Nothing compares to the privilege of serving in the house of the Lord! My heart echoes David’s: “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalm 84:10).
Local Church
By Jacob Bundy, Thursday, March 14, 2024
One of the great joys of the Christian life is helping to nurture the faith of young Christians. There’s just nothing like leading someone to Christ and then encouraging them as they take steps of faith and grow in the Lord.
In its pure definition, New Testament discipleship means to be a fully-committed follower of Christ. This commitment should be the very DNA of our Christian walk.
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By Clark Graham, Thursday, January 18, 2024
Throughout the New Testament, we see that crisis prayers are often ineffectual without being preceded by communion prayers.
Ministry is filled with unexpected moments of crisis. In these times, we find ourselves praying for God’s miraculous intervention. Throughout the New Testament, however, we see that crisis prayers are often ineffectual without being preceded by communion prayers.
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By Dr. Tim Rabon, Saturday, October 16, 2021
A Call to Be a Faithful and Involved Member of your Local Church
As we recently celebrated our 70th anniversary as a local church, I have been thinking of the role that a local church has played in my life. I am so glad that my parents taught and showed me the importance of belonging and being faithful to the local church.
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By Dr. Paul Chappell, Friday, September 18, 2020
Anyone who tells you that they have local church ministry during Covid-19 figured out is either delusional or far wiser than I am. Because after thirty-four years of pastoring, I am finding this season the most challenging—by far. I have never seen anything like it. The health, political, and social challenges are real.
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By Dr. Paul Chappell, Saturday, August 15, 2020
7 Reasons Christian Education Is Vital
My life has been influenced, informed, and molded by Christian education. As a student, I greatly benefited from Christian education. And since beginning Lancaster Baptist School in 1989, I have labored as a teacher, parent, administrator, and pastor to weave the mind of Christ and a Christian worldview throughout the educational process.
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By Dr. Mike Edwards, Thursday, July 30, 2020
Let me go on record: I am not a fan of quarantine! I have Zoomed, FaceTimed, and Skyped until I have grown to detest the very words. It is just not the same hugging a television, a computer screen, or an IPhone as it is being close to a person you care very much about.
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By Dr. Paul Chappell, Monday, June 8, 2020
Thirty-four years ago this summer, the Lord brought our family to Lancaster, California. On our first Sunday night service, I preached a message from Philippians 1:27 which not only set the direction of our church for these past thirty-four years, but also became our theme verse.
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By Scott Pauley, Saturday, June 6, 2020
These are unusual days for everyone and unique days to serve in a church. Over the last few weeks I have spent a great deal of time talking and praying with pastors who are doing their best, under God, to lead their churches through this crisis time. While these faithful pastors are working to help God’s people, we should also be thinking about how God’s people can help God’s pastors. Remember, we are all in this together!
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By Dr. Paul Chappell, Friday, March 13, 2020
In recent days, we have been wisely encouraged by medical professionals to practice social distancing to help avoid the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19.
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By Dr. Paul Chappell, Monday, June 10, 2019
This week, Terrie and I celebrate thirty-three years of ministry at Lancaster Baptist Church with the Anniversary Sunday and host the Spiritual Leadership Conference. (And I hope you’re planning to join us!)
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By Dr. Paul Chappell, Monday, February 25, 2019
One of the first books I read in full-time ministry was In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters. Although it is specifically about excellence in business, I was captivated by the realization that if the secular world would care about excellence in the workplace, how much more should we care about excellence in ministry? I have been on a pursuit ever since to have a ministry that honors God.
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By Tim Christoson, Saturday, January 26, 2019
The Ingredients for a Tremendous Class
The book of Acts provides us with a clear blueprint for reaching and discipling adults. If we will lead our classes to grow in health and attendance, we must:
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By Dr. Paul Chappell, Monday, December 10, 2018
6 Characteristics of a Disciple-Making Church—Part 2
In the previous blog, we noted that while it is easy to give lip service to the Great Commission as the mission of the local church, it is also easy to get distracted from it.
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By Dr. Paul Chappell, Monday, December 3, 2018
6 Characteristics of a Disciple-Making Church—Part 1
he Great Commission of Christ is to share the gospel and make disciples. Sometimes I paraphrase it, “go, win, baptize, teach.”
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By Dr. Don Sisk, Saturday, October 27, 2018
Is Your Sending Capacity Growing?
Even a casual reading of the Word of God will reveal to us that God desires that all the people of the earth, in every generation, know about HIM.
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By Dr. Paul Chappell, Monday, September 24, 2018
In a post last week, I listed the Baptist distinctives, using the acrostic BAPTISTS, and suggested that if you believe these, you should not be ashamed of the name Baptist or of your heritage.
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By Dr. Paul Chappell, Monday, September 17, 2018
The Name “Baptist” Is Distinctive
Last week, I had the blessing of teaching a new group of adults in the CORE class at Lancaster Baptist Church. I teach this class several times each year for those who are new to our church. Often it is filled with newly-saved, first-generation Christians who have lots of great questions!
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By Dr. R. B. Ouellette, Saturday, September 1, 2018
When God’s People Use the World’s Methods Destruction Follows
It seems as if we are surrounded with appeals to do the work of God in a new and “better” way. If only we will cancel our evening services, abandon our confrontational soulwinning, throw out our standards, soften our preaching, replace godly music with sensual music, and avoid politically incorrect subjects such as abortion, homosexuality, and submission on the part of a wife to her husband, then we will begin to see our churches grow.
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By Bruce Burkett, Saturday, August 25, 2018