On July 30, 2008, the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church of Jacksonville met to call a new pastor. I was one of two names to be considered that Wednesday night. I had mixed emotions. First all of, the momentum was moving toward me being called to Shiloh. Yet I had been in this situation before. And after momentum toward a vote, another congregation overwhelming voted NOT to call me. It was embarrassing. And I did not want to go through that again. At the same time, I was sure that if Shiloh called me, I was not going. The Lord was blessing...

We are beginning a new feature here called, WORD & WORSHIP. It will consist of articles, reviews, and videos by me and my ministerial colleague, Joe Pace, who serves as the Pastor of Worship & Arts at the Shiloh Church. Our goal is to offer biblical guidance and practical help in the dealing with the relationship between music and preaching in corporate worship. We believe music in worship should extend and support the teaching ministry of the church (Colossians 3:16). And we hope to help teaching pastors and music ministers to strike the proper balance for the edification of the saints and...

Thanks for reading my blog. Saturday Shout-Outs is my weekly bulletin board of things I found worth sharing. Enjoy! A big shout-out to Brian Dye and his entire team for the opportunity to teach and preach at the Legacy Movement Conference this week in Chicago. It was way cool to see so many young people on fire for the Lord! So... I told my children that I am now hip, because I was invited to speak at Legacy. They shook their heads in disagreement. I am very excited about concluding our first Summer Psalm Series at the Shiloh Church this weekend....

Thanks for reading my blog. Here are my Saturday Shout-Outs for this week. A big shout-out to the Shiloh Church staff and volunteers for serving our children this week during the 2014 Vacation Bible School. You make it happen! Shout-out to Pastor Terrance Floyd and the Mt. Gilead Baptist Church of Wichita, KA. It was a blast to have the opportunity to preach to you again. This congregation is twelve years old. And I have had the joy of preaching to them ten of those years. Two nights of the meeting, a local pastor named Kent brought young men from his church...

I believe expository preaching is the most faithful way to preach and teach the word of God. Expository preaching is that preaching that explains what the text of scripture means by what it says. It makes the God-intended meaning of the text the primary message of the sermon or lesson. Bible exposition lets the word of God speak for itself. On September 24-26, 2014, the Cutting It Straight Expository Preaching Conference will meet to teach, model, and promote expository preaching and teaching. This conference is for pastors, associate ministers, and Sunday School teachers, whether you are a season preacher or new...

Good day! And thanks for reading my blog. Saturday Shout-Outs is my weekly bulletin board of things I find helpful to share. The 2014 E.K. Bailey Preaching Conference was fantastic! The theme was Preaching 360: Old Testament Edition, which focused on helping preachers properly deal with the different genres of the Old Testament. It was a joy to hear great preaching and teaching from Bryan Carter, Steven J. Lawson, William Curtis, Kevin Smith, Chuck Fuller, L.A. Kessee, and many others. This year, the conference honored my pastor, Melvin V. Wade Sr., as a living legend. And it was honor to...

Happy Independence Day! I hope you are having a blessed and safe holiday weekend.  We are praying for Pastor Breonus M. Mitchell, his family and congregation, and he celebrates the homegoing of his beloved wife today. Also praying for my brother, Kevin Willis, as he preaches the message in the funeral. The 2014 E.K. Bailey Preach Conference is next week (July 7-10, 2014), hosted by my friend, Pastor Bryan Carter. Hope to see you there. Thank God for Dr. E.K. Bailey!  I am honored and excited to participate in the 2014 SBTS Expositors Summit (October 28-30, 2014). Make sure you check...

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. – 2 Timothy 2:15 This is one of my life verses. The goal of my life is to please God. And the goal of my ministry is to do my work well and to rightly handle the word of truth. But I know I am not by myself in these goals. There is a growing tribe of preachers – young and old – who have a fresh determination and unwavering commitment to cut it...

The On Preaching Podcast made it to the New & Noteworthy page on iTunes. Thanks for listening, subscribing, and reviewing the podcast! Tell a friend. Episode #004: A Theology of Preaching. Shout-out to Pastor Dwight McKissic and the Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, for three great nights of worship and study of God's word on the subject of prayer! Thanks to my friend, Pastor Carlos Kelly, for being our special guest at our Midyear Tune-Up at the Shiloh Church. Congratulations to Anthony Harris and Donna Lindo whose wedding ceremony I had the privilege of officiating today! The E.K. Bailey Preaching Conference...

Good day. And thanks for reading my blog. You can subscribe in the box to the right for my weekly newsletter, which includes a full sermon manuscript. A big shout-out to my wife, Crystal, and the leaders and volunteers of the Women of Shiloh's Heartfelt Conference this weekend. Job well done! And thanks for letting me "crash the party" to preach the opening session. Happy Birthday to my baby sister, Donetta, who has recently relocated to Jacksonville! You still have time to register for the 2014 E.K. Bailey Preaching Conference in Dallas - July 7-10, 2014. Hope to see you...

Here are ten preachers who have influenced me. 1. H.B. Charles Sr. My father was the first and _____ influence on me. 2. Melvin V. Wade Sr. 3. John F. MacArthur Jr. 4. E.K. Bailey 5. Ralph Douglas West 6. John Piper 7. Jasper Williams Jr. 8. Steven J. Lawson 9.Warren W. Wiersbe 10. John A. Reed Jr.