A PORTRAIT OF A GODLY WOMAN
https://boxcast.tv/channel/yuyyyftbksyppzhnl3il?b=qwauj0vnd8simwmovcgi
Mothering Sunday comes around once again. I enjoy watching mothers and children at the zoo, both inside and out! We have several youngsters in the Chimpanzee compound.
Pastor Wayne Edwards, of Heritage Baptist Church, Perry, Georgia, USA conducts a traditional service honouring the occasion most reverently.
The Service begins t approximately 23 minutes by clicking the above link. The link for the current Watchmen’s Report is below this preamble.
Gibber! Gibber!
Chugley
PASTOR WAYNE WRITES:
May 9, 2025
Dear Heritage Family and Friends,
The Bible is unequivocal about how children should honor their parents. In Deuteronomy 5:16, Moses instructed the children of Israel, “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you.” This command carried significant weight in that it was tied to the promise of a good life in the land the Lord God was giving them. If things aren’t going so well in your family, perhaps you need to resolve some issues with your parents.
Psalm 139:13-14 acknowledges God’s role in creating individuals within their mothers’ wombs, emphasizing the special bond between mothers and their children. This bond is not just physical, but also emotional and spiritual, as it is a reflection of God’s love and care for us. Think about how God used Timothy’s mother and grandmother to prepare him to assist the Apostle Paul in his mission to get the gospel to the Gentiles.
The Bible often portrays mothers as figures of love, wisdom, and guidance, highlighting the invaluable role they play in nurturing children and fostering family unity. Their influence is not to be underrated, and their value should never be underestimated, for without them, none of us would be here!
We will explain this further in our Sunday morning sermon: “A Portrait of a Godly Woman”
- The sermon may be viewed at theheritagechurch.org
- The sermon will be available on our website and YouTube.
- The YouTube URL: https://www.youtube.com@heritagebaptistchurchperry
Thank you for forwarding these sermon study guides to those you think might be interested. We are encouraged by the response we’ve received from viewers worldwide.
Wayne J. and Linda J. Edwards
PO Box 766
Perry, GA 31069
706-599-3966
wnledwards@gmail.com
THE WATCHMEN’S REPORT
May 10, 2025
My Fellow Watchmen,
Part of my assignment as a “watchman” is to protect the sheep from the “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” In that regard, I was one of the few who sounded the alarm about Rick Warren, the former pastor of Saddleback Church, whose philosophy of ministry, as outlined in his paradigm, “The Purpose Driven Life,” changed the focus of ministry for thousands of churches across America and around the world, and I may add, not for the better. Just consider how many Sunday School classes abandoned the verse-by-verse study of the Bible, following a curriculum that was designed to cover the whole Bible in six or nine years, and chose to study Rick Warren’s concept of the Christian life. Well, here we are, 23 years later, and I ask you, are churches more “purpose-driven” than they were before?
In a recent interview, Warren suggested, “It’s difficult to avoid becoming a Christian [ in America] due to the country’s religious landscape.” That might be true, given his shallow definition of salvation, which he says is achieved through a simple prayer and a few words of faith, rather than a genuine repentance from all known sin and unbelief, and a complete surrender of our lives unto the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This is a crucial point, as genuine repentance is not just a step in the process of salvation, but the first step in admitting our sin, our need for a Savior, and discovering Jesus as the Savior we need. Let me quote a few of Warren’s own words:
· “Real life begins by committing yourself completely to Jesus Christ. If you are not sure you have done this, all you need to do is receive and believe. The Bible promises, ‘To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God’ (John 1:12, NIV). Will you accept God’s offer?” (p. 58).
· “The invitation to be part of God’s family is universal, but there is one condition: faith in Jesus. The Bible says, ‘You are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus’ (Gal. 3:26, NLT)” (p. 118).
· Warren repeatedly equates salvation with commitment, e.g., “You become a Christian by committing yourself to Christ” (p. 137).
In Matthew 7:13-14, the Lord Jesus told the crowd that continued to “follow” Him daily, if they wanted to live in the kingdom He had described, they must, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
Jesus did not speak of this gate as a destiny, but rather as the entrance to a path, one which may seem to be easier than the other, and yet both seem to lead to the same destination. However, that is not true. Not all “gates,” i.e., plans of salvation, gospel presentations, and evangelical invitations, are equally good – only one leads to everlasting life, and all the others lead to everlasting death.
Jesus repeatedly warned us about those who would try to guide us along the broad path of “easy believism,” which leads to destruction. This is not a warning to be taken lightly. If Warren believes it is difficult to “avoid” becoming a Christian in America, I’m not sure he understands the “price” that was paid for our eternal salvation or the “cost” that is required of those who receive God’s FREE GIFT of salvation. This is a call for us to be vigilant and discerning in our faith, not to be swayed by easy answers or shallow commitments.
Please forward these news reports to those you think might be interested.
Pastor Wayne
Wayne J. and Linda J. Edwards
PO Box 766
Perry, GA 31069
706-599-3966
wnledwards@gmail.com