Well, it's the last weekend of 2013. My last Saturday Shout-Outs for the year. Hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading my blog. You can sign up for free email updates of future posts under the picture to the left. Check out my Top Posts of 2012. Shout-out to SermonCentral for posting my article on sermon introductions: 9 Powerful Ways to Introduce Your Sermons John Piper: Where Was God in All the Goodness of 2012?  A new, free e-book from Desiring God: "Still Not Professionals" Justin Taylor: Reading the Bible in 2013 Collin Hansen: My Top 10 Theology Stories of 2012 Joe...

I needed a hobby. A diversion. Something. So I started writing on my blog more, among other things. Along with reading, writing is one of the most relaxing things I do. My increased writing led to a blog site update, which led to even more writing. Most weeks, I write a "Notes from Sunday" recap and "Saturday Shout-Outs."  I often write one or two other posts a week, as well. Here are some of the top posts of 2012.. Top Posts Things I've Learned Along the Way 10 Recommendations to Gospel Artists from a Loyal Fan and a Concerned Pastor...

We had a blessed day of worship and fellowship at the Shiloh Church yesterday. My Bible Study Fellowship group met for the last time this year. We continued out study of 1 Timothy 2:8-15. I focused on verses 13-14: "The Theological Basis of Gender Roles" I am learning a lot from this study of 1 Timothy. We had a Parent-Child Dedication during our 10:15 service. I led both services. It felt like I was on my feet all day. By the time, 10:15 rolled around, I was wiped out. But the Lord gave me strength, as always. Praise God! I...

Saturday Shout-Outs is my weekly "bulletin board" of things I have read or noticed over the course of the week. Merry Christmas! Thanks for reading my blog this week. And thanks for your comments. You can sign-up for email updates of future posts under the picture to the left. Shout-out to Roger Sears and the music department of the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church for a wonderful Christmas Musical this past Wednesday night! Check out my interview with Dr. Rudolph Waldo McKissick Sr. - Part 1 and Part 2. I found a new Spurgeon app: Daily Faith. It's free until the...

Today is my wife, Crystal's, birthday. Actually, December is Crystal’s month. Last week was our wedding anniversary. Next week is Christmas. And today is her birthday. Whew! I am grateful to be married to such a wonderful, beautiful woman. She is the heart of our home. And the love of my life! I am who and where I am because of her love, friendship, and support.  Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. – Proverbs 31:30  Happy Birthday, Sunshine!

Notes from Sunday is my weekly recap of my Sunday in worship and how my favorite teams and athletes did over the weekend. Twenty-two years ago today – December 16, 1990 – I was installed as the third pastor of Mt. Sinai Baptist Church in Los Angeles. It seems like yesterday. I am too young to have pastored for 22 years! I continued my study of 1 Timothy 2:11-12 in my Bible Study Fellowship group today. We discussed the question, “May Women Teach or Lead Men in Church?” I really enjoy teaching this group. Our BSF groups ended today for...

Saturday Shout-Outs is my weekly "bulletin board" of things I have read or noticed over the course of the week. Thanks for reading my blog this week. You can sign under the picture to the left to receive email updates of future posts. Thanks for the well wishes to Crystal and I, as we celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary this week. A big shout-out to the staff, leaders, and volunteers of the Shiloh Church for your service during the Clark Sisters concert this weekend. Thanks for reading, commenting on, and sharing my post: "On Being a Guest Preacher"  Shout-out to Michael Duduit and...

Today, December 12, 2012, I am blessed to have been married to my wife, Crystal, for 14 years! Last night, our daughter Natalie noted that this was an extra special anniversary, in that it is 12/12/12, which will not happen for another 1,000 years. Way cool. Crystal and I met in high school. She was in the 10th grade. I was a senior. We were in Coach Williams’ 4th period World History class. We were taking this class for the same reason. It was the easiest class at Los Angeles High School. Think about it. A class on world history....

I am a local church pastor, who is often invited to preach. I am invited to speak at schools, conferences, and other such events. But I am most often invited to speak for other local churches. I do not take these opportunities lightly. Neither should you. A pastor’s primary responsibility is to be a faithful steward of the pulpit with which he has been entrusted. He is charged before God to preach the word. He is also accountable for what others teach from his pulpit. Therefore, it is a serious matter when a pastor invites someone to preach, be it...

It was another good day of worship at the Shiloh Church. In my Bible Study Fellowship group, I continued my study of 1 Timothy 2:8-15. Today’s lesson addressed verses 11-12, the most controversial part of the text. I only got through the introduction, during which I sought to make five points: All Scripture is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16-17) Proper rules of interpretation must be employed to understand the Bible correctly. Women are not inherently inferior to men. Men and women share an equal standing in Christ (Gal. 3:28). God designed men and women to have different roles in the home...

Saturday Shout-Outs is my weekly "bulletin board" of things I have read and noticed over the course of the week. I thank God for the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church! Make sure you read the post I wrote this week On Sermon Introductions. Also check out the Keelan Atkinson Interview. I posted the manuscript of a sermon I recently preached, "When Duty Calls" (Luke 17:1-10). Congratulations to my friend, Lance A. Mann, on his new assignment as Pastor of the St. Luke Baptist Church in Crockett, Texas. A big shout-out to my friend, Ray Pritchard, who agreed to write the foreword...

The takeoff is arguably the most important part of the flight. Sprinters work to get a strong jump from the blocks to win the race. And the introduction is key to preaching a strong message. I typically introduce my sermons in a traditional manner. I read the text first. I give the title of the sermon. Then I formally introduce the message. Others give the introduction before they read the text and state their title. Whichever way you begin your message, a strong introduction is essential, necessary, and beneficial. Here are nine ways to get your sermon off to a...