The Hickory Rock Baptist Church Podcast
Hickory Rock Baptist Church
Weekly sermons from Hickory Rock Baptist Church in Louisburg, North Carolina.
Episodes
Between Two Worlds---Exodus 19-20
We live between two worlds. We belong to the kingdom of God, but we're still learning how to live in a world that doesn't always reflect his character. This Sunday, as Israel arrives at Sinai, we'll discover that God hasn't rescued us simply to leave Egypt behind. He's rescued us to belong to him—and he's forming us to show the world what life with him looks like.
Saying & Doing---Exodus 18:7-27
It's one thing to say we trust God. It's another thing to live as though we do. This Sunday, we'll watch Moses learn that the wilderness isn't something we're meant to carry alone—and discover what it means to let God, and the people he's placed around us, carry us.
Flowing Grace---Exodus 17:1-7
What happens when we find ourselves saying, “Not again”? The wilderness has a way of revealing what is still hiding in our hearts—but it also reveals something else: God's grace keeps flowing. This Sunday, we'll remember what God has done, remember that he is with us, and learn again to trust his faithfulness.
Hunger---Exodus 16:1-30
Our hunger often reveals that our hearts are still in Egypt. As Israel learns to live in the wilderness, God begins teaching them that freedom means learning to trust, receive, and rest in him. This Sunday, we'll ask where our hearts are, what they fear, and what they need.
Listening & Healing---Exodus 15:22-27
What has your ears probably has your heart, too. In the wilderness, Israel discovered that leaving Egypt was easier than unlearning Egypt—and that God doesn't simply rescue us, he heals us. This Sunday, we'll ask what voices are shaping us, and whether the voice we're listening to is breaking us or making us whole.
Born To Dwell---Exodus 15:1-21
We know how to get out of Egypt. But how do we learn to live as people who have been set free? As we begin our journey through Exodus, we'll discover that salvation is not simply about being rescued from something—it is about being formed for life with God.
The Received Life---Psalm 92
We spend so much of our lives trying to make the good life happen. But what if the life we're longing for isn't something we have to create at all? This Sunday, Psalm 92 invites us to stop striving, receive what God has already given, and discover that the good life is a gift—and the gift is Christ.
The Known Life---Psalm 139
We all want to be known. And yet, we're often afraid of letting anyone see who we really are. What if the walls we build to protect ourselves are also keeping us from the good life? This Sunday, Psalm 139 invites us to stop hiding and discover the freedom of being fully known by God.
The Satisfied Life---Psalm 90
Our days are fleeting, and yet we spend so much of them wishing they were different. This Sunday, Psalm 90 teaches us to receive our days as a gift, to savor the life God has given us, and to learn the wisdom of truly living.
The Sustained Life---Psalm 121
Ordinary Time is long. So is life. And sooner or later, we all discover that grit, determination, and willpower can only carry us so far. This Sunday, Psalm 121 reminds us of a freeing truth: the good life isn't found in holding everything together—it's found in learning to be sustained by our faithful Keeper.
The Repenting Life---Psalm 51
Every one of us knows what it feels like to fail. To wander. To wonder if we've gone too far. Psalm 51 offers surprising good news: the God we've wandered from is also the God who delights in welcoming us home.
The Waiting Life---Psalm 40
None of us enjoys waiting. We long for answers, healing, change, and relief. But what if waiting isn't wasted? This Sunday in Psalm 40, we'll discover that while we're waiting for God to act, God is already at work—forming deep roots that can only grow with time.
The Trusting Life---Psalm 13
What do you do when God seems silent? This Sunday, Psalm 13 invites us into one of the oldest prayers of God's people and reminds us that trust is often born not from having all the answers, but from remembering the God who has always been faithful.
The Good Life---Psalm 1
We all have a picture of what the good life looks like. But what if that picture is quietly shaping the person we're becoming? This Sunday we begin our journey through the Psalms with Psalm 1, where God invites us to examine our hearts, delight in his Word, and become deeply rooted in the life that truly endures.
