Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18   Do you know what the shortest verse in the New Testament is? The obvious answer is John 11:35: “Jesus wept.” It is the shortest verse in our English translations of the Bible. But the shortest verse in the Greek New Testament is 1 Thessalonians 5:16: “Rejoice always.” It is a little verse with big implications.   A Call to Joy   The word “rejoice” is a call to joy. The term was...

The Cutting It Straight Expository Preaching Conference held on the campus of the Shiloh Church in Jacksonville, FL. had a great ending! We enjoyed wonderful breakout sessions throughout the day. Stephen Rummage, senior pastor of the Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, Florida preached the mid-day general session. During evening worship, we were encouraged by Daven Watkins, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Pelham, AL, who preached from Jonah 3 "One Whale of a Prayer."  And Charlies Dates, pastor of the Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago, IL., who preached from 1 Peter 3:18-22 “The cosmic conquering of Jesus Christ.”...

The Cutting It Straight Expository Preaching Conference is still underway on the campus of the Shiloh Church in Jacksonville, FL. Yesterday Karry Wesley, Al Mohler, John MacArthur and I preached the word of God and we enjoyed wonderful breakout sessions throughout the day. I pray that you have been richly blessed and that you leave encouraged and inspired to “Cut It Straight”. We are excited about what God has in store for us for today. Shuttle service from the Omni Hotel and Hyatt Hotel to the church campus will be provided throughout the day. Lunch will be provided today after the first Breakout Session....

The Cutting It Straight Expository Preaching Conference began Yesterday on the campus of the Shiloh Church in Jacksonville, FL. We are grateful to have a line-up of great speakers and teachers who will teach, model, and promote expository preaching and teaching. Likewise, the staff and volunteers of Shiloh are ready and excited to serve the guests on our campus this week. Much prayer and planning takes place for this event to make it a special time for all who attend. Cutting it straight kicked off with a bang yesterday, H.B. Charles, Jr., Jerry Vines and Terry Anderson were the joint and general session speakers. The...

  Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison – that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. – Colossians 4:2-4   This week (September 18-20, 2018), the Cutting It Straight Expository Preaching Conference will take place at the Shiloh Church in Jacksonville (FL), where I am privileged to serve as pastor-teacher. This is the fifth year of Cutting It Straight....

  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handing the word of truth. – 2 Timothy 2:15   Cutting It Straight | September 18-20, 2018 | Jacksonville, FL    More than five years ago, several friends and I sat up discussing our burden for biblical preaching. Preachers have many conversations like this, trying to fix all of the problems of the world. Well, our conversation did not fix the world. But that conversation did conceive the Cutting It Straight Expository Preaching Conference. There are many good...

We are only weeks away from the Cutting It Straight Expository Preaching Conference. You still have time to make plans to join us for three days - Tuesday thru Thursday (September 18-20, 2018) - of preaching, teaching, worship, fellowship and encouragement. The Cutting It Straight Conference exists to train, model, and promote biblical preaching and teaching and a biblical philosophy of ministry in the body-life of the local church. Join us!   [embed]https://vimeo.com/287174296[/embed]     Click here to register for Cutting It Straight 2018!     

  Because of his sinful disobedience, the Lord fired Saul as King of Israel. He then sent the prophet, Samuel, to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem, to anoint a new king.  Jesse presented to the prophet his sons he thought would make a good king. But when Samuel turned his horn over their heads, the oil of God did not fall on any of them.  When Samuel saw one particular son, Eliab, he was convinced he had found his man. Eliab was straight out of central casting. He walked and talked and looked like a king. “Surely, this must...

  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   The Cutting It Straight Expository Preaching Conference is now thirty days away (September 18-20, 2018). We are looking forward to three rich days of biblical preaching, practical training, passionate worship, helpful resources, and spiritual encouragement. We believe it happens after prayer! The Shiloh Church is praying over the next thirty days for God's blessing for the Cutting It Straight Conference. Please join us in biblical prayer for this...

A friend and I talked about a conference we both attended, during different years. I told him about the year I attended. Then he told me about the year he attended. As he listed the speakers he heard, I asked about a particular name. I knew of this man’s ministry but had never heard him speak.  I inquired, “Can he preach?” My friend answered affirmatively and emphatically. “He knows how to handle the text,” my friend expanded. “And you can tell he’s been with Jesus.” The conversation ended there, because I did not say anything else. I could not. I...

  But he replied to one of them, "Friend I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me. Or do you begrudge me my generosity?" - Matthew 20:13-15   In Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus tells the Parable of the Landowner: A landowner went to the marketplace, cut a deal with some eager looking guys for a denarius, and put them to...

  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   I love the word of God. I love preaching and preachers. And I love the local church. For this reason, I launched the Cutting It Straight Expository Preaching Conference almost five years ago.The goal of Cutting It Straight was and is simple and straightforward:   To train, model, and promote biblical preaching and teaching.   Faithful churches start with faithful pulpits. To that end, this conference seeks to...