Neely’s Bend Baptist Church Sermons

Pastor Austin preached from 1 Corinthians 15:1–11 in a message titled “Message of the Mission,” calling the church to remember and boldly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Through passionate preaching and practical encouragement, the sermon centered on four simple words that help believers clearly communicate the Gospel: God, Man, Christ, Response.The message walked through the holiness and righteousness of God, the sinfulness and brokenness of humanity, the saving work of Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection, and the necessity of responding to the Gospel with repentance and faith. Pastor Austin reminded the church that the world is searching for hope, peace, purpose, and redemption, but lasting hope is found only in Christ. Drawing from Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15, the sermon emphasized that the Gospel is not only the message that saves us, but also the message believers are called to carry to the world.With practical tools for evangelism and a challenge to live on mission, the church was encouraged to know the Gospel well, listen for opportunities to share it, and trust God to work through faithful proclamation of His Word.

In this opening message of our Living on Mission series, we are reminded that mission does not begin with the church—it begins with God. From creation to redemption, Scripture reveals a God who is actively displaying His glory and drawing people to Himself. Because God has a heart for His mission, His people are called to share that same heart.This sermon challenges us to move beyond thinking of mission as something that happens “over there” and instead see that every believer has been sent by God to live intentionally for the gospel right where they are. As we explore God’s glory revealed in creation and declared through His redeemed people, we are invited to ask: What is my heart truly on mission for?

In 1 Samuel 6–7, Israel is confronted with a sobering reality: God is holy, and sinful people cannot stand before Him in their own righteousness. As the ark of the covenant returns, the people quickly learn that God is not to be treated casually or approached carelessly. His holiness demands reverence, honor, and fear. Yet these chapters also reveal the gracious path back to the God of glory—repentance.When Israel turns from their idols, confesses their sin, and seeks the Lord with all their heart, God responds with mercy, help, and deliverance. In this sermon, we will see that God is glorified when His people honor Him as holy and when they honor Him through genuine repentance. This message calls us to examine whether we are treating God lightly, tolerating sin casually, or truly returning to Him with hearts that long for His glory.

In this sermon from 1 Samuel 4–6, “God is Not a Pawn,” we are confronted with a sobering truth: God cannot be used, controlled, or called upon only when it is convenient. The people of Israel treated God like a tool—turning to Him only in times of trouble—while the Philistines attempted to reduce Him to just another defeated god. Yet in both cases, God powerfully reveals that He alone is sovereign, holy, and worthy of all glory.This message calls us to examine our own lives. Do we honor God in all things, or only when we need Him? Are there things competing for our devotion? Through this passage, we are reminded that God is not a pawn to be used, but a King to be honored—at all times and above all things.

In “Honor the Word of the Lord” from 1 Samuel 2–3, we are confronted with a sobering yet hopeful truth: how we respond to God’s Word determines how we experience God Himself. Through the contrast between Eli’s household and the young boy Samuel, this passage reveals the devastating consequences of rejecting God’s Word and the abundant blessing that comes from honoring it.Eli’s sons knew the Word of the Lord, yet treated it with contempt—and faced God’s judgment. In contrast, Samuel humbly received and obeyed the Word of the Lord, and was established as a faithful prophet. Their lives present a clear and timeless reality: rejecting the Word of the Lord leads to rejection, but honoring the Word of the Lord leads to honor.This message calls us to examine our own hearts. Are we merely hearing God’s Word, or are we honoring it with our lives? As people under the new covenant, we have been given the living Word—Jesus Christ—and the written Word for our good, our growth, and ultimately, our salvation.May we be a people who say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant hears,” and who faithfully live out all that He has spoken.