Living In The Ordinary And Extraordinary---Ephesians 6:10-24
We often think of spiritual warfare as something extraordinary. But what if the battle is fought—and the victory lived out—in the ordinary moments of everyday faithfulness? Join us this Sunday as we conclude Ephesians by learning what it means to put on the armor of God, stand firm, and pray.
Everyday Christlikeness---Ephesians 5:15-6:9
It's easy to talk about spiritual maturity. It's much harder to practice it in marriage, parenting, work, and everyday relationships. This Sunday in Ephesians 5–6, we'll explore why our ordinary relationships are often the clearest evidence of how deeply we're learning to follow Jesus.
Living The New Normal---Ephesians 4:25-5:5
We're all being formed by something. This Sunday in Ephesians 4–5, we'll explore the hidden currents that shape our desires, habits, and lives—and how Christ teaches us to swim against them by learning a better way of being human.
Learning A New Normal---Ephesians 4:17-24
Many of us know about Jesus. But what does it mean to actually learn Christ? Join us this Sunday as we continue through Ephesians and discover how Jesus forms us through the slow, ordinary work of apprenticeship.
Ordinary Faithfulness---Ephesians 4:1-16
What if spiritual maturity isn’t built through dramatic moments, but through ordinary faithfulness over time? This Sunday, as we enter Ordinary Time and continue through Ephesians 4, we’ll explore how Christ teaches us to walk faithfully through the real world, strengthens us with his gifts, and forms us into maturity together.
Focused Faith---Ephesians 3:10-21
Pentecost isn’t about chasing spiritual hype or emotional sugar rushes. It’s about becoming the kind of people who can stay rooted, hopeful, prayerful, and faithful in a discouraging world through the power of the Spirit.This Sunday in Ephesians 3, we’ll explore how purpose, prayer, and praise form a focused faith that helps us keep living resurrection life when life feels overwhelming.
Powerfully Reconciled---Ephesians 2:11-22
What difference should the resurrected life actually make in the real world? In Ephesians 2:11–22, Paul reminds us that Christ didn’t just reconcile us to God—he’s creating a new family and a new temple where heaven and earth meet, and inviting us to join in his work of reconciliation.
Powerfully Alive---Ephesians 2:1-10
We were dead—but God refused to leave us there. This Sunday, we’ll explore how God’s grace brings us from death to resurrection life and restores us to the purpose we were created for.
Resurrection Progression---Ephesians 1:15-23
The resurrected life isn’t something we’re waiting for—it’s already begun. The question is: are we learning to see it, receive it, and live from it?
Resurrected Living In Real Time---Ephesians 1:1-14
What if the key to living a transformed life isn’t trying harder, but seeing more clearly what God has already done? Join us as we learn to receive his grace, respond with praise, and grow into the life he’s given us.
Living A Resurrected Life---Ephesians 4:1-16
Easter isn’t just something we celebrate. It’s a life we’re called to live.Come discover what it means to grow into maturity and become more like Christ.
Learning To Live An Empowered Life---Luke 24:44-49
The resurrection isn’t just about life after death. It’s about life right now. Come discover what it means to live an empowered life because Jesus is alive.
Learning To Live A Surrendered Life---Luke 23:44-46
The greatest thing Jesus ever did was not a miracle—it was staying on the cross.Good Friday invites us to face what surrender really costs, and to decide if we’re willing to follow.
Learning To Grieve With God---Luke 19:41-44
While the crowds celebrate on Palm Sunday, Jesus weeps—because he sees what we miss.What if becoming truly human means learning to grieve with God—and meet him in the brokenness we’d rather avoid?
Learning To Live As God's Family---Luke 8:19-21
Jesus says his true family isn’t defined by blood, but by those who hear and do the word of God.What if following him means unlearning the patterns that formed you—and learning to live as part of a whole new family?
Learning To Be Gracious---Luke 7:36-50
Grace receives everyone equally, but grace isn't received equally by everyone. This Sunday we explore how forgetting grace leads to numb religion—and how remembering it restores us.
Learning To Be Welcoming---Luke 5:27-32
Jesus didn’t just see sinners — he sat at their tables.This Sunday we’ll explore why his welcome was so scandalous, and what it means for us to become a welcoming people.
