As I was recently browsing old photos, I was blessed to realize that God has allowed me to know some truly great men. Throughout this summer, I’m sharing some of these pictures and memories to introduce readers of this blog to some of these men.  Tom Malone Unique Trait: Innovation Tom Malone may have been my favorite preacher to listen to. Dr. John R. Rice called him “the greatest pulpiteer of his generation.” He was one of the most educated men in the independent Baptist movement (with an earned PhD from Wayne State University of Detroit), and his messages were filled with biblical con ..read more

As I was recently browsing old photos, I was blessed to realize that God has allowed me to know some truly great men. Throughout this summer, I’m sharing some of these pictures and memories to introduce readers of this blog to some of these men. Shane Lewis Unique Trait: Wisdom Pastor Shane Lewis was a man of principle, character, and integrity. The Lord called him to Heaven four years ago this month (June 21, 2020) after a hard-fought battle with leukemia. I loved Pastor Lewis’ commitment to Scripture and the fact that his friendships were based on others’ commitments to the Word of God as w ..read more

As I was recently browsing old photos, I was blessed to realize that God has allowed me to know some truly great men who are now with the Lord. Throughout this summer, I’m sharing pictures and memories to introduce readers of this blog to some of these men.  Lee Roberson Unique Trait: Vision Framed in the hallway outside my office are several handwritten pages from Dr. Lee Roberson with advice for building a Sunday school. Not only do these six pieces of paper have great advice. (On his list with “Essentials for a Growing Sunday School,” his first two points were 1. Faith in the Word of ..read more

As I was recently browsing old photos, I was blessed to realize that God has allowed me to know some truly great men. Men like Lee Roberson, Tom Malone, Shane Lewis, Ron Hamilton, and others who are now in Heaven have left an indelible mark on my life.  In reflecting on these godly men, I decided that I wanted to introduce the readers of this blog to them. Throughout this summer, I plan to share pictures and memories over the course of several blog posts. Each post will highlight a particular preacher and a trait that stands out about that man.  Our first (and these are shared in no ..read more

I hold Dr. Don Sisk in high regard for many reasons, including his many years of faithfulness to the Lord. It’s incredible to realize, but Dr. Sisk has been in ministry for seventy years. And he continues to serve the Lord with joy.  It was a blessing to me to sit down with him for the latest episode of the Spiritual Leadership Podcast and discuss what it takes to stay in the ministry for a lifetime.  (If you cannot view this video in your email or RSS reader, click here.) In our discussion, we focused on three areas: maintaining passion, balancing priorities, and holding a biblica ..read more

The New Testament places significant emphasis on music as part of the “one another” aspects of the Christian life. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16) One of the most regular times that Christians use music to teach and admonish one another is in the corporate worship services of the local church. And the musicians—vocal and instrumental—who serve in this ministry can greatly enhance this part of a service. In a recent meeting w ..read more

Woke is an odd word—and not just because it is a past tense verb that is now commonly used as an adjective. It’s odd because it has vague connotations without clear definitions. This ambiguity allows those who appreciate the word’s implications to write off those who criticize its implications as “just not understanding its meaning.”  In conversations like this, clarity is always our friend. That’s why I was thankful when someone from our Sheriff’s Department recently asked me what I meant in using the word woke. This individual is not a believer, and I was happy to answer his question f ..read more

The apostle Paul’s solemn charge to Timothy was to “preach the Word.”  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. (2 Timothy 4:2) Biblical preaching and teaching is the expounding of the Word of God to a world that needs to hear it. Of course, the gospel is our central message in preaching. But pastors are also to declare “all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) as the expound Scripture to their church family.  I have been preaching now for just over forty years. This is God’s calling on my life and is one of the ..read more

1. Avoid an uncertian sound. Don’t engage in activities or associations that make your testimony for Christ unclear. “For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:8). 2. Let not your good be evil spoken of. Be willing to limit your Christian liberty to avoid causing a stumbling block to others. “Let not then your good be evil spoken of” (Romans 14:16). 3. Do not make a major decision without godly counsel. I have sought men who are my seniors to ask counsel of for significant decisions. “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but ..read more

With each new year, I find myself more earnestly desiring to live each day wholly for Christ and to fulfill His calling on my life.  As I pray for our church family and friends around the globe, my prayer for each of you is that God would give you the clarity, grace, and courage to pursue Him in this new year and that it would be a fruitful year to His glory! One of the things I love about the dawning of a new year is the natural momentum it carries and the opportunity for setting goals and revitalizing the important areas of our lives.  As we look forward to 2024, I wanted to share ..read more