I am in Rome, Italy, this week, studying scripture and preaching with a small group of pastors. This is the ninth annual Proclaimers Place study conference.  It is my third time attending. The last two I joined were in Oxford, England. We are studying four passages this week - Matthew 16:17-20, Hebrews 12:1-3, 2 Corinthians 5:1-8, and 2 Timothy 4:6-22. We study one passage a day, doing group exegesis and discussing how to craft the text into sermon. The sessions also include general discussions about homiletics. The Roman Empire sits in the background of the entire New Testament. And it is...

This past summer, I had the privilege to attend theProclaimer’s Place preaching conference in Oxford, England. It was led by Dr.Joel C. Gregory in conjunction with the It was my second year attending. And I was challenge,refreshed, and inspired to continue growing in my preaching. I also had the opportunity to speak at a local Baptistcongregation on the Lord’s Day that I was in England. It was a wonderfulexperience. A collection of sermons from Proclaimer’s Place attendeeshas been published. I am privileged to have a sermon included in thiscollection. It is a message on Psalm 23 entitled “Living with Confidence...

I am in Oxford, England. I am participating in Proclaimer’s Place – a week of group Bible study and seminar of sermon preparation led by Joel Gregory. I flew all night Monday night. I was armed with books, magazines, calendars, notebook, and study tools. I boarded the plane with big plans to get a great deal of study and reading done during the uninterrupted quiet time. But I basically went to sleep not long after the flight took off. It was 6:30 AM when I arrived in London (five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time). The ride from London to...