The Modern Pew

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Bible teaching and preaching from the pulpit of West Georgia Apostolic Tabernacle and our online ministry The Modern Pew.

  1. 3d ago

    Neither Crowd Nor Custom

    Neither Crowd Nor Custom In this message, Pastor Bailey challenges listeners to examine the foundation of their beliefs and habits. Are they following Christ, or are they simply following the crowd or the customs they inherited? Pastor Bailey observes that many believers settle into one of two automatic positions without realizing it. Some assume that whatever society accepts must be acceptable. Others assume that whatever the world does must be wrong. While these positions seem like opposites, Pastor Bailey explains that they share the same weakness: both allow someone other than God to shape our thinking. Grounded in Romans 12, the message calls believers to something better than automatic agreement or automatic opposition. God calls His people to have renewed minds, to think carefully, and to test everything by His Word. Pastor Bailey walks through three key truths. First, popularity does not make something right. History has shown that entire societies can embrace what God condemns, and believers must be willing to stand apart, with both conviction and grace. Second, culture is not automatically the enemy. Many customs and social agreements are good, helpful, or simply neutral. Pastor Bailey reminds listeners that being contrary is not the same as being holy, and that a Christian who opposes everything may lose the opportunity to share the gospel at all. Third, tradition is not a reason in itself. Pastor Bailey warns that “the way it’s always been done” can quietly take the place of God’s Word, both in society and in the church. Habits and customs, no matter how familiar, must be measured against Scripture. The message draws on examples from both the Old and New Testaments, showing how faithful men and women throughout Scripture learned to look past the pressures of their culture and the habits of their past to discover what God actually desires. Pastor Bailey concludes with Joshua’s famous declaration, “as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD,” highlighting that Joshua’s choice was neither about honoring tradition nor following culture, but about choosing what was right. This message is especially relevant for young people navigating a world full of competing voices, but its call applies to every believer: check it all against God’s Word, and follow Christ wherever that leads.

  2. Oct 21

    The Way Up Is Down

    The Way Up Is DownPastor Paul Bailey In a world that constantly encourages people to promote themselves, seek recognition, and climb to the top, Pastor Paul Bailey delivers a powerful biblical reminder that God's way to greatness often leads in the opposite direction. In his message, "The Way Up Is Down," Pastor Bailey explores the life-changing truth that genuine humility is not weakness but strength found through complete dependence on God. Drawing from 1 Peter 5:5-6, Pastor Bailey explains that humility is more than thinking less of ourselves. It is seeing God as He truly is, recognizing ourselves as we truly are, and allowing that understanding to shape how we live and treat others. Humility is not an optional quality for Christians. It is something believers are commanded to put on daily. Throughout the message, Pastor Bailey highlights three essential truths about biblical humility. First, humility begins when we see God rightly. Using Isaiah's encounter with the Lord and Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the publican, he demonstrates how pride grows when people measure themselves against others rather than recognizing God's holiness. True humility begins when our attention shifts away from ourselves and toward the greatness of God. Second, humility is perfectly modeled in Jesus Christ. Philippians 2 reveals how the Son of God willingly humbled Himself, taking the form of a servant and becoming obedient even unto death on the cross. Pastor Bailey also points to Jesus washing His disciples' feet as a powerful example of servant-hearted leadership. If the King of glory could kneel to serve others, no act of service should be beneath His followers. Third, humility is rewarded by God. While pride promises success and recognition, Scripture warns that it ultimately leads to destruction. James 4:10 reminds believers that those who humble themselves before the Lord will be lifted up by Him. Pastor Bailey emphasizes that God's promotion comes according to His timing, not ours. The message also challenges listeners to examine their own hearts. Can they receive correction without becoming defensive? Are they willing to serve when nobody notices? Are their words and actions motivated by a desire to glorify God or to elevate themselves? In closing, Pastor Bailey brings fresh perspective to Philippians 4:13, reminding listeners that Paul's confidence was never rooted in his own abilities. His strength came entirely through Christ. The secret to standing strong in every circumstance is learning to depend on the One who supplies the strength. "The Way Up Is Down" is an encouraging and challenging message for anyone seeking to grow spiritually, overcome pride, and develop a deeper dependence on Jesus Christ. Listen as Pastor Paul Bailey shares why the path to true strength begins with humility—and why those who humble themselves before God can trust Him to lift them up in His perfect time.

