I Took The Day Off

There is electrical work being done on our church facilities. And the electricity was shut down today. So I couldn't go into the office. I call this providence! I desperately needed a day off. And the office being shut down became an excellent excuse... er... reason for me to rest. And that's exactly what I did today. I took my children to school. I had breakfast with Crystal. I took a nap. I had lunch with George. I came home and took another nap. I went to pick up the kids from school. Then we hung out all afternoon - and all evening, for that matter. That's it. That's my day. Praise the Lord!

Home from Dayton

Tuesday night, I preached my final message at Phillips Temple CME in Dayton. And I did something I have only done two other times in all my pastoral ministry: I preached something away from MSMBC that I had not already preached to MSMBC. I had been working on my midweek message on Psalm 119:57-64 ("The Lord is My Portion"), and it was really in my system. So I took a shot at it Tuesday night, even though I didn't have much more than an extended outline. I mentioned the fact that it was an "unfinished sermon" before I started preaching. I have absolutely no idea why I did that! I was already very nervous; and my "confession" made it worse. Pastor Washington and his congregation were kind.

I never went to sleep Tuesday night (I still don't know what was up with my insomnia in Dayton). Wednesday morning, I had a more than one hour flight to Charlotte. Then I had a more than four hour flight from Charlotte to LAX. It felt like I was on a plane all Wednesday morning! My sinuses were really bothering me when I got off the plane. I took some medicine and, as usual, it knocked me out. I didn't wake up until after 2 PM. I pulled myself together and headed to Gramercy Place to get ready for our Midweek Worship Service. I got about three more hours in on my Psalm 119 message. It's still not finished. But when 7:00 hit, I was so ready to preach. It was so good to be home, standing in my own pulpit, preaching to my own congregation. I would have went on and preached another sermon when I finished "The Lord is My Portion," but that was all of the psalm I have studied so far.

I really love my congregation!!! And if they don't really love me back, they deserve an Academy Award for "Best Congregational Actors in a Pastoral Hoodwink." I know that they are concerned about how much I have been traveling lately. And I know they miss me, even though the guys always do a good job when I'm not present. I miss them, as well. And I look forward to this stretch being over ( have two more trips to go). I am grateful for the ways that the Lord uses me in the different places I travel. But there is no place like home. I feel like I am rambling about right now. But the bottom-line is that I am really glad to be home with Crystal, the kids, and Mt. Sinai. Last night, Johnny Gilmore, our new organist, was with us in worship for the first time. I look forward to him growing with us. There is electrical work being done on our building. Pray for Gilbert and his crew as they do their work. And pray for our staff as they do their work with all that is going on at the building.

Speaking of my staff, you can hear George's Sunday sermon on the Rich Young Ruler on our church website. It will be under Matthew in the sermons section. God bless.

Reading Ephesians

On Sunday, June 4, I am scheduled to begin an verse-by-verse exposition of the New Testament Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians. I have asked the congregation of Mt. Sinai Church to read the six chapters of Ephesians, a chapter a day, between Monday through Saturday, leading up to the beginning of our study. Please join us as we familiarize ourselves with this wonderful letter of scripture.

"Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places." - Ephesians 1:3

Sleepless in Dayton

It is just past 2 AM here in Dayton. I am tired, lonely, and homesick. And I cannot sleep. I flew all day Saturday to get here (It was morning when I left LAX; evening when I arrived in Dayton). I got something to eat and basically went straight to bed. My day started pretty early this morning. I had to preach twice at the Phillip's Temple CME Church, for their 9 and 11 AM worship services. Pastor James Washington is a kind and gracious host. In fact, his kindness to me has been somewhat embarrassing. He really goes out of his way to make sure that I am comfortable. The first service was okay. It all moved so fast, that it was kind of hard for me to catch up with the pace of the service. I am not sure whether or not it showed during in my delivery. In the second service, I was a little more relaxed. And I think my presentation of the word was better in that service. But God knows that I gave my best to him in both services.

After worship, I got something to eat (I had one of the best omelets I have had in a long time) and came back to my room. I napped briefly. But I have been up every since. I have watched some TV preachers. I have talked to my family. I have went for a walk. I have studied and prayed. I have talked to a friend who needed my ear at a critical time in the life of his ministry. I am exhausted now. But I am unable to get relax and get to sleep. It may be that, for all my traveling, I am very rarely away from home on a Sunday. I usually come home from trips on the weekend, rather than the other way around. Thankfully, I don't have much scheduled for Monday besides prayer and study. I trust I will be able to catch up on my rest.

From the initial reports I have received, the Lord richly blessed the day at MSMBC. George preached on the Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19:16-22). I heard that he did a good job with the text and presented a strong message. Two people responded during the call to decision. I hear that the report from our Singles Conference, which took place this weekend, was rather moving. I really praise God for all that he has done at, in and through Mt. Sinai this Lord's Day. It saddens me that I was not able to be with my beloved congregation. But I am always encouraged to hear that the Lord's faithfulness continues without wavering, even when I am absent. I look forward to getting home to my family and congregation Wednesday. Pray for me.

From Greensboro to LA to Dayton

By the grace of God, I made it home safely this morning from Greensboro. My final night at the Garden of Prayer Church was uplifting and encouraging. I was really blessed by my time with Pastor Keelan Atkinson and the Garden of Prayer family. I had an early flight home this morning. And when I arrived, I received the news that my wife's father had been taken into the hospital. He is in stable condition, I later discovered. But he is not doing well. Next week, Crystal will go to Midland-Odesa, Texas, to check on him. I have tried to spend as much of my day with Crystal and the kids, even though I have been half sleep most of the day. In the morning, I have a flight to Dayton, Ohio. I have three messages I am scheduled to preach for Pastor James Washington and Phillip's Temple CME Church. This will be my first time in Dayton. That always makes me especially nervous. Likewise, I will be out of my pulpit on a Sunday morning, which is not something I like to do. I am scheduled to come back home Wednesday, to preach our Midweek Worship Service. Pray for me.

My Da Vinci Confession

This weekend, the "The Da Vinci Code" will be released in theaters around the country. And as this much-hyped movie comes out, I feel the need to make a confession: I have not read the book. And barring some minor miracle, I will not see the movie, either. Some time ago, I learned not to get overly excited about the cultural attacks against Christianity. In fact, I have come to expect it, at this point. When Christmas and Easter comes, I started looking for the new "discovery" some supposed "expert" has made about "true" Christianity. Really, no religion is so freely attacked in America as Christianity. So the whole Da Vinci phenomenon shouldn't be a surprise.

Actually, the "Code" is more of an attack against Roman Catholicism, than Protestant Evangelicalism. So there is a part of me that says, "If Da Vinci hurts the Roman Catholic version of Christianity, oh well." But the problem with responding this way is that those who are so targeted in their attacks against Christianity are not as careful in representing what Christians actually teach and believe. So maybe we are all on the same boat when these attacks arise. But while these attacks may be good opportunities to clarify our biblical convictions, I still contend that we should not get too caught up in all of the hype. I think it is not wise to let the culture dictate the conversation of the church. If so, we will be chasing down one lie after another. It seems that the better way is to make our people so familiar with the authentic Christian faith that they will be able to readily spot counterfeits.

I am a part of a congregation that asks a lot of questions. I like that about Mt. Sinai. I enjoy being with people who are thinking about spiritual matters, wrestling with their questions, and seeking the truth. But, interestingly, I have not received one question about Da Vinci. In fact, I do not personally know one person who has actually read the book. Admittedly, this may be a statement about how small my world is. I read something yesterday that said 1 in 5 Americans have read Da Vinci. So I don't know what that says about me and my world that we haven't been "encoded." It may be a good thing (we are discerning), or a bad thing (we are disconnected from the larger culture). I don't know.

When it these attacks against our faith arise, I think that we should just continue in the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, and let the world say and do what the world says and does. Do you know how many things have arisen that were supposed to "expose" the myth of Christianity. Yet, after 2,000 years, Christianity continues to bury the things that were supposed to kill it. By the way, have we forgotten that "The Da Vinci Code" is a novel. It's not theology. And it's not history. It's fiction. And it may be plagiarized fiction, at that. So maybe we should all take a deep breath, step back, and wait for this latest attack to pass away. See you at the "Da Vinci" funeral.

My Opening Message at Garden of Prayer

Last night, I gave my first of four messages at the Garden of Prayer Church in Greensboro. It was a good meeting. In fact, it went much better than I expected. Keelan, the pastor of this congregation, is my friend. And it's hard for me to preach for my friends, for some reason. But I really did right at home last night. And, from the comments of members to me after the service, the message was a great encouragement to many. Praise God for that. I have three more messages to preach and then I'll be headed home. Pray for me.

Headed to Greensboro

I am in Cincinnati, awaiting my connecting flight to Greensboro, NC. I am scheduled to preach at the Garden of Prayer Sovereign Grace Baptist Church through Thursday. My friend, Keelan Atkinson is the pastor. Keelan has served there for about a year and a half. Keelan is also a blogger, sort of. He has a blog, I should say. But he hasn't published a post on it in almost a month. Pray that he will "repent" and get back to it. This will be my second time preaching at Garden of Prayer. I did their "Friends and Family Day" last year. I don't think I did a good enough job to have been invited back again. But that's what friends are for. I will probably have to go straight from the airport to the meeting to preach tonight. But that's okay. Im used to doing that. And I think I just want to go preach tonight and then get in the bed. I am still rather tired from a rather long weekend.

