Book Review—David Livingstone: One Who Followed Christ
One hundred seventy years ago this month David Livingstone sailed for the continent of Africa. As I read the biography of Livingston this summer, I was struck by the appropriateness of the book’s subtitle: One who followed Christ. As a missionary-explorer,...
Sounding Out the True Voice of Christmas
What a joy it was to see our church packed both Saturday and Sunday evenings with hundreds of visitors for the Christmas musical. On Sunday evening, we had many extra chairs set up, and there were still people in the lobby watching by video. The musical presentation...
Voices of Christmas
The annual Christmas musical at Lancaster Baptist Church is our Christmas gift to our community. Our choir, orchestra, and drama team work tirelessly every year to produce a musical that highlights the birth of Christ and the gift of salvation. Our church family works...
’Tis the Season…for Soulwinning!
Christmas is one of the easiest times to invite people to church! But in the busyness of the Christmas parties, programs, and preparation, it’s all too easy to lose this golden opportunity to lead others to Christ. As you help your children with their church Christmas...
3 Hindrances to Prayer
Incredibly, God invites us to bring any need we face directly to His throne: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Philippians 4:6). This invitation is especially remarkable...
How to Pray for Your Pastor
People in our church often let me know they are praying for me, and I am deeply grateful. Sometimes people ask for specifics on how they should pray for the pastor. At a recent meeting with our church’s Pastor’s Prayer Partners, we gave out the following acrostic with...
4 Enemies of Thankfulness
On Thanksgiving Day, when you are sitting around the table sharing your blessings, it’s easy to feel thankful. But we all have to work to maintain a grateful spirit every other day. Perhaps it would help to identify these four attitudes that are enemies of...
Distinctive Practices | Baptist Distinctives: Part 3
(This is part 3 of a three-part post, highlighting a few key areas of Baptist distinction.) What makes Baptists distinct? We already noted in part 1 that both faith and practice must come directly from Scripture, and in part 2 we saw Baptist dinstinctives regarding...
New Book: The Ministry of a Baptist Deacon
For years I’ve wanted to write a book for deacons. The deacons who serve our church have been a help to me—and to our entire church family—beyond what words can describe. Their ministry is vital, and its intricacies are definitely worthy of a book. The Ministry of a...
The Resilient Life
Overcome the Crises and Anxieties of Life through Christ
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Pastor Paul Chappell
Dr. Paul Chappell is the senior pastor of the Lancaster Baptist Church and president of West Coast Baptist College in Lancaster, California. His biblical vision has led the church to become one of the most dynamic independent Baptist churches in the nation. He has been married to his wife, Terrie, for over forty years and is the father of four married children all serving in Christian ministry.
