by Dr. Paul Chappell | Nov 5, 2018 | Christian Life, Ministry Leadership
Incredible as it may be, it is easy to become discontent in ministry. That’s not a reflection on the challenges of ministry so much as it is a reflection on the fickle nature of our hearts. We start out eager to serve the Lord and others, but then, perhaps...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | Nov 1, 2018 | Christian Life
According to statistics from 2018, Americans owe 26 percent of their income to consumer debt with the average American spending 10 percent of his or her monthly income on non-mortgage debts. And although average income is increasing, American consumers are buying more...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | Oct 29, 2018 | Christian Life, Ministry Leadership
I grew up in the independent Baptist movement, and I appreciate my heritage for many reasons. But if there is ever a time when I’m especially thankful to be an independent Baptist, it’s during times of missions emphasis—such as our World Impact Conference at Lancaster...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | Oct 25, 2018 | Ministry Leadership
The heart-felt desire of every godly pastor is to do the work God has called him to do—preach the gospel, disciple new Christians, study God’s Word, prepare biblical messages, equip the church family for the work of the ministry, and serve as an undershepherd of...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | Oct 22, 2018 | Ministry Leadership
The local church belongs to Christ. He gave Himself for it (Ephesians 5:25), He is the head of it (Colossians 1:18), and He is the one who adds to it (Acts 2:47). But those of us who serve as undershepherds want to be part of encouraging momentum in the ministry of...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | Oct 18, 2018 | Ministry Leadership
Each year, our deacons insist that I go in for a thorough health examination. Usually the doctor will greet me with a statement like, “Deacons sent you again, huh?” He gets it. A day or two after the exam, the doctor sends me his baseline evaluation that...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | Oct 15, 2018 | Ministry Leadership
A few weeks ago, I preached at a church for a younger pastor. After the service, as we fellowshipped, he shared with me how the Lord is working in their church and some things they are doing as part of their outreach. And then he asked a key question: “Is there...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | Oct 11, 2018 | Christian Life, Ministry Leadership, Spiritual Leadership Podcast
How does a spiritual leader finish his course with joy? How do you navigate the numerous detours in doctrine and ministry philosophy and stay true to your call and your biblical position? I enjoyed sitting down this past week with my friend, Jeff Asmbaugh, who...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | Oct 1, 2018 | Ministry Leadership
Do you ever begin a new week with a pile on your desk? Scraps of notations from Sunday. Left over to dos from last week. Started projects. Unanswered emails. And on top of all of that, the needs and responsibilities of the coming week. Sometimes it’s challenging...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | Sep 24, 2018 | Christian Life, Ministry Leadership
God’s grace has to be the greatest gift of the Christian life. It is by grace that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8), by grace that we grow (2 Peter 3:18), by grace that we have access to the presence of God (Romans 5:2), and by grace that we are motivated in service...