“Fork of the Broad” may seem like a strange name for a podcast, but it is highly symbolic for us at CBC. In the year 1800, Pastor William Davis established a church near present-day Watson Mill State Park called “Fork of Broad Baptist Church”. A Revolutionary War veteran, Davis served under General Marquis De LaFayette, and was present for the surrender of General Cornwallis at Yorktown, bringing an end to the War.
Davis became a Christian in Orange County, Virginia, after hearing a prominent pastor named Elijah Craig preach. Craig was noted to have been arrested numerous times for preaching without a license (The Church of England was the only legal church at the time) and was the inventor of bourbon. William Davis was eventually ordained into ministry in 1788, and was noted to be a great orator who had a tremendous spiritual influence over our corner of Northeast Georgia. He pastored Fork of Broad Baptist (now Carlton Baptist), Cloud’s Creek Baptist, and Dove’s Creek Baptist locally, and was noted to be instrumental in the formation of the Sarepta Baptist Association, a regional collective of Baptist churches that still functions today. The vision of William Davis and others that followed carries on today. For over 200 years, the Gospel has been preached from pulpits where he and men like him planted seeds, to the glory of God. The community and the times have changed, but the good news of the Gospel remains the same – Jesus Christ, out of love, died on the cross to pay the price for our sins, so that we might enjoy God forever.
You can enjoy hearing a legacy of two centuries of preaching the Gospel carried on today by visiting here, where you can hear all of the latest sermons from “Fork of the Broad”!
SERMONS FROM “FORK OF THE BROAD”
Isaiah 6:1-7 – “He is : Holy” – A continued look at the attributes of God. Psalm 139 teaches us that God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent; God is also holy. Isaiah’s vision of God reveals to us God’s pure righteousness that separates Him from us; but also His mercy, that atones for our sins and makes us clean.
John 1: 1-5 – “The Word, The Light” – The central idea of the Book of John can be found in John 20:30-31 – Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (that’s Who Jesus is), and that by believing you may have life in his name (that’s His goal – that’s what Jesus is about). This sermon kicks off an expository look at The Book of John by exploring two ideas – Jesus is the Word (the eternal God) and Jesus is the light (the one who saves us from our sin and death).
John 1: 6-13 – “The Witness, The Adoption” – John’s introduction to his writing is rich with language that reminds us of courtrooms. In this discussion, the testimony of witnesses – the Apostle John, John the Baptist, and Jesus Himself is unpacked; and a legal adoption of those who trust in their testimony is explained.
John 1: 14-18 – “Grace Upon Grace” – Our series on The Book of John continues with a look at John 1:14-18, where John encapsulates major truths about the person and work of Jesus – In this text, John establishes the divine nature of Christ – He was 100% man, and 100% God; and also examines the work He does for us – He is 100% grace in action for those who trust in His truth and in His love, “grace upon grace”.
John 1: 29-34 – “Behold the Lamb of God!” – In this episode, Pastor Lee unpacks the implications of John the Baptist’s statement upon seeing Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Jesus’ death on the cross paid covered the penalty for our sins – but not just those sins we committed before knowing Christ as Saviour. Jesus’ forgiveness is present, active, and continual. That’s Good News!
Matthew 16:13-17 – “The Core : Christ Alone” – The first in a series on The Five Solas, the central beliefs of the Protestant Reformation. In this sermon, we discover the answer to the pivotal question Jesus asked His disciples in Matthew 16:13-17 – “Who do you say that I am?” The answer – “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” It’s vogue to say that “Jesus never said He was the Son of God”, but this idea entirely disagrees with the New Testament, and Jesus’ own words in John 5. Jesus Christ alone is the only mediator between God and man. It is through His work and His work alone on the cross that man can be reconciled to God. Salvation is exclusively available to man through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 1 – “The Head & The Heart” – The kickoff to a series of “Summer Psalms”, featuring an exposition of Psalm 1, which challenges us to consider our spiritual posture, and encourages us with the knowledge that in Christ, we have the righteousness required to stand before God without fear.
Psalm 16: 1-5 – “Preaching the Gospel to Yourself” – The second installation in our series of “Summer Psalms”, with a line by line breakdown of Psalm 16:1-5. Psalm 16 is a “miktam”, and prayer prayed by David during a time of trouble in life. In the midst of problems in life that were very real, David responded by reminding himself of who God is – faithful, compassionate, in control, always present, and always loving, even in the midst of our trials.
Psalm 16: 6-11 – “Preaching the Gospel to Yourself, Part II” – Part II of our exposition of Psalm 16. David reminds us to preach to ourselves the truth of the goodness of God, even in the darkest of days, instead of listening to inner voices that discourage and defeat us.
Psalm 23: 1-2 – “God our Shepherd, God our Peace, God our Gift” – Continuing our series of “Summer Psalms”, we take a look at Psalm 23:1-2. John Stott called Psalm 23 “the crown of all Psalms”. Unfortunately, our familiarity with this beautiful piece of writing sometimes causes us to overlook it’s deep, rich meaning. In this episode, we break down the first two verses of this heartfelt Psalm, revealing how God relates to us as our Shepherd, our peace, and the greatest gift we could ever hope to receive. The Good News is the Good Shepherd – The best gift we could ever be given is Jesus Christ.
