THE SOVEREIGNTY AND MERCY OF GOD
https://boxcast.tv/channel/yuyyyftbksyppzhnl3il?b=npnxsxomhxgnm0me03kf
August 8, 2025
The story of Rahab, God’s acceptance of her and her redemption, is a powerful and encouraging story. Pastor Wayne Edwards of Heritage Baptist Church, Perry, Georgia, USA brings the story alive for you today. The Service begins at approximately 18 minutes, just click the link above.
Gibber! Gibber!
Chugley
PASTOR WAYNE WRITES:
Dear Heritage Family and Friends,
The salvation of Rahab the harlot is a profound illustration of God’s sovereignty and abundant mercy.
· In His sovereign will, God chose Rahab from among the inhabitants of Jericho, not only to be saved, but to play a crucial role in His plan. She was to assist the army of Israel in destroying her hometown, a task that required immense courage and faith.
· In His mercy, God looked beyond Rahab’s sins as a prostitute and saw her need for salvation. He took her expressed faith in Him as the God of heaven and earth, and extended His saving grace to Rahab and her family.
Rahab’s narrative confirms the biblical principle that true faith must be revealed by a transformed life and accompanied by works. In hiding the spies on her roof and revealing the scarlet cord out her window, Rahab denied her own safety in deference to what she perceived to be God’s will.
In choosing her and orchestrating her life circumstances, God honored Rahab’s faith, demonstrating that His grace can transform any life. This is a powerful testament to the transformative power of God’s grace, inspiring hope in all of us that even the most unlikely individuals can be integrated into His eternal purposes.
The central theme of our current sermon series is “Victorious Christian Living: A Study in the Book of Joshua.” The title of this sermon is: “The Sovereignty and Mercy of God.”
· The sermon may be viewed at theheritagechurch.org
· The sermon will be available on our website and YouTube.
· The YouTube URL: ttps://www.youtube.com@heritagebaptistchurchperry
Thank you for your continued support and for sharing these sermon study guides with those you think might be interested. We are truly 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
AUGUST 9, 2025
My Fellow Watchmen,
As I write this article, I am between rejoicing and weeping, for on one hand, millions of teenagers and young adults across the globe are hungry for Jesus. They are expressing that hunger, not only in the gatherings by the thousands in outdoor arenas to share their new interest in the things they, and their parents once rejected – life built around truth, reality, discipline, and a purpose beyond the empty promises of self-fulfillment and personal achievement, but to reveal that deep desire in their heart for a relationship with God that is real and meaningful. They want real answers to the issues of life. They want authenticity about life, the Lord Jesus, and what it truly means to believe in Him and receive Him as Savior and Lord.
But on the other hand, most of those who claim to be Christians today are so bound up in their practice of their religion, or their performance-based-entertainment-style-celebrity-pastor worship events, they cannot stand up and say to these 13-28-year-olds, “Follow me and I follow Christ.” In other words, remove the emotionally-stimulating music, the electrical theatrics, the exhilaration of being in the presence of such a dynamic, articulate speaker who is internationally known, and somewhat of a media star, and you have taken away the props upon which today’s event-based Christianity rests. Where’s the time for the corporate reading of God’s word, the call to corporate prayer, the consistent preaching of the essential doctrines of the Christian Faith, and the respectful observance of the Lord’s Supper? Beyond the assembly, where is evidence of true discipleship and biblical evangelism? Do you not understand that the generation behind us has rejected all of that – they want Jesus!
In Romans 13:12, the Apostle Paul told his readers, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light.” Paul called those who had received Jesus Christ as their Savior to repent of their sins, for when our lives are pure of all sin, having confessed them before the Lord, and received His forgiveness, we can walk in holiness, and the light of God’s glory that shines within us will attract others to ask us for the reason for the hope within us.
Beloved, God has allowed us to witness to the generation behind us, some in our own families, and some in our church family. Beyond our attendance in church, can they see Jesus in us? Would they say that our faith in God is authentic? Do they see us praying, reading the Bible, or involved in a study that offers a more profound knowledge of God? If they tapped us on the shoulder and asked us for the reason for the hope within us, could we answer their questions without sounding religious?
Okay, men, here’s your chance to show those 13-18-year-olds how to be a real man of God, a husband, father, or grandfather. Okay, women, here’s your chance to show those 13-18-year-olds how to be a real woman of God, a wife, a mother, or a grandmother. Your actions can have a profound impact. Is that “sin” that so easily besets you more important to you than your children or grandchildren? Is winning that argument with your spouse, parents, or neighbors, or holding on to that bitterness over some unresolved conflict, more important than leading your children to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord?
I urge you to cast off the works of darkness, cleanse your mind, your heart, and your house of all sin, and do all that you can to resolve those conflicts with others—but do it now. Let’s take advantage of Gen Z’s hunger for truth and SHOW them Jesus. The time for action is now.
Please forward these articles to those who might be interested in receiving them.
Pastor Wayne
Wayne J. and Linda J. Edwards
PO Box 766
Perry, GA 31069
706-599-3966
wnledwards@gmail.com