Sunday, January 17, 2016

January 17, 2016 | Pastor John Bayles | The Hearty Greeting | Galatians 1:1-5



"Good morning." "It's a beautiful day." Or a more dated greeting "Top of the morning to you!" These are all common greetings we give even to strangers each day. They are meant to produce a sense of cheer and fellowship with others. In contrast, though the words are equally as cheerful and beautiful, Paul gives the full substance of his calling, ministry and message to the Galatian church. After we analyze all of his words and phrases, we will recognize much more than a simple greeting, presented to cheer or encourage the hearer.

Sunday, January 10, 2016

January 10, 2016 | Pastor John Bayles | What is the Will of God? | Romans 9:14-24



What is God’s will? Often we refer to the will of God as something akin to his viewpoint, or his disposition, or his opinion of something. This is a human response and a perspective that we each live with daily. We make up calendars and schedules with the greatest of intention to do what we set down as our will, yet make adjustments and changes almost immediately as time passes. According to the Scriptures, this is not the reality with God. His will is determined by His very nature, which is, among other things, immutable. This is His inability to change. We, however, live in one of three chronological spheres: the past is where we experience life and we cannot change it; the future is where we will live life and we cannot control it; the present is where we live, yet it is such a brief encounter.