Mt. Olivet Baptist: Recent Episodes
Pastor Rodney Duckett
After six weeks studying the lives of Jesus' disciples, we discover that the story was never really about them—it has always been about Jesus. In this concluding message from The XII series we explore Matthew 10 and are challenged to move from simply admiring faithful disciples to becoming faithful disciples ourselves. The mission of Christ continues today, and the next chapter of His story is being written through His Church. The question is: What will be written because we were here?
This Sunday at Mt. Olivet Baptist, we continue THE XII with 'UNDERCURRENT' from Matthew 26:14–25. Judas' story reminds us that spiritual drift is rarely sudden—it happens one unnoticed compromise at a time. Join us as we discover how abiding in Christ keeps our hearts anchored and why Jesus is worth everything.
The sermon explores how genuine love—not politics, preferences, or traditions—should be the defining mark of every disciple of Jesus. Through the transformation of John from a "Son of Thunder" who wanted to call down fire on people to "the Apostle of Love," we saw that when Christ's love touches our lives, it leaves an undeniable mark. Just as our nation's freedom was purchased at great cost, our spiritual freedom came through the ultimate sacrifice of love at Calvary. This love isn't meant to be admired from a distance but to transform us from the inside out, changing how we treat others and respond to life's challenges.
In this sermon we continue our XII: Living as Disciples of Jesus series with a message from Matthew 9:9-13 titled "A Father's Kind of Faith." As we celebrate Father's Day, we'll see how Jesus looked past Matthew's failures and saw what he could become. It's a powerful reminder that our Heavenly Father sees us differently than the world does—full of grace, mercy, and purpose.
n a world that often challenges our beliefs and values, how do we stand firm in our convictions? The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the book of Daniel offers powerful insights into living with unshakeable faith, even in the face of dire consequences.
This election cycle has seemed to sink deep into the depths of hatred. The country is divided like never before. Anger and hatred are pervasive in our culture. The upcoming week's post-election will provide Christians with a unique opportunity to show others that we trust in God and love one another. Will you rise to the occasion? How are we to live out our faith in a post-election nation?
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First half of video also includes a follow from prior week's discussion regarding Creation, the Fall of Lucifer and the Fall of Man.
In a world filled with death, war, and evil, how are we to face what feels like an unknowable future? What do we do with our anxiety regarding the days ahead? This sermon series is based on the books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and provides comfort and reassurance to those living in uncertain times.
This past week we were brought face-to-face with evils of world as we witnessed ANOTHER school shooting. This event and all the chaos of a worn-torn world on the brink of self-destruction we honestly cry out to the the Lord. We speak of God bringing peace. We ask "When, O Lord" will we see this peace? To conclude our journey through Psalms this Summer we will end with Psalm 2. In this Psalm, God answers this question and reveals His eternal plan and purpose.
Summer is winding down. School is back in session and vacations are coming to a close. This week we enjoy a special time in worship led by Rev. Bill Brooks. Join us this Sunday and begin your week with a day of praise in God's House.
Join us as Bro. Woody Vardell brings us a great report from Gideons International. Gideons deliver the Gospel of Jesus Christ all over the world.
Paul enters Athens and addresses the challenges of the culture. These are the same challenges we face today. When assessing our own lives we must realize we are susceptible to worshiping the same idols as those in the day of Paul.
Today we conclude our series, "Because He Lives." As a way of concluding this series we will look at what God's Word tells us that would happen "if Christ were not raised."
Today we continue our sermon series, “Because He Lives” and discover anew some of the greatest blessings we receive as a result of Jesus’ resurrection. Today we focus on the most tangible consequence of Christ’s resurrection—The Church. This community of believers , and our own local church, is meant to be the extension of Christ’s work in our community and our world.
In today's sermon we highlight the "Greatest" day in history, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus left us with an Empty tomb however that tomb was filled with tremendous blessings to fill our empty souls. He is Risen Indeed!
During our conclusion of our "Turn Your Eyes" Series we look at the Three Crosses of Calvary. The main cross of redemption plus the crosses of rejection and repentance. These three crosses show us that each day we are faced with a decision - to follow Christ or reject Christ. This is our Palm Sunday focus. We now turn our eyes on to our selves and examine our lives through the three crosses of Calvary.
Paul closes this section of the Corinthian letter with a call to therefore trust in the resurrection of Jesus as believers continue to be transformed through their faith in Christ.
Last week we discovered that as a believer in Christ we are "In Christ" and we walk daily in Him. We continue this theme today as we explore another "therefore" in scripture. This "therefore" urges us to live daily for Christ's glory and how we can do this. Salvation is Free. Sanctification will cost you everything.
Paul wants the readers to know that their ultimate confidence in life is rooted in the work of Jesus Christ, and THEREFORE they can live confidently without shame.
Jesus promises his followers his provision and therefore calls them to trust him completely with their lives.
During this time of the Thanksgiving holiday we will take a look at some prayers given to us by Apostle Paul offered to God as a way to inspire gratitude and praise in our hearts.
