Park Cities Baptist Church Sermons

This message from Hebrews 4:14–16 explores the priesthood of all believers and the extraordinary privilege of having direct access to God through Jesus Christ. While priests once served as mediators between God and his people, Jesus has perfectly fulfilled that role as our great High Priest, making a way for every believer to approach God with confidence.

Because Christ understands our weaknesses and has overcome temptation, we can draw near to him knowing that we will find mercy and grace in our time of need. Our relationship with God is not something we earn through our own efforts, but a gift made possible through Jesus. This truth calls us to hold firmly to our faith and rest in the assurance that Christ continually intercedes on our behalf.

This message challenges us to embrace our identity as a royal priesthood and live out the responsibility that comes with it. Having received God's grace and mercy, we are called to extend that same love to others — becoming bridge-builders in our neighborhoods, workplaces, and communities who help others encounter the hope and transforming power of Christ.

This message from Acts 17:16–34 explores what it means to faithfully share the gospel in a culture that does not share our beliefs. As Paul encounters the people of Athens, he responds not with fear, hostility, or withdrawal, but with a deep concern for those who do not yet know the living God.

Paul's example reminds us that there is a difference between being troubled by the beliefs and practices of our culture and being against the people within it. Rather than allowing frustration or fear to shape his response, Paul engages the Athenians with curiosity, respect, and a genuine desire to share the truth of Christ. His witness demonstrates that we can hold firmly to our convictions while approaching others with humility and love.

This message challenges us to consider how we engage with people who believe differently than we do. As followers of Jesus, we are called to move toward others rather than retreat from them, allowing love to guide our conversations and relationships. With courage, compassion, and confidence in the gospel, we can faithfully proclaim Christ while trusting God to work in the hearts of those around us.

What is the church actually for? It is a question most of us have never stopped to ask, much like passing a familiar landmark every day without wondering why it exists.

Drawing from 1 Peter 5:1-4, we explore three compelling reasons the local church exists: to bear witness, to make disciples, and to wait with active expectation. The passage reminds us that bearing witness does not require being an eyewitness. Just as Peter testified to the sufferings and resurrection of Christ without having stood at the foot of the cross, we too can testify to what Christ has done. Our very gathering as a community, diverse in age, background, and expertise, with no natural reason to be together, is itself a testimony that something extraordinary has drawn us into one place.

The church is not a relic of a bygone era. It is a living, breathing declaration that Christ was crucified, buried, and raised so that we might be reconciled to God. That witness costs something, and we are challenged to ask ourselves whether we are willing to be even a little uncomfortable for the sake of that proclamation.

Author and discipleship leader Rick Howerton explores what it truly means to follow Jesus — not simply through church attendance, generosity, or biblical knowledge, but through a life of wholehearted surrender and obedience. Drawing from the ancient Jewish tradition of discipleship, where followers walked so closely behind their rabbi that they were covered in the dust of his feet, Rick reminds us that following Jesus is more than learning about him. It is a daily commitment to becoming more like him.

Through powerful historical illustrations and personal stories, Rick challenges us to move beyond comfortable Christianity and embrace the adventure of authentic discipleship. Just as those who answered a greater call throughout history were willing to surrender their own plans and ambitions, followers of Jesus are invited to pursue a life shaped by his purposes. Biblical discipleship calls us to grow through intentional relationships, authentic community, and a daily rhythm in God's Word.

Following Rick's message, Keith Lowry and Caleb Rhoades join him for a conversation about PCBC's disciple-making strategy and how our church is equipping believers to grow as disciples who make disciples. Together, they explore the importance of small groups, daily engagement with Scripture through DWELL, and practical opportunities to invest in the spiritual growth of others. This session invites us to consider not only what it costs to follow Jesus, but the extraordinary purpose and adventure that await when we surrender our lives to him.

This message from 1 Corinthians 11 explores the meaning and significance of the Lord’s Supper, challenging us to consider what happens when something sacred becomes so familiar that we lose sight of its significance. By returning to the night of the Last Supper, we are reminded that Jesus transformed the Passover meal into a powerful picture of the new covenant established through his sacrifice.

The bread and the cup call us to remember Christ’s body given and blood shed for us. More than a familiar church practice, the Lord’s Supper is a declaration of what we believe and who we belong to. Each time we come to the table, we remember the grace that rescued us and proclaim the saving work of Jesus.

