My father was a good preacher. People who heard my dad will tell you Junior cannot touch Senior when it comes to preaching. There are many preachers who have influenced my preaching. But my dad is at the top of the list. My dad would often tell me, “Son, I don’t want you to be a jackleg preacher.” I didn’t know what a “jackleg preacher” was. Still don’t. But I heard the term enough to know it was something I did not want to be. I hope I am or am becoming the kind of preacher my dad would be...

Today is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed in me, when as yet there was none of them. - Psalm 139:13-16   Join us, along...

Thanks for reading my blog! You can sign up for my FREE weekly sermon manuscript email list in the box in the top right of this page. A big shout-out to all the Shiloh Church members who participated in Prayer Emphasis Week 2015. Clay Today: Shiloh Merger: More than black-and-white Check out the devotional I wrote this week: "Commit Your Work to the Lord."  Take a listen to the latest episode of The On Preaching Podcast: "What I Pray When I Preach" Ray Pritchard: 20 Sermons for Sanctity of Human Life Sunday James Hamilton Jr.: Worthy of Double Honor: Expository Advocating...

This is episode #014 of The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. In this episode, I talk about why I pray before I preach and what I preach when I preach. When I start my sermons, I typically begin with a public prayer. No one told me to do this or taught me that I should do it. In fact, many of the preachers I look up to do not publicly prepare to begin their messages. But I pray before I preach for two reasons: To personally and publicly declare I need...

For several months, I have read a chapter of Proverbs daily. I have read Proverbs countless times over the years. But it has come alive for me in fresh and new ways recently. One proverb I have meditated a great deal on is Proverbs 16:3… Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. Proverbs are not guaranteed promises. They are practical wisdom for a godly and peaceful life. It may not be wise to read them as a principle and promise. It is more like a cause-and-effect. There is a choice and a consequence. You make...

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. – Colossians 4:2 January 11-18 is Prayer Emphasis Week at the Shiloh Church. Our goal is to begin the year giving thanks, making confession, submitting our lives, offering petitions, and interceding for one another. In our worship services yesterday, members filled out prayer cards and left them at the altar. We asked each member to come this week and spend at least 15 minutes praying for the needs on the cards. YOU CAN SUBMIT PRAYER REQUESTS THROUGH OUR CHURCH WEBSITE (www.shiloh.church). CLICK THE ENGAGE TAB TO FIND THE PRAYER LINK....

The Marching Orders of the Church (Matthew 28:16-20)

Thanks for reading my blog! Saturday Shout-Outs is my weekly bulletin board. I send out a free sermon manuscript by email each week. You can sign up for the sermon manuscript list in the box to the right. Praise God for the launch of Shiloh Church of Orange Park!  Shiloh Church in the News: Black & white congregations hope racial reconciliation reflects in New Year merger | Christian Examiner Congratulations to my friend, Carlos L Kelly, who begins his new assignment as pastor of the Beulahland Bible Church this weekend! We mourn the passing of Gospel Artist, Andrae Crouch, and thank...

Be Filled With The Spirit (Ephesians 5:18-21)

This is episode #13 of The On Preaching Podcast, the podcast dedicated to helping you preach faithfully, clearly, and better. In this episode, we will talk about preaching without notes. Here are twelve practical recommendations that will help you learn to preach without notes:  Decide if preaching without notes is for you. Preach with notes, sort of. Start your study as early as possible. Study the text diligently. Have a clear sermon skeleton. Write a full manuscript. Make clarity your top priority. Internalize the material. Master the material through word associations. Practice the message. Preach the message, not the manuscript....

Why do you wear black suits ALL the time? I get this question often. But it’s not true. I don’t wear black suits all the time. I have and wear different colors occasionally. Yet I wear the same thing so often that my wife and kids are shocked when I emerge from the closet with something other than a black suit, white shirt, and black tie. My father was a connoisseur of fine clothes. He is remembered for his preaching, generosity, and clothes. My dad was not a flashy dresser. But he was always clean. That gene skipped me. I...

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! – Psalm 115:1 Yesterday marked the official launch of the Shiloh Church of Orange Park. The Shiloh Church is now one church in two locations. The first Sunday of 2015 marked the beginning of our new worship schedule. The congregation now meets for worship three times on Sundays between two locations. I led and preached our 7:45 service downtown. After extending the invitation, I headed to Orange Park. I didn’t really know what to expect. I...