The Hope of Israel
The Hope of Israel | Mikveh in Scripture “O Lord, the hope (mikveh) of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written...
Calling Young Preachers!
If ever there was a time for preachers to preach God's Word, it is now! More people are alive today than ever before. There is a great need for preachers...
The Bible is The Word of God
The Bible is The Word of God Few people want to talk about it and even fewer understand it. Yet, all of life boils down to authority: whose authority will we...
Yes, Doctrine Matters!
Yes, Doctrine Matters! “We have found a new church and it is wonderful! Everyone has a great time, and they don’t talk about doctrine.” I cannot tell you how often...
New Companion Study Guide (with bonus content!)
One of the most profitable ways to study the Bible is by its characters. While we know that the main character of Scripture is God Himself, the Holy Spirit has...
Why Study the Bible?
Whether a new believer or a mature Christian, it is absolutely essential that believers keep growing in their knowledge of God. This is only possible if we are day by...
Christians You Should Know: G. Campbell Morgan
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15 A Snapshot of the Life...
Christians You Should Know: Booker T. Washington
"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve...
8 Signs of a Healthy Church
8 Signs of a Healthy Church Tammy and I sat in a service recently and listened to believers in a local church give spontaneous testimonies. It was evident from what...
Seeing God in Every Scripture
Seeing God in Every Scripture The preacher speaks about the necessity of all Scripture and people politely nod their heads. We read, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,...
5 Books to Read On The Book
There is no book on earth like God's Book - it is the very Word of the Living God, and every word of it is for us! I love the...
5 Books to Read On Prophecy
There is increased interest right now in the subject of prophecy. The entertainment world is full of speculation about apocalyptic events and the "end of the world" seems to be...
5 Books To Read For Answers
Ours is an age of questions, skeptics, and debate. Paul described the last days well when he wrote, "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the...
3 Elements for Effective Preaching
Preaching the Word of God is a grand privilege and great responsibility. For the faithful minister there is a joy and a soberness in standing to deliver the Lord's message....
5 Books To Read About The Holy Spirit
How well do you know the Spirit of God? Though we live in the age of the Spirit, there is so much confusion about Him. Some fall short of really...
5 Books To Read On Prayer + 1 I’m Reading Now
This is a hard one. I have so many books that have been a tremendous help to me on the subject of prayer. There are a host of "classics" -...
5 Books To Read For Bible Study
The wisest man who ever lived said, "There is no new thing under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9). That is because truth is never new - it is eternal. One of...
5 Books To Read About Jesus (And One Bonus)
For at least one day this week people thought of Christ. We have just come through Easter and much of the world has considered the story of Jesus and the...
2020 – NEW DEVOTIONAL PODCAST SERIES!
If you have been traveling with us through the Word of God, thank you! If you have not yet joined us on this journey I would like to encourage you...
For Those Who Love Children
"Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world." The greatest way to impact the future of a nation is to reach another generation of children. More than...
4 Things We Must Not Do With The Truth
We live in a world of lies because people have rejected the truth. The condition of Isaiah's day is much like our own, "And judgment is turned away backward, and...
7 Truths My Dad Taught Me
Tonight I had the joy of sharing these thoughts with our church family. Perhaps they will be of some help to your family. My dad has been one of my...
3 Times Jesus Wept And What We Learn From His Tears
Several months ago, I preached a message on the tears of Jesus. Our Savior was a "man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:5). This is more than mere...
It’s Not Automatic!
It was embarrassing to say the least. There I stood in a public restroom waving my hands furiously under the faucet, grumbling that someone really should fix the sensor. Why...
A Fresh Look At Familiar Scriptures
“Why didn’t I see that? Where did that preacher get the understanding of that passage…and how could I have missed it?” Sound familiar? We have all had these questions. Perhaps...
ALL NATURAL???
In our day of cheap facades, strange additives, and generic substitutes it is appealing when anyone offers something that is completely natural. Entire brands are now built on the idea...
Guest Post: “Reaching Children”
Twenty five years ago I shared a college dormitory with a friend who would become my brother-in-law. Jason Caldwell and his family have committed themselves to reaching and teaching children...
Thank God For Christian Education
The last two days I have been speaking in Michigan at a wonderful Christian Educator's Convention. It has been a privilege to spend time with men and women who are...
Longevity In The Pastorate by Pastor James Pauley
One of my spiritual fathers is my uncle, James Pauley. He has faithfully pastored the same church for nearly half a century. He is a man of prayer and a...
The God Of The Thunder
You would have laughed at me. In fact, I laughed at myself. I was sitting on our front porch studying what the Bible has to say about thunder. Suddenly the...
How To Help Your Kids Make The Most Of School Days
All over the country young people are returning to school. Our own children start back this week. New beginnings are a wonderful opportunity to set so many things in motion....
An Encouragement For Assistant Pastors
It was my privilege to serve as an assistant to a wonderful pastor for many years. Eighteen years were spent helping someone else fulfill the work God had put in...
You Are What You Eat.
This is not an article on health and wellness. It is much more important than that. (If my mother is reading this I want to go on record as saying...