  3. Oct 14

    The God Who Never Fails

    The God Who Never FailsSpeaker: Pastor Paul Bailey Scripture: Lamentations 3:22–23 In a world where promises are broken, people disappoint us, and circumstances change without warning, is there anyone we can truly depend on? In this encouraging message, “The God Who Never Fails,” Pastor Paul Bailey reminds believers that while human faithfulness has its limits, God's faithfulness never ends. Beginning with Lamentations 3:22–23, Pastor Bailey takes listeners back to the devastation of Jerusalem, where the prophet Jeremiah stood surrounded by destruction and loss. Despite everything he witnessed, Jeremiah boldly declared, “Great is thy faithfulness.” His words reveal a powerful truth: God's faithfulness is not determined by our circumstances but by His unchanging character. Pastor Bailey explores three important truths about the faithfulness of God. First, God is faithful because of who He is. Unlike people who may forget, change their minds, or fail to keep their promises, God never changes. Drawing from Numbers 23:19 and Deuteronomy 7:9, Pastor Bailey explains that God's promises are backed by His perfect character. His faithfulness extends beyond our lifetimes, reaching generations yet to come. Second, God remains faithful even when we are not. Many Christians struggle with guilt and uncertainty after making mistakes, wondering whether God has given up on them. Through 2 Timothy 2:13 and 1 John 1:9, Pastor Bailey offers a reassuring reminder that our failures do not cancel God's faithfulness. Rather than running from Him, believers are encouraged to return, confess their sins, and receive the forgiveness He has promised. Third, God is faithful in the middle of life's battles. Faith does not guarantee a life free from temptation, hardship, or pressure. However, Scripture promises that God will provide strength, protection, and a way through every trial. Pastor Bailey challenges listeners to ask God for His help, look for His provision, and expect Him to reveal the way forward. Throughout the message, Pastor Bailey encourages believers to stop relying entirely on their own strength and begin resting in God's unfailing promises. He also challenges listeners to remember and record the ways God has already demonstrated His faithfulness, building confidence for whatever lies ahead. The message concludes with a powerful reminder from 1 Thessalonians 5:24: “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” Whether you are facing disappointment, struggling with past failures, or walking through a difficult season, this message offers renewed hope and encouragement. Listen as Pastor Paul Bailey reminds us that the same God who was faithful yesterday remains faithful today and will never fail tomorrow.

  4. Sep 30

    Dont Lose Heart

    In this encouraging message, “Don’t Lose Heart: Let Us Not Be Weary,” Pastor Paul Bailey addresses a struggle familiar to nearly every believer: continuing to do what is right when there seems to be little evidence that it is making a difference. Beginning with Galatians 6:9, Pastor Bailey focuses on Paul’s instruction, “Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” He explains that the weariness described in this passage is more than physical exhaustion. A person can be tired, hurting, and ready for a difficult season to end without losing heart. The greater danger comes when being tired begins to affect the heart and mind, causing someone to wonder whether continuing to do right is really worthwhile. Pastor Bailey turns to Psalm 73 and the experience of Asaph to illustrate how easily that kind of discouragement can develop. Asaph knew that God was good, yet what he saw around him challenged his perspective. While he struggled, he watched others prosper. Eventually, his circumstances began affecting his thinking, and he questioned whether his own faithfulness had been in vain. That struggle remains relevant today. A person can experience it in marriage, raising children, ministry, finances, sickness, caregiving, or even prayer. Someone may continue doing what they believe is right but fail to see the results they expected. Over time, the battle that began in their circumstances can become a battle within their own thinking. The turning point for Asaph came when he entered the sanctuary of God. Interestingly, his circumstances did not first have to change. His perspective changed. Instead of viewing everything only through the lens of what was happening at that moment, he began looking toward the end of the story. Pastor Bailey emphasizes one of the message’s central truths: “Don’t judge the entire story from the chapter you’re presently living.” By the end of Psalm 73, Asaph’s attention had returned to God. He could honestly admit, “My flesh and my heart faileth,” while also declaring, “God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.” Faith did not require Asaph to pretend that he was not hurting or tired. Instead, it reminded him where his strength came from when his own strength was failing. This message offers encouragement for anyone who has prayed without seeing an answer, remained faithful through difficulty, served without appreciation, or wondered whether doing right is making any difference. Pastor Bailey reminds listeners that the present chapter is not the whole story. God is still good, the harvest has its appointed season, and weariness does not have to become surrender. Don’t lose heart.

