Work and rest are both good and part of God’s created order. Rest is inseparably related to work, as is work to rest, and must be understood and enjoyed according to God’s design.

Work is often perceived negatively as a requirement, and not something good, desirable, or pleasant. This, of course, is the consequence of sin that caused work to become a burden and rest to be a snare. Likewise, though rest seems more desirable than work, it too is corrupted by sin. In sin, rest is often disconnected from work and purpose, and it becomes a sinfully lazy habit.

God resting after his labor on the seventh day and declaring it holy is a testimony both to the purpose and goodness of labor and the purpose and goodness of rest. Genesis 2:1-3 calls the church to honor God with both your work as unto the Lord and rest as a response of obedience.

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Ben Smith is the pastor of Central Baptist Church, Waycross, GA.

Additional podcasts, books, and downloadable PDFs of Pastor Ben’s sermon outlines and manuscripts are available at http://bensmithsr.org.

You can find information about Central Baptist Church at cbcwaycross.org.

This sermon was originally preached on 8/31/2025.

Man’s nature and purpose are not according to the autonomous will of man but determined, ordained, and commanded by the sovereignty of God. A biblical worldview affirms the sovereignty of God over all of creation, including man, but the world claims that each person has total autonomy, independent of any authority.

Genesis 1:26-31 testifies to the creation of man and man’s nature and purpose.

In the sermon from Genesis 1:26-31, Pastor Ben explains that God’s creation of man demands that you honor every human life as God’s image bearer, be a good steward of God’s creation, and submit to God’s authority to create and command.

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Ben Smith is the pastor of Central Baptist Church, Waycross, GA.

Additional podcasts, books, and downloadable PDFs of Pastor Ben’s sermon outlines and manuscripts are available at http://bensmithsr.org.

You can find information about Central Baptist Church at cbcwaycross.org.

Special thanks to David Carnes for his beautiful rendition of This Is My Father’s World from the album Journey… a Praise Offering. You can explore this recording and more of his music at Apple Music.

This sermon was originally preached on 8/24/2025.

Genesis chapter one is the testimony of creation. By God’s authority, out of His will, and according to His command, He created all things.

As with all of scripture, Genesis chapter one is a testimony of God that reveals His authority, will, and nature. It is not a story about men but a testimony to who God is and how He is working.

Genesis chapter one does not answer every detail you may wish were included. There are many questions about how God accomplished His work that are left unanswered. Not the least of which is how God created all that is from nothing. In His perfect providence, God has given us His word to declare that He is the author and creator of all things while leaving unanswered the mysteries that the mind of man cannot conceive.

Genesis chapter one is a foundational text for a Christian worldview and many of the most fundamental doctrines. From Genesis chapter one, Pastor Ben Smith preaches on how God’s creation forms how Christians understand God and all that He has made.

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Ben Smith is the pastor of Central Baptist Church, Waycross, GA.

Additional podcasts, books, and downloadable PDFs of Pastor Ben’s sermon outlines and manuscripts are available at http://bensmithsr.org.

You can find information about Central Baptist Church at cbcwaycross.org.

This sermon was originally preached on 8/17/2025.

Special thanks to David Carnes for his beautiful rendition of This Is My Father’s World from the album Journey… a Praise Offering. You can explore this recording and more of his music at Apple Music.

From the archives. Originally preached in September 2020, this sermon is from James 5:12-20 titled “Confess and pray.”

Pastor Ben Smith preaches expositionally from Psalm 16 on how the power, providence, and salvation of God give hope to Christians in the present and for eternity.

Psalm 16 is a Psalm of David. God would make a way for David to be king, but there would be a long period where he was a fugitive on the run from an enraged and unhinged monarch. Psalm 16 may have been written during this chaotic period of David's life.

On the run, hunted, and under constant threat, David finds real and lasting peace and security in the power, providence, and faithfulness of God.

Everyone is looking for peace and security, but how do you find real and lasting peace and security? How can you find unshakable hope and peace in a world filled with so much trouble? Psalm 16 declares the sureness, goodness, and faithfulness of God and encourages the church to know the sure hope of God, in God's refuge, providence, and eternal salvation.

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Ben Smith is the pastor of Central Baptist Church, Waycross, GA.

Additional podcasts, books, and downloadable PDFs of Pastor Ben’s sermon outlines and manuscripts are available at http://bensmithsr.org.

You can find information about Central Baptist Church at cbcwaycross.org.

This sermon was originally preached on 8/3/2025.

When God saves you, He transforms you, and your life will bear the evidence of His holiness.

David begins Psalm 15 with a question.

Who can sojourn or abide with God, and who can dwell or remain in the presence of God? The simple answer to this is no one, unless they have been redeemed and made righteous through saving faith.

David answers his opening question with six characteristics of a life that has been transformed by God. These six characteristics are not an exhaustive list but are representative of the transformation that God brings to your life through salvation that produces in you a life after God’s own heart.

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For more sermons and content from Pastor Ben Smith, visit BenSmithSr.org. You can also find information about Central Baptist Church at cbcwaycross.org.

Ben Smith is the pastor of Central Baptist Church, Waycross, GA.

This sermon was originally preached on 7/27/2025 at Central Baptist Church of Waycross, GA.

Additional podcasts, books, and downloadable PDFs of Pastor Ben’s sermon outlines and manuscripts are available at http://bensmithsr.org

For more information on Central Baptist Church, Waycross, GA, visit www.cbcwaycross.org.

In this expositional sermon from 2 Thessalonians 3:16-18, pastor Ben Smith makes clear that being saved through faith in Jesus Christ is the only source of peace and the only hope of grace. Although simple and brief, these concluding words to the Thessalonian church testify to the hope and blessing of salvation, encouraging the church to continue in the faith.

These are Paul’s last recorded words to the Thessalonian church. He signs the letter to ensure that they will know that these words are authentically his (17). The church had received a counterfeit letter (2 Thessalonians 2:2), and Paul wanted to assure the church that this letter was genuine, authentic, and authoritative. In addition to his signature, he prays for them and blesses them. Both the prayer and the blessing are founded on their salvation in Jesus Christ. Paul wanted to remind the church of the blessings that flow from salvation in Jesus Christ.

These verses encourage the church with two blessings that flow from salvation in Jesus Christ: 1) The peace that comes only from Jesus Christ, and 2) the grace of Jesus Christ.

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Ben Smith is the pastor of Central Baptist Church, Waycross, GA.

This sermon was originally preached on 7/20/2025 at Central Baptist Church of Waycross, GA.

Additional podcasts, books, and downloadable PDFs of Pastor Ben’s sermon outlines and manuscripts are available at www.BenSmithSr.org.

For more information on Central Baptist Church, Waycross, GA, visit www.cbcwaycross.org.