions about Jesus and living our forgiveness, then connect with us today. We’d love to take time to answer any questions you might have and spend time with you in prayer. As always, you can celebrate your next step in your faith journey by visiting burnthickory.com/next.

Today, we explore our relationship with the Holy Spirit as we continue our sermon series, where we are rethinking our lives in light of scripture and faith. Through Jesus, we have been brought into the family of God forever, and our promised all-powerful holy helper is God, the Holy Spirit. The Bible shows that the Holy Spirit is an active helper who’s permanent and truthful in helping us live our obedience in faith. He is our advocate, and He intercedes for us on our behalf all while teaching us the truth. Based on today’s sermon, how do you view the Holy Spirit differently? What things in life are you allowing to take away your view of God and impede the truth the Holy Spirit is teaching you? Do you have questions about the Holy Spirit? Do you need to know more about Jesus? We’d love to connect with you and take the time to answer any questions you’ve got as well as pray with you. As always, you can celebrate your next step with us by visiting burnthickory.com/next.

This week, we continue our sermon series on rethinking our lives in light of scripture by diving into our view of prayer. Prayer is hard because it’s spiritual warfare, but it also unleashes an unstoppable eternal power from God. God deeply desires that we as His children honestly communicate with him from our hearts. We see in the bible that our pattern for prayer is not to just get something from God but to experience Him more fully. We don’t impress him with our prayers, but through humble adoration, total submission, wholehearted petitioning, and obedient responses, God will hear and answer our prayers. Are you praying intending to grow closer to God, or are you looking for something from Him? Are you growing weary in the spiritual warfare and need encouragement in your prayer life? If you need prayer, we’d love to spend time with you in prayer and take time to answer your questions, so reach out today! Our prayer hotline is 770-590-0372, or you can email prayer@burnthickory.com. You can always take the next step in your faith journey and let us know about it by visiting burnthickory.com/next.

The biblical definition of success in life might look drastically different from what the world’s standard is. We see in scripture that humbly serving without need of gain or repayment and giving attention and time to ensure that our generation hears the truth about Jesus’ love for them are a true indication of success. When we follow the Holy Spirit by faith, even in the hard times and finish the race of life, we are successful. In Acts chapter 20, we learn that being faithful and obedient to Christ as well as being deeply committed and constantly investing in the church are signs of success. As we rethink the definition of success in our lives, we should be giving more than we ever expect to receive because our measure comes from meeting God’s standard of seeking first His kingdom and righteousness. What is your measure of success in life? Do any of the scriptural definitions stand out as areas that you need to grow in? Are you seeking God’s kingdom and His righteousness first? As always, if you’ve got questions or prayer needs, we’d love to connect with you and take time to answer them and pray with you. Also, if you’re ready to take the next step in your faith journey, let us know today by visiting burnthickory.com/next.

As Christians, we see that worship is the only logical response of a life that realizes what Jesus has done, is doing, and will do in eternity. Worship is so much more than just a song that we sing, it’s putting God’s worthiness on display, and we live this out in so many ways throughout our lives. We learn from scripture that there is danger in flippantly approaching and worshipping the Holy God, and yet His intention was and still is to bless us with His presence. We will never worship God with all our heart if our concern for what others think is stronger than our concern for what God thinks. What are you worshipping through your life? What does your worship tell others about the value you place on God? Are you aware of what Jesus has done and is doing in your life? If you’ve got questions, we’d love to connect with you, take time to answer and pray with you – so reach out today. As always, you can take the next step in your faith journey by visiting burnthickory.com/next.

In continuation of our sermon series called Rethink Your Life, we explore our relationship with the word of God. We know we can trust the word of God because not only is it a reliable collection of historical documents and is written directly by eyewitnesses, if fulfills so many specific prophecies. As Christians, we can place faith in the fact that its ultimate author was God, not man. Even Jesus himself fully trusted it and quoted it back so many times. Because it is so reliable and written by God, we can have full trust in its authority to deliver to us the truth of God. Do you trust the God of the bible? Have you placed your faith in Jesus and asked Him to be your savior? If you’ve got questions or want someone to pray with, we’d love to connect with you. Reach out today! As always, you can let us know about the next step you want to take in your faith journey by visiting burnthickoyr.com/next.

