Pastor Jared Richard delivered a timely message from Genesis 11:1-9 as Bay Leaf Baptist Church celebrates God's provision for their building project on Creedmoor Road. The Tower of Babel story reveals humanity's attempt to build a city and tower to make a name for themselves and avoid being scattered across the earth, directly disobeying God's command to fill the earth. Pastor Richard explained that while the unity and technological advancement displayed at Babel was impressive, the heart behind the project was flawed - it was motivated by human pride and the desire for security apart from God.

The pastor drew important parallels to the church's building project, asking the crucial question: "Are we building for his name or our name?" He warned that it's entirely possible to build a church building while simultaneously building the Tower of Babel in our hearts. The sermon emphasized that we don't need to build towers to reach heaven because heaven already came down in Jesus Christ. Pastor Richard connected this to the gospel, showing how God's judgment at Babel was actually merciful - scattering humanity to prevent collective rebellion while ultimately pointing toward the true unity that comes through worship of Jesus Christ. He concluded by challenging the congregation to ensure all their works, including the Creedmoor Road project, are done for God's glory rather than their own, as only what is done for His glory will truly last.

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Bay Leaf at 540: 10921 Leesville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613

SERVICE TIMES

In this sermon on Genesis 6-9, Pastor Jared Richard demonstrates how the story of Noah functions as a "mini gospel" that prepares us for the greater story of Jesus Christ. Richard outlines five key elements: the problem of sin (humanity's complete depravity), the promise of judgment (God's wrath through the flood), the place of salvation (the ark), the partial fulfillment (Noah's eventual failure), and the perfect fulfillment (Jesus as the true and better Noah).

Richard emphasizes that by Noah's time, human wickedness had become so pervasive that "every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time continually" (Genesis 6:5). God's judgment through the flood was both necessary and grievous to His heart. While Noah provided salvation for his family through the ark, his story ultimately ends in failure - naked, ashamed, and dead, just like Adam. This demonstrates that Noah was only a partial fulfillment of God's promise, pointing us to our need for something greater. Jesus Christ is that greater fulfillment - the true and better Noah who doesn't merely build an ark, but becomes the ark himself, willingly plunging beneath the flood of God's wrath so that all who are "in Him" can find not just salvation, but transformation. Richard concludes with an urgent call to come to Christ, the only place of safety from the coming judgment.

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Bay Leaf at 540: 10921 Leesville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613

SERVICE TIMES

In this sermon on Genesis 3, Pastor Jared Richard addresses the fundamental question of why our world feels broken despite God creating it "very good." He explains that the problem isn't something happening around us, but something that happened within us - sin entered the world when Adam and Eve listened to the wrong voice in the garden.

Pastor Richard breaks down Genesis 3 into two scenes. The first scene (verses 1-7) reveals Satan's scheme to destroy through his question "Did God really say?" The serpent works to make Eve doubt God's goodness, distort God's created order, and diminish God's glory. Adam fails in his role as leader and protector, staying silent while his wife is deceived. The second scene (verses 8-21) shows God's gracious response to human rebellion. Rather than destroying Adam and Eve in judgment, God pursues them in their hiding, asking "Where are you?" - not because He doesn't know, but to give them opportunity for confession and repentance.

The sermon emphasizes that God's plan for restoration involves three key elements: He continues to pursue us in our sin, He will crush the head of our enemy (referencing Genesis 3:15 as the first gospel promise), and He covers our shame. Pastor Richard connects this directly to the gospel, showing how Jesus is the promised offspring who would crush Satan's head, and how God clothes us in Christ's righteousness just as He clothed Adam and Eve. The message calls listeners to stop hiding and blaming, and instead trust in God's goodness and His plan of redemption through Jesus Christ.

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Bay Leaf at 540: 10921 Leesville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613

SERVICE TIMES

Pastor Jared Richard begins this sermon by comparing the recent harsh winter weather in North Carolina to humanity's spiritual condition outside the Garden of Eden. Using Genesis 1:26-27 and Genesis 2:18-25, he explains that God created humans in His image to live in deep, life-giving relationships. Since God exists eternally in relationship as Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—we as His image bearers were designed for community and connection. The pastor emphasizes that "it is not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18), showing that we need relationships with God, with creation, and especially with other human beings who are both similar to and different from us.

