Thank you to all of you who have been praying for me and my family, especially over the course of this weekend. But I am still needy and greedy for your prayers. Please don't stop praying for us now. I did not sleep well last night. But I did not feel tired at any point today. God will give you strength! Again, there were quite a few guests in worship with us today - including first- and second-time guests. This is very encouraging. The choir was off the hook today. I was really blessed by the song service. I had...

As I was making my way to my connecting flight home this morning, my phone rang. It was Crystal. She was overwhelmed as she watched the movers pack and load up our possessions to transport them to Jacksonville. I didn't know what to say. So I prayed. And I recommended that Crystal go out for a couple of hours, so that she wouldn't have to watch them moving our things out. I arrived home several hours ago, with a message to pick up a car rental. Another does of reality. Our cars are gone and on their way to Jacksonville....

Following is the final article I wrote for our monthly newsletter at MSMBC: “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” – Philippians 1:3-6 (ESV)These inspired words from the Apostle Paul to the saints at Philippi have come to my mind often lately. As you...

This past Sunday, I preached from one of my favorite verses of the Bible. Philippians 1:6 "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." My goal for the message was to remind the church of the unwavering faithfulness of God to his accomplish his divine purpose in the believer's life and in the life of the local church. Here is the sermon skeleton from Sunday's message: Title: "The Preservation of the Saints" Text: Philippians 1:6 Theme: The preservation of the saints Point:...

A picture of the family after church this morning.

Sleep evaded me Saturday night. And when it was time for me to get moving Sunday morning, I was sluggish - mentally and physically. It was one of those mornings when everything was moving in slow motion. But it's nothing like getting to church to get your motor running! Over the past several weeks, there have been quite a few first- and second-time guests in our morning worship services. There has also been a number of former members who have returned to worship with us for the last time. Cool. Gloria E. did an excellent job leading the opening congregational...

Besides my Bible and my journal, there is one book that I keep in my bag all the time. It's a book of Puritan prayers and devotions entitled, The Valley of Vision. In fact, it is my custom to read from it daily - at least one or two prayers. Reading from this devotional reminds me of the greatness of God. It also reminds me of how much I need to grow and beckons me to draw closer to the Lord. I recommend that you pick up a copy of Valley. You can find it through The Banner of Truth...

Two thoughts and feelings consume me right now: (1) I am very tired; (2) I am very grateful.

This past Sunday, I preached on Psalm 133. It is one of the great psalms of the Psalter. And it is addresses one of the important subjects of the Christian life: spiritual unity. For the record, I love the psalms. Like many Christians, the psalms sustain my devotional life through its various seasons. I find preaching the psalms to be difficult, but rewarding. It forces me to plunge deeper into these great hymns of faith. Psalm 133 addresses the subject of spiritual unity in an interesting fashion. It is not a song, but a sermon. In it, David does not...

Happy Labor Day! Congratulations to L. Daniel Williams, President of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Los Angeles and Pastor of the Baptist Church of the New Covenant, and his new bride, Jacqueline Williams, who were married this pastor Saturday at the West Angeles COGIC. I was privileged to announce the closing benediction. Sunday was the culmination of a long, busy week. I was (am) totally wiped out. It was one of the weeks when I wished I had a few more days before Sunday. But I was able to complete my work for Sunday and was ready to preach. Praise...

When I bought, Marva J. Dawn's book on worship, Reaching Out without Dumbing down, I jumped to chapter 9 to read it first, because of its provocative title: "Worship Ought to Kill Us: The Word." When I finished that chapter, it took me some time to get back to the book. I needed to pull myself together. As startling as this statement sounds, it really is an understatement. (By the way, we live in a day when we need truth stated in startling ways to get us to pay attention to divine realities that we have become too familiar with.)...

During these final weeks of my pastoral ministry at Mt. Sinai, I am concerned to be as helpful as I can be. So I am not throwing any hooks. I am trying to roll the ball right now the middle of the lane for the head pin (Please forgive the bowling analogy. I have no excuse.). This week, it is on my heart and mind to preach on the importance spiritual unity, for obvious reasons. And I have been working on Psalm 133 to make this point.  Psalm 133 is a rich, brief, and vivid song. It is both simple...