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....
Thoughts on Presenting the Gospel Gift this Christmas
One of the blessings of the Christmas season is people’s openness to talk about Jesus. In my experience, it’s one of the best times of the year in terms of tender hearts and responsiveness to gospel invitations in the community. Each year, our church choir and...
Advice from Dr. Lee Roberson
In the early 1990s, I was a twenty-something-year-old pastor with a ton of questions. Our church was beginning to average near a thousand on Sundays, and I was invited to preach a tent revival in Fremont, California, with Dr. Lee Roberson. I was excited to get answers...
Discerning True Concern
The Lord has given me the privilege of having dear friends in ministry—friends who love me and my family, challenge me in my spiritual growth, rejoice with me in God’s blessings, and hold me accountable in my personal life. Often in my life, and perhaps in yours as...
4 Simple Ways to Express Thanks to the Lord
A few weeks ago, I preached from Luke 17 where Jesus healed ten lepers. One of the most convicting statements to me in that passage was Christ’s question to the man who returned to give Him thanks: “Where are the nine?” What really gripped my heart from that question...
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.
Four practical ways to follow the Holy Spirit's leading in your life: