14 Highlights from 2014
I’m not much of a slow-down-and-look-back person. Ask me right now about God’s greatest blessings, and I’m likely to tell you about what happened last Sunday or what I’m looking forward to in the coming days. But I did something this December that I don’t normally do:...
WCBC Graduate Interview: Paul Choi
In celebration of the twentieth year of West Coast Baptist College, I am planning to post a monthly interview with WCBC alumni who are serving around the world. This month’s interview is with Pastor Paul Choi who graduated from WCBC in 2007. I had the privilege to...
What Christmas Tells Us about Setting Goals
The week between Christmas and New Year’s has long been claimed territory on my calendar for goal setting. In the weeks previous, I’ve jotted down general ideas for goals for the New Year, but on this week, I prayerfully finalize these goals. I don’t know if you’re a...Growth Points 60: How to Respond to Unmet Expectations
Christmas is a time of high expectations. Actually, life is a time of high expectations. We all carry expectations—whether we specifically identify them or not. Often these expectations are brought to our attention when they go unmet—when life suddenly goes very...
The Gospel in the Genealogy
As our family gathers for Christmas each year, we read the Christmas story. Actually, we read part of the Christmas story. We don’t include the genealogies found in either Matthew 1 or Luke 3. But these 32 verses are part of the Christmas story. In fact, they are a...
John R. Rice, Christmas, and a Burden for Souls
Do you yearn for a greater burden for the lost at Christmas time? Do the words burden and Christmas not sound right in the same sentence? The paragraph below is an excerpt from Dr. John R. Rice’s final Christmas letter, dictated just days before his death. I think it...
10 Christmas Gifts Every Pastor Wants from His Staff
As a pastor, I appreciate every gift or expression of love from those who serve with me on staff. I’m blessed to serve with the world’s greatest staff, and I thank the Lord for them every day. Recently, I began thinking of the intangible gifts that staff members give...Growth Points 59: Five Areas to Prepare for a Successful New Year
The early chapters of Nehemiah reveal a burdened man who wanted to be used of God. Nehemiah prayed and fasted, and he saw God open incredible doors. But he didn’t stop there. Before Nehemiah even set foot in Jerusalem with permission to rebuild the walls, he made...
7 Priorities for a Blessed December
It’s a strange thing about Christmas. We celebrate Jesus’ birth, and we use the celebration to further our efforts in sharing the gospel. But somehow we seem to easily lose focus this time of year more than any other. We even lose focus on good things—like ministry....
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.