Learning To Be Dependent---Luke 4:1-13
What if the freedom you’re chasing is actually keeping you captive? Join us as we follow Jesus into the wilderness and learn why the path to true freedom runs through dependence.
Learning To Be Beloved---Luke 3:21-23
Before Jesus performed a single miracle, the Father called him beloved. This Sunday, we begin Lent by asking what it means to be truly human—and why learning to live from God’s love changes everything.
New Birth, New Life---1 John 5:1-15
Faith isn’t passive. In 1 John 5, we see that those born of God live with active love, joyful obedience, and confidence in Christ’s victory. Join us as we celebrate baptism and a beautiful resolution to Epiphany.
Revealing Love---1 John 4:7-21
God’s love isn’t passive—it’s revealed in Jesus and meant to be made visible in us. This week, we’ll wrestle with what it really means to follow Jesus as people being formed by love.
Remembering & Remaining---1 John 2:12-29
In a world that never stops shaping us, John reminds us to remember—to see God’s truth, resist what would deform us, and remain rooted in Jesus. This week, we’ll explore how remembering is both grace and action, calling us to live fully in the light of Christ.
Walking In The Light---1 John 1:5-2:6
Epiphany reminds us that God’s light doesn’t just reveal His glory—it also reveals us. This week, we’ll explore how walking in that light brings healing, honesty, and the freedom God longs to give His people.
Seen. Heard. Declared.---1 John 1:1-4
Epiphany is a season that teaches us how to see God's glory. This Sunday, we’ll begin our journey through 1 John by listening to what has been seen, heard, and declared—so that our joy might be made complete.
Rehearsing Remembrance---Psalm 136
Life shakes our confidence and faith, but God’s faithful love never fails. Join us as we discover how to remember, trust, and live in the steadfast love of God through Psalm 136.
Praying Through Tears---Lamentations 5
This Sunday, as we come to the table of brokenness and hope, we remember that God hears our cries and has never left our side.
Joy Against The Odds---Lamentations 3
When everything around us seems lost, joy might feel impossible—but it’s not. Discover how the poet of Lamentations clings to joy through practice, promise, and God’s presence.
Sitting With Sorrows And Longings---Lamentations 1
What if the ache you feel this season is actually an invitation from God? This week we look at Lamentations 1 and learn how Advent helps us name our longings and find comfort in Christ.
Good News For The Forgiven Heart---Luke 7:36-50
Two hearts encounter Jesus: one closed, one open. This sermon explores why only one walks away healed, forgiven, and at peace—and what that means for us today.
Good News For The Suffering Heart---Luke 8:40-48
Suffering touches all of our lives. But in the hands of Jesus, even our deepest wounds can become places of encounter, formation, and unexpected redemption.
Good News For The Addicted Heart---Mark 5:1-20
In this sermon, we’ll look at one of the rawest encounters in Mark’s Gospel—a man haunted by demons, a community gripped by fear, and a Savior who restores what’s been lost. Together, we’ll see how Jesus not only frees but rehumanizes those the world has written off.
Good News For The Grieving Heart---John 11:32-44
Death touches every one of us—but Jesus shows us how to grieve honestly and hope fiercely. In this sermon, we'll discover the good news for the grieving heart.
Good News For The Abandoned Heart---Psalm 22
When people abandon us, it’s easy to wonder if God has too. In this sermon, we’ll discover the good news that Jesus is our constant, compassionate companion.
Good News For The Burned-Out Heart---1 Kings 19
Burnout doesn’t have to be the end of your story. In 1 Kings 19, God meets Elijah in his exhaustion—and He wants to meet you there too.
Good News For The Overwhelmed Heart---Ruth 1
Bitterness and overwhelm threaten to consume us, but Jesus shows us another way: to open our pain to God and find healing in His Spirit.
Good News For The Dysfunctional Heart---Genesis 27
What if the patterns of pain in your family didn’t have to define you? In Christ, there’s healing for our dysfunctional hearts and a new family where love is never scarce.