Pastor Jared highlights marriage as the foundational human relationship, where "male and female" (Genesis 1:27) come together in complementary unity, reflecting God's own nature. He describes the original state of Adam and Eve as "naked and not ashamed" (Genesis 2:25), representing perfect intimacy without fear of rejection. However, sin has affected all relationships, creating shame and fear that drive us toward isolation. The solution comes through Christ, who died naked and shamed on the cross to remove our shame, enabling us to be fully known by God and accepted. When our relationship with God is restored through Jesus, all other relationships can begin to reflect the gospel's grace and truth.

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Bay Leaf at 540: 10921 Leesville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613

SERVICE TIMES

In this sermon from Genesis 1-2, Pastor Jared Richard explored God's original design for human flourishing through the rhythm of work and rest. He demonstrated how God himself worked in creation—making, designing, and cultivating—then rested on the seventh day, not from exhaustion but to enjoy and reflect on his completed work. As image bearers of God, humans were created to follow this same pattern, with work being an act of sub-creation that reflects God's creative nature, and rest being a time to gain perspective and enjoy God's greater work.

However, sin has broken this beautiful rhythm. We either reject God in our work by finding our identity and worth in our jobs, or we rebel against God in our rest by either working obsessively (thinking we're indispensable) or being lazy (avoiding our calling to work). Pastor Jared explained that this physical problem with work and rest is actually a symptom of a deeper spiritual problem. The solution comes through the gospel: Jesus' finished work on the cross provides the spiritual rest we need, allowing us to work from a place of rest rather than working to earn rest. When we find our identity and rest in Christ's completed work, our physical work can become an act of worship that brings glory to God and advances his kingdom.

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Bay Leaf at 540: 10921 Leesville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613

SERVICE TIMES

In this sermon "Who I am in light of who God is," Pastor Patrick Austin explored Genesis 1:26-31 to address the fundamental question of human identity in a world full of lies and confusion. He began by establishing that since the Bible starts with "In the beginning, God" rather than "In the beginning, man," we must understand ourselves in comparison to God, not as the standard ourselves.

Pastor Austin presented four Biblical truths that counter prominent worldly lies about identity. First, we are created by God in His image, meaning we're designed to live godly lives and in relationship—not that we are God ourselves. Second, we are blessed with God-given purpose to fill the earth with worshipers and subdue creation through faithful stewardship—not to determine our own purpose. Third, we are sustained by God as dependent creatures who need our heavenly Father's provision—not self-sufficient beings. Fourth, we are loved by God, with Him declaring His creation "very good"—not unlovable as many believe.

The pastor emphasized that Jesus Christ, as "the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15), is the key to understanding our true identity. Only through Christ can we truly know what it means to be made in God's image and have our broken identity restored. Pastor Austin challenged both believers and non-believers to reject the enemy's lies and embrace the Biblical truth of who God created them to be.

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Bay Leaf at 540: 10921 Leesville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613

SERVICE TIMES

Pastor Jared Richard began 2026 with a new sermon series on Genesis, starting with Genesis 1:1–5 and 1:26-31. He set the context by imagining the Israelites in the wilderness after the Exodus, questioning who this God was who had rescued them from Egypt. Richard argued that Genesis 1 was written primarily to answer “who” questions about God rather than “how” questions about the mechanics of creation, though he acknowledged that those questions still have importance.

The pastor identified four key attributes of God revealed in Genesis 1. First, God is eternal. He has no beginning and exists before all creation. Second, God is singular. He is one God with no equals or competitors, though Richard noted the early hints of the Trinity in the text. Third, God is Creator who made everything powerfully by speaking, purposefully with intentional design, and personally with intimate involvement in the process. Fourth, God is good. He makes good things, enjoys His creation, and invites us to share in that enjoyment. Richard emphasized that understanding these attributes of God helps believers rest in His faithfulness and promises, knowing that nothing can stop His plans for salvation and new creation.

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ONE CHURCH. TWO LOCATIONS. ONE MISSION.

Bay Leaf at Falls Lake: 12200 Bayleaf Church Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27614

Bay Leaf at 540: 10921 Leesville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613

SERVICE TIMES

Come join us on Sundays at Bay Leaf at Falls Lake (8:30 AM or 11:00 AM) or at Bay Leaf at 540 (10:00 AM)!

