Sunday, One service at 10:30 AM—No SS Or Children’s Church
Beats From Your Pastor’s Heart:
Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”
In most translations of the Bible, the phrase “called according to purpose” is rendered “called according to His purpose,” with “His” in italics.
The translators supply the word “His” because purpose here obviously refers to God’s purpose.
But His is not in the original language.
Neither is there a definite article before the word purpose.
It is not “according to the purpose.”
It is simply “according to purpose.”
Then we might ask, what purpose?
In God’s thought there is only one purpose–Christ.
This means that if you and I are not calibrated to Christ in our lives, in our experience–with every detail from morning to night–then we are not living according to purpose.
We are in vanity.
In this universe everything apart from Christ is vanity.
Only Christ gives purpose to all things.
Christ alone is the reality and meaning of life.
This is why, when we turn to Him in the middle of all things in our life and begin to identify with Him, we have such a sense of significance in our being.
But if we are indifferent to Christ, if we try to figure things out on our own, then notice what it does to our insides.
There is a sense of emptiness, the sense that we have nothing of Christ to share with others.
But if we allow all kinds of environments to press us into the Lord, then we are filled with so much meaning, there is so much significance, and there is so much to share.
This spiritual phenomenon happens because the one sure purpose of our human life is to be conformed to the image of God’s Son.
By letting all things shape us into the form of God’s Son, we have a deep sense that we are living according to purpose.
Until Tomorrow,
With A Shepherd’s Love
Pastor
TODAY’S PRAYER LIST
Sandra Graham
John McClain
Amy Garner’s Mom & Dad
Brandon’s Dad
Dan Haines
Daniel Ford
Darlene Thaxton
Denise Hulsey – Jordan’s G’Mother
Dr. Don Davis
Easton Fielder
Ellen Boyd
Freddie May’s Mom & Friend
George/Linda Alexander
James Burnette
Jim Mabe
Joan Cronan’s Sister
Joel Bateman
Linda Hodges’ Sister
Michael Stanley
Ricky Gipson – Ashley’s Brother
Ronnie Palmer
Rose Fuller’s Nephew
Rusty Turner
Scott Nix
Terrell Loyd
Tom Witcher
Tony Breedlove
James Garner’s Friend
Kim McClain’s Mother
Lonzo Christian
Ashley Burn’s Sisters
Colby/Connor – Allison’s G’sons
Larry Barker
Linda Breedlove’s Sister – Sarah
Mary Sims
Marynell Ford
Pastor & Mrs. Driskell
Ricky Stubbs
Roseleigh Osborn
Scott Lanier – Linda’s Son
Shaelyn – Jill’s Friend
Tammy Shellnut’s Mother/Dad