Speaking of the weekend...
We have a good day yesterday. In my Sunday School class, I taught a lesson entitled "Edify One Another." I was not able to finish the lesson during our hour together, so I will have to pick up the second part of it on the fourth Sunday, God willing. In our worship service, I preached on "Worship through Giving" from Malachi 3:8-12. I know, I know. It was Mother's Day. But it is also our Financial Stewardship Emphasis Month. And it is the one time a year that I an guaranteed to teach on money matters. So I went for it. I wanted the message to be both challenging and encouraging. And I think I pulled it off, even though I feel that both the message itself and the presentation of it could have been much better. But I pray that the Lord will honor the word and lead us to be more generous in our giving to God.

After worship, we went home and passed out. Then we went to the graduation ceremonies for George Hurtt. George, my friend and colleague at MSMBC, graduated from The Master's Seminary with his M.Div. degree. It was a special occasion. I know that his mother and the rest of his family must have been very proud of him. Dr. John MacArthur, the brought the message. It was a message from on of his books that I have read. But I still found it to be helpful and challenging to hear these principles again. After the ceremonies, we had a late dinner together and then home and kind of passed out again. I woke up this morning grateful to have another opportunity to go preach, but somewhat down about the fact that I have to leave home again. I am tired of being on the road. I have a little longer to go in this extended stretch of meetings, then I will be able to take a break from all of this travel. I really look forward to it. Pray that the Lord will help me to press on through this busy time and that the Lord's sustaining grace would enable me to do his will.

Heading Home from Grand Prairie

My last night in Grand Prairie was cool. I was quite nervous, as I sat in the service. Quite a few pastors and preachers were present to hear me preach - from one of my father's old friends to one of my new friends to a bunch a young pastors and preachers who had come to "scope me over." And I was preaching a message that I did not intend to preach. It was a bit unnerving. I have preached before a lot of of preachers before, so I really don't know why I was so nervous. Before the message, a young lady sung "I Don't Know About Tomorrow." This is one of the songs my mother taught me to sing when I was a little boy. I really didn't understand the song, when I was a boy. But as I have grown up, the song has meant much more to me, even though I have not actually sung it in years. Anyway, the deal lady ran me bad. And I had to try to catch my composure, so I could preach. The sermon seem to go okay. The crowd pushed me at points. And I started rushing at the end. But I believe it was a pretty clear presentation of the message.

I am presently at my gate in DFW Airport, awaiting my flight home. If the Lord allows me to get home safely, I plan to have a rather quiet day with my wife and kids. I am pretty much ready for tomorrow. And I look forward to being with my beloved congregation in worship and fellowship. Pray for me.

Last Day in Town - Grand Prairie

Tonight, I will preach my final message of this meeting at Morning Star Baptist Church in Grand Prairie. Pastor Christopher Taylor has been a very gracious host, as usual. And the Morning Star family has been a warm and encouraging place to preach, as usual. Likewise, there have been quite a few young ministers who have come to support the meeting, most of whom I am meeting for the first time. I really do appreciate these young men attending the services and showing such kindness to me. I feel a little out of my league, being around some of them who are so young, and yet have finished their formal theological training for ministry. But it is very encouraging to see these young men taking their preparation for ministry so seriously. I hope and pray that my personal conduct and ministry work will be an encouragement to these young men, and that the Lord would not allow me to join the number of the many bad examples of ministry that are everywhere around us.

In the morning I am scheduled to fly home. If the Lord blesses my study today, I will be pretty much ready to preach Sunday by the time I get home. That would be really cool. I would get to spend all of my time with my family, when I get home. We are in our Financial Stewardship Emphasis Month at MSMBC. This is the one time a year that the church knows I am going to preach on money matters. This Sunday, I am planning to preach an exposition of Malachi 3:8-12, called "Worship through Giving." It will be th first time I have preached on this tithing passage in a long time. I already have a completed manuscript, which I have preached several times. But I am trying to beef it up, adding additional insights and clearer arguments to my message. Even when I am preaching something old, it's hard for me to keep from messing with the manuscript. I am like David in that I do not want to offer to the Lord that which has costs me nothing (2 Sam. 24:24).

I look forward to getting home and being with my family and congregation this weekend. Sunday, my friend and colleague, George Hurtt, is scheduled to graduate from The Master's Seminary with his M.Div. degree. I am very excited for him. And I look forward to the ceremony this Sunday afternoon. I am planning on continuing my Sunday School series with a lesson on "Submitting to One Another." And I look forward to do something special with and for my wife, who is a loving and diligent mother to or two children. Pray that the Lord will bless my final night here in Grand prairie and get home safely this weekend.

Busy, but Blessed

This week is only two days old. But it has been a pretty busy one, nonetheless. I have a plane to catch in the morning to Grand Prarie. So I have been trying to get a lot done over the past day or so. God has been faithful. I have been pretty busy. But I am blessed. God is good. I am so grateful to God for all that he is doing in and through me during this season of my life. Even the challenges are blessing me to grow up spiritually. I praise the Lord for it all!

This past weekend was the beginning of our Financial Stewardship Emphasis Month, which is each May. Saturday was our financial stewardship seminar. It was not as well attended as we would have liked. But the material was quite helpful. We plan to do another in October, to give our members another opportunity to receive this practical help in money management. I preached a message on 1 Chronicles 29:10-19, entitled "A Godly Attitude toward Material Possessions." The message was disrupted by a dear but troubled lady who lives in our neighborhood. I tried to preach through it, but it was wrecked my message. There was a 20 minute stretch of sermon where I could not tell you what I said. I was saying whatever I memorized from my manuscript. But my mind was praying that this lady on the front row would not cause a major scene in the service. And I was praying that the church would stay focused. It was a wierd experience. But I hope that some part of the message got through. Overall, it was a great day. Sunday School was great. And our worship service was great. The Lord blessed me with wisdom and strength, even though I had a rather touch weekend.

In the morning, I will be flying to Dallas to preach in Grand Prarie for Pastor Christopher Taylor at the Morning Star Church in Grand Prarie. Christopher is a strong preacher. And Morning Star is a warm church. I have not been there in a few years. But I look forward to sharing with them again. I hope and pray that the church is still healthy and growing. Pray for my travels.

Keep Trusting God's Word When Trouble Comes

Last night, during our National Day of Prayer Service, I resumed my exposition of Psalm 119. I was scheduled to preach this message last Wednesday night, but both physical fatigue and mental distractions resulted in me going home to get in the bed hours before the service. Praise God I had another opportunity to present this message. And after having a week to let it "marinate," I didn't have some of the typical anxieties I have when I am preaching a new message. Likewise, this has been a really tough week for me. I am now going in the different direction that what is really on my heart to do. Honestly, I am tired of doing that. I am not even sure that it is the right thing to do. But it often seems the wise thing to do for the sake of maintaining unity. Well, with all of this going on within me, the one who preached last night probably needed the message much more than anyone and everyone in the room who heard it. Preaching that message last night has saved my ministry at a critical time of frustration, disappointment, and exasperation. Here is the sermon skeleton. I hope you will find it helpful as you read through Psalm 119.

Title: "Keep Trusting God's Word When Trouble Comes"

Text: Psalm 119:49-56

Theme: The sustaining power of God's word for troubled believers

Point: Keep trusting God's word even when trouble comes.

Outline:

I. God's word produces true hope (v. 49).

II. God's word produces great comfort (vv. 50-52).

A. The source of our comfort (v. 50)

B. The depth of our comfort (v. 51)

C. The means to our comfort (v. 52)

III. God's word produces holy zeal (v. 53).

IV. God's word produces stubborn joy (v. 54).

V. God's word produces faithful obedience (vv. 55-56).

Home Safely from San Diego

Praise God! The Lord blessed me to get home safely from San Diego this morning. The final service at Bayview Church was good. I shifted away from what I had been preaching on all week, to preach a message that was on my heart. I think it was a clear presentation, even though I was somewhat nervous about preaching it. As always, Pastor Winters was kind and generous to me. I appreciate the time he takes with me. In fact, I was so anxious to spend time with him that I followed him to eat different kinds of foods that what I normally eat (my personal diet of foods is very limited). Anyway, I made it home safely this morning. But my luggage did not. I am not sure where it is at this point. And neither does the airlines. Isn't it amazing that luggage can be lost between San Diego and Los Angeles? I am now at my study at the church, preparing for our National Day of Prayer Service tonight. I am to preach in the service tonight. May the Lord hold my mind, so that I may be able to concentrate on my assignment tonight.

Wrong vs. Right

One of the hardest things in the world to do is to say that you are wrong when you really believe in your heart that you are right.

Last Day in Town - San Diego

I have one more message to preach tonight at Bayview Baptist Church in San Diego. Then I will be on my way home. Yippee!!! I am so homesick; I don't know what to do. I woke up this morning and began packing my bags, even though I am not scheduled to leave until tomorrow morning. Usually, I pack an hour before it is time for be to leave. But I am really anxious to get home. Now, this is not a statement about Bayview Church in any way. I have had a good week here, ministering to this great congregation. And I have learned so much by spending time with Pastor Winters. He has been quite generous with me in sharing his godly wisdom and pastoral insights. I am not sure why Pastor Winters is so moved to show such kindness to me. But I am truly grateful for it. I am not sure, however, that my preaching has fulfilled his expectations this week. This is Bayview's "Next Level Celebration," which is a part of their capital campaign for the new building they are seeking to build. And I think that pastor wanted me to preach some messages around that theme. But I didn't know that until I was two messages in. And by then, I was headed in a certain direction and it has been hard for me to change courses. I hope this has not been to much of a disappointment to pastor. And I pray that the congregation has been ministered to through my messages.

