Ministry Moment: The Joy of Sustained Outreach
When Terrie and I first came to Lancaster in the summer of 1986, we immediately began reaching into our community with the gospel of Christ. For the first eighteen months, I knocked on at least five hundred doors every week—giving invitations to church and sharing the...
Israel, Hamas, Corporate America, and the Antichrist
Two Sundays ago, I preached a message on the Antichrist. Last weekend, I read news articles that describe alignments taking place to prepare for his coming. To be clear, I don’t know who the Antichrist is, nor would I try to guess. I also do not know when he will be...
A Three-Fold Challenge to Every WCBC Graduate
As we graduated our twenty-sixth class from West Coast Baptist College last week, I was full of gratitude to the Lord for His faithfulness in each graduate’s life. Each graduate who received his or her diploma last week is the fruit of many investments from family,...
A Statement on the Current Marijuana Issue Facing Lancaster
In recent weeks I have been asked numerous times to comment on the continual distribution of marijuana in and around our city. The promotion and proliferation of marijuana production and sales in America has been brought upon us by highly-organized lobbyists and...
Stop the Unraveling: Three Ways Spiritual Leaders Must Respond in Perilous Times
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2 Timothy 3:1) That word perilous in 2 Timothy 3:1 speaks of an unraveling. It’s not hard to see the application of this verse to the world we live in today. It seems that culture from top to...
Social Justice and Theological Liberalism
It’s hard to read James 1:27 and see it meaning anything less than exercising compassion toward those in need: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from...
Why I Believe Local Churches Can Flourish in 2021
A new Gallup survey reports that for the first time in American history, church membership nationwide has dropped below 50 percent. This past year has been a challenging one for pastors and churches. Although there are multiple factors that have contributed to...
Why and How Every Christian Should Oppose the Equality Act
Every two years, the United States Congress enacts approximately 300–500 laws. Like any American, there are certainly a percentage of these laws with which I disagree. Because of this, of the hundreds of bills passed into law every two years, there are several about...
Traits of a Pastoral Servant Leader
In recent decades, the phrase servant leadership has become so widespread, even in secular circles, that its meaning has perhaps become less clear and its requirement for humility perhaps less of a juxtaposition on our thoughts than it should be. In a sense, servant...
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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.
No system of laws can change hearts. We hold the world’s only answer, but we must be faithful to share it. #DailyDevotion https://vist.ly/3n4mhfc