Some 15 years ago, I was in a conversation with leaders of the church I served in Los Angeles about music. Someone asked who would I pick if I could hire anyone I wanted to lead music at the church. My answer was simple. Joe Pace, who directed and produced the Colorado Mass Choir. Several years ago, when I began to search for a new music director at the church I currently serve in Jacksonville, Joe Pace joined our ministry team. Pace’s skill, wisdom, maturity, leadership, and experience have been richly enhanced the music department of our congregation. Last year,...

In light of the national tumult last week, we had a special time of prayer in our worship services at the Shiloh Church yesterday. In fact, it was our joy to swap pastors with our brothers and sisters at the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville. Dr. Mac Brunson sent several pastors to pray and worship with us, as several of our pastors did the same with First Baptist. It was a simple, practical, yet important way for us to stand up for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and stand together in spiritual together during these critical times. NewsJAX4:...

I finished preaching through the book of Ephesians at the Shiloh Church yesterday. Finally. I fell in love with Ephesians as a teenager, during my first pastorate. Having read Be Rich by Warren W. Wiersbe, I decided to teach through Ephesians during our midweek Bible study. It was my first time teaching through a book of the Bible. Both I and the congregation learned a lot. And I anticipated the day I would preach through Ephesians. Some years later, I preached for Dr. A. Louis Patterson Jr. at the Mt. Corinth Church in Houston. During our time together, I discovered...

This Friday – December 18, 2015 – the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church Choir will record a live worship CD. It will be Shiloh’s first music project. We believe the word of God and the worship of God should always go together (John 4:23-24). As we go deeper in biblical truth, we should go higher in grateful praise. This music project reflects our prayerful desire to be a church where the light of Christian truth shines and the fire a Christian joy burns. [Tweet "As we go deeper in biblical truth, we should go higher in grateful praise. "] This worship...

Last Friday (6/27/15), the Supreme Court of the United States issued a landmark 5-4 decision, making same-sex marriage the law in all fifty states. Pastors across the country prepared to respond to the verdict in the Sunday worship services. We had a guest speaker scheduled at the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church, where I serve as pastor. Our guest speaker challenged and encouraged us with Romans 8:31: “What then shall we say to these thing?” If God is for us, who can be against us?” God willing, I will be in the pulpit this coming Sunday. I plan on using that...

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. – Acts 20:28 I sat in the back seat. Two church leaders sat up front. They thought they were talking to me. They were actually talking to one another. At some point, they asked my philosophy of church leadership. I answered: “Jesus Christ is the head of the church. And he exercises his authority through a plurality of godly men.” Those two sentences express my convictions about...

Check out the new Shiloh Church Sermon Podcast. This podcast features sermons I preach during the Lord's Day Worship Services at the Shiloh Church. Make sure you subscribe to the Podcast to receive automatic downloads of the sermons as they are added to the podcast. And please share the link to the podcast with your friends. NOTE: This podcast is different from my On Preaching Podcast which is also available on iTunes. Enjoy!

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. – Psalm 119:97 Shiloh Church loves the word of God! It is the foundation of our life and faith in Christ. It is the means of our spiritual growth. It is the light and lamp for our pathway. February will mark a special time in the word we are calling Word Encounter 2015! Guests speakers from our community and from around the country will preach the word to us on Tuesdays at Shiloh Orange Park and Wednesdays at Shiloh Downtown. There will also be special musical guests each week...

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...

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....

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...

We believe it happens after prayer! So as we approach the launch of Shiloh Church of Orange Park, we commit to 31 days of intercessory prayer for this new work. Each member of the Shiloh Church is asked to send time daily during the 31 days of December to cover Shiloh OP in believing prayer. This daily guide will enable us to pray together on one accord. 12/1 – On-Mission: Pray that Shiloh OP will make more and better disciples for Jesus Christ in the community and through the nations (Matt. 28:18-20). 12/2 – Believing Prayer: Pray our devotion to and dependence...