On Resurrection Sunday, we turn to 1 Samuel 2:1–11 and the prayer of Hannah to discover what it truly means to rejoice in the salvation of the Lord. In Exult in the Salvation of the Lord, we see a powerful response to God’s saving work—one that calls us to lift our eyes beyond ourselves and fix our worship fully on Him.Hannah’s song reminds us that God alone is holy, completely set apart and unlike any other. She proclaims a God who is sovereign over all things—one who humbles the proud, lifts the lowly, and rules over every detail of life. And she points us forward to the reality that God is the righteous Judge who will one day set all things right.On this Easter morning, that truth finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Through His death and resurrection, sin and death have been defeated, and salvation has been secured for all who believe. The resurrection is not just an event to remember—it is a reason to rejoice, worship, and exult in the Lord alone.

In a world filled with shame, hardship, and personal crises, where do we turn for hope? In this message from 1 Samuel 1, we look at the life of Hannah—a woman burdened with deep distress, public shame, and unanswered longing. Yet instead of turning inward or giving in to despair, Hannah brings her pain before the Lord.This sermon explores how God meets us in our lowest moments and how true hope is found not in our ability to fix our circumstances, but in trusting the One who holds all power. As Hannah honors God through faithful prayer and surrender, we see a powerful picture of how God transforms shame into honor and sorrow into joy.Ultimately, this passage points us to the greater hope found in Christ, who bore our shame so that we might receive His honor. Whether you are walking through a season of struggle, anxiety, or uncertainty, this message will encourage you to bring your burdens to the Lord and trust that He remembers, hears, and responds according to His perfect will.

In this message titled “What is Our Mission,” guest preacher Jacob Twaddell walks us through the Great Commission in Matthew 28:16–20. He reminds us that our mission as believers is not self-defined, but given directly by Christ Himself.Focusing on three key aspects—the basis of the commission, the charge of the commission, and the power of the commission—this sermon highlights the authority of Jesus, the call to make disciples of all nations, and the promise of His presence with us always.This message challenges and encourages the church to realign with our true mission: to go, to make disciples, and to trust in the power and presence of Christ as we do.

The books of 1 and 2 Samuel tell the story of Israel’s search for a king. From the days of the judges to the rise of Saul and David, the narrative reveals both the failures of human kings and the growing anticipation for a greater King to come.In this introductory message to our new series, we explore two major themes that run throughout these books: God exalts the humble but opposes the proud, and salvation comes from the Lord. Through the examples of Hannah, Saul, and David, we see how God works through humble hearts and reminds His people that true deliverance does not come from human strength but from Him alone.Ultimately, these books point beyond Israel’s earthly kings to the eternal King—Jesus Christ—through whom salvation comes. As we begin our journey through 1 and 2 Samuel, we are invited to consider an important question: Who is truly king of our hearts?

In Matthew 6:16–18, Jesus teaches about the often-forgotten spiritual discipline of fasting. While fasting is often overlooked in the church today, Jesus clearly expected His followers to practice it. In this sermon we explored the expectation to fast, the purpose of fasting, and the reward of fasting. We were reminded that fasting and prayer go hand in hand as we seek the Lord, humble ourselves before Him, and depend on Him more deeply. The church was also encouraged to participate in a congregational fast during the month of March as we pray for God to move in our church and community.

In Psalm 22, we see David pray with raw honesty and deep emotion. He brings his lament, his trust, and his worship before the Lord—holding nothing back. In this message, we’re reminded that prayer is not meant to be confined to a script or pattern, but to be an open, vulnerable conversation with God.As we look at David’s example—and ultimately at Christ’s own prayers—we’ll be encouraged to bring every emotion, every hardship, and every circumstance before the Lord. Let’s learn together what it means to pray outside the box.

On Sunday, February 22, 2026, we were grateful to welcome our guest preacher, Mike Mayo, who brought a powerful message from Matthew 7:21–23. In this sobering passage from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus warns that not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven. The sermon challenged us to consider the difference between outward religious activity and genuine obedience that flows from truly knowing Christ.

