I first saw the expression while riding down Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles. The “Godfather of Soul” had been arrested after leading police on a high-speed chase through several states. As “the hardest working man in show business” sat in prison, some enterprising brother found a way to profit from his troubles. He stood on Crenshaw, selling t-shirts that read, “Free James Brown!” Over the years, that expression has been adapted to call for the release – sincerely or sarcastically – of various persons in different forms of bondage. Consider this my appeal to #FreeGospelMusic. I love Gospel Music. I...

A Spiritual House Cleaning It was the time of the Passover. Jerusalem was filled with throngs of pilgrims who had come to remember and celebrate how the Lord delivered the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt. Jesus and his disciples were also in town. And when Jesus saw what was taking place in the temple, he cleaned house. Whenever religious machinery gets in the way of spiritual purpose, it’s time for a spiritual house cleaning. This record of Jesus cleansing the temple was a sign to believers and a sign to unbelievers. I.  A sign to believers (John 2:13-17)...

YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL LIST IN THE BOX AT THE TOP RIGHT OF THIS PAGE TO RECEIVE A FREE WEEKLY SERMON MANUSCRIPT. A big shout-out to my youngest child, Hailey, who turned 7-years-old this week!  Holy Week is here! May the Lord be exalted, lost people saved, and the saints grow spiritually as we remember the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. It was a joy to participate in the ERLC Leadership Summit this week on the Gospel and Racial Reconciliation. And a special thanks for this follow profile on the Shiloh Church... Christianity Today: Russell Moore and John...

You are invited to join us for this year’s E. K. Bailey Expository Preaching Conference. This is a gathering of preachers committed to growing and learning how to be more effective in their preaching. Preaching is God’s chosen way to spread his word and it is a great responsibility and opportunity that rests before every preacher. Our conference is designed to give you tools, resources and training to help you strengthen your preaching. This year our theme is “Preaching the Gospels”. We will center our time around the work, life and ministry of Jesus Christ and how we can preach...

When A Sinner Meets Jesus Jesus was on his way to Galilee (v. 3). But he had to pass through Samaria (v. 4). It was not a geographic necessity. Jews often took the long way to Galilee, to avoid passing through Samaria. But it was spiritually necessary for Jesus to pass through Samaria. He had a meeting with a sinner at Jacob’s well. She arrived by herself, having come after the other women were gone. She did not want to encounter the looks and whispers. But while she avoided others, Christ went out of his way to meet her. Jesus...

Thanks for reading my blog. Enjoy these Saturday Shout-Outs! YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL LIST IN THE BOX AT THE TOP RIGHT OF THIS PAGE TO RECEIVE A FREE WEEKLY SERMON MANUSCRIPT. TODAY'S MANUSCRIPT IS ENTITLED "MUTUAL PRAYER FOR DIFFICULT TIMES" (2 THESSALONIANS 3:1-5). Thanks to pastor Pastor John Barber for the opportunity to preach the installation service of the Florida East Coast Missionary Baptist Church Association. Check out my Preaching Magazine interview: What Should the Sermon Do? Check out the latest episode of The On Preaching Podcast : Maurice Watson Interview Cameron Triggs: Making a Name for Ourselves: Social...

The following is a guest post by Cameron Triggs who is the Pastor of Youth & Young Adults of the Shiloh Church, where I serve as Pastor-Teacher. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” - Genesis 11:4 Recent studies by Pew Forum state only 20% of Americans are sharing their faith online weekly; less are Christians. Ironically, the amount of time spent on social media has consistently increased. Naturally, the question arises...

As a boy, I looked forward to the annual 24-hour preaching marathon, hosted by Pastor Rocellia Johnson and the Bethany Baptist Church of West Los Angeles. Yep. You read it right. A 24-hour preaching marathon. There would be preaching on the hour. My friends and I tried to hear every sermon. Bethany’s church facilities were severely damaged by the Northridge earthquake in 1994, ending the annual marathon. But I will never forget the great sermons I heard there over the years. The late Timothy M. Chambers, Jr. preached one memorable sermon at the event. The son of a well-respected preacher,...

Thanks for reading my blog. Enjoy these Saturday Shout-Outs! YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL LIST IN THE BOX AT THE TOP RIGHT OF THIS PAGE TO RECEIVE A FREE WEEKLY SERMON MANUSCRIPT. TODAY'S MANUSCRIPT IS FROM JAMES 1:16-18 I hope you will make plans to join us for the Cutting Is Straight Expository Preaching Conference in Jacksonville - September 22-24, 2015. It was a great joy to preach chapel at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary this week! A big shout-out to Dr. Ephraim Williams for the opportunity to preach during the 67th church anniversary celebration of the St. Paul...

Reality TV is an oxymoron. No one lives with film cameras documenting every moment of one’s life. It is at best staged “reality.” These shows get good ratings. They make TV stations a lot of money. And production costs are minimum. No wonder these shows are so successful. In the process, reality TV creates celebrities who milk their fifteen minutes of fame for everything they can. They talk and act with great self-importance. But they are only famous for being famous. The more rude, loud, silly, degrading, and violent the personality, the more attention he or she gets. With rare exceptions, reality...

I preached Genesis 22:1-14 today at the Shiloh Church. I entitled the message, "Testing Time" (22:1). The big idea of the sermon was simply that a faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted. God enrolls us in the school of faith to promote us to graduation. But spiritual promotion requires divine testing. In verse 8, Abraham responds to Isaac's question by declaring, "God will provide for himself a lamb for the burnt offering." And when God provided, Abraham named the place, "The Lord will provide" (22:14). As I talked about the God who provides, I quoted the words of a...