Neely’s Bend Baptist Church Sermons

Pastor Austin preached from 1 Samuel 17 in a sermon titled  “The Battle Belongs to the Lord,”  reminding the church that the greatest battles in life are not won by human strength but by trusting in the power and faithfulness of God. Through the familiar account of David and Goliath, the message pointed beyond an underdog victory to the greater story of God's saving work for His people. The se...

Pastor Austin preached from 1 Samuel 16 in a sermon titled  “God Has Provided a King,”  pointing the church to God’s sovereign provision and His perfect plan of redemption. As God rejected Saul and chose David to be Israel’s next king, the message demonstrated that God sees beyond outward appearances and faithfully provides the leader His people truly need. The sermon highlighted  two kings God ha...

Pastor Austin preached from 1 Samuel 13–15 in a sermon titled  “Wholehearted Faithfulness,”  challenging believers to pursue a life marked by complete trust and obedience to God. Through the contrasting examples of Saul’s actions and God’s expectations, the message revealed that true faithfulness is not measured by outward appearances or partial obedience, but by a heart that is fully surrendered...

Pastor Austin preached from 1 Samuel 11–13 in a sermon titled  “Serve the Lord with All Your Heart,”  calling the church to wholehearted devotion and faithful obedience to God. Through the rise of Saul’s leadership and Israel’s continued dependence on the Lord, the message challenged believers to examine whether they are fully trusting and faithfully serving God in every area of life. The sermon h...

Guest Pastor Sergio Arce preached from 1 Samuel 9–10 in a message titled  “When God Chooses the Unlikely,” reminding the church that God often works through ordinary people and unexpected circumstances to accomplish His purposes. Through the story of Saul’s calling as king, the sermon highlighted the faithful and sovereign providence of God in every detail of life. Pastor Sergio shared three power...

Pastor Austin preached from 1 Samuel 8 in a message titled  “Live Under God’s Rule,”  challenging believers to examine who truly reigns over their hearts. As Israel rejected God’s leadership and demanded a king like the surrounding nations, the passage revealed the ongoing struggle God’s people face when they desire the ways of the world more than the rule of God. Through this text, Pastor Austin...

Pastor Austin preached from Colossians 4:2–6 on what it means to be a  Church on Mission . Challenging believers to live with Gospel intentionality, he reminded the church that God has not called His people to simply gather, but to actively participate in His mission of making disciples and proclaiming Christ to the world. Drawing from Paul’s instructions to the Colossian church, Pastor Austin sha...

In this message from Colossians 4:2–6, Pastor Austin challenged the church to embrace a lifestyle of living on mission every day. Through Paul’s encouragement to pray faithfully, walk wisely, and speak graciously, we were reminded that God has strategically placed us in specific places and relationships for His purpose. Pastor Austin highlighted two key rhythms of a missional life: first, that lif...

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 an...

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...

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—repen...

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...

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...

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 unli...

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 i...

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 J...

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, a...

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 b...

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...

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 flo...

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, depend...

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...

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...