We start an amazing sermon series this week where we will take time over the next few weeks rethinking our lives in light of scripture. This week, we look at our relationship with Jesus. While sin is an action, it is also a universal starting condition of all of mankind’s hearts. We so often replace living inside God’s authority while we follow our own desires. What we see from scripture is that God’s grace is the base of salvation, and we can only find that salvation through faith. Instead of beginning with changing for the better first and then finding our way to God, we see that life change and good works are, a result of His salvific work in us. Has there been a time in your life where you have confessed you need for God’s forgiveness, placed your trust in Him, and invited Jesus to be your Lord and Savior? Is there tangible evidence of your salvation? What is keeping you from giving your heart to Jesus right now and receiving the free gift of salvation? If you’ve got questions, please reach out today. We would love to take time to answer your questions and take time to pray with you. You can always take the next step in your journey life accepting Jesus as savior and let us know about it by visiting burnthickory.com/next.

As we stand on the brink of a new year, our hearts resonate with the journey of the Wise Men who sought the King—the true Messiah sent by the Father. In this New Year's Eve reflection, we'll explore the timeless lessons from these seekers of truth. Guided by divine signs, the Wise Men recognized a wondrous star leading them to the King. Similarly, our worship is a journey guided by divine signs, recognizing the King's presence in our lives. Overcoming obstacles, the Wise Men stayed true to the essence of worship, avoiding fear and political agendas to honor the Holy King. Our worship, too, should be marked by overcoming personal obstacles, rooted in honoring the Holy King. In response to divine revelation, the Wise Men expressed joyful dedication and rejoiced in the presence of the King. Our worship, likewise, should be characterized by joyful dedication, responding to divine revelation. Worship that honors is free from personal gain, rooted in pure motives, avoiding the pitfalls seen in Herod's troubled reaction and the knowledge-laden but faith-lacking religious leaders. Lastly, we explore worship that brings joy, acknowledging Jesus as King, High Priest, and Savior through the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Our worship, akin to the Wise Men's offerings, should recognize Jesus in His fullness and embrace sacrificial worship. Whether you join us online or in person, let's glean valuable lessons from the Wise Men on this special New Year's Eve, understanding what it truly means to offer Worthy Worship of the King. See you soon!

It’s Christmas Eve at Burnt Hickory, and a perfect time to discover true hope because our Savior Jesus is born unto us. He is Emmanuel, Christ with us. Not just a baby in a manger so long ago, but the true Mesiah sent by the Father for us today. We see in Galatians that in the fullness of time, God sent His son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. He came to be punished and die on our behalf as payment for our sins. He lived the life we should be living, and died the death that we deserve. He came to be buried in a tomb, but praise God, not to stay there forever. He is risen again, defeating death, and Jesus paid our price for sin for all eternity. If we believe in Him as savior, we have eternal life with Him! What good news we have in celebrating Christmas, not just a season of giving and receiving, or being near family, or singing carols and sharing merriment. But in welcoming the gift of Christ into our hearts as our Savior and being brought near to our Heavenly Father, singing of His great and marvelous love for us, and then making Him known to everyone we encounter because He gives us hope. Merry Christmas! This time of year can be incredibly tough for many, with the loss of family or from the pain of trauma remembered or currently present in our lives. It may seem hopeless to celebrate Christmas in the midst of hurt, and maybe you lack joy and peace this season. We want you to know, we are here for you. If you have questions, need prayer, or feel overwhelmed with life, then please reach out today. We would love to hear from you, take time to answer any questions you have and pray with you no matter what you are facing. You can also take the next step in your faith journey and let us know by visiting burnthickory.com/next.

Today, we look at the aspect of joy in the glory of God through our advent sermon series. We see that when God shows up, His glory exposes us to who we really are, men of unclean lips. His glory also drives out fear and replaces it with true joy and it creates trust and confidence in His promises. God’s glory changes out priorities in the routines of our day-to-day life, so that even in the mundane, we can have joy. John 3:17 says that God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. In light of this, we don’t live in fear, but in perfect joy through faith in Him. What priorities does your everyday life reflect in fearless and joyful living? Are you placing your trust and confidence in the promises of God? What perspectives do you need to shift to be able to experience the true joy through the glory of God? As always, we’d love to connect with you, take time to pray with you and answer any questions you’ve got. We encourage you to take the next step in your faith journey, and you can see some that we would love to celebrate along with you by visiting burnthickory.com/next.

In our sermon series around the themes of Advent leading up to Christmas, we explore absolute love this week. God is always faithful and always fulfills His promises. God’s love deeply knows all of each of us, from the beginning to the end, and He constantly provides His life-giving power to us. Because of His love, He richly extends His eternal mercy to us and will reward a humble heart. Because He fulfills every promise, we can trust Him with everything in life. Just like Mary did in scripture when she was told about the birth of her son being the Messiah, we should glorify the lord and rejoice in our soul because of God’s saving love. Is your faith at a point to where nothing matters more than answering the call of God? Have you set out to glorify yourself or is your soul magnifying the Lord and His saving love? Are you truly believing and placing your faith in the promises of God? If you’ve got questions or need prayer, we’d love to connect with you, answer any questions you have, and take time to pray with you. Just reach out today! And if you want to take the next step in your faith journey, visit burnthickory.com/next.