I miss Crystal and the kids, desperately. I have been on the road quite a bit this past month. And I long for my family, my home, my bed, my study, and my congregation. For young pastors and preachers who think that traveling to preach is some glorious thing, think again. It can be quite lonely, frustrating, and taxing. I feel that way this week. And I look forward to getting home tomorrow, God willing. I am scheduled to preach tomorrow night for our National Day of Prayer Service. I intend to preach on Psalm 119:49-56. I am labeling the message with an exhortation, "Keep Trusting God When Trouble Comes." I was supposed to preach this message last Wednesday night, but I did not attend the service. I was really too tired and distracted to preach, which has rarely happened to me over the years of my pastorate. But thank God that I may get another shot at it this week. I miss preaching to my own congregation. It has been a week and a half since I last stood in my pulpit. But it seems like it is much longer than that. Also, some things have come up this week that I have had to deal with that I would rather not be having to deal with on the road. It has been kind of distracting from my preaching assignment. But the Lord has been faithful, as always. And I trust that he will bless me to faithfully preach my final message tonight and then get home to my family and congregation. Pray for me.

Godly Wisdom from a Faithful Shepherd

I have two more messages to preach at Bayview Church before I go home. I have preached three so far. Sunday was kind of tough. I really don't think I "connected" with the congregation in either of the morning services. But I was still blessed to be there. Pastor Winters is such a joy to be around. A for a young pastor to be able to sit with him and watch him lead his congregation is an enriching experience. Sunday evening, Crystal and the kids headed home so that the kids wouldn't miss school. That was difficult. I didn't want them to go. Or maybe I should say that I wanted to go home with them. Anyway, I rested a lot yesterday. And the Lord blessed the service last night. I felt a lot more relaxed. And the congregation seemed to be a little more receptive to the message (I mean this in terms of attentiveness.). After the service, Pastor Winters took me to get something to eat. And that hour or so at the table with him was worth the whole trip. Pastor Winters is a godly man, a faithful shepherd, and a humble servant-leader. And he has much wisdom to share. And his pastoral insights were very helpful. I appreciated all the advice he gave me and pray that I will be able to put it into practice. Praise God for Pastor Timothy Winters and the Bayview Baptist Church of San Diego!

The Church's Biggest Problems

Yesterday, a brother asked me, "What do you think are the biggest problems facing the church today?" For the record, I don't like these kinds of questions. And I really don't like being on the receiving end of one of them. It seems kind of presumptuous to me to try to answer for the spiritual condition of large sections of Christians in the world. I have a hard enough time monitoring my own heart, not to mention my own congregation. So it seems to that I should be pontificating about the larger body of Christ. Yet, we talk like this all the time. I trip out when I turn on one of the "religious talk shows" and here the host asks some high-profile religious personality, "What do you think the Lord is saying to the body of Christ today?" I'm waiting for someone to be humble enough to look the host in the eye and say, with all sincerity, "Huh?" Anyway, I've been thinking about that brother's question. And from my little corner of the world and my limited personal experience, I believe there are several problematic issues that are hindering the spiritual health and growth of many Christian believers and congregations. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. A lack of confidence in the sufficiency of Scripture

2. An unbiblical philosophy of ministry

3. An absence of theological reflection and doctrinal consideration

4. A preoccupation with worldly success

5. A failure to practice biblical discernment

6. A celebrity mentality toward spiritual leadership

7. A refusal to embrace the biblical order of gender roles

Now, I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet. So this list is not "inspired," in any sense. These are just my peronal observations. I used broad terms so that my list would be no more than 7, rather than longer than 25. These are the things that I am personally concerned about as I read, travel, and observe Christian ministry in across America. And I pray that the Lord will help me to be faithful to him in these areas within my sphere of influence.

I'm curious to hear your comments. What do you think are the biggest problems facing the church today?

Sleepless in San Diego

It is late (or early, depending on how you view it). I am in San Diego to preach for Pastor Timothy Winters and the Bayview Baptist Church through Wednesday evening. Crystal and the kids came down with me for the weekend. San Diego is a special place for me and Crystal. So we don't need to have much of an excuse to drive down to San Diego. And the kids just like going somewhere... anywhere. So they were also excited about coming down with me. We got here this afternoon and spent a slow, quiet, and leisurely evening together. We didn't do much of anything in particular, which is just the way we like it. And we all went to bed quite early. However, I woke up some time ago and have not been able to go back to sleep. As I write this post, my family is knocked out sleep. I've been making noise over the past hour, but that has not phased them one bit. They are able to sleep through an earthquake. I am a very light sleeper, who wakes up constantly throughout the night many times. Something woke me up (I'm not sure what the noise was), and I have been awake sense then. I hope to get back to sleep soon. I have to preach twice in the morning, during the 7:45 and 11 AM services at Bayview.

Pastor Winters is a humble man, a great teacher, and a faithful pastor. And Bayview is one of the leading congregations in San Diego. I have been here a few times before. When I first started preaching the citywide revival here some years ago, the evening services were held at Bayview. That's how I met Pastor Winters. During those times I got to see Pastor Winters and Bayview in action, up close. And I have been so blessed and encouraged by their ministry example. On several occassions, Pastor Winters has invited me back to preach various meetings at Bayview. But this is the first time I have ever done a series of meetings at Bayview. Bayview is a good preaching place. And I trust and pray that this will be a fruitful meeting.

My friend, Pastor Q. Chad Foster from Houston, is in Los Angeles to preach at Mt. Sinai for our Lord's Day service. Likewise, this Sunday our congregation will give a special offering to support Missions. These Missions offerings are new for us, and are scheduled for each fifth Sunday of the year. The congregation gave very generously in our last offering in January. I am praying that they will give even more this Sunday. It is our desire to give to a group that ministers to homeless women and children in Los Angeles. Did you know that Los Angeles is the homeless capital of America? And did you know that fifty percent of the people on the streets each night are women and children? This group specifically ministers to this group. And I praise God for the opportunity to support their work. A representative from this ministry is scheduled to speak in our worship service this morning. I pray that the presentation will move the saints to give generously. Likewise, we intend to support our friend brother Alex Matthai of Hope International Ministries, a missonary group that targets the lost in India. Brother Alex is scheduled to go there in the next month to prepare the Bible college he has planted there to preare for its upcoming school year. Our giving will help support that great work, as well. May the Lord bless MSMBC to have a rich day of worship and fellowship, even in my absence.

Preaching Evangelistically

I have just finished reading a book entitled, Preaching Evangelistically (Broadman & Holman Publisher). It is written by Al Fasol, Roy Fish, Steve Gaines, and Ralph Douglas West. I saw an add for this book in a magazine a few weeks ago. And when I saw it in a store somewhere, I immediately picked it up. I wanted to read it for several reasons. First, Al Fasol is in it, writing about preaching. Fasol's book, Essentials for Biblical Preaching, which I have read several times, is a really helpful book on preaching. And his work on sermon delivery, A Complete Guide to Sermon Delivery, is also a very helpful book. I also have his book on the history of Southern Baptist preaching, With a Bible in Their Hands. But I have not read it yet. So when I saw that Fasol had written on some more preaching, I was eager to pick up the book.

I was also eager to read the book because of its subject matter. There are not many books out that deal directly with the dynamics of evangelistic preaching. And, admittedly, I do not think this is an area that I am strong in. That might sound odd, seeing that I preach so many church revivals. But when I am out of my pulpit, I am preaching messages that I have already preached to my own congregation. And the messages I preach at MSMBC are primarily to edify believers. Indeed, I prepare to preach each week with sensitivity to the fact that there will be unbelievers present. And I believe that clear, faithful, and Christ-centered biblical preaching will bear fruit. But it would not be true to say that most of my preaching targets the lost. But I am praying that God would give me and Mt. Sinai a greater evangelistic zeal. And I want that godly zeal to be more evident in my preaching. I want to see more people saved, converted, and transformed by my preaching, even as I strive to faithfully nurture the saints who are already under my pastoral watch.

Another reason why I wanted to read this book was because of the other authors. One is Steve Gaines. I have never heard him preach before. But I know that he is the pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, who suceeded Adrian Rogers. So I was curious to read him. I was really interested in reading the work of Ralph Douglas West. West pastors the Brookhollow Baptist Church in Houston. His preaching has been a great blessing to me over the years. Even though I don't like the fact that the back cover specifically notes that he is an "African-American" preacher (without speaking of the racial background of the other three authors), I am glad that West's work was added to this book. I pray that he continue writing. I encourage the reading of this little book to young preachers and pastors. You may not agree with everything conclusion in it, but it will certainly encourage your zeal for the glory of God in your preaching and evangelism.

Preaching in Louisville

The Lord really helped me through a long weekend. I continued my series on the "One Another" commands in Sunday School. Yesterday's lesson was on "Serving One Another." I was not able to finish the lesson, so I will have to do a part 2. In our worship service, I concluded our preaching series on the Ten Commandments with a message entitled, "Overcoming Covetousness" (Exodus 20:17). I was not really tired at all, even though I should have been. In fact, after I gave the benediction, you could have easily convinced me to preach again. But that all changed about an hour or so later. Fatigue mugged me. But Crystal and I had given our word that we would attend the closing service of my pastor's anniversary celebration at Mt. Moriah. So we went. Afterward, we came home and hung out at the house with the kids until we all fell asleep.

I had a 6 AM flight through Chicago to Louisville. I am here to preach the opening night of a revival for Dr. Walter Malone at the Canaan Christian Church. I have never Pastor Malone before. And I have never been to the Canaan Church. But we have mutual friends. And I have heard much about the great work Pastor Malone and his congregation is doing here in Louisville. For some reason, I am unusually nervous. But I trust the Lord is going to use me tonight to preach the word. I am not sure who the other two speakers are. But I pray that this opening night will bless, edify, and challenge this pastor and congregation in their ongoing work of fulfilling the Great Commission.