CONTACT

www.bayleaf.org

(919) 847-4477

#BayLeafLife #Worship #Inspiration

In this final message of the Advent series, Pastor Billy Driver preaches from Matthew 2:1-12 about how people respond to the coming of Christ. He identifies three distinct responses to Jesus's birth: King Herod responded with hostility because he felt threatened and wanted to maintain his own power and throne; the chief priests and scribes responded with indifference, knowing the Scriptures intellectually but showing no interest in actually seeking the newborn Messiah just five miles away in Bethlehem; and the Magi responded with worship, traveling over a thousand miles to fall down and adore Christ with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Pastor Driver emphasizes that the birth of Christ should shape our worship throughout the entire year, not just during the Christmas season. He challenges the congregation to avoid both hostility and indifference, instead responding like the Magi with faith that results in joyful worship. The sermon concludes with a call to repent and receive Christ as King, believe and trust Him by faith, and worship Him with exceeding great joy, followed by an invitation to the Lord's Supper as a response of remembrance and renewal.

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Take a moment to fill out our digital connection card here: https://www.bayleaf.org/connect

We hope you enjoy this programming and please let us know if there is anything we can do to be of service to you.

ONE CHURCH. TWO LOCATIONS. ONE MISSION.

Bay Leaf at Falls Lake: 12200 Bayleaf Church Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27614

Bay Leaf at 540: 10921 Leesville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613

SERVICE TIMES

Come join us on Sundays at Bay Leaf at Falls Lake (8:30 AM or 11:00 AM) or at Bay Leaf at 540 (10:00 AM)!

CONTACT

www.bayleaf.org

(919) 847-4477

#BayLeafLife #Worship #Inspiration

In this Christmas sermon from Isaiah 35, Pastor Jared Richard used the universal desire to go home for the holidays as a gateway to discuss our deeper spiritual longing for our true home with God. He explained that Isaiah 35 describes two contrasting places - the wilderness and desert representing our current broken world, versus the paradise of Lebanon, Carmel, and Sharon representing the home God has prepared for us.

Pastor Richard walked through multiple layers of this prophetic passage, beginning with God's promise to bring exiled Israel home from Babylon, then expanding to humanity's exile from Eden due to sin, and ultimately pointing to Jesus as the solution. He emphasized that Jesus willingly left his perfect home in heaven, was born in exile-like conditions in a stable, was rejected by his own people, and died on the cross bearing our judgment so that we could return home to the Father. The sermon concluded with three applications: receiving the hope of Christ's salvation, following Christ's example in reconciling broken relationships, and rejoicing with fellow believers as we journey toward our eternal home together.

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Take a moment to fill out our digital connection card here: https://www.bayleaf.org/connect

We hope you enjoy this programming and please let us know if there is anything we can do to be of service to you.

ONE CHURCH. TWO LOCATIONS. ONE MISSION.

Bay Leaf at Falls Lake: 12200 Bayleaf Church Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27614

Bay Leaf at 540: 10921 Leesville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613

SERVICE TIMES

Come join us on Sundays at Bay Leaf at Falls Lake (8:30 AM or 11:00 AM) or at Bay Leaf at 540 (10:00 AM)!

CONTACT

www.bayleaf.org

(919) 847-4477

#BayLeafLife #Worship #Inspiration

Pastor Jared Richard explores Isaiah 11's unique "Christmas tree"—not a decorated evergreen, but a stump with a shoot and root—as a powerful gospel metaphor. The stump represents God's judgment on pride, showing how "God will always humble the proud" as He did with Israel and Assyria. From this apparent death springs the shoot, a greater David who will establish a perfect kingdom where "the wolf will dwell with the lamb" (Isaiah 11:6) and all creation finds peace. Most remarkably, this king is also the root of Jesse, revealing Jesus as both descendant and divine source—the God-man who offers surprising eternal life. Pastor Richard urges us not to place our hope in an idealized past but in Christ's future kingdom, where all brokenness will be healed and "the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:9).

WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Take a moment to fill out our digital connection card here: https://www.bayleaf.org/connect

We hope you enjoy this programming and please let us know if there is anything we can do to be of service to you.

ONE CHURCH. TWO LOCATIONS. ONE MISSION.

Bay Leaf at Falls Lake: 12200 Bayleaf Church Road, Raleigh, North Carolina 27614

Bay Leaf at 540: 10921 Leesville Rd, Raleigh, NC 27613

SERVICE TIMES

Come join us on Sundays at Bay Leaf at Falls Lake (8:30 AM or 11:00 AM) or at Bay Leaf at 540 (10:00 AM)!

CONTACT

www.bayleaf.org

(919) 847-4477

#BayLeafLife #Worship #Inspiration