During this time of the Thanksgiving holiday we will take a look at some prayers given to us by Apostle Paul offered to God as a way to inspire gratitude and praise in our hearts.
Three men come to Jesus saying they will follow Him. Jesus puts their hearts to test and find them unfit for service. By learning from God's Word we learn about the Savior's call on our lives and what is required by the Master to be considered "Fit 4 Service."
God is not too busy to be interrupted by your concerns. Allow him to shoulder your load.
Jesus is interrupted by people across all social and religious hierarchies. He makes time for the hurting and responds to their faith. As a believer we cannot follow Jesus’s example and be unwilling to respond to those who reach out for help—even when it is inconvenient for us.
If you are like most people your days are filled with interruptions. Some of these interruptions are good and some are not-so-good. This Sunday we will begin a new sermon series entitled "Divine Interruptions." During this series we will explore the interruptions and unexpected moments in Christ’s ministry. Jesus’ reaction to the people and disruptions that occur around him help us recognize that God is sovereign. He can use these “accidents” and “interruptions” for his glory, and we can find grace in the divine interruptions that occur in our own lives.
The Good News of Jesus is not meant to be kept to ourselves. In Part 3 of our Rooted Series we will discover that Jesus expects and instructs us to share the Good News. Sharing is done through our words and also through our daily lives. As ambassadors we are to take God's message to the world we live in. Sharing is a Discipline that we must exercise daily in order to grow strong spiritual roots in our lives.
Spiritual growth is achieved with passionate prayer and intentional study of Scripture. This is how we know and trust the heart of God. The more we spend time reading and praying, the more our lives are transformed by the power of God. This week will you begin by dedicated just 10 minutes per day to Prayer and Study?
This morning we kick-off Back to Church Sunday with a a new sermon series: "Rooted." During this series, we will explore what God has to say in Scripture about begin rooted in Christ. The fruit of our lives can be directly correlated to the roots of our lives. Join us each week of this series as we discover how to experience the full life offered in the Gospel.
As we conclude our series "The Hall of Faith" we turn to Samson. Samson's story is a mix of great strength and great weakness, but it’s ultimately a story of God’s faithfulness and his ability to use us in spite of our shortcomings.
Elijah, an Old Testament Prophet shows tremendous faith and trust in the Lord. Elijah's life gave us a tremendous example to keep trusting the Lord even when we feel separated for Him, even when we feel like the whole world is against us and even when feel as if we are the only Christian around.
The story of Esther is a tremendous story of courage, hope and faith. All through the story one can see the hand of God at work. Where you find God you always find the Gospel revealed.
As we continue our series "Hall of Faith," this week we turn our focus on Jacob. Jacob was a deceiver who would eventually be deceived himself. He ultimately found redemption through wrestling with God and accepting his promise. In this sermon we discover that God works to accomplish his will despite our sin and failures.
Part 1 of a 9 part series highlighting faithful men and women of the Bible. This sermon we will look at Noah in the book of Genesis. After the flood, God made a covenant with Noah and humanity that was symbolized in the rainbow. Today we will see God’s covenant love for all people on earth.
Job demonstrates a godly example of how to lead in faith, love, speech, and deed. Through his example, we learn to foster a safe environment for children to develop deep relationships and prayerfully guide the next generation to develop a relationship with God.
Join us for our annual Vacation Bible School Kick-off. During this week's worship, you will be introduced to some of the VBS songs for this year. Pastor Rodney also overviews the main teaching topics for our children during VBS while proclaiming the relevance to each of our lives. Get ready for and Out-of-this-World Worship time.
We are at war in our world today. Not a war for geography, political principles or any worldly objective. We are at war spiritually. The enemy is getting bolder each day. As we discover in today's sermon, Jude instructs the church - Now is the time to fight. We will also discover that we can fight with mercy and how to be S.A.F.E. in this war.
Our Testimony is powerful. It is a review of God's work in our individual lives that has the power to change lives of other people. In order for us to remember the glory of God in our life we should take upon the task of writing down His work and blessings. This is what Habakkuk did in for us in Chapter 3. He remembers all the power, glory and justice of God through the ages. He writes it down in a poetic nature for all the world to read and understand.
In Part Two of our Silence Series we learn from the Prophet Habakkuk practical advice on problem solving. When faced with problems and question we can backup and get on solid ground, watch and wait while committing our problem to God.
Today we begin a new four-part series into the difficult topic of how we can trust God when he seems silent and distant. Habakkuk, one of the Minor Prophets, faced many of the same questions and objections that we still face today: Where is God in the midst of injustice? Why doesn’t God do something about wickedness and suffering? How can I still trust God when what I believe in my heart doesn’t match what I see with my eyes?
Join us this Sunday as Dr. Scott Brown, Director of Missions for Wilson County Baptist Association brings us a message from the book of Job.
This Easter Sunday sermon tells the Easter story from the Gospel of Matthew, revealing that the resurrected Lord is a living and active presence in world today. Our world has excluded Jesus from our lives - He IS HERE waiting to be welcomed back into our homes, workplace, and especially our hearts.