My First Church Blog

My friend, Tony Rhone, began his first pastorate this past Easter Sunday at the Galilee Baptist Church in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Prior to agreeing to serve the Galilee Church, Tony served as the assistant to the pastor at the Fairview Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, where John A. Reed, Jr. is the pastor. Tony is also Reed's son-in-law, who has been married to his oldest daughter for over 20 years. Tony is a good friend, a godly brother, a servant leader, and a faithful preacher. Please pray for him, his family, and the Galilee Church. And check out Tony's new blog, in which he chronicles the opening days and weeks of his new pastoral assignment.

Leaving Oklahoma City

Well, the Lord was kind to me last night. I had to preach twice - at both 7 and 10 PM. And the Lord gave me strength and wisdom for both messages. I have recently lost a storage unit. And I had deleted the message I intended to preach at 7 PM after placing the manuscript on it. But after having the storage unit for only a week, I lost it. So I didn't have my sermon. Thankfully, my secretary found a hard copy of the message in my study. She emailed it to me. And I rode to church trying to set my sermon to memory. And the Lord gave it to me. The Lord really blessed the closing message to Fairview Church. And then the Lord blessed me to preach the late night service. The church was filled to capacity. Many pastors that I respect and admire were in attendance. And, admittedly, I was quite nervous. But the Lord helped me to focus on my assignment. And I trust that those who heard the messages were helped, challenged, and encouraged.

When I made it back to my room, it was past midnight. And Pop was to come get me at 4:30 (Central), so I would be able to make my 6 AM flight. I am typing this post from Gate 4 of Will Rogers airport, in Oklahoma City. In a few minutes I will be boarding a flight to Dallas. And I am scheduled to connect there to a flight to LAX that should get me into town a little after 9 AM. The plan is for me to go straight to my speaking engagement this morning. I am scheduled to give a message/lecture on "Killing Sin in Your Life" (Colossians 3:5-9) for the men's conference of LA Bible Training School. Afterward, I intend to spend the afternoon with Crystal and the kids. I have a little more work to do for Sunday. But I am not worried about it right now. I am looking forward to seeing my wife and children. If I don't get to spend some time with them, I won't be in any state to preach and teach in the morning. So may the Lord bless me to get home safely and fulfill my speaking assignment, so I can get down to the "serious business" of hanging out with my family.

My Last Day In Town - OKC

Today is the last of the five days of preaching for me here in Oklahoma City. And it is scheduled to be the longest day of them all. This morning, at 8 AM, the annual prayer breakfast takes places. Dr. L.K. Curry of Chicago is to bring the message. It's a can't-miss situation. I have to hear Dr. Curry. Then, at the noon service, Pastor C. Dennis Edwards of Cincinnati is to bring the message. And that, too, is a can't-miss situation. Now, the two evening services are can-miss meetings, except for the fact that I am scheduled to preach them! I am scheduled to preach my last message for the Fairview Church family and then bring message in the late night service, which begins at 10 PM. Pray for God's great blessings on this final day of worship and fellowship. And pray that the Lord will give me wisdom and strength to preach the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ with faithfulness and clarity.

OKC Simultaneous Revival - Day 4

When I sat down from preaching last night, a strange feeling came over me. It was that sense of relief I feel after the third sermon I preach in most revivals. It's the feeling that my work is done and it's time to go home. Then it dawned on me that I have three more sermons to preach before I can go home. And relief then turned into fatigue. I am so physically tired, last night I think I could feel every footstep I took. But spiritually, I am being revived, encouraged, and strengthened.

This has been a great week, so far. Since I arrived here Monday, I have been in seven worship meetings. I have preached three sermons, and have four sermons. Well, that's not exactly true. I actually missed the sermon at the noonday service on Tuesday. My ride came to pick me up. But I had changed rooms. And he asked for my room number at the front desk, rather than my name. And so he waited for me in the lobby and I waited for him in my room. Finally, he left me. And I called a cab to take me to church. But the cab didn't know where he was going. And by the time I got to church, the sermon was over. I was so upset (not to mention embarrassed). But I picked up the CD and listened to it as soon as I got back to my room. In all, I have heard messages by Brian Carter (He's the new pastor of Concord Church in Dallas, where the late E.K. Bailey was the pastor). I have also heard messages by Betrain ("Choo Choo") Bailey, David Bullock, and Roosevelt Bradley. I have been greatly encouraged by all of these messages. Every message I have heard, so far, has reflected sound and conservative theology. And these have all been from young men. I praise God for that! God still has many preachers who have not bowed their knee to Baal!

Today, Theron Williams from Indianapolis will preach the noon message. And President Stephen Thurston will bring the late-night message. On tomorrow, there will be four services. Dr. L.K. Curry will bring the message at the breakfast service. C. Dennis Edwards will bring the noon message. And I am scheduled to bring the late-night message. So I am supposed to preach twice tomorrow night. Pray that the Lord will give me strength. Beyond these messages, I have quite a bit of work to get done for this weekend. This Saturday, I have a message to bring at a men's conference, when I get off the plane. Then, I am supposed to close out my series on the Ten Commandments on Sunday, and continue my series on the "one another" commands in Sunday School. My mother has been fussing at me, telling me to miss some of the mass services, so I can get some rest. And I have agreed with her each time. But the fellowship is so sweet, and the preaching is so good, I just can't bring myself to miss anything. And I will not be in any setting quite like this for the rest of the year. As much preaching as I do, it is good for me to sit under the word of God. Preachers need preaching, too!!!

First Night in OKC

Last night, I began my series of messages at the Fairview Baptist Church. The attendance was strong, the worship was warm, and the message was well received. The Lord gave me strength to preach, even though I battled with my sinuses all afternoon. I bumped into my brother in the hotel lobby on the to church. And I saw my mother, aunt, and cousin at church. It was a good evening. Afterward, I came back to the room and talked to Crystal for a while, then went to sleep. I needed to the rest. I am feeling much better this morning. Praise God!

Easter Monday

What is "Easter Monday"? I heard newscasters use that term last night and this morning. I had never heard it before? What does it mean? Anyway, it's "Easter Monday." And I am at LAX (again), waiting to get on a flight to go somewhere to preach (again). Yesterday was a good day. I was feeling sick all day Saturday, with a cough and congestion adding to my sinus problems. And I really didn't feel like preaching/teaching. I had finishing touches to put on the message that I wanted to preach Easter. But I was unable to get anything done. So I selected a message that I wrote a few years ago and preached it instead. It was on John 14:6, called, "How to Get to God." It's a strong message that I get really excited about. But I wasn't feeling well. So I struggled through it in both services. Attendance was good. Worship was warm. And the Lord moved several people to respond to the message. Praise God! Sunday School was also good. I am teaching on the "One Another" statements of the New Testament. And I taught on "Forgiving One Another." It's a touch subject to deal with. But the class was really attentive and responsive to the lesson. I have the best Sunday School class. They are a great joy to teach each week. After church, I spent the evening with Crystal, while the kids went out on the "play dates." We didn't do much of anything. We just hung out together - we are really good at that. And I needed the time alone with her.

So, here I am waiting for my flight to Oklahoma City. I am on my way to preach for Dr. John A. Reed, Jr. and the Fairview Baptist Church. And this meeting is a part of the larger Simultaneous Revival taking place in OKC. There will be some thirty different churches in revival at the same time. Each church will have their own services at night. And their will be mass services at noon and late night (10 or 10:30 PM, I think) each night. I am preaching five nights at Fairview (the only 5-nighter I will do all year). And I heard that I am scheduled to preach the late night service on Friday night, but I am not sure about that.

When I was a little boy, my father did this revival at Fairview each year. Dr. Reed and my father were dear friends. Pastor Reed would do my dad's revival each June (even though my father never called it a revival. He called it "Homecoming week.") And my dad would do Reed's revival each year, the week after Easter. I remember that my dad would preach all day on Easter. We would change clothes and get something to eat. Then we would get on the road, driving to OKC. My dad would heave LA after church on Sunday and be in OKC in time to start the revival at Fairview on Monday Night. It's enough for me just to get up Monday morning and get on a place for several hours! Anyway, the year after my father passed, Dr. Reed invited me to do the meeting, kind of in honor of my dad. And I have been doing the revival ever since. I think I have only missed maybe two years since I was seventeen.

I really enjoy preaching at Fairview. It is a lot like preaching at home. I feel a great sense of freedom in preaching there. If I preach really hard, they appreciate it. But if I get into my "Charles Stanley mode," and lecture without raising my voice too much, they appreciate the message just the same. I love it. I don't really feel much pressures about the congregations expectations related to style, when I preach at Fairview. It is really refreshing. I have probably preached in Fairview's pulpit more than any other, besides Mt. Sinai. Pastor Reed is my "adopted dad." Before my father died, he was "Uncle John." But since my father's death, he has been the paternal figure in my life. And he has been there for every significant moment in my adult life. I love him more than I can express. And I love his family and the Fairview Church. It will be a joy to go to my second "home." OKC is home to me for another reason. My mother lives there. And all my family, on my mother's side, is there. So I will get to see my mom and my grandma while I am in town. I should also get to see some my aunt and cousins and my siblings who live there. In fact, my brother Kevin, who pastors in Memphis, will also be preaching during this meeting. So I will get a chance to see him as well. I hope I get the chance to hear him preach, as well. It should be a good week. I don't know how much work or rest I will be able to get done this week. But I am trusting God to help me to manage my time as best as I can. Pray for me.

Good Friday - Easter

I had a rather long flight home yesterday from Detroit. It was scheduled to be almost five hours. But we were delayed in leaving Detroit, because of the weather. And it was a turbulent flight the whole way here. And once we neared LAX, we were diverted because of weather and air traffic. So the flight went way past five hours. It was exhausting. And my sinuses were bothering something terrible. When I landed, I took something for my sinuses, and it put me to sleep (as usual). By the time I woke up, it was 5 PM. And I wasn't feeling better. But church was less than two hours away. I got up, shaved, and headed for chuch. But I wasn't feeling well.

