Bay Leaf Baptist Church Weekly Sermons

Addressing a congregation grieving seven recent deaths, including a 17-year-old young man, Pastor Jared Richard turns to Lamentations 3 to provide Biblical guidance through sorrow. He explains how Jeremiah, after witnessing unimaginable suffering during Jerusalem's fall to Babylon in 586 BC, found hope in the midst of despair. The sermon centers on the profound truth that "life is hard, but God is...

In this sermon on James 1:18-27, Pastor Jared Richard explores how God works through His Word to both save and sanctify believers. The passage reveals that God "brought us forth by the Word of truth" (James 1:18), emphasizing that salvation comes through the gospel message being proclaimed and received through the Spirit's work. However, this new birth is only the beginning; God intends believers...

Pastor Jared Richard's sermon on James 1:2-18 examines the strange pairing of joy and trials that James introduces in his letter. Just as some unexpected combinations work well together (like French fries and milkshakes), joy and trials can coexist when viewed through the lens of godly wisdom. Pastor Jared explains that God uses trials to reveal genuine faith and strengthen it as He prepares belie...

In this sermon on James 3:13-18, Pastor Jared Richard explores the theme of "godly wisdom in the midst of exile." He explains that as believers, we are exiles in this world, and James is calling us to pursue true wisdom rather than worldly wisdom. True wisdom is rightly applied knowledge that seeks God's glory, evidenced by meekness, peace, and purity. In contrast, worldly wisdom is characterized...

In this sermon celebrating Bay Leaf Baptist Church's expansion to two campuses, Pastor Jared Richard reflects on the church's 145-year history while looking to the Biblical church in Antioch as a model for continued effectiveness. Drawing from Acts 11-13, Pastor Richard identifies four qualities that made Antioch a church God used powerfully. First, God uses churches that evidence His grace—where...

In the final message of the "Devoted" series, Pastor Patrick Austin explores the early church's commitment to prayer as described in Acts 2:42-47, highlighting how this core value should shape Bay Leaf Baptist Church, especially as they prepare to launch their second campus. Pastor Austin establishes that Jesus Himself was deeply devoted to prayer, which directly influenced the disciples and early...

In this sermon, Pastor Jared Richard explores the significance of "breaking bread" as one of the four pillars of the early church found in Acts 2:42. He demonstrates how Jesus intentionally used meals throughout His ministry to teach about His kingdom and sacrifice. From dining with tax collectors in Luke 5 to instituting the Lord's Supper in Luke 22, Jesus transformed ordinary tables into gospel...

In this sermon on Acts 2:42-47, Pastor Jared Richard addresses the concerning decline in church attendance among American Christians, emphasizing that God created the church for our good and His glory. The early believers were devoted not only to Jesus but to one another, gathering together daily for worship, meals, and mutual support. Pastor Richard explains that this fellowship isn't optional bu...

In this sermon on Acts 2:42-47, Pastor Patrick Austin revisits the four devotions of the early church—the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer—as Bay Leaf Baptist Church prepares to launch its second campus. Pastor Austin focuses specifically on devotion to the apostles' teaching, explaining that we must remain committed to Scripture because it reveals Christ to us, helps...

In Pastor Billy Driver's sermon "The Power of Gospel Friendships," he explores Romans 16 to reveal how our capacity for relationships reflects God's image. Drawing from Paul's extensive greetings to 26 individuals in Rome, Pastor Driver emphasizes three key aspects of gospel friendships: they strengthen us in service, keep us unified in the church, and encourage us to worship God. Gospel friendshi...

In this sermon from Romans 15:14-21, Pastor Jared Richard challenges Bay Leaf Baptist Church to continue the legacy of global missions exemplified by both the Apostle Paul and William Carey. Pastor Richard reminds us that while Christianity is growing globally with nearly 3 billion Christians alive today, approximately 5 billion people remain unreached, with less than 2% of their population knowin...

In this sermon on Romans 15:8-13, Pastor Jared Richard explains that Christian hope differs fundamentally from worldly hope. While worldly hope expresses desire for uncertain possibilities, Christian hope is a confident expectation in guaranteed promises. This hope is rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and is a gift from "the God of hope" (Romans 15:13). Pastor Richard outlines how the ent...

In this sermon on Romans 14:13-15:7, Pastor Jared Richard addresses how Christians should handle differences of opinion on disputable matters. He explains that while mature believers understand their freedoms in Christ, they have a spiritual obligation to restrain those freedoms when they might cause spiritual harm to weaker believers. Using examples like Charles Spurgeon giving up cigars when he...

Pastor Jared Richard's sermon on Romans 14:1-13a examines how the church can maintain unity despite differences in matters of conscience. Drawing from Paul's letter to the Romans, he identifies the problem of division between "weak" and "strong" believers over issues like food restrictions and special days. This division threatens both the church's witness and mission. Pastor Jared explains that t...

Romans 13:8-14 • Dr. Jared Richard Fill out this form here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bayleaf.org/connect⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ we look forward to hearing from you.

Romans 13:1-7 • Patrick Austin Fill out this form here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bayleaf.org/connect⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ we look forward to hearing from you.

Romans 12:9-21 • Dr. Jared Richard Fill out this form here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bayleaf.org/connect⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ we look forward to hearing from you.

Romans 12:3-8 • Dr. Jared Richard Fill out this form here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bayleaf.org/connect⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ we look forward to hearing from you.

Romans 12:1-2 • Dr. Jared Richard Fill out this form here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bayleaf.org/connect⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ we look forward to hearing from you.

Romans 11:33-36 • Dr. Kyle Graham Fill out this form here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bayleaf.org/connect⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ we look forward to hearing from you.

Romans 11:1-32 • Dr. Jared Richard Fill out this form here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bayleaf.org/connect⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ we look forward to hearing from you.

Romans 9:1-3 & 10:13-21 • Dr. Jared Richard Fill out this form here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bayleaf.org/connect⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ we look forward to hearing from you.

Romans 9:30-10:13 • Dr. Jared Richard

Romans 9:1-29 • Dr. Jamie Dew Fill out this form here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bayleaf.org/connect⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ we look forward to hearing from you.

Romans 8:31-39 • Dr. Jared Richard Fill out this form here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bayleaf.org/connect⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ we look forward to hearing from you.