Twelve Areas to Evaluate as You Begin a New Year
There’s nothing like a new year to renew our passion for growth and excellence. I think, however, that in our haste to set new goals sometimes we miss careful evaluation of where we’re really at currently in some of the key areas of life. Before you decide what...
What Jesus Gave Us at Christmas
At Lancaster Baptist Church, we give “Christmas gifts to Jesus.” It’s an opportunity for us as a church to tangibly give to the Lord whose birthday we celebrate, and it’s a great way for children to be reminded of the real purpose of Christmas. But the truth is,...
Mentoring and Modeling in the Home
One of our annual traditions is taking a family picture to send out with our Christmas cards. For our picture this year (above), we went up to the Tehachapi mountains. I couldn’t help but remember that it was in a room located in these very mountains where twenty-five...
Four Steps to Developing an Annual Church-Wide Theme
I love the New Year for the sense of freshness and potential it brings. I write new year’s goals, and I take time to do personal inventory and planning for the year. (The Stewarding Life Planner is the resource I developed for myself and our staff along these lines....
Do You Hear What I Hear?
Like most people, I love the Christmas season. Terrie and I have been playing Christmas music since before Thanksgiving. We look forward to some time with all our family around later this month as we celebrate Christ’s coming. One of the songs I enjoy listening to is...
Covering Abuse and Sin Is a Tragedy for the Work of Christ
Jesus told us that Satan, as a thief, comes “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10), and nowhere is that more profoundly seen than in situations of abuse. We are always saddened to hear of sin and abuse in the Christian world and in Baptist ranks in...
Five Gifts I Pray Guests Will Find at Our Christmas Services
Over the next three weeks, our church will hold many special Christmas services—including “The Journey of Christmas” event with live drama and a gospel message. And we’re not alone in this. All around the world, churches are holding special services and events with...
Trust and Obey—A New Gift Devotional Book
Faith is a pretty incredible resource for the Christian life. Not only are we saved through faith, but faith is the way we grow in our relationship with God. (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)—2 Corinthians 5:7 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for...
Six Characteristics of a Disciple-Making Church, Part 2
In the previous blog, we noted that while it is easy to give lip service to the Great Commission as the mission of the local church, it is also easy to get distracted from it. We saw that a disciple-making church is actually a Christ-centered church. Our goal is not...
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.
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