Throwing the First Pitch
It has become one of my yearly traditions to throw the first pitch for our church little league program, and this year’s inaugural baseball game for the ’09 season took place on Saturday afternoon. As I made my way out to the pitcher’s mound, I...
Dispelling the Darkness
I remember as a young boy working many summers on our family farm in Colorado. I enjoyed working, driving the tractors, and hoeing the bean field. But what I really loved was dinnertime at grandmother’s house! We would sit down and have a meal of roast beef,...
Making a Difference in the Community
Terrie and I came to the Antelope Valley nearly twenty-three years ago for the purpose of sharing the truth and hope of Jesus Christ. Since that time, we have seen the Lord do some incredible things through the ministry of Lancaster Baptist Church. Throughout the...
Marks of a Mature Dating Relationship
It is always exciting to see how God’s will for our college students unfolds in each of their lives. As a part of His plan, God allows most of our students to find a spouse while at Bible college. A month or so ago, as I was preaching in college chapel, I took...
The Sanctity of Life
It came as no surprise, this past Tuesday morning, that President Obama signed an executive order to lift the ban on stem cell research, as was promised on the campaign trail. Surrounded by an audience of scientists, religious and political figures, as well as his...
New Members' Class
One of the exciting changes in our ministry this year has been the addition of a New Members’ Class. When we began the class three weeks ago, it was thrilling to see over ninety people in attendance who have either recently joined or who are interested in...
Two Types of Go-Karts
Growing up, I had some memorable incidents with go-karts. It was always a lot of fun to race them around with friends and pretend to be a “grown-up” with my own car. All of the go-karts I drove fit into one of two categories. The first category were those with...
President Obama Approving Rally Prayers, Baptist Pastor Compromises
A recent article by Dan Gilgoff of U.S. News and World Report revealed a sad and disturbing trend in Barack Obama’s new presidency—the trend of “vetting prayers.” Gilgoff reported in his February 24th article, “In a departure from previous presidents, his public...Mentoring Steps for Emerging Leaders
Last week I had the privilege of meeting with a twenty-six year old man in our church who is a graduate of a liberal arts college in the Midwest and has recently been working for an accounting firm here on the West Coast. As we sat in my office, he shared his...
Founded on Faith
Discover the inspiring story of America’s biblical foundations and why they still matter today.
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.
"The power of godliness lives, thrives, or dies, as closet prayer lives, thrives, or dies."—Thomas Brooks