Today is both the first day and the first Sunday of March, 2009. Can you believe it? Time really does seem to fly by? When Trey and I drove in to church this morning, it felt like the weather was going to be nice. By the time the 8 AM service was over, it was raining pretty good. Then when the 10 AM service was over, the rain had stopped. But it was winds were blowing really hard. Don't you just love this Florida weather? I love teaching the New Members Class.We were blessed to baptize about ten new believers...

Another week has gone and I have been preserved in my going out and my coming in. Thine has been the vigilance that has turned threatened evils aside; Thine the supplies that have nourished me; Thine the comforts that have indulged me; Thine the relations and friends that have delighted me; Thine the means of grace which have edified me; Thine the book, which, amidst all my enjoyments, has told me that is is not my rest,     that in all successes one thing alone is needful, to love my Savior. Nothing can equal the number of thy mercies but...

I plan to begin a new series on sermons this coming Sunday on the Parable of the Sower that I am calling: "The Heart's Response to God's Word." It's recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. But I will do my work from Matthew's version - Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23. I find it most difficult and exhilarating to preach the parables of Jesus. They are so simple. And yet the profundity of these simple teachings is staggering. I am looking forward to the plowing through my own soul as I prepare myself to preach these messages. Amid growing animosity and resistance to...

Dr. Ralph Douglas West of the The Church Without Walls of Houston (TX) was scheduled to be the guest speaker for the closing night of Wednesdays in the Word revival here at the Shiloh Church of Jacksonville. Unfortunately, Dr. West will not be able to be with us tonight. There were other matters that he needed to give his attention to. And he asked that we would remember him in our prayers. Of course, we do and will continue to cover in believing prayer. And we look forward to him being with us at some later day in the future,...

Today was a long, blessed day. I thank God for the opportunity to be in worship with God's people today and the privilege of ministering to the wonderful saints of the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church. In my New Members Class, we continued discussing "The Bible - The Word of God." This week, I spent most of our time fielding questions. I enjoy discussing the meaning of the scriptures with others. And I am having big fun teaching our new members. I only wish our weekly sessions were longer. Several children were dedicated to the Lord in our 10 AM service....

Yesterday I took a shot at one of the great texts of the Bible. In what is arguably the darkest book in the sacred scriptures, there is this great statement of faith and confidence in God. I know that there are many people in my congregation who are facing various dangers, toils, and snares. And I have been burdened to say something that would be an encouraged over these past several weeks. This text gripped me because it is a "Big-God" text. It doesn't give any answers, explanations, or promises. It just simply points to the goodness, faithfulness, and sufficiency...

Tonight, we will continue our Wednesdays in the Word Revival at the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church of Jacksonville. Dr Reginald Terry and Dr. William Curtis blessed our hearts in a great way the past two weeks. And we are honored to have Dr. Gray Williams, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Mandarin here in Jacksonville, as our guest speaker tonight. The service begins at 7 PM (EST). If possible, drop and join us for worship. If not, catch us online through the ShilohJax.com or Streaming Faith. Pray for us. God bless.

By God's kind providence and gracious favor, our Wednesdays in the Word revival got off to a really good start last week. The Lord used Dr. Reginald Terry in a great way to minister to our congregation. His message was encouraging and faith-building - just what our congregation needed. Tonight, this special series of services will continue at 7 PM. Our guest speaker tonight will be Dr. William Curtis of the Mt. Ararat Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. Curtis, who is also the president of the historic Hampton's Minister's Conference, is a gifted and faithful preacher. My own faithful...

Sunday was a really good day of worship and fellowship. As late as Saturday night, I was not sure if I would be able to preach Sunday morning. I had been suffering with a cold for most of last week. And it seemed to get worse Saturday. I hardly got any sleep. But when it was time for me to get up, I felt that there the Lord was not going to let me off the hook. So I got up and started my Sunday morning preparations. I had a sore throat, a stuffed up nose, congestion... the works. But,...

Sunday, I took a shot at our temptation to worry. I preached from one of my favorite sections of scripture - the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7). My pastoral burden was to challenge and encourage my congregation to trust God and stop worrying. Here is the sermon skeleton: Title: ""What Are You Worrying About?" Text: Matthew 6:25-34 Theme: Overcoming Worry through Faith in God Point: In order to be a full-devoted follower of Jesus Christ, you must overcome the sinful tendency to worry about the needs in your life. Outline: I. Do not worry about the needs in your...

Tonight, we will begin our Wednesdays in the Word (revival) at the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church. Each Wednesday in the month of February, we will have a guest speaker who will minister the word to us. And we are trusting God to do great things in us, through us, and among us. Our guest speaker for tonight is the Dr. Reginald D. Terry, who pastors the Antioch Baptist Church in Omaha, Nebraska, If possible, join us for this special time of worship. If not, the service will be streamed on the internet. You can find us through the Shiloh Church...

This past Sunday, I preached from one of the great psalms of the Bible - and on of my favorite psalms - Psalm 121. My goal was to challenge the congregation to look to the Lord for help and to encourage them to know that the Lord is looking out for them. Here is the Sermon SkeletonTitle: "Where Does You Help Come From?" Text: Psalm 121Theme: Sovereign help for the journey of life Point: The Lord is the only who who is able to help you make it through the journey of life. Outline: I. Look to the Lord for...