Psalm 23:3 – “The Double Cure” – Continuing the series, “Summer Psalms”, we look at Psalm 23:3 – ” He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” This portion of David’s epic Psalm demonstrates that every line of the Bible whispers the name of Jesus. In this episode, we discuss how the Psalmist is writing about “the double cure” that Augustus Toplady brought to light when he wrote the great hymn, “Rock of Ages” – “Be for sin the double cure; Save from wrath and make me pure”. David is providing a foreshadowing of Christ on the cross, who, through the blood He shed, saves us from the wrath of God by offering forgiveness of sins (restoration of the broken relationship with God), but also gives us forgiveness plus – He make us pure by imputing the righteousness of the sinless Christ to us.
Psalm 23:4 – “It was a dark & stormy night…” – All of us experience our own unique “dark night of the soul”, moments where we feel distance from God. God’s promise to us is never to keep us from all troubles of life, but that He will be present with us through these troubles; even in the darkest of moments – death. In the end, we find that even our darkest moment – even death – works for the glory of God. Listen to this great Psalm explored through the lens of the story of Lazarus (John 11).
Psalm 103: 6-9 – “He is : Merciful (Part 1)” – Continuing our series on the attributes of God, we begin part 1 of a discussion of God’s mercy – the undeserved merit that God offers to those who feel the pressures of life, and those who don’t deserve mercy.
Psalm 103: 10-17 – “He is : Merciful (Part 2) –An exposition of Psalm 103: 10-17. Some say it isn’t fair that some go to Hell and only Christians get Heaven. The truth is, God isn’t fair. God is a God of justice (sin must be punished – fair enough); God is a God of mercy (He withholds punishment for those who trust in His love – not fair); God is a God of grace (He pours out the punishment we deserve onto to Christ on the cross, paying the price for our sins -definitely not fair). If God were really fair, ALL of us would die in our sins and receive eternal punishment for the things we’ve done wrong. The Good News is that God isn’t fair, but He is merciful, and demonstrates His love for sinners by offering them the free gift of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus’ blood. God doesn’t give us the punishment we deserve. God isn’t fair, but He is good.
Psalm 135: 1-9, 13-21 – “He is : Sovereign” – Finishing our series on the attributes of God, we consider the idea that God is sovereign – He has the power and authority to do as He pleases. As we break down Psalm 135, we consider three ideas – God is sovereign, God is sovereign over our suffering, and God is sovereign over our salvation – And we consider how this knowledge should affect how we handle this idea of “God”. What do we do with a sovereign God? We worship Him. God is God, and we are not.
Psalm 139: 1-6 – “He is : All-Knowing” – Continuing our series, “Summer Psalms”, we begin a look at three attributes of God – His omnipresence (He is everywhere, all the time), His omnipotence (He is all-powerful), and in this episode, His omniscience (He is all-knowing). It sounds a little terrifying to think that God knows everything we say, think, and do, but the fact is, we should see this as a comfort – He knows us completely, yet loves us fully. The truest indicator of that great love is the cross, where Jesus shed His blood to pay for our sins, both those we commit in public, and our deepest secret sins.
Psalm 139: 7-12 – “He is : Everywhere, All the Time” – A look one the foremost attributes of God, His omnipresence. We can be confident that if we are in Christ, He never leaves us, and never forsakes us. Jesus is Emmanuel – “God With Us” – and models what Jen Wilkin calls “The Ministry of Presence” in our lives. He’s always with us, even in our deepest times of need, even in our loneliness, and even in temptation.
Romans 1:16-17 – “6 Words” – An exposition of Romans 1:16-17, “6 Words” that compelled Paul to share the Gospel, no matter the costs.
Romans 5:1-5 – “Strange Fruit” – A look at how, in the context of faith, human suffering produces hope.
Romans 11:22 – “Love & Wrath” – God’s love for man and His wrath toward sin collide violently at the cross, where Christ settled a debt we could never pay.
Romans 12: 1-2 – “Renovation of the Heart: Demo Day” – In Romans 12, Paul shifts the tone of his letter to the Roman church from justification-how do we become saved-to sanctification-how do we live once we are saved? We can only know the will of God if we know the Word of God!
Romans 12:1-3 – “Renovation of the Heart: The Front Door” – Jonathan Edwards once wrote that pride was “the main door” (for our purposes, the front door) by which sin enters a man’s heart, and the work of God is “clogged” in an individual. Paul encourages us in Romans 12:3 “not to think of (ourselves) more highly than (we) ought to think” – to be humble. How do we attain this mindset? By remembering the Gospel, by pointing our thoughts continually to the example of Jesus.
Romans 12: 4-5 – “Renovation of the Heart: The Living Room” – Paul describes the church not as an organization, but as a living organism, and each of us as members, individual parts of the body that all have important roles to play in the life of the church. No part of a body is unimportant, even down to the big toe – It’s important for all parts of a body to be present and healthy. In today’s sermon, we note the importance of consistent church attendance, and tending to one’s own spiritual health, for the glory of God and for the greater good of the entire body – the church.
Romans 12: 3-8 – “Renovation of the Heart: Attitude that Leads to Action” – A look at the 7 spiritual gifts that Paul identifies in Romans 12. Each Christian is given a gift at the time of their supernatural birth into the body of Christ. These gifts are to be actively used for the benefit of the body, the Church, and for the glory of God. Jesus, during His time on earth and through His death on the cross, is the perfect model for each of these gifts – prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, and mercy.
Carlton Baptist Church 