
Hosted by Dr.Jay Worthington · EN
This is the podcast of the weekly sermons of North Conway Baptist Church located in Conway, SC with Senior Pastor Dr. Jay Worthington.

This sermon will bring us to the end of the main section of the Sermon on the Mount. The main body of the sermon is full of practical guidance on how Christians are to live as citizens of heaven while we still live here on earth. The last section of this main body is no exception, teaching us much about prayer. But as we look more deeply at this familiar text about asking, we will see that there is also much to learn about God.

In this sermon, we revisit our 2026 Vision: The Great Pursuit—Longing for a Deeper Relationship with God. We know that God is omnipresent, a truth even our youngest children understand confidently. So why does it often feel so difficult to find Him? If He truly is everywhere, then searching for Him should be quick. Yet, in reality, it requires intent. We need to be purposeful in seeking God, diligent in looking with eyes of faith, and genuinely yearning to experience His presence. Join us on Sunday as we explore how we can achieve all these. Too many Christians believe that their pursuit of God ends at salvation. But the truth is, that is only where it begins. Throughout our lives, we must thirst for a deeper and deeper relationship with God, like a deer pants for water. The desire for Him must become the sole focus of our lives, and we must refuse to accept any substitute. So this year, we will focus on how we can nurture a more intimate relationship with God—not just knowing about Him, but truly knowing Him."As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.” (NIV)

It is incredibly easy to spot the flaws in others while ignoring our own. But in Matthew 7:1-6, Jesus challenges this hypocritical habit, commanding us to look at the "plank" in our own eye before offering correction. This Sunday, we’ll explore how to replace our critical judgments with gospel-centered grace, humility, and genuine discernment.

Our country is celebrating its 250th anniversary this week on July 4th—an incredible milestone! As Christians, we need to reflect on what it truly means to be a citizen of this nation. Do I consider myself a Christian simply because I reside here? Is this nation a “Christian Nation” just because I live in it? What guidance does the Bible provide about our responsibilities as citizens? While we honor our nation's 250 years of achievements, it's also important to think about what the next 250 years might hold—much of which will depend on faithful Christians living as faithful citizens. Therefore, this Sunday, we will pause our current series to focus on these vital questions.

Everyone faces certain struggles in life. We may experience them at varying levels or with greater intensity during specific seasons, but the struggle is universal. Worry and anxiety rank among the most common. Perhaps this is why Jesus included guidance on this issue in His Sermon on the Mount—it's that significant. In this sermon, we'll explore this vital passage to identify key causes of worry and practical solutions.In our sermon series through the Sermon on the Mount, we will see that Jesus was giving a manifesto for how Christians are to live as citizens of heaven, while still being residents of a sinful world. But this is no easy task, and the sermons will challenge us to think differently about obedience. It will challenge us to think deeply about grace and law. And it will challenge us to think soberly about what it means to be a disciple.

We will kick off our VBS week in our worship service as we learn about the nature of God. But adults don’t check out. There is something to be learned, no matter your age. God is so many different things; He is our creator, our safe place, and love and eternal. But why does it matter that we know these things? This Sunday, we will examine the life of missionary Amy Carmichael and see how it reveals much about the nature of God.

We continue our study of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, where He turns to everyone's favorite subject to discuss in church: money. But as we'll see, Jesus is after something much deeper than our bank accounts. In Matthew 6:19-24, He exposes the connection between our treasures and our hearts, challenging us to consider where our true allegiance lies. His goal isn't to weigh us down with guilt, but to set us free from living for things that cannot last and lead us into the joy of living for the things that do.

In this episode, we will finish the section on hypocrisy by looking at Jesus’ teaching on fasting. Jesus’ previous two examples, giving and prayer, are commonly practiced and understood by most Southern Baptist Christians. But fasting is not as commonly practiced or as well understood. So we will examine what Jesus says about fasting and hypocrisy, and we will also take some time to learn about fasting in general and to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about it. If you have never fasted before or have wondered about this spiritual discipline, you do not want to miss Sunday’s sermon. In our sermon series through the Sermon on the Mount, we will see that Jesus was giving a manifesto for how Christians are to live as citizens of heaven, while still being residents of a sinful world. But this is no easy task, and the sermons will challenge us to think differently about obedience. It will challenge us to think deeply about grace and law. And it will challenge us to think soberly about what it means to be a disciple.

Last week, we looked at half of Jesus' teaching on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount. We saw two specific pitfalls to avoid when praying. This week, we will look at the positive side of prayer, including how we should pray. Jesus gave believers a powerful tool in the form of a model prayer to guide our prayer lives. The Lord’s Prayer, as it is often called, is an effective way to develop our prayer lives. Join us on Sunday to see how you can use this amazing tool. In our sermon series through the Sermon on the Mount, we will see that Jesus was giving a manifesto for how Christians are to live as citizens of heaven, while still being residents of a sinful world. But this is no easy task, and the sermons will challenge us to think differently about obedience. It will challenge us to think deeply about grace and law. And it will challenge us to think soberly about what it means to be a disciple.

Last week, we began a new section of the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus addressed hypocrisy. Jesus desires that our outward actions be true indicators of our inward motives. To make this clear, Jesus will use three examples: giving, prayer, and fasting. This week, we will examine the first part of Jesus’ teaching on prayer by looking at how we should not pray.In our sermon series through the Sermon on the Mount, we will see that Jesus was giving a manifesto for how Christians are to live as citizens of heaven, while still being residents of a sinful world. But this is no easy task, and the sermons will challenge us to think differently about obedience. It will challenge us to think deeply about grace and law. And it will challenge us to think soberly about what it means to be a disciple.