Many pastors asked me what planning and preparation were involved before I started Hermosillo Baptist Church, and I thank God for those questions. A vision without a strategic plan will be just another dream.

The nation was in a free fall heading for destruction. Not a single drop of rain had fallen for three and a half years.

Some years ago, I stood in a long line at the pharmacy in a Target store. The young lady behind the counter was exceptionally friendly, cheerful, and helpful, and she kept her customers in a good mood during a long wait.

Sermon outline: This is an abbreviated outline with the complete sermon downloadable at the bottom of the post.

I do not want to discourage you about finances because God can provide them. But you must answer this question before you go forward.

In our periodic new member’s class, we teach our church’s purpose—loving God, growing together, and serving others. These are not just talking points, but destinations along the journey of the Christian life.

Sermon outline: This is an abbreviated outline with the complete sermon downloadable at the bottom of the post.

When Pastor James Bing of Fort Meyers, Florida, was asked to pray at a presidential event, he did the unthinkable.

It must have been a difficult task for Elijah—asking a widow woman for her last meager meal. Before this, God had provided for Elijah through the ravens and the brook Cherith, but the birds stopped coming and the brook dried up.

Bob McQueon, a former congressman from Ohio who is also a Christian, tells this story about taking his son to McDonalds.