We begin the Christmas season with a sermon series diving into the aspects of the advent – hope, joy, love, and peace. This week as we look at the source of our true hope, we see that it comes from a God who has come to earth to be among us. Hope is the expectation of future blessings and the confidence that the best is yet to come. As Christ followers, we can have true hope because Jesus removes our past, reshapes our present, and refocuses our future. Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come to His people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant Daved, salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. That’s what brings us hope this Christmas – Jesus. If you’ve got questions about Jesus or want to know more about placing your hope in the finished work of Christ as you call Him savior, then reach out today. We would love to take the time to answer any questions you’ve got and pray with you. As always, you can take the next step by visiting burnthickory.com/next

This Missions Sunday, we get to celebrate what God is doing through us both here and around the world. We also get to hear a sermon from Jonathan Ekman from Voice of the Martyrs on encouragement from the persecuted family – churches around the world in hostile areas seeking to proclaim the gospel in the face of opposition. We see that if we focus on an eternal perspective, we can have true joy in the midst of hardship, and that our boldness for Christ is how we live out our faith in this world. Through the word of God, we have hope to face the world and all it’s hatred for the truth and love of God. If you want to be a part of encouraging those who are being persecuted through prayer and support, then check out VOM - https://www.persecution.com. If you’ve got questions about Jesus and how you can make an impact here and around the world, then reach out today. We’d love to connect with you, take time to answer questions and pray with you, and show you some opportunities for you to live out your faith along with us. You can always take the next step in your faith journey by visiting burnthickory.com/next. Special Guest: Jonathan Ekman.

God’s presence is no longer to be celebrated for falling on a place, because it has now fallen onto and into His people. We see in Acts what it truly means to be Spirit led as we trust and submit to God’s timing. As we study scripture, we learn that following God means standing assured in God’s promises and not in our own strength. The power of the Holy Spirit comes in the form of us as Christ followers walking in the confidence that we have in Him and His finished work in our salvation. If you’ve got questions about who Jesus is, or want to talk more about speaking in tongues, then reach out today. We’d love to connect with you and answer any questions you’ve got as well as take time to pray with you. You can also take the next step in your faith journey by visiting burnthickory.com/next.

We celebrate vulnerable children’s day this Sunday by learning about a new mission partnership and diving into scripture. We learn that God has a special place in His heart for kids, especially vulnerable kids. Rescuing hurting kids is not just a charity for us to support, it’s a rescue mission for all the church. Our compassion is what leads us to action, and because we are no longer slaves, we are adopted sons and daughters, we should be rescuing the hurting and vulnerable around us. Our prayer today is for God to point out the places in our personal purity that we need to offer up to Him, to give us a personal sense of responsibility to serve and show us how we are to be used in the process of rescuing a child. We ask that God push our church to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and rise up on behalf of the fatherless. Join us in the mission of rescuing vulnerable children by visiting our site, or take the next step in your faith journey by visiting burnthickory.com/next. Special Guest: Tasha Whitener.

We wrap up an amazing Disciple Now Student weekend by hearing from our Kenya Mission Partner, Peter Abungu. He leads us through scripture as we look at the difference between being conformed and transformed. We see that transformation belongs to believers because the unbeliever can’t break the world’s control over them without Christ. Believers are promised that the Spirit who lives in them is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. God’s indwelling Spirit enables us to resist the world’s pressure to conform to its ways. Our sinful nature wants us to do evil, which is the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what our sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, which causes us to not have the freedom to carry out our good intentions. As always, if you’ve got questions, we’d love to connect with you, answer the questions you’ve got, and take time to pray with you – so reach out today. Or you can take the next step in your faith journey by visiting burnthickory.com/next. Special Guest: Peter Abungu.

Today, we celebrate believers’ baptism. We see from scripture that baptism doesn’t save us, its purely a symbol of the change that has already happened in the heart of a believer. An outward public declaration that through Jesus’ saving work, you know have spiritual life as His follower. But even though it’s a symbol, we cannot be indifferent to baptism, we should follow Jesus in this proclamation. We proclaim that we are taking hold of salvation by letting go of our former life. We realize that we are no longer slaves to sin but are free in Jesus. And we are telling the world that our faith in Jesus has changed us. We’d love to answer any questions you’ve got about Jesus and believers’ baptism, so reach out today. You can always take the next step and sign up to partake in believers’ baptism by visiting burnthickory.com/baptism.