What Is The Most Important Lesson You Have Learned?
As I write these words I am sitting in northern Michigan. It is a beautiful summer day at camp. This morning at breakfast I had an engaging conversation with a...
You Have To Work Hard To Keep It Simple
He was an engineer who had been responsible for the invention of things too intricate for me to understand. Yet the message he conveyed to me was one that I...
A Mother’s Day Meditation: “The Law Of Thy Mother”
Proverbs opens with a father speaking to his son and closes with a mother speaking to her son. Children need the influence and instruction of both dad and mom. In...
Some Truths About Baptism
I was baptized as a five-year old boy. I chose to be baptized to show that I had recently trusted Christ as my personal Savior. Now, in fact, I simply...
The Most Important Characteristic of A Staff Member
For nearly two decades I had the joy of serving on the staff of a wonderful church and college. After the first few years I had the responsibility of not...
10 Ways To Help A High School Senior
Over the last few weeks I have been privileged to spend time with a number of high school seniors. One of them is living in my own home! Just yesterday...
A Bible Teacher
Most Sunday mornings I am asked to address a combined Sunday School class or spend time with a particular Bible study group. This is always something I enjoy doing and...
Truths for Travelers: Lessons Learned On the Road
As many of you know I spend a good deal of time on the road. Another frequent traveler, the Apostle Paul, once wrote, “all things are yours” (1 Corinthians 3:21-22)....
“Journey Through Scripture” Ready Reference
Just this week as I was reading God's Word I noticed a reference that Jesus made to the reading of Scripture. In Luke 6:3 Christ spoke to religious people when...
Use A Story!
Everybody loves a good story. Some preachers and teachers are known as story-tellers. This should never be our goal. Our mission is to be truth-tellers. However, learning to tell a...
My Favorite Chapter of the Bible
Do you have a favorite portion of Scripture? One of my Bible teachers used to say that his favorite passage of Scripture was the one he was studying at the...
What I Have Learned About Series Preaching
Evangelists are not typically known for series preaching. For many years I thought that sermon series were basically pastoral in nature. More and more I believe that such preaching is...
The First Step
The first day of a new year. What will we do with it? It will never get any easier than today to take action. Never. Do you want to learn...
Will You Join Us On the Journey?
Six years ago this month I began writing on our blog. At the time God led me to call it Enjoying the Journey. (You may read more about why I chose...
Thank God for Your Critics!
It is inevitable that critics will come. If you obey God there will be some man who does not understand. And the critics are not always foes - sometimes they...
Our New Radio Program in West Virginia!
If you live in central or southern West Virginia I am happy to announce that we are beginning a daily radio program in December. Enjoying the Journey will be a ten minute...
A Simple Principle That Has Had A Profound Effect On My Life
Dr. Frank Sells was one of my favorite Bible teachers. I can see him now, sitting on the platform, in his own conversational way showing some of the most powerful...
Why I Started Running & Why I Plan to Continue
A little over two years ago I started running. I didn't plan to do it. In fact, I'm not sure why I went out that first day. I remember saying...
3 Things I Am Praying for My Words
Words are powerful things. Spoken, written, typed, or texted - they are vehicles of communication that tend to last. If not on paper, in the hearts and minds of others....
Go East Young Man!
Our culture is obsessed with the ability, beauty, and virility of youth. Somehow in all of this obsession we have forgotten the wisdom of age. Young people miss the examples...
10 Suggestions for Those Who Work With Youth
Thank God for faithful youth workers. While raising our children I realized more than ever that no one raises their children alone. My wife and I praise God for every...
My Advice to Church Staff Members
Over the last few weeks I have had the privilege of spending time with a number of church staff members in the places where I have been preaching. This is...
The Book That Saves the World
A few weeks ago I picked up a copy of the Wall Street Journal in a hotel. As I was breezing quickly through the sections my eyes fell on something...
The Battle That Never Ends
As a young Christian I imagined that some day it would get easier. My flesh would not rear its ugly head; the world would not seem as attractive; the devil...
Identity Matters
We are living in a day of identity confusion. Gender confusion. Political confusion. Doctrinal confusion. A confusion of roles within the family. Confusion seems to be the order of the...
Are the Progressives Really Progressing?
Let's clear the air...No, this is not a post about politics. And, no, I am not a progressive. With our current political climate the term "progressive" has been in the...
What to Do When You Have Questions
What to Do When You Have Questions Questions are opportunities to teach. God gave explicit instructions to Israel about what to say when your children ask (Deuteronomy 6:20-25). And ask...
A Bible Lesson from an Eight Year Old
Road trips are fun. At least if you make them that way! This week I drove several hours to speak in a youth rally. Often I travel alone and have...
Tips for Those Who Teach Teens
One of the great joys of my life is the privilege to speak to young people. Recently I was listening to one of our youth workers at the Temple Baptist...
Thank God for Teachers
Today I had the opportunity to be with a group of the elementary children in our Academy. What formative years! As I watched the wonderful teachers that God has given...
5 Books To Read As Commentaries