Our Good Friday service was well attended, even though it was raining. There were many guests in attendance. And we have a special mime group that performed, which was a first for us. We also had communion together, in remembrance of the Lord's Passion. I preached on "A Place Called Gethsemene," from Matthew 26:36-46. I really did not feel up to preaching last night. I was still groggy from the medicine I had taken. I was tired. And my sinuses were still bothering me. It was really hard for me focus, remember, and concentrate. I am sure that the presentation of the message was not as clear as I had prepared it. But as I was preaching, I started to feel better. And things started to come back to my mind. And so I think I was kind of jumping from place to place in my message. But I did the best I could under the circumstances, with God's help.

Today, I am hanging around the house as much as I can. It's just be and Trey here now. Crystal and Natalie are out doing "girlie" stuff. But I trust we will all do something together this afternoon. I still don't feel well. And I am trying to get as much rest as possible. Tomorrow will be a long day. We will meet for worship at 7 and 10:30 AM. I am supposed to preach those two services. And I also have to teach my Sunday School class at 9 AM. I am looking forward to it. I pray that the Lord really blesses our day or worship and fellowship. Then, Monday morning, it's back on a plane for another meeting.

HOMESICK

I am homesick!!!

Holy Week @ Burnette Baptist Church

I am in Detroit, Michigan. I "lost a day" yesterday. It was a little after 8 AM when I got on the plane at LAX. And it was close to 5 PM when I got off the plane in Detroit. It was a long, bumpy flight. But, thank God, it landed. That's all that matters. But flights like that drain my energy and leave me kind of sore. I got something to eat. Checked into my room. Shaved and showered. And it was time to go to church.

Last night, I began three nights at the Burnette Baptist Church. I first preached there when I was 17 years-old. Dr. L.A. Kessee was scheduled to do their Holy Week services in 1990. And because of illness, he was not able to attend. So he recommended me to Dr. J. Allen Caldwell. And Dr. Caldwell invited me, without knowing anything about me, based on Pastor Kessee's recommendation. And he kept inviting me, right up to the last year of his life in 2005. Dr. Caldwell is one of the men who adopted me, as it were. He kindness, wisdom, and encouragement has been an immeasurable blessing on my life and ministry. And the Burnette Church is family to me. Dr. Nathan Caldwell, Dr. J. Allen's son and co-pastor, now leads the church. And from every report I have received, he is doing a great job. Last night, I was able to see for myself. And I praise God that this great congregation is growing again and continuing its wonderful legacy of faithful ministry.

Admittedly, last night was a little strange for me. I came into the auditorium and was really captivated with all that had changed since last time I was here. Some of the changes were major; others were minor. But when you add them all up, it was all pretty overwhelming for me. I could feel Dr. J. Allen's absence, if that makes since. I could see all the progress that he had made. I saw so many familiar faces; yet, many new faces. Even the style of music had changed since last time I was here. There was a praise team leading the service! The platform was arranged differently. When I got up to preach, I had to work hard to concentrate. But I got through it. As I started preaching, our mutual familiarity with one another began to put the message in a certain "comfort zone," and made it rather easy to preach. I was like being at home again. I have two more messages to preach, tonight and tomorrow night. Then I will be headed back home to be with my own congregation for our Good Friday Service. Pray for the remainder of this meeting.

Palm Sunday

It was good to be back in my own pulpit this past Sunday. In my Sunday School class, I finished the opening lesson of my new series on the one another" commands of the New Testament. The lessons was on "Loving One Another." This coming Sunday, I intend to continue to the series with a lesson on "Forgiving One Another." In our worship service, I preached the ninth part of my series on the Ten Commandments: "Tell the Truth" (Exodus 20:16). I plan to preach the final message of this series on the fourth Sunday, after we get past Holy Week. I am working on a message on Matthew 26:36-46 for Good Friday. And I am working on a message from John 20:24-29 for Easter.

Today, I am in the office catching up on work and preparing myself to get on a plane in the morning. I have staff meeting this afternoon. And then I plan to spend the evening with Crystal and the kids. In the morning, I will be headed to Detroit to preach three days at the Burnette Baptist Church, where the late Dr. J. Allen Caldwell was the pastor. His son, Dr. Nathan Caldwell, is now the pastor. It will be my first time there since Pastor J. Allen's funeral last summer. I hear, however, that the church is going strong under Pastor Nathan's leadership. That is good news to here. I look forward to getting there and seeing for myself how God is at work in the life of Burnette Church.

From LR to LA

I am between flights, on my way home from Little Rock. Last night I finished three nights of preaching at the St. Peter Baptist Church, pastored by Robert Townsend. It was a good meeting. St. Peter is a good preaching place. They were attentive, patient, and receptive. This is a reflection of their pastor, R. Townsend. He himself is a strong Bible preacher, so I don't think his congregation expected him to bring in a preacher to feed them "popcorn."

This was my second time preaching at St. Peter. Last year, before my arrival, Pastor Townsend sent me an information packet about the doctrinal convictions and ministry philosophy of St. Peter. There were statements in it about the church's position on women in (pulpit) ministry, Charismatic theology (isn't that an oxymoron), and prosperity teachings. Honestly, I had never received a packet like that. And he immediately won my respect, before I even met him or arrived in Little Rock. And having spent time with him these past two meetings, my respect for him has grown all the more. In fact, I leave Little Rock considering myself to have gained a new friend.

If the Lord allows me to get home safely, I plan to check into the office and finish up some work I have to do to prepare for my Church Council meeting in the morning and for my Sunday morning assignments. After that, I intend to hang out with my wife and kids as much as I can this weekend. I miss them a lot and look forward to seeing them this afternoon. I really do think my family is the champion of making up for lost time. We play hard! And I can't wait.

This Sunday is Palm Sunday. But because of schedule restraints, I will press on with my series on the Ten Commandments. I am at the the ninth commandment, recorded in Exodus 20;16: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." I am calling the message, simply, "Tell the Truth." In my Sunday School class, I am scheduled to finish up the lesson I began last Sunday on "Loving One Another." Last hour, I talked about the call to love one another. This Sunday, I intend to talk about both the importance and practice of loving one another. I really do look forward to being in worship with my own church family and ministering the word of God to my beloved congregation. I pray that it will be a great day of worship and fellowship.

Confidence in the Faithfulness of God

I listened today to an 9 Marks Ministries interview with Mark Dever and Phillip Graham Ryken of the Tenth Presbyterian Church in downtown Philadelphia. Dr. Ryken quoted Sinclair Ferguson about the faithfulness of God. In essence, the statement went like this: "Our confidence in the faithfulness of God is not just expressed in our thankful praise for what he is done in the past. It's also expressed in the works we endeavor to do for the Lord that require us to trust him in the future." I know that was not how the quote went, exactly. But that's the gist of it. And to that thought I have two words to say: "Wow!" and "Amen!"

St. Peter B.C. in Little Rock

I am in Little Rock, preaching the "Vision Conference 2006" for Pastor Robert Townsend and the St. Peter Missionary Baptist Church. And you can call me "The Rainman." It has been raining much of the past week or so in Los Angeles. And I came here expecting it to be very cold. But when I arrived yesterday, it was in the seventies. My son called me and told me it was raining. I laughed and told him the sun was shining here. But I might have spoke to soon. When I woke up this morning and opened the shades, their was rain on the ground. So I have concluded that I must be the "Rainman." I think it's following me around.

Last night was a good opening night. I flew all day and arrived in Little Rock in the afternoon. I had lunch with Pastor Townsend. And when I got to the room, I didn't have much time before I needed to begin to get myself ready for church. The service was warm and the congregation was receptive to my preaching. I did this meeting last year, so I think some of the people present remembered me from last year. So they willing to wait for me to get where I was going. I trust they were helped by the message.

Pastor Robert Townsend is a good man. He is two years older than I am. But he seems to have a lot more maturity than his age would suggest. Sometimes, as he is talking I forget that I am talking to a young man. (I wonder if that's how people feel when they talk to me.). I really do appreciate his humility, kindness, and authenticity. I don't like a lot of pretense. So I feel right at home around him. And he is doing a great work here in Little Rock. He pastors the church his father served (another thing we have in common). And his father, now retired, is there assisting him. And he is presently leading the church in a capital stewardship campaign, with the goal of becoming totally debt-free in the next three years. The congregation meets in a beautiful facility that is a little over ten-years old. There is plenty of parking. And they also use their old facility, which is on the other side of the parking lot, for their youth ministries. Pastor Townsend is even the president of the Baptist Ministers' Conference of Little Rock. Wow! I am still in shock about that one. And he is a strong preacher. I have not heard him in person before. But when I was here last year, he gave me a several tapes from the series he was preaching. They were all very good messages. So I know that his congregation is not starving for preaching. But I do hope that the Lord will use my preaching to further nourish this wonderful congregation this week.

LABTS Chapel

Monday night, I have the privilege of speaking in the chapel service of the Los Angeles Bible Training School. This training school is doing a great work, as it comes alongside local churches and assists in trains ministers and "lay people" to study, understand, and teach the word of God. One of the pastors of our church, George Hurtt, teaches a class on the Gospel of Matthew there. And two other of our pastors, Anthony Thompson and John Scroggins, attend classes there. The costs are minimum; but the rewards are great. The teachers are trained men who are committed to sound doctrine. I pray that the school will increase in influence and fruitfulness in the days to come.

