Twenty-two years ago today, the Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church of Los Angeles took a chance on a seventeen-year-old boy preacher. It was a Monday night. November 5, 1990. It was about eighteen months after the former pastor, my father, died. The church gathered to select its third pastor. For the record, the church did not meet that night with to select a high-schooler as its new pastor. I was not on the agenda that night. After a yearlong search, the pulpit committee presented three names for the church to consider. (I was not one of them.) And they would...

Thanks for reading my blog this week. Thanks for your comments. And thanks for subscribing. You can subscribe to this blog under the picture to the left to receive email updates of future posts. Our prayers are with those who have suffered loss as a result of the storm, Sandy. A big shout-out to A. Francis, who serves as the receptionist and administrative assistant at the Shiloh Church. Happy Birthday! And thanks for all that you do. Thanks to the pastors of Pensacola for the opportunity to minister the word during their Pensacola Citywide Revival for the second year. I...

This post is a guest post by my friend, Charlie E. Dates. In 2011, at the age of 30, Charlie became the youngest pastor of the Progressive Baptist Church of Chicago's rich 93-year history. Charlie is married to Kirstie and is the proud father of their firstborn son, Charles Edward Dates II. To learn more about Pastor Charlie, click here. The Scene The place was packed. He grabbed the microphone and went to the pulpit. He pulled out his phone, read several verses from an Old Testament passage, and then put the phone back in his jacket. He was smooth....

1. Getting married to spite someone else 2. Getting married without listening to the advice of your family and friends 3. Getting married to someone who practices a different faith 4. Getting married with concerns and/or questions you are afraid to discuss with your potential mate 5. Getting married with things you are hiding that you plan to tell your mate after you have tied the knot 6. Getting married on the rebound, within months of a painful breakup in a previous relationship 7. Getting married just because you want to get out of your parents’ house and out on...

Saturday morning, we began a new six-week Bible study for our men. 200 men showed up. Praise God! Worship was great today. The music team did an exceptional job. I really enjoyed teaching my Bible Study Fellowship group today. I finished my lesson, “A Defense against False Teachers,” from 1 Timothy 1:12-20. God willing, I will teach next week about the prayer ministry of the church from 1 Timothy 2:1-7. As always, I am grateful for the guests we had in worship today, including two local high school football teams. I preached from n interesting little passage in Mathew 17:24-27....

Thanks for reading my blog this week. Let me invite you to subscribe to the blog under the picture to the left to receive email updates of future posts. Shout-out to the men of the Shiloh Church who joined me this morning for the first session of 33 The Series men's Bible study. Shout-out to the Mid-America Pastors and Ministers Institute leaders for the opportunity to minister the word at their conference this week. Like all of the delegates, I was challenged to be a better preacher to the glory of God. A big shout-out to Tim Challies. I am...

It was my first extended vacation from the first church I served. I really didn't want to take the time off. But, wisely, the men insisted. With my first Sunday off, I decided to visit Grace Community Church to hear Dr. John MacArthur, Jr. I would often attend the Sunday evening service at Grace. But I had never been there on a Sunday morning. That morning, Dr. MacArthur was preaching about the family. The conclusions he drew from the scriptures affirmed convictions I already held. However, for some reason, I became angry as I listened to the message. I felt...

Here is the video of the sermon I preached Sunday at the Shiloh Church on Matthew 6:19-21. I called it, "Having Possessions and Being Possessed." In the message, I argued that to have possessions without being possessed by them, you must... I. Be concerned of where your treasure resides (vv. 19-20) II. Be committed to treasure that remains (vv. 19-20) III. Be concerned about what your treasure reveals (v. 21) You can also read the sermon manuscript here. Join the conversation in the comments section. 

The late Dr. E.K. Bailey, founding pastor of the Concord Church in Dallas, wrote a booklet, entitled, "Ten Reasons for Expository Preaching." In this booklet, Dr. Bailey defines expository preaching: "An expository sermon is a message that focuses on a portion of scripture so as to clearly establish the precise meaning of the text and to poignantly motivate the hearers to actions or attitudes dictated by that text in the power of the Holy Spirit." Then Bailey gives ten reasons why the church desperately needs expository preaching: 1. Expository preaching creates a Bible-bringing congregation. 2. Expository preaching creates a Bible...

Here are several personal resolutions made by the late Dr. Robert G. Lee (1927-1960) that every minister should consider. For that matter, every Christian should embrace these resolutions. I will be joyful that life may give me wings. I will be courageous that there shall be no binding fears. I will be balanced that neither work, nor play, nor rest, nor worship shall lose its proper share. I will be self-restraint that thoughts of failure shall not hold me back. I will be self-controlled that emotions shall not be dominant. I will be intelligent that straight thinking and knowledge shall...

I love the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church! We had a good time in my BSF class this morning. I taught from 1 Timothy 1:12-20. I called it, "A Defense against False Teachers." (In typical H.B. fashion, I did not finish my lesson and will have to pick it up next week.) As always, I am excited about the guests we had in worship today. Praise God for those who were baptized today, including a mother and her four children. I can still see the father's excited face in the hallway before service. Wonderful! I preached, "Having Possessions and Being Possessed,"...

Thanks for reading my blog this week. Shout-out to my new subscribers. You can sign-up for email updates of new posts under the picture to the left. A big shout-out to Pastor Reginald Bryant and the volunteers who serve in our new Shiloh Outreach Center. Next week, they will host a graduation for 53 people who have completed their GED through the outreach program. Praise God! Shout-out to Pastor Larry Covington and the Ebenezer Church of Burlington for the invitation to minister the word in their annual church revival this week. While in North Carolina, I visited a massive used...