Do you feel like shaking hands? I am often asked this question when I finish preaching away from home. I always answer affirmatively. Sometimes I add, “If they can sit and listen to me preach for forty-five minutes, the least I can do is stand and shake their hands.” On occasion, I cannot hide how shocked I am to be asked the question, even though I have heard it countless times. Of course I am going to shake hands, whether I feel like it or not. Preaching is hard work. If a man takes his work seriously, sermon preparation is...

Thanks for your prayers, support, and encouragement as we prepare to launch Shiloh Church of Orange Park in January 2105. Huffington Post: Two Florida Churches Merge With Hope of Bridging a Racial Divide Check Out 31 Days of Prayer for Orange Park  I am looking forward to joining the G3 Conference | January 22-24, 2015.  Russell D. Moore: Ferguson and the Path to Peace Carolyn Tomlin: 7 Myths that Keep Pastors from Writing ProPreacher: 10 Reasons I Am Thankful To Be A Pastor  Thom Rainer: Nine Issues Regarding Pastors and Office Hours Eric Geiger: A Constant Struggle in a Growing Church...

We believe it happens after prayer! So as we approach the launch of Shiloh Church of Orange Park, we commit to 31 days of intercessory prayer for this new work. Each member of the Shiloh Church is asked to send time daily during the 31 days of December to cover Shiloh OP in believing prayer. This daily guide will enable us to pray together on one accord. 12/1 – On-Mission: Pray that Shiloh OP will make more and better disciples for Jesus Christ in the community and through the nations (Matt. 28:18-20). 12/2 – Believing Prayer: Pray our devotion to and dependence...

Happy Thanksgiving! Thanks for reading my blog. Enjoy my bulletin board of links.  You should make your way to the 2015 Jacksonville Pastors' Conference hosted by Dr. Mac Brunson and the First Baptist Church. Check out The Making of Shiloh Church of Orange Park  The Call to Ministry: H.B. Charles Jr.  Benjamin Watson on Ferguson  Brian Loritts: It's Time to Listen: Feeling the Pain Despite the Pain Despite the Facts Thabiti Anyabwile: Why I Believe the Grand Jury Got It Wrong and Injustice Triumphed R. Albert Mohler: The Ferguson Moment - A Moral Test for the Nation  Kevin DeYoung: A...

The Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church is becoming one church in two locations. For several years, we have prayed about planting a church in Jacksonville. As we prayed, we were increasingly drawn to Orange Park, southwest of our downtown location. We entered 2014 with plans to plant in Orange Park. One of our pastors would lead it. We would rent a school auditorium or something to meet in. And we would send out members to join the new work. As we met with the Jacksonville Baptist Association leaders for advice; we first learned that church facilities in Orange Park might become...

Impact 180 Presents a Video Tribute to Pastor Charles "The impact of a youth ministry is directly correlated to the senior leadership in the local church. Without the consent, passion, and leadership of a caring Senior Pastor student ministries can achieve little. By the grace of God, we have a thriving ministry to teens. Our students notice the love and dedication our Pastor has for youth. In celebration of six years, Impact 180 created a tribute video to honor Pastor Charles anniversary. The video is to "Expository Preaching" by Shai Linne. We hope you enjoy and please share." Pastor Cam Triggs

Thanks for reading Saturday Shout-Outs, my online bulletin board. This weekend marks six years the Lord has blessed me to serve the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church of Jacksonville. All praise to God for what he has done, is doing, and will do in and through the Shiloh Church! The SBTS Expositors Summit 2014 was fantastic! Click here to get access to the messages.  The Shiloh Church will host the National Conference on Preaching, May 12-14, 2015. Hope to see you there! Leadership Journal: Finding Time To Study by H.B Charles Jr.  Check out the 9Marks review of my book, On Preaching,...

My father let me preach his early worship service one Sunday. I don’t remember what I preached. But I am sure it was nothing special. I can only hope it was a boy preacher’s best effort to preach faithfully. After the service, I was passing through the church lobby, when I received an unlikely compliment. A brother stopped me and said, “Good job this morning, Junior. You are turning into a great preacher. You are going to be better than the old man in a minute.” I was just a boy. But I wasn’t crazy. I knew what this brother...

Thanks for reading my blog. Saturday Shout-Outs is my weekly bulletin board. Enjoy!  Happy Birthday to my Son, H.B. Charles Jr.  My new book, The Difference Jesus Makes, is now available. Preaching Today Interview: The Authentic Preacher: H.B. Charles Jr.  Trevi Wax: Know Your Southern Baptists: H.B. Charles Jr. (CORRECTION: I attended The Master's Seminary & Gordon-Conwell. I do not have any earned degrees). Check out the latest episode of The On Preaching Podcast: Preparing Yourself To Preach Make sure you check out the newest Word & Worship with Joe Pace & HBC2. Hope to see you October 28-30 at the 2014...

Welcome to the 2nd installment of our new feature called Word & Worship. While I truly believe that “The heart of Christian worship is the authentic preaching of the Word of God.”—Dr. Al Mohler, Colossians 3:16 tells us that there is an undeniable link between the preaching/teaching ministry and music ministry in our worship.  Our goal through these specific posts is to offer biblical guidance and practical help in dealing with the relationship between music and preaching in corporate worship. In this installment, Pastor Joe Pace and I discuss the challenges with what have, in some cases, become behavioral norms...

The 25th annual WHW Expository Preaching & Teaching Conference is taking place this week in Los Angeles. This conference means a lot to me, for several reasons. First of all, the WHW Conference taught me principles of Bible study that I still use to this day. When I went to the first WHW Conference, I was already convinced that expository preaching was the most faithful way to handle the scriptures. But this conference taught me practical steps for studying words, grammar, context, and culture. Over the years, this conference has been greatly used to help many preachers and teachers rightly...

My secretary told me a new member wanted a meeting. His name was Phil. USC students from the campus InterVarsity ministry had started attending our church. Some joined. Phil was one of them. I was glad to have the young people in our church. But these meetings were getting on my nerves. They meetings were the same. The young person told me what he or she liked about the church. Then they told me the things that needed to change if they were to be comfortable enough to stay. It felt like they viewed my congregation as a project to...