I had a thirty minutes to preach, give or take. This made me very nervous. In most settings I preach in, I start when I begin and quit when I'm finished. Admittedly, I can be long-winded. But I try to be sensitive to how much the congregation can take, even though I don't do that well at times. The problem is that the way I prepare my messages, usually by writing out a verse-by-verse exposition in a homiletical form, causes them to be a certain length. Over the past several years, my manuscripts have been getting shorter (from an average of 11 pages to an average of 7-8 pages). But I don't think that shows in my preaching yet. Anyway, preaching in the chapel service was a good learning experience for me. When I got into the message, I have less than 30 minutes to preach. The chapel service is during a break between the classes. So they have to get out of chapel and get back into their classes. And I was never able to get into a preaching rhythm. I was consciously editing the message in my mind as I preached. And I think it made my presentation rather choppy. And my wife said that I was talking really fast and using a lot of set-up lines, rather than just saying what I wanted to say. She was probably right. All I know is that I didn't feel as if I was at my best. I was very nervous. And afterward, I was spent. And it showed. So much so, that my kids (6 and 4, mind you) told me on the way home that they thought my sermon was good. I guess my need for some encouragement was that obvious. But, again, you never know what God will do through the preaching of his work. I trust and pray that someone was helped, challenged, and edified by the message.

The First, Eighth, and Thirty-First

I am still recovering from yesterday. I feel like one pastor who I heard say, "I spend four months in church every Sunday." Most Sundays are long days for me. But yesterday was unusually so. For starters, my Saturday did not go as I planned. That's my fault. But my anxious Saturday followed my into Sunday. And I really wasn't as mentally alert as I usually am. In fact, I locked myself into my office an hour before Sunday School and typed out notes for myself to take to the pulpit. I write out my messages word for word each week, but I usually do not take any notes to the pulpit with me. When I do, I don't think I handle it very well. And I don't think my congregation does, either. So I have begun to type out notes to myself on half-sheets and stick them into my Bible, when I really need them. And I really needed them yesterday. My mind was just not focused enough for me to stand there comfortable without any notes in front of me. But, all in all, God blessed us to have a good day of worship and fellowship.

In my Sunday School class, I began a series of lessons that I am calling, " True Community through Mutual Care." It's basically a series on the "one another" statements of the New Testament. Yesterday, I did the first lesson in the series on "Loving One Another." I actually did not get passed the first point of the lesson. It may have been a result of my trouble concentrating, but I my mind kept drifting to passages that discuss the love of God for us. Of course, God's love for us is often given in scripture as the motive for our love for another. I was just supposed to make that point and move on. But I ended up spending the entire hour on the point, basically. So I will finish up that lesson next Lord's Day, God willing.

In our corporate worship service, I continued my series on the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17). I preached the eighth commandment: "You shall not steal" (Ex. 20:15). I called it, "Get it Right!" The presentation of the message was kind of difficult for me, having the notes in front of me. I am not used to having notes with me, so I kind of just preach as if they are not there. But then when I need them to remember something, I have to do some scanning to find what I wanted to say. And if the Lord doesn't keep my mind during all of this, I can totally lose my train of thought. The Lord was faithful. And I was able to get out most of the key points that I wanted to say, even though I don't think I said it was clearly as I would have like. But the congregation was attentive and responsive. I trust they were helped by the message.

Yesterday afternoon, we joined Mt. Moriah in celebrating Pastor Melvin Wade's 31st pastoral anniversary. Our kids left us after the morning service. And I was not scheduled to preach. So Crystal and I goofed off together. I got out of the wet clothes I was in. And we took a long drive to a restaurant Crystal likes. There was a time when she would have to drag me to this restaurant kicking and screaming. But now, I like the place too. We had a long, leisurely meal. Then I talked Crystal into driving us to church, while I took a nap. About 10 minutes away from the church, my phone started ringing. I turned off the ringer and went back to sleep. But Crystal's phone began to ring. She answered it. And it was for me. The news was that Dr. R.A. Williams, who was scheduled to speak, was not feeling well. So they needed me to preach. I laughed. Told them I would be there in a few minutes. And went back to sleep. I really did think it was a joke. But it wasn't. I was "drafted" to bring the afternoon message. And in the middle of my message, a woman became ill in the service. I freaked me out. The congregation was distracted. My instincts were telling me to stop and pray. And the men in the pulpit were telling me that they had it under control and to keep preaching. So I kept on preaching. But I never recovered my focus in the message. The congregation was very gracious and prayerful. But I gave them a highly edited version of the message and got into my seat as quickly as I could.

Today, I took the morning off to get some rest and spend some time with my wife. We had breakfast together and ran a few errands, before she dropped me off at the office. I have staff meeting shortly. Then I am going to go home to have dinner with my wife and kids. Then I have to get ready to preach the chapel service at the Los Angeles Bible Training School. Then I have to pack and get ready myself ready for my flight to Little Rock in the morning. I will be preaching for Pastor Robert Townson at the St. Peter Baptist Church Tuesday through Thursday. Please remember to cover me and my family with believing prayer as I travel to preach over the next several weeks.

When Judaizers Become Worship Leaders

As the Apostle Paul spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, there was a group of religious zealots (scholars call them "Judaizers") who followed him around "correcting" his teachings. These Judaizers contended that true salvation required both faith in Jesus Christ and adherence to the Mosaic Law of the Old Testament, particularly circumcision. Over and over again, Paul had to proclaim and defend the fact that God saves sinners by grace through faith in Christ, plus or minus nothing. I sometimes wonder if these men were sincere guys who just had some of the facts wrong. But one this is for sure. Paul did not view them as harmless believers who just simply needed a little better understanding of the truth. In Philippians 3:2-3, Paul writes, "Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the real circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh" (ESV). Paul used harsh terms to describe those who used to the Old Testament to bind legalistic rules to those those who were seeking God through faith in Christ.

I believe that we need to be just as firm when this error raises its ugly head in our day. And one of the places I think we need to pay careful attention to is our praise and worship. Lately, I have been hearing a lot of "inner court" and "behind the veil" kind of talk, using pictures from the Old Testament tabernacle/temple worship to exhort Christians to praise God. Now, there is anything wrong with using Old Testament terminology in worship. In fact, we regularly read an entire psalm in our corporate worship services on Sundays at Mt. Sinai. Truly, the Old Testament has a lot to teach us about how to worship God. But we must not embrace ideas of worship that ignore, neglect, or downgrade the total sufficiency of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Maybe we need to read the book of Hebrews again and more carefully. What we have in Christ is far more superior to what the Old Testament saints had, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. So we do not worship "on the mountain" or "in the temple." We worship in spirit and in truth. We offer acceptable worship to God through the access that we have as those who have been clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. We worship God through Christ who is a high priest, temple, sacrifice, and altar. Simply put, we worship Jesus Christ - our all-sufficient Prophet, Priest, and King!

Where Were You this Past Sunday?

This past Sunday I was absent from my pulpit at Mt. Sinai. I preached for another congregation. This is something that rarely happens over the course of the year. And it even more rare that I am absent from my own pulpit to preach somewhere in the Los Angeles area. If there is any place I would be preaching on a Sunday besides Mt. Sinai, it would be Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, where my pastor (Dr. Melvin V. Wade, Sr.) serves. There are very few others places that I would go to on a Sunday morning. But this past Sunday, I had a debt to repay. So I went to preach for Pastor Richard Sanders and the Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church in Compton (seems like a lot of "Mt." churches in this paragraph, huh).

Some years ago, in the late nineties, I did a message on gambling. And for several years, Pastor Sanders has asked me to either send him that manuscript or come preach that message to his congregation. I think I finally sent him the manuscript. But he told me that he needed me to come and preach it for him. And we had been trying to get our schedules in sync for some time, without much success. But earlier this year, he mentioned it to me again after a meeting. And I felt so guilty about my failure to set a time to come to him, that I told him to just name a time and I would come. And he did. And it was on a Sunday morning. But I felt it was right for me to go. So that's where I was this past Sunday. I was at Mt. Pilgrim Church preaching against gambling. I pray that it was helpful. The congregation is filled with young adults. And the church facilities are located about a mile away from a new casino that has been opened up in Compton.

I first preached for Dr. Sanders when I was fifteen or sixteen years old. And over the years, he has been a consistent friend and helpful mentor. And he is a whale of a preacher. My goodness, that man can flat out preach. I appreciate the fact that he took me under his wings, when I was still just a boy preacher. And he has not changed his mind about me over all these years. Mt. Pilgrim is a great church. And it was a joy to be in worship with them again. God is still doing great things through this local church. And I pray that the Lord continues to use Dr. Sanders and the Mt. Pilgrim Church to be a lighthouse in the Compton area, and beyond.

An Anniversary, Sort Of

This past weekend, I published my 100th post on this blog. Happy anniversary hblogcharlesjr!!! I don't think this has any deep significance or anything like that. In fact, I only noticed it in passing as I was signing on to the "dashboard" of my blog. But if TV shows can throw a big party after 100 episodes, I can at least note the fact that I have been at this for 100 posts. My first post was on August 15, last year. I simply called it, "I'm a Blogger Now!" It was really just a test post to see if I really know how to work the site. And here we are, seven months and 100 posts later.

Why did you start this blog? I had been reading and reading about blogs for time. I was first introduced to the term during some of the hotly-contested political battles of the past years. These so-called "bloggers" were being given credit for influencing elections, policies, and opinions by the things they wrote in their blogs. So I started checking some of them out. They seemed to me to be mostly written by people who wanted to be journalist, but couldn't get their foot in the door in mainstream publishing. Then, blogs suddenly began to pop up everywhere. And they were being written by all kinds of people on various different subjects. The first pastor with a blog that caught my attention was Dr. Ray Pritchard. He would write on all kinds of subjects, from updates on the life of his church to how many miles he rode on his bicycle to a new fast food joint he had found. I immediately became hooked, and began to check his site daily to keep up with him. But I never thought that I would or could do something like that. But one day I was a reading a magazine article about blogs and how to set them up. This blogger site was mentioned. So I checked it out. It seemed pretty easy to do. So I decided to get it a try. And I have been going at it since then.