  5. Sep 23

    Prepared - Not Afraid

    In this timely message, “Prepared – Not Afraid,” Pastor Paul Bailey examines the biblical difference between living in fear and living with wisdom. While two people may both save money, store food, reduce debt, and prepare for uncertain times, Pastor Bailey explains that the real difference may not be found in what they possess, but in the heart and motivation behind their preparation. Beginning with Proverbs 21:20, Pastor Bailey points to a simple characteristic of wisdom: the wise person has something remaining, while the foolish person consumes everything. Scripture does not teach believers to fear tomorrow, but neither does it encourage them to use everything God provides today without considering the future. Throughout the message, Pastor Bailey emphasizes that life comes in seasons. Drawing from Genesis 41 and the account of Joseph in Egypt, he shows how seven years of abundance were followed by seven years of severe famine. The years of plenty provided an opportunity to prepare for the difficult years ahead. The same principle can apply to families, employment, businesses, health, and economic circumstances. Today’s abundance is not a guarantee of tomorrow’s conditions. Pastor Bailey then turns to the example of the ant in Proverbs 6, demonstrating the importance of creating reasonable margin while opportunities are available. That margin might include savings, basic necessities, reduced debt, proper maintenance of possessions, or learning useful skills. Preparation, he explains, can be as practical as carrying a spare tire—not because a person knows when trouble will occur, but because experience says unexpected difficulties sometimes come. Yet the message also offers an important warning: preparation must never become fear. Using the words of Jesus in Matthew 24, Pastor Bailey notes that Christ openly spoke of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes while also telling His followers, “see that ye be not troubled.” Biblical wisdom can recognize potential trouble without becoming consumed by it. Philippians 4 further reminds believers that prayer, thanksgiving, and trust in God provide peace even when circumstances are uncertain. Finally, Pastor Bailey explains that creating margin is not necessarily about protecting ourselves alone. Joseph’s preparation eventually provided food for many others. In the same way, wise stewardship today may give Christians the ability to help someone else during a future season of need. The message concludes with a vital distinction: fear sees trouble and panics, foolishness sees trouble and ignores it, but wisdom sees trouble, acts prudently, and continues trusting God. Listen to “Prepared – Not Afraid” as Pastor Paul Bailey presents a practical biblical challenge to prepare wisely, steward faithfully, give generously, and keep your confidence firmly in God rather than in what you have stored away.

  6. Sep 16

    No Uncertain Sound

    In the message “No Uncertain Sound,” Pastor Paul Bailey challenges believers to recognize the tremendous influence their words, attitudes, and reactions can have on people who are fighting battles of their own. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 14:7–8, he uses the biblical picture of a trumpet sounding on a battlefield to illustrate the importance of clear, purposeful communication. A battlefield trumpet was never intended merely to make noise. Its sound communicated something important—prepare, advance, retreat, or beware of danger. The soldier’s response depended upon recognizing the sound. In the same way, Pastor Bailey explains that every believer is making a “sound” through what they say and how they respond to others. The important question is not simply whether something was said, but what that sound produced in the person who heard it. This becomes especially important when someone is struggling, discouraged, has failed, or is attempting to get back up. Proverbs 12:18 teaches that words can pierce like a sword, while the tongue of the wise can bring health. Pastor Bailey emphasizes that people already engaged in a battle do not need more meaningless noise or condemning voices—they need a sound that will help them keep fighting. Using 1 Corinthians 14:3, the message identifies three purposes that should characterize Christian communication: edification, exhortation, and comfort. Believers should build others up, encourage them to move forward, and strengthen them when they are hurting. Rather than merely becoming good at speaking, Christians should seek to excel at building people. Pastor Bailey applies this truth directly to the way believers respond when someone admits they are struggling or has fallen. There may be a time for correction, but the goal should always be restoration rather than condemnation. Galatians 6 calls spiritual believers to restore those overtaken in a fault with meekness and to bear one another’s burdens. The difference can often be heard in the message behind the words: “I caught you” versus “Let me help you.” The sermon closes with a powerful reminder that no one truly knows every battle another person may be facing. Someone nearby may be wondering whether they have the strength to continue. In that moment, a believer has an opportunity to give a clear and certain sound: Don’t give up. I’m praying for you. Get back up. Keep walking. God is still faithful. Through this practical and encouraging message, Pastor Bailey calls the church to take seriously the biblical obligation to edify one another. “No Uncertain Sound” invites every listener to consider one important question: Who is stronger because they encountered me?