When Jesus was before Pilate, the governor was faced with a question that everyone must face. "What shall I do with this Jesus?" This question is unavoidable, inescapable and inevitable. It is the most important question that and individual must answer. As Pilate as an example we will discover how we often attempt to ignore and evade this question.
As Jesus continues on his journey on the Via Dolorosa we learn that even though we often deny Him in our words and actions, Jesus still loves us and seeks restoration.
The garden of Gethsemane was a point of no return for Jesus. This beautiful garden on the Mount of Olives at this particular time is a place of agony for the Lord. Why was this experience so distressing for our Savior? What role did you and I play in this pre-crucifixion event and how should we respond?
The story of Jesus’s path to the cross is important for all people to consider—especially followers of Christ. This series is framed around roads Jesus took en route to Calvary. In today's sermon we see that Jesus’s arrival in Jerusalem set the stage for his crucifixion and resurrection by declaring him Savior of both Israel and the world.
This week we conclude our series "Shape Up". Over the past few weeks we placed an emphasis on areas we can all "Shape Up" in this new year. We have discovered how to shape up our prayer life, our service life and our personal worship life. This week, we will focus on our quiet time.
Join us for Live Worship at 10am.
In part 2 of our SHAPE UP series Jesus teaches his disciples that acts of service must come from the right motivation to accomplish the goal of serving others.
This four-week series will help followers of Christ see that God’s plan for us is to be transformed into the likeness of his Son, Jesus Christ. Today in our first sermon of the series we will see that Jesus’s instruction to his disciples about prayer has serious implications for how we are to set our minds on the things of Christ.
Human beings can strive to fix the brokenness in their lives, only to fail. Christ brings new life and a death to the old self and old way of living. As we move into a new year we can experience new life and a new identity in Jesus; the old way of living life doesn’t matter anymore.
Join us on Christmas morning for a special time of worship as we celebrate that our Savior Has Come. We were helpless to save ourselves, so in the fullness of time, God sent Jesus to save us.
Israel spent four hundred years waiting on God to speak after the prophet Malachi. This night we will focus on the light that was born on Christmas Eve when God spoke to all humanity through a gift of love.
During this service we will observe the Lord's Supper.
GLORIOUS LIGHT OF CHRISTMAS presents songs of the season made popular by some of your favorite Christian music artists paired with brilliantly written new, Christmas “instant classics”. Share the hope and promise that came down to earth in the form of a Baby on that first Christmas night so long ago as you sing and celebrate the glorious light of God’s love this Christmas!
During this time of year our focus is on giving thanks for all the blessings God has given us. Don't forget to thank God for His most precious gift - the CROSS.
There is no better teacher than Jesus. In His conversation with a rich, young ruler, Jesus gives us clear teaching on answering the most important question of a seeker - "How can I have eternal life?".
The Disciples ask Jesus which one will be the Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus' reply will surprise you.
Jesus tells His disciples that with faith that grows from "little" faith to "great" faith you can accomplish anything. Evidence of "great" faith is consistent, passionate, persistent, fervent prayer.
With God’s help, David was able to experience victory over the giant in his path. His enemy was defeated. But what does it look like to respond well to victory? Who gets the glory for it? Through the conclusion of this story, we once again see David’s posture on display.
David was an unlikely hero, chosen by God for this moment. This week, we look at what made David special and unique, discovering along the way that God often chooses those who are physically weak or inexperienced to prove His strength and faithfulness.
Today we begin a new sermon series - “Five Smooth Stones.” During this series based on the familiar story of David and Goliath we will learn to strengthen our trust in God as we see David’s faith, God’s provision, Goliath’s battle tactics and how to respond to victory. Don’t miss any week in this exciting series.
What is the foundation of your religion? God's Word must not be superseded by traditions or any rules of man. God's demands from us a pure heart, not a polluted heart. A polluted heart will result in unrighteous behaviors and speech.
Matthew 13 is a pivotal Chapter in the New Testament and change in Jesus' ministry methodology. Moving from clear teachings and miracles, Jesus moves to parables. In parables, those individuals who seek to understand will receive understanding. Also, those individuals that reject Jesus and do not seek understanding will not receive. In this passage we learn what we can expect in the days ahead regarding the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus often found himself clashing with the religious leaders of his day. They were often so committed to the law, and were so legalistic, that they would forget the heart behind God’s instruction as a whole. There is a woman caught in the act of adultery and brought before Jesus. She had broken the law and deserved to be stoned to death. Rather than condemn and allow her to be killed, Jesus offers her Grace through a relationship rather that penalty through religion.
Jesus is asked a question about what it means to follow the law of God. The law says to love God and to love your neighbor. But who is our neighbor? To answer this question, Jesus tells a story about a man who is beaten and left for dead. As the story continues, Jesus breaks a massive, ancient, near eastern racial barrier between Jews and Samaritans. This story is a parable that we all find ourselves in. Will we be the ones who loves beyond what is required?