What do you expect to accomplish with this blog? At this point, I just kind of write what I write when I write it. I can tell you that, initially, I had no thought that I would be writing about such personal things. I thought I would write articles and comment on current events. I didn't expect to be talking about why personal, family, and work. But at some point, my writing really does become a "online diary," of sorts. Now, I would like to make sure that I write on some serious subject each week. I also want to respond to more biblical questions and doctrinal issues, at times.

specifically, I hope to this blog does two basic things. First, I hope that it will sharpen my writing skills. I don't know if that's actually happening. But I do know that writing these posts have made me more comfortable with writing and crafting my ideas into words. That's a good thing. I'm a frustrated writer trying to break free. This blog is helping me to slowly chisel my way out. Likewise, I want my posts to encourage someone. And I believe that this blogs does that. But in many unexpected ways. There are many people who comment about something I have written that has been helpful to them in some specific way. And, usually, I'm surprised. Sometimes they have been encouraged by a post where I was just kind of venting about something. But praise God that the Lord is using my thoughts to help or encourage someone. I pray that this continues and increases.

What do your family and friends think about your blog? I don't know. I don't think my wife regularly keeps up with my blog. Occasionally, she will mention something that she read. But that's not often. Sometimes, I am talking to friends and they are talking to me about something that has happened in my life. And while they are talking to me, I am wondering, "How did he know that?" Often, it takes me a minute to figure out that they read something I wrong on this blog. So I have some friends who keep up with me through this blog. In fact, some complain that reading my blog is sometimes the only way to catch up with me. That's sad, but true. I am quite a reclusive, who spends most of my time in study during the day, and with my family during the evening, as much as possible. I am not sure what my church leaders and members think of the site. I don't know how many of them read it. I don't think I have publicly made mention of it in any of our corporate settings. And I only occasionally get personal comments about it. I think the jury is still out. I'm not sure. One thing I can say with absolute certainty. My dog, Lido, totally agrees with everything I write on this blog!

Do you read the comments? Absolutely. I have a link to my personal email that alerts me every time comment is posted to my site. I have a "smartphone" that enables me to check my emails wherever I am. And I most often read the comments on my phone, when I am not able to respond to them. And by the time I get back to my computer, I simply forget. But please feel free to comment. There are some days I do not write anything. Sometimes it's because I'm busy. But more often it's because I don't have anything that comes to mind to write about. Really, my life is not that interesting to be detailing much of what goes on with me. I am a rather simple man. I have a pretty quiet home life. And much of my ministry work is nothing spectacular. It's the normal church work of any other pastor-teacher. So feel free to comment with your questions, opinions, or other thoughts. We may be able to get a conversation going. That would be cool. I would love to hear from you. And, by the way, thanks for reading.

With My Family

I am at Disneyland with Crystal and the kids. I am typing this post on my phone (a first for me). Crystal kept the kids out of school today so that we could spend some time together. Last year, we bought annual passes, so we are able to come to the park without it costing us a kidney each time. I have much work to do this weekend. But I probably would not be able to get much of it done without spending some quality/quantity time with Crystal, H.B., and Natalie. I love them. I miss them. And I am glad to be home with them... momentarily.

Heading Home from San Francisco

Thanks for your prayers. The Lord blessed me to preach both messages yesterday. And he sustained me both physically and spiritually. The host pastors and attending church members were very prayerful, kind, and encouraging. I am very grateful for the privilege of participating in this meeting. I recognize these men could have asked anyone to come to their city to preach to their congregations. I am thankful that the Lord placed me on their hearts and led them to extend this invitation to me for the second time. The citywide meeting officially ends tonight, with a youth emphasis service. I do not know the pastor who will bring the closing message tonight. But I am heading home in a couple of hours. I usually only preach three-day meetings. So these four days feel like an eternity to me. I an looking for to getting home to see my wife and kids. I don't have any meetings today. So, if the Lord allows me to get home safely, I intend to hang out with my family today, before I get ready for another long weekend. Tony Bennett famously left his heart in San Francisco. Oh, well. My heart is with my wife, children, and congregation in Los Angeles. May the Lord bless me to get to them safely.

Strength for a Long Day

Please pray for me today. I am preaching in the citywide revival in San Francisco. I am the day speaker. The evening speaker is Dr. Marvin E. Wiley of the great Rock of Ages Baptist Church in Maywood, Illinois. There was a schedule conflict. And Dr. Wiley had to leave this morning to make it to another meeting. So I will be preaching both the day and evening session today. I have been struggling with voice/throat problems all week long. Last year, I caught a really bad cold here. This time, my voice has just left me. I don't know if I am allergic to San Francisco, or what. But please pray for me today that the Lord will give me both physical strength and spiritual empowerment to preach today. Pray for Dr. Marvin Wiley's travel today to his next preaching assignment. And pray that God will be glorified, the lost will be saved, and the saints will be edified in the worship meetings today.

Citywide Revival in San Francisco

I am coming off a long and busy week right into another one. Last Wednesday through Friday, I preached at the St. Paul Baptist Church in Sacramento, where Dr. Ephraim Williams is the pastor. The congregation was warm, prayerful and encouraging. And it was a blessing to spend time with Pastor Williams, who has so much pastoral wisdom to share. Saturday morning, I flew home, changed clothes, and headed to Mt. Sinai to lead a funeral service for a dear and longtime member of the church. Afterward, I was pretty wiped out. I took a really long nap, and then hung out with Crystal and the kids.

Sunday morning, I took questions in my Sunday School class. As always, they were very good questions. Most of them were about handling anger and our responsibility to help other people in times of need. In our worship service, I continued my series on the Ten Commandments. I preached the seventh commandment, recorded in Exodus 20:14: "You shall not commit adultery." We also had an afternoon service to attend. We joined the Mary Magdalene Baptist Church in celebrating the eighth anniversary of its pastor, Melvin King. I also brought the message in that service.

Yesterday, Crystal took me to the airport about 6 AM. I was scheduled to be on an early flight to San Francisco. But when I tried to check in, I discovered that my flight had been cancelled. I was then booked on a later flight. This gave me a wonderful opportunity to sit in LAX for several extra hours. It was absolutely exhausting. When I arrived in San Francisco, I went straight to the church to preach. I am the noonday speaker. So I had to get there and preach in my jeans and sneakers, to make sure I didn't miss the meeting. After service, I went to my room and took some cold medicine and went to sleep. The last time I was here, I got really sick. This time, I am armed with my medicine, overcoat, and everything else I need to prevent getting sick again. Please pray for me.

The evening speaker for the week is Pastor Marvin Wiley, who leads the Rock of Ages Baptist Church in Maywood, Illinois. Pastor Wiley is a good preacher. When Crystal and I get home in time from midweek service on Wednesday nights, we watch Pastor Wiley on the Word Network. But as good as his TV broadcasts are, they don't do his preaching any justice. Last night, Pastor Wiley preached the house down. Having gone through his own flight mishaps, he was tired. But it sure didn't show up his preaching. He help nothing back. And the Lord really used him to challenge and encourage the saints. It was a good start to the meeting. Please pray for the remainder of this meeting. I have four more messages to preach before I head home Friday morning. Pray that God will give me strength to preach his word. And pray for Pastor Wiley. Also, pray for the pastoral leaders of this citywide effort. And pray that this community of churches will be better and stronger after this week of meeting together.

Revival in Sacramento

I am in Sacramento. Tonight was the first of three nights I am preaching for Dr. Ephraim Williams and the St. Paul Baptist Church. These three nights are the pre-celebration of the church's 58th anniversary. Dr. Williams is a remarkable pastor and St. Paul is a remarkable church. This afternoon, I was given a tour of the church campus. I can't describe what a faith building experience that was. The auditorium holds about 2,800. There are more than 40 classrooms and an admistrative wing. There is a large dining hall, a wedding chapel, and much more. And when my tour-guide finished showing me the main campus, he showed me their new family life center, which is about a month or so from completion. It will house a gym with 4-6 basketball rims, conference area, administrative wing, day care center, arobics area, youth recreational area, stage, weight room, racket ball court, stage, bookstore, and classrooms. I am not easily impressed. But I couldn't hide how impressed I was with what the Lord has blessed this congregation to accomplish.

Dr. Williams is truly a visionary leader. He is a very kind, godly, and humble man. Being around him is so refreshing and encouraging. In May, he will celebrate 35 years as the pastor of St. Paul. And his passion for ministry is still strong. This congregation is truly a lighthouse in the Sacramento area. I am so honored to have been invited here to speak. I hope and pray that God will use the ministry of the word to be a blessing to this congregation this week.

Do you believe in Acts 2:38?

Last week, someone asked this question in the comment section of my blog: "Do you believe in Acts 2:38?" In the English Standard Version, that verse reads: "And Peter said, to them, 'Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." If this person asked me this question in person, I would ask, "Could you ask that another way?" I am not sure what the specific question about this verse is. So answering it is kind of like shooting in the dark. But I'll take a shot at it anyway.

1. Yes, I believe all scripture is inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16-17). So I trust every verse of the Bible to be the infallible word of the living God.

2. Yes, I believe that repentance is a part of saving faith (Acts 20:21).

3. Yes, I believe that baptism is the identifying mark of a true disciple of Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:18-20). No, I do not believe baptism saves. God saves sinners by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone (Eph. 2:8-9).

4. Yes, I believe that every person automatically and fully receives the gift of the Holy Spirit at the moment of conversion. No, I do not believe that believers receive the Holy Spirit in any way after conversion (Rom. 8:9). In the course of your Christian journey, the Spirit should get more and more of you (Eph. 5:18). But you don't get more of the Spirit.

I hope this helps.