  7. Sep 2

    but NOT

    BUT NOT — Pastor Paul BaileyLife does not always unfold according to plan. Trouble comes, people disappoint, answers are not always clear, and sometimes circumstances can knock a person completely off their feet. In this encouraging message, “BUT NOT,” Pastor Paul Bailey teaches that while Christians are not immune from hardship, hardship does not have to determine the outcome of their story. Drawing from 2 Corinthians 4:8–9, Pastor Bailey highlights the powerful pattern found in the Apostle Paul’s words: “Troubled, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” Paul did not deny what he was experiencing. The pressure, uncertainty, opposition, and setbacks were real. Yet each difficult reality was followed by a declaration of what it would not become. Pastor Bailey explains that there can be a “BUT NOT” between what happens to a believer and what ultimately happens within them. The message first looks at Israel standing between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea. They were troubled and appeared trapped, but God opened a path through the very obstacle that seemed to mark the end of the road. What looked like the end became the way forward. The sermon then turns to King Jehoshaphat, who honestly admitted that he did not know what to do when Judah faced an overwhelming enemy. Yet his uncertainty did not become despair. His declaration was simple: “Our eyes are upon thee.” Pastor Bailey reminds listeners that they may not know what to do, but they can still know where to look. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego provide another picture of this truth. They were persecuted and thrown into the fiery furnace, but they were not forsaken. God did not prevent them from entering the furnace; He met them in it. The message offers the comforting reminder that rejection by people never means abandonment by God. Finally, Pastor Bailey points to Jonah. His own decisions took him to a devastating low point, but being down did not mean he was done. God was still working, and Jonah’s failure was not the end of his story. Throughout the message, Pastor Bailey emphasizes a hopeful truth: trouble does not mean trapped, confusion does not mean hopeless, rejection does not mean abandoned, and being knocked down does not mean destroyed. “BUT NOT” is a message for anyone facing pressure, uncertainty, rejection, failure, or circumstances that seem impossible. It encourages listeners to acknowledge the reality of where they are without believing that it must be where their story ends. You may be down — BUT NOT destroyed. You may not see the way forward — BUT God is not finished.

  8. Aug 26

    The Love of Many - But Not Mine

    In “The Love of Many — But Not Mine,” Pastor Paul Bailey delivers a timely and challenging message about maintaining a Christlike heart in a world increasingly marked by hatred, betrayal, selfishness, and spiritual darkness. Beginning with Jesus’ warning in Matthew 24:11–13 that “the love of many shall wax cold,” Pastor Bailey emphasizes an important truth: many does not mean everyone. Christians may not be able to control what happens around them, but they do have a responsibility for how they respond to it. The world may grow colder, but the believer does not have to grow cold with it. Using Jesus’ parable of the ten virgins, Pastor Bailey shows that people facing the same circumstances can make very different choices. Five were wise and five were foolish—not because their circumstances determined their outcome, but because their decisions did. In the same way, believers cannot always choose how others treat them, but they can choose whether disappointment produces bitterness, whether hatred produces hatred, and whether the darkness around them is allowed to change what is within them. The message also stresses personal accountability before God. It is easy to justify wrong attitudes by pointing to what someone else has done, but Pastor Bailey reminds listeners that God will judge each person for his or her own actions. Someone else may choose to curse, hate, hurt, or mistreat, but Jesus still calls His followers to bless, do good, pray, forgive, and love. Their behavior does not have to determine ours. Pastor Bailey further challenges believers to become faithful stewards of the grace God has given them. Grace is not ours to withhold simply because someone has disappointed or hurt us. Drawing from Romans 12:21, he warns against allowing evil done to us to produce evil in us. If another person’s hatred makes us hateful or another person’s bitterness makes us bitter, evil has gained a victory. Instead, Scripture calls Christians to “overcome evil with good.” The message closes with a powerful reminder from Matthew 5:14–16 that believers are called to be the light of the world. The darker the world becomes, the more important it is for that light to keep shining. This encouraging and searching message invites every listener to examine the condition of his or her own heart. The love of many may wax cold—but mine doesn’t have to.

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About

Bible teaching and preaching from the pulpit of West Georgia Apostolic Tabernacle and our online ministry The Modern Pew.

Information

  • Creator
    From the Pulpit
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    198
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Modern Pew
  • Show Website
    The Modern Pew