I have often mentioned the Church Council of MSMBC on this blog. Here is a picture of me and the guys that I received this evening. It was taken on the occasion of my 15th pastoral anniversary at Mt. Sinai. These men have served with me throughout the years. And it has been one of the great joys of my life to shepherd MSMBC alongside these godly men. My friends. My brothers. From left to right: Anthony, Charles, Phil, John, H.B., Todd, Richey, Harry, & Marcellus. A hat tip to Venus for the picture.

I am on my way to Jacksonville to preach the midweek worship service at Shiloh Church . God willing, I will begin a series of messages tonight on the Mt. Everest of the Psalms - Psalm 119. My plan is to preach through the 176 verses of this psalm stanza by stanza (or 8 verses at a time). I preached through Psalm 119 a couple of years ago at MSMBC, during our midweek services. And my faith and ministry were greatly enriched by the personal study and public teaching of this wonderful celebration of God's supernatural word. And I have...

We have a natural tendency to slip back into our old sinful ways. I have a natural tendency to do what's wrong. But then I have a supernatural tendency to do what's right. We can compare our tendencies to a flower and a weed. A weed is like our old natures - that part of us that doesn't want to obey God. The flower is like our new natures. My wife loves to plant flowers. She tends them and cares for them. She puts snail repellent down, picks any weeds that get even remotely close, fertilizes them, and watches over...

There was a time when churches placed clocks and bells in the steeples of their buildings, and they would "ring the alarm" for the community when it was time for corporate worship or prayer. Now churches place clocks on the back wall to make sure the pastor does not preach too long. After all, there are many other edifying things people need to do Sundays, aren't there? They do not need to be in worship so long that it interrupts the other important plans for they day that they have made, do they? During the days of the Puritans, the...

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.