The Work Begins When You Go Home
I could ask if you have ever made a spiritual decision after a church service, only to break it within twenty-four hours. But every honest Christian would answer that question the same—yes. So what makes the difference between the decisions we keep and the decisions...Growth Points 013: Three Trends that Doom a Church’s Influence
It is a tragedy that when America desperately needs the authority of the preached Word of God, the influence of preachers and churches on our culture is not what it should be. Every one of us recognizes God’s command to be salt and light in our world. And yet, it...
Concerns and Hopes for Older Preachers
In a recent post, I shared several concerns and hopes for young preachers. Here I would like to continue the theme with some thoughts regarding older preachers. I get concerned when older preachers view all those with a question as “in rebellion.” It encourages me to...
Concerns and Hopes for Young Preachers
I was recently with a young preacher here on the West Coast who asked me a thought-provoking question: “What do you see that concerns or encourages you in younger pastors?” I was encouraged by the question itself, and I pondered it for the next few days. I still...Growth Points 012: Teamwork and Follow-Up
How did the ministry of Christ continue after the Resurrection? In the salutation to Acts we find the answer: “The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach” (Acts 1:1). Jesus didn’t simply do the ministry Himself, but He...
Because Jesus Triumphed, I Am…
Christ’s Resurrection provides so much more than a future home in Heaven. His victory and salvation through His blood puts me in a spiritual position—“in Christ.” Galatians 2:20 declares, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth...
The Thief Next Door
Jesus didn’t just tell us to love our neighbor. He did it Himself. In the darkest scene of utter injustice, Jesus was stretched on a cross between two thieves: “Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left” (Matthew...Growth Points 011: Preaching the Resurrection
Over the last several years, I have noticed a trend of pastors getting clever with Easter Sunday. Rather than making this Sunday themed on the resurrection itself, they center it on an effect of the resurrection—emphasizing a set of psychological or relational topics....
New Podcast Posted: Strengthen the Things that Remain
If we can learn anything from the first century churches of Asia Minor, it is the propensity of Christians, churches, and spiritual movements toward decline. Churches today face a host of challenges from both within and without. Between a corrupt culture, biased...
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.
