September 14-September 20

TRANSFORM YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE
Jeff Payne
Greenville, South Carolina

The six little chapters in the book of Galatians have the ability to transform your approach to Christ and the Christian life. The key to this epistle is seen in 2:16: “…know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ.” One author called Galatians, “The Charter of Christian Liberty.” If you can understand and apply what Paul is saying, you will discover a whole new world of joy, peace and freedom in your walk with the Lord. Through the years it has had this kind of tremendous impact on the lives of many individuals, including Luther, who said, “The epistle to the Galatians is my epistle. To it I am as it were in wedlock. It is my Catherine.”

Paul's message to the Galatians (and to you and me) can be summed up in four statements:

• We are accepted by God through faith in His Son. This acceptance is complete and cannot be improved upon by any human effort.
• The Christian life is a life of surrender to the Spirit of God.
• The Holy Spirit will then produce in us the kind of life God desires of us.
• All self effort, even the smallest amount, undermines the activity of the Spirit and causes the life to descend into empty religion marked by sinful behavior.

You may be a Christ follower who has always struggled with not feeling “good enough” or never “doing enough” for God. My advice to you is to open up your heart and mind and dive into this inspired letter. It has the power to change your life!


[Jeff Payne has served as the Senior Minister of the Holland Park Church of Christ (formerly Northeast Church of Christ) in Greenville, South Carolina since 1993. He was also Senior Minister from 1983-1988. Today (September 14, 2008) the church in Greenville celebrates the "official grand opening" of its new facility on Holland Road.

Jeff holds degrees from Harding University (BA) and Oklahoma Christian University (MA). Jeff and his wife, Cindy, have been married for more than 25 years and have two sons.

In addition to preaching, teaching, and speaking for churches and conferences throughout the United States, Jeff enjoys golf, basketball and the music on his ipod.]