by Dr. Paul Chappell | Jun 4, 2012 | Media/Resources, Ministry Leadership, Spiritual Leadership Podcast
I remember when I was ordained into the Gospel ministry in 1983. Pastors and deacons laid hands on me and prayed for me, and I was set apart for the purpose of preaching the Gospel. Ordained simply speaks of being set apart for a purpose. John 15:16 says that Jesus...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | Jun 1, 2012 | Media/Resources
When I took some medical and rest leave in early 2011, I knew that the Lord would use this time in my life to help me make significant mid-course adjustments. But far beyond schedule or administrative changes, the Lord gave me a full journal of scriptural insights...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | May 29, 2012 | Media/Resources, Ministry Leadership, Ministry News, Spiritual Leadership Podcast
If you garden or farm, you know that growth requires tending. A good harvest requires attention to the plants themselves. Strong, healthy plants produce abundant fruit. Likewise, a deeply rooted and spiritually healthy Christian needs personal growth and renewal....
by Dr. Paul Chappell | May 28, 2012 | Christian Life
Americans are not always good at remembering. We forget the sacrifices made for us so we can enjoy freedom today. We forget the blood, sweat, and tears of those who have given their all that we might have liberty. Israel was not always good at remembering either. They...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | May 26, 2012 | Christian Life, Ministry Leadership
The highest model of leadership is cloaked in the lowest forms of humility. Specifically, servant leadership was set and demonstrated by Christ Himself when He left Heaven’s glory and “took upon him the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:7). What does “the form of a...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | May 23, 2012 | Christian Life, Ministry Leadership
My friend, Pastor Dave Hardy, made a statement at our annual Deacons Retreat that hasn’t left me. It was one of those statements that is powerful the moment you hear it…and is still powerful every time you remember it. It was the kind of statement that you print and...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | May 19, 2012 | Christian Life
It’s staggering to contemplate the demands placed on Jesus’ life. Not only did He come to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10), but He was continually sought out by the multitudes. Naturally, once you heal a blind man and cleanse a leper, you’re pretty much in high...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | May 16, 2012 | Christian Life, Current Events
I recently came across a New York Times article that floored me. The article described how the Catholic church has reinstituted the distribution of indulgences. I learned about indulgences in high school history (when we covered the middle ages and the Reformation),...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | May 12, 2012 | Christian Life, Ministry Leadership
Below is another preview from the book I am currently writing about motivations for ministry. Once again, I’m glad to hear your feedback or suggestions! You couldn’t be any more loved by God than you are right now. Does that statement strike a nerve of unrest...
by Dr. Paul Chappell | May 10, 2012 | Current Events
News sources are buzzing with President Barack Obama’s announcement from yesterday: “At a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me, personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.”...