Does God really answer prayer?In a world filled with sickness, uncertainty, and long seasons of waiting, many of us quietly wrestle with that question. In this message from Matthew 7:7–11, we are reminded of Jesus’ clear invitation: Ask. Seek. Knock.Prayer is not about demanding from a distant God or treating Him like a genie. It is about coming to our heavenly Father like a child—honest, dependent, and trusting. Jesus teaches us that our Father delights in giving good gifts to His children. While not every prayer is answered in the way we expect, we can trust that every answer flows from His goodness, wisdom, and love.In this sermon, we explore:What it means to ask the Father like a childHow to pray with surrendered heartsWhy we can trust that God gives good giftsHow prayer changes us, even when circumstances don’t changeMay we become a people devoted to asking, seeking, and knocking—confident that our Father hears us and responds with what is truly good.

In part two of Pray Like This, we look at the final three petitions of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9–13. Jesus teaches us to come to the Father daily for our needs, to ask for forgiveness, and petitioning for deliverance from temptation and the evil one. This message reminds us of our dependence on God, the grace we’ve received through Christ, and the importance of a prayer life shaped by the gospel.To learn more about Neely's Bend Baptist Church go to neelysbendbaptist.org. If you have questions about NBBC or the gospel email us at [email protected].

In Pray Like This, we look at Jesus’ model prayer in Matthew 6:9–13 and learn how prayer is meant to begin. Jesus teaches us to approach God as our Father and to align our hearts with His priorities—His name, His kingdom, and His will. This sermon challenges us to move beyond self-focused prayers and instead begin our prayers by putting God back on the throne of our hearts.

In Expected to Pray from Matthew 6:5–8, Jesus teaches that prayer is not optional for the Christian—it is expected. This sermon walks through three key instructions on prayer: praying as a regular part of life, praying in secret with the right heart, and praying with intentionality. Together, these truths call believers to a deeper, more faithful devotion to prayer.

In Keep the Charge, drawn from 2 Timothy 4, Paul’s final words call believers to faithful obedience in every season. This sermon unfolds the reasons Christians must keep the charge: we live before God and Christ, we are called to preach the Word, we must endure when sound doctrine is rejected, we are to keep the faith, and we trust the Lord to bring us safely into His heavenly kingdom. Even when faithfulness is difficult, God’s people are commanded to keep the charge.

In Continue in Belief from 2 Timothy 3:10–17, we are reminded that following Christ will bring hardship, persecution, and opposition. Paul exhorts Timothy—and us—to persevere by trusting that the Lord rescues His people and equips them through His God-breathed Word. This sermon calls believers to remain anchored in Scripture and continue in steadfast faith, no matter the cost.

Deception is a real danger for believers, especially in times of trial. In Deception’s Antidotes from James 1:16–18, we hear James’s urgent command and discover four gospel-centered truths that guard our hearts—God’s goodness, His unchanging nature, our new birth by His will, and our identity as His firstfruits. This sermon by guest preacher, Andrew Blondo, calls Christians to resist deception by resting in who God is and what He has graciously done.

In this sermon, guest preacher Michael Darbouze preaches from Luke 2:25-38 on how Jesus is the one who was sent by God the Father to the cradle with the purpose of going to the cross! 

In Times of Difficulty from 2 Timothy 3:1–9, Paul calls the church to sober-minded responsibility in the midst of increasing sin and deception. This sermon explains why difficult times are a reality of the last days and how self-love, false godliness, and rebellion against truth fuel that difficulty. Believers are exhorted not only to understand the nature of the times but also to faithfully avoid godless people and their corrupting influence for the health and holiness of the church.

In this sermon from 2 Timothy 2:20–26, we explore Paul’s call for believers to live as holy vessels—cleansed, set apart, and useful for every good work. We also consider what it means to be the Lord’s humble servants, marked by kindness, patience, gentle correction, and a refusal to quarrel. Ultimately, this passage points us to Christ Himself, the perfectly holy vessel and humble servant whose example empowers our obedience.

In this sermon from 2 Timothy 2:14–19, Pastor Austin teaches what it means to live as an approved worker before God—one who is diligent, unashamed, and committed to cutting straight the Word of Truth. By contrasting faithful workers with those who quarrel and spread irreverent, destructive teaching, the message calls Christians to remain grounded in God’s firm foundation and to diligently depart from iniquity. This passage urges believers to handle Scripture accurately, stand firm in the truth, and live lives that honor Christ.

In this sermon, we see Paul call believers to endure in the faith by remembering Jesus Christ, for the sake of the elect, and because we have died to this life. Rooted in the risen and promised Messiah whose gospel cannot be bound, Christians are strengthened to press on through hardship. Paul reminds us that those who endure with Christ will one day live and reign with Him in eternal glory.

In Good Soldiers of Jesus from 2 Timothy 2:1–7, we’re called to live with undivided devotion to Christ—drawing our strength from His grace, entrusting others with His Word, and enduring suffering as faithful soldiers in His service. This sermon urges believers to look to the cross, disciple others, and pursue a single-minded commitment that refuses to be entangled with the world. Listen and be encouraged to give Jesus your full and wholehearted devotion.

In Follow and Guard the Gospel (2 Timothy 1:13–18), Pastor Austin calls believers to hold fast to the pattern of sound teaching and to guard the good deposit of the gospel through the power of the Holy Spirit. This message highlights two commitments of sincere faith—following healthy doctrine and guarding the truth of Christ—while urging the church to remain faithful amid a world that distorts the gospel.

In Live Unashamed from 2 Timothy 1:8–12, we are reminded that sincere faith boldly stands for the gospel without shame and endures suffering with confidence in Christ. This message calls believers to trust God’s power and purpose as we live courageously for His glory, knowing He holds us secure until the end.

In 2 Timothy 1:3–7, Paul reminds Timothy of a sincere faith that was first seen in his mother and grandmother—and now lives in him. In this message, Pastor Austin challenges us to consider what we’ll be remembered for and what it truly means to have a faith that serves the Lord. From Paul’s encouragement to Timothy, we see that a sincere faith prays, models Christ to others, and fans into flame the gift God has given each believer.

In Dying Words, Pastor Austin walks through Paul’s final letter, 2 Timothy, calling the church to guard, suffer for, continue in, and proclaim the gospel. As Paul’s last exhortations remind us, every believer carries the sacred responsibility to preserve and pass on the good news of Jesus Christ to the next generation. We do apologize for the audio issues.

This sermon from Ruth 4, explores how Boaz’s selfless and sacrificial actions reflect God’s redeeming work through Christ. It calls believers to imitate Boaz by modeling redemption in their own lives—restoring what is broken through serving others unselfishly, living sacrificially, and pointing the world to Jesus, the ultimate Redeemer.

This sermon from Ruth 3 highlights Ruth’s bold proposal to Boaz and how God used it to provide redemption, provision, and rest for both her and Naomi. It points us to the greater truth that ultimate rest is found not in earthly security but in Jesus Christ, our true Redeemer, who takes us from empty to full and from restless to restful.

This sermon from Ruth 2 shows that what we call “happenstances” are actually **God’s sovereign work** to direct our lives, meet our needs, and display His covenant kindness. Through Ruth’s “chance” encounter with Boaz, we see how God’s providence unfolds in ordinary moments and calls us to rejoice in His faithful care.

This sermon from Ruth 1:6–22 explores Naomi’s journey of returning to God, highlighting how repentance begins with hearing good news, requires wholehearted devotion, and leads to new beginnings. Through Naomi and Ruth’s story, listeners are invited to turn back to God’s grace and trust His providence even in seasons of bitterness and loss.

