The weeks fly by and Pastor Wayne Edwards presents another stirring sermon from the Heritage Baptist Church, Perry, Georgia, USA.The service begins at about 21 minutes. The Watchmen’s Report follows this preamble.

Gibber! Gibber!

Chugley

August 1, 2026  

Dear HBC Family and Friends,

Sixty-one percent of U.S. churchgoers describe the Holy Spirit as a divine force but not a personal being. Sadly, this describes the same attitude toward the Holy Spirit as the unchurched, which is why Christianity—specifically mainline Protestantism and Catholicism—is experiencing the fastest overall decline among major religious groups in the United States.

According to every survey, 90% of those who claim to be Christians are living defeated lives, unable to live the victorious Christian life Jesus died to give us, because they are relying upon their human willpower to do what only the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit can do. Trying to serve God through human effort instead of submitting to the daily guidance and power of the Holy Spirit leads to frustration and spiritual defeat,

In Ephesians 5:18, Paul gives a clear command to believers to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. This means letting the Spirit control and guide our daily lives, rather than being led by the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

In this first part, I plan to lay the biblical foundation for what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit, which is “The Price of Blessing.”

·        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 your continued support. Please share this email with anyone you think might find it helpful for their spiritual growth.

Pastor Wayne 

Wayne J. and Linda J. Edwards
PO Box 766
Perry, GA 31069
706-599-3966
wnledwards@gmail.com

THE WATCHMEN’S REPORT

News Stories that Connect with Biblical Prophecy

By Wayne J. Edwards, August 1, 2026

My Fellow Watchmen,

Many parents are concerned about protecting their children from today’s corrupt culture, and rightfully so, but that will not be accomplished through isolation, but rather through biblical dedication and spiritual insulation.

While parents must be very selective about the secular activities their children are involved in, and the list is getting smaller and smaller, they must learn to live in this world without becoming a part of it. Just because all of the children on the playground attend church, or their parents say they are Christians, that doesn’t mean you don’t need to keep a watchful eye and an attentive ear to what your children are seeing and hearing. And, while you can’t stop them from hearing and seeing things they are not morally ready to deal with, you can use those events to establish the biblical values of that subject in their hearts and minds. We cannot ensure their innocence forever. They will be exposed to sin, from others, as well as from within.

Rather than a list of dos and don’ts, cans and cants, i.e., behavior modification, the best way to protect your children from evil is to teach them to love the Lord Jesus. Our children can be homeschooled, attend Sunday school, memorize Bible verses, avoid bad movies, and grow up in a morally conservative home, yet still walk away from Christianity. That does not mean those decisions were wrong, but protection and discipleship are not the same thing. A child can have all of these protections and still walk away from Christianity.

In a recent study by Lifeway, 70% of teenagers raised in conservative, evangelical Christian homes walked away from their faith after graduating high school, and only a small majority returned later.

More importantly, it’s impossible to protect our children from the big, bad world if we have filled our homes and our lives with worldly values. Our daily choices in entertainment, beverages, how we dress, how we spend our money, how we love one another, and our attitude toward the things of the world have a much greater impact on our children’s lives than worldly culture does. Our children’s moral values are shaped by what we celebrate. If they see us more excited about vacations than worship, more committed to sports than to the church, more worried about happiness than about holiness, they are learning what we truly treasure, and they will follow our lead.

Our goal is not merely to raise children who avoid the evil things of the world, but to raise children who love Jesus enough that the evil world loses its appeal, and we must begin as early as we can. Let us protect our children from evil by teaching them to be devoted disciples of Christ.

Pastor Wayne

Wayne J. and Linda J. Edwards
PO Box 766
Perry, GA 31069
706-599-3966
wnledwards@gmail.com

There are no extra articles this week.