The Church and the Family

This Wednesday, we will continue our Guest Lecture Series at MSMBC. Irvin Busenitz, Vice President for Academic Administration and Professor of Bible Exposition and Old Testamfrom at The Master's Seminary, is teaching on "A Biblical Approach to Christian Parenting." His opening lecture, last Wednesday, was a great blessing. On the many helpful, challenging, and encouraging things he said, there is one statement that I have been chewing on every since last Wednesday: "A strong family can survice a weak church. But a strong church cannot survive weak families."

Christian Fellowship and Internet Technology

Over the past week or two, I have received emails that reported the (alleged) scandalous sin of a high-profile pastor/Gospel Music artist (or is that Gospel Music artist/pastor?). Then, other emails began to come in, retracting the news reports. I have not searched out to the matter to see which story is true - the report or the retractions. And I don't intend to. But there is a larger lesson that I think we, as Christians, should consider as a result of this incident. Christian leaders (I'm not sure if that ought to be in quotation marks, in this case) are public figures. However, as brothers in Christ, we have a responsibility to handle news about them in Christian love. If these reports about this brother are false, then his reputation has been injured greatly and many people have been unnecessarily hurt by lies. And, of course, if this news is false, there will not be the same energy put into publishing the retraction that is was in putting out the lies. I believe Christ is dishonored and that our fellowship with one another is despised by such actions. And, even if it is true (and I pray that it is not), I don't understand how it would edify anyone to receive the emails that link people to such news. I don't have a alternative to recommend about how to handle news about public Christian figures. But spreading reports of their downfall across the internet doesn't seem to be the way. Christians should not be doing "tabloid" journalism.

And while I'm on this rant, let me beg us one again: stop making celebrities out of Christian leaders. We are called to be famous celebrities. We are called to be servant-leaders. We are to lead with willing hearts, humble spirits, and God-glorifying motives. The Lord has not called us to make us famous! We who preach, teach, write, sing, lead, etc. should resist any attempt to put too much attention on us and what we do. If people are really blessed by what you do, it's not because of you. It's because we are trophies of God's amazing grace. Give the glory to God. Stop "plagiarism against the Holy Spirit" (I got this phrase from Manuel Scott, Jr.), taking credit for things that only the Lord can perform. And those of you who are blessed by the ministries of others, thank God for the, encourage them, and pray for them. But don't treat them like celebrities. The fact that I am called to preach does not make me inherently more special than the rest of the saints in the church. We are humans. We are sinners. And we are all unworthy vessels that God sovereignly chooses to use for his glory. So stop treating men and women in the church like we are more than we are. This way, we the news of one's failures come to light, it won't be so devestating to people's faith and the mission of the church. In Christ there is no failure. Let's make sure that he is the only celebrity in the church (Col. 1:18)!

It's not About the Dollar!!!

Lately, several people have made statements to me about the fact that we upload my weekly messages onto our website for free. The concern is that we ought to be selling those messages, rather than letting people listen to them for nothing. Why do you we it? Well, let me be clear that we do not do it because I feel that I am such an outstanding preaching. I am an average preacher who is striving to get better. I have some good weeks and some bad weeks, like every other preacher. Honestly, it is somewhat difficult to have my messages put out there each week. Sometimes I leave the pulpit and I feel really good about the message I just preached. Other weeks I leave the pulpit wishing that I would have been too sick to preach that day! Either way, the message is placed on the sight unedited. In fact, some weeks when I finish shaking hands and head toward my study, I pass by George's office and he is already uploading the sermon. It's a little unnerving. But it keeps me on my game. So why do we do it? We do it because we want to use every method possible to publish the word of God. And the technology of this age we are blessed to live in allows us to go into all the world without actually going anywhere. What a blessing! Our motives are as simple as that. Please, pray for us that we will take advantage of even more strategic opportunities to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I bring this seemingly irrelevant subject up to make a point: It's not about the dollar! I hope that people will find it refreshing to have access to our ministry resources without having a price attached to everything. I must admit, it bothers me that it seems everything in the church today is connected to money. I'm a fairly active web surfer. And it disappoints me that so many churches and preachers put connect everything they do to money. Unfortunately, this seems to be especially true among high-profile ministries that are predominantly African-American. Last week, I attended the Shepherds' Conference here in Los Angeles, hosted by Dr. John MacArthur and the Grace Community Church. There were some 3,500 people in attendance. And they gave all of the registered attendees some 20 different books from major authors and publishers. Now, I don't go to many other the big conferences. But of the ones I have been to, this is something totally foreign to me. Each week, as I have studied Psalm 119, I have benefited from the audio messages of Steve Lawson that I have been able to download onto my iPod. And also benefit from reading the sermon manuscripts of men like John Piper, Ray Pritchard, who place the manuscripts on the web for free. And consider that much of these men's preaching becomes the material from which they write their books. You would think that this would be a good reason not to post their material. Apparently, it's not. In fact, John Piper's Desiring God Ministries encourages you to make copies of Piper's messages, only asking that you do not make more than 1,000 copies at a time. And they even have a "whatever you can afford" policy, which allows you to get their resources even if you don't have anything to pay.

Now, I am not suggesting that churches and ministries should give away all of their material for free. And I don't think we should expect that or desire that. We ought to be willing to share and make an investment into the ministries that God uses to bless us. But I don't like that so much of emphasis is placed on money. Now, we are in the works to make some of our material for sale on our site. But we will not be a church that has great big pictures of me on every thing we do. And we will not be a church that puts a price tag on everything. And we will not be a church that causes people to ask, "What is it going to cost me?" before we minister to them. I want us to be a church that is known for what we give, not for what we sell. And I hope that more preachers and churches will remember that we are to glorify God, preach Christ, and reach people. It's not about the dollar!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!!!

Today is my daughter's birthday. Natalie Marie Charles is four-years-old today. Praise God! I was preaching in Atlanta the night my son, H.B. III., was born. But I was blessed to be right there with Crystal when Natalie was born. Crystal wasn't feeling well. And we didn't take any chances. She had gone into premature labor with our son. And the doctor tried to delay my son's birth as long as possible. But after about a week, he was born six weeks premature. So when Crystal started feeling pains, we went straight to the hospital. They ran all kinds of tests on her. And they concluded that the baby was doing fine. But Crystal was in more and more pain. I will never forget the doctor coming to me saying, "We have to get the baby out of there." I was stunned. Something was going on with Crystal that they couldn't figure out. And they wanted to get the baby out, just in case. We prayed as they prepared her for surgery. And I remember that all those thoughts I had about how scary it would be to be in the room while she gave birth never crossed my mind. I was just prayerfully concerned about my wife and my daughter (I knew I was having a girl the before Crystal even became pregnant!).

They drugged Crystal up pretty good and then began the surgery. But she would scream every time they went in, which shouldn't have been happening. So they kept giving her more drugs, determined to get the baby out as quickly as possible. By God's grace, it was a safe delivery and a healthy baby. But as they sat Natalie down, something was still not right with Crystal. They kept looking and found a large cyst, which they removed. It was a remarkable thing to experience; concern for my wife, joy for my daughter. As Crystal rested, I cut the umbilical cord and gave Natalie her first bath. It was quite an experience. But we have been blessed by God to have a wonderful daughter who is beautiful, quite smart for her age, and full of personality. And I praise God for her.

Most of our time together is spent singing. Our favorite song is very simple. Natalie sings, "Daddy, daddy." Then I sing in response, "Natalie, Natalie." We can sing this for half an hour without interruption, if Crystal doesn't stop us. There is another little song I used to sing to her when she was a baby:

You're daddy's little girl, and I love you
You always make me smile, when I see you
You always pick me up, when I'm near you
I love you, you're daddy's little girl

And you always will be!!! Happy Birthday, baby girl.

The Shepherds' Conference

The Shepherds' Conference is meeting here this week at the Grace Community Church, where Dr. John F. MacArthur, Jr. serves as pastor-teacher. This conference is an annual meeting held for pastors, church leaders, etc. And it is always a great blessing. In the providence of God, John MacArthur has been one of the greatest influences for expository preaching in my life. I have learned much from his teaching and writing. His commitment to sound doctrine and Bible exposition has been a model that I have tried to follow. Likewise, the congregation he serves in many ways reflects the the message he preaches. That, also, is a great encouragement and challenge for me.

The keynote speakers this week are John MacArthur, Mark Dever, R.C. Sproul, Al Mohler, Steve Lawson, and Ligon Duncan. These men are all evangelical heavyweights. There are also various session each day on expository preaching, pastoral issues, and current issues. There was no way that I could get to them all. So I ordered the tapes of the ones that I was eager to hear or had not already heard. Various publishers are also present for the conference. And each year they give away books. This year some 20 books were given to each attendee. I really praise God for this. Most conferences get you there and then try to sell as much product to you as they can, in order to fatten the pockets of the high profile leader. But this one of the few conferences consistently gives its attendees. May their tribe increase! And may God's continued blessings be on John MacArthur, Grace Church, and The Master's College and Seminary.

Becoming a Faithful Witness

Here is my sermon skeleton from my midweek message:

Title: “Becoming a Faithful Witness of Scripture”

Text: Psalm 119:41-48

Theme: Becoming a faithful witness of God’s word

Point: Devotion to God’s word is marked by a growing commitment to personal witnessing.

Outline:

I. The Prayer of a Faithful Witness (119:41-43)

A. You need God to strengthen your witness (vv. 41-42).

B. You need God to sustain your witness (v. 43).

II. The Pledge of a Faithful Witness (119:44-48)

A. Be a obedient witness (vv. 44-45)

1. The life of obedience (v. 44)

2. The liberty of obedience (v. 45)

B. Be a courageous witness (vv. 46-47)

1. You ought to be a bold witness for God’s word (v. 46)

2. You can be a bold witness for God’s word (v. 47)

C. Be a devoted witness (v. 48)