This sermon, from Ruth 1:1-5 calls believers to live faithfully in God’s purpose and presence, even when circumstances seem uncertain. Through the story of Elimelech’s departure from Bethlehem to Moab, it urges Christians not to let hardship lead them away from God’s will, but to walk in obedience and trust His abiding presence.

As we begin a new sermon series through the book of Ruth pastor Austin kicks it off by teaching about 3 major themes in the book of Ruth. 

In this sermon guest preacher, Henry Webb teaches on how we should take the Lord's Day seriously because God is serious about the Lord's Day. 

As a church we are to be living in unity together as one. In this sermon, pastor Austin teaches on how when we submit to one another and when we live in harmony with one another we will live in unity together as one. 

God demands our holiness and when we live in one another fellowship we are able to help each other live holy. In this sermon, we look at James 5:16 where the command to confess sins to one another and pray for one another is given. As Christian confessing sins to one another can be really hard to do due to the shame, guilt, and embarassment one might feel but when our brothers and sisters in Christ are there to encourage us and pray for us, we are able to walk in the light rather than hide in the darkness of our sins. 

In John 13 Jesus humbles himself and washes the feet of the disciples. After washing their feet he looks at them and instructs them to wash one another's feet. It wasn't so much that Jesus was teaching the disciples and commanding them to wash one another's feet as it was he was commanding them to serve one another. At NBBC we seek to be a church that lives in one another fellowship and one of the ways in which we do that is when we serve one another. 

The world is constantly forming us. News channels, magazines, social media, advertisements, large corporations, and even government but as Christians these are avenues in which we are not to be formed by. But rather we should be formed by God himself and his Word. And in his word we see two strategies the church must use to form one another. We form one another when we teach one another and we form one another when we sing to one another. 

In this sermon from Colossians 3:11-13 Pastor Austin Jones exposes what it means to bear with one another and to forgive one another. As long as we are here on this earth we are prone to sin and prone to the struggles of life and God has blessed us with the church to bear the burdens with one another and to live with forgiveness in our hearts toward those that sin against us. 

As we continue to discover what it means to live in one another fellowship, pastor Austin Jones takes us to 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 where we are taught that we must do good to one another. Often we only do good to those who have done good to us, who we see worthy of good being done to, or even those that we agree with but in this passage we are taught that we do good to even those we don't agree with, we don't see as worthy of good being done to, and those who have not done good to us. For the church to be a culture of care, we must do good to one another.

Christians are defined by their love for one another. In this sermon from John 13:33-35 Pastor Austin teaches about how the church must seek to love one another and it is by this love for one another that people will know we are disciples of Jesus. 

In his final words to the early Hebrew church the author makes one final appeal, bear the exhortation. He has written the letter, the exhortation has been given and now he calls the hears to bear the word of exhortation. To bear the exhortation and believe that Jesus is supreme. To bear the exhortation and persevere with faith. to bear the exhortation and heed the warnings to not abandon Jesus. 

As the author of Hebrews comes to a conclusion he requests prayer and he prays for the Hebrew church. In this request for prayer we see an example of how we too should live with a clear conscience and honorable in all things. In the prayer for the church, we learn that the God of peace has equipped us with everything good to do his will. 

In Hebrews 13:17 a command is given to obey and sumbit to the leaders of the church. In this sermon Pastor Austin expounds on this command and what it means for the church. 

Have you ever sought to please God? In this sermon from Hebrews 13:15-16 pastor Austin Jones details two pleasing sacrifices to God. 

Everyone has had or will have a storm in their lives. In this sermon from Mark 4 and 5 Henry Webb shares from God's Word two types of storms and how to survive through those storms in your life. 

Endurance is needed in the Christian life as we persevere and keep the faith until the end of our lives. In this sermon from Hebrews 13:7-14 three actions of worship are identified to help Christians endure until the end. 

From the actions of the heart flows worship of God. In this sermon pastor Austin expounds on two internal actions of worship found in Hebrews 13:4-6. Marriage should be honored by all and we should live with reliance on God.