This message challenges us to resist allowing sacred practices to become routine. As we approach the Lord’s Table with renewed attention and gratitude, we remember the story of rescue, grace, and resurrection that continues to shape our lives — proclaiming Christ’s death and looking forward with hope to his return.

Dr. Katie Frugé, director of the Christian Life Commission for Texas Baptists, explores the rapidly changing world of artificial intelligence and what it means for one of our most treasured Baptist convictions: freedom of conscience. With a Ph.D. in systematic theology and research focused on the image of God and human dignity, Dr. Frugé helps Christians think biblically about the cultural, moral, and ethical questions shaping our world.

As algorithms increasingly influence what we see, hear, and believe — and generative AI makes it more difficult to distinguish what is real from what is fabricated — followers of Jesus face new questions about truth, authority, and discernment. Dr. Frugé considers what it means to guard our God-given capacity to think, discern, and respond to God personally, recognizing that the voices amplified by technology should not automatically be granted authority in our lives.

This message invites us to reclaim active, prayerful discernment as an essential spiritual discipline. If God alone is Lord of the conscience, Christians are called to examine what we receive through Scripture, prayer, and the community of faith rather than passively allowing technology to shape our convictions. In a world of endless information and rapidly evolving technology, we are reminded that visibility is not authority and faithful discernment remains essential to following Jesus.

This message from Romans 6 explores the meaning and significance of baptism as a public declaration of the new life we have received in Christ. Through baptism, believers identify with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, proclaiming outwardly the inward transformation that has taken place through faith in him.

Baptism is not a finish line, but a starting point. It marks a new beginning and reminds us that following Jesus is a lifelong journey of sanctification. Having died to our old way of life, we are called to walk in newness of life, allowing Christ to continually shape who we are and how we live.

This message challenges us to remember the significance of our baptism and the commitment it represents. Baptism connects us with believers throughout history while also pointing us toward the resurrection still to come. Because we have been united with Christ, we can live today with confidence, purpose, and hope in the new life he has given us.

Dr. Steve Bezner, associate professor of Pastoral Ministry and Theology at Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary, explores the historic Baptist understanding of the relationship between the church and the state. Throughout Baptist history, religious liberty and the separation of church and state have been significant convictions, shaping how Baptists have understood the freedom to follow Christ and live out their faith.

Drawing from Scripture and themes in his book, Your Jesus Is Too American, Dr. Bezner considers how followers of Jesus can engage government and culture while keeping their primary allegiance rooted in the kingdom of God. His work calls Christians to examine the influence of cultural values such as power and political influence and to consider instead the values demonstrated in the life and teachings of Jesus.

This message invites us to consider what faithful Christian witness looks like in the public square — how religious liberty shapes our relationships with people of different beliefs, how the church can maintain its distinct calling, and how followers of Jesus can approach challenging cultural and political questions with convictions formed by Scripture and centered on Christ.

This message from Titus 3:3–7 explores what it means to truly belong to the family of God. Paul begins with an honest picture of who we were apart from Christ — foolish, disobedient, enslaved by sin and separated from the life God intended for us.

But the story changes because of God's kindness and grace. We are not saved because we have earned our place or managed to put our lives together. God rescues, renews and transforms us through Jesus Christ. Remembering where we came from is not meant to leave us in shame, but to deepen our gratitude for the mercy we have received and shape the way we welcome others.

This message reminds us that the church is not a community of people who have always had it together, but a family of people who have been made new by grace. Because our belonging is rooted in what God has done, we are called to extend that same grace to others — opening the door wider and inviting them to experience the new life found in Christ.

This message explores the priesthood of all believers — the biblical truth that every follower of Jesus shares in a sacred calling as part of God's people. Drawing from Exodus, Hebrews, Revelation and 1 Peter, we see that this identity is not reserved for pastors or church leaders. Through Christ, every believer is invited to draw near to God and reflect his presence to the world.

Understanding ourselves as a royal priesthood transforms how we view both our individual faith and our life together. We are called to pray, serve, encourage and use our God-given gifts for the good of others. Christian community is not simply an optional part of following Jesus; it is essential to our shared identity and calling as God's people.

Dr. Kymberli Cook serves as associate director of The Hendricks Center and as an adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary and Criswell College. Her research and teaching focus on theological anthropology, particularly human dignity and giftedness, and she is passionate about helping people recognize the gift we are to one another. She also hosts The Table Podcast and enjoys spending time outdoors, cooking and pursuing creative hobbies with her husband and daughters.