I tell a story from time to time of a man who approached me with unsolicited feedback after I had first begun to preach some years ago.  This man was a long-time member of the church, and faithfully brought his…

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we…

I want you stop for a minute and think about something that is really profound.  When you’re sitting in a worship service at Lakewood, consider all of the things that you have in common with the other believers in our…

We all know that overall church attendance in America is in decline.  We see it.  We feel it. There are a number of reasons that people give for not attending church, but I heard a bit of statistics the other…

The title of this article is not news to anyone. If you’ve been a follower of Christ for six days or 60 years, you are well acquainted with the fact that Bible study requires commitment.  At the least, it is…

For many years the phrase “cafeteria Catholic” has been a phrase floating around various literary and theological journals.  The term is used to describe someone who claims to be Catholic, but departs from one or more long-held Catholic doctrines and…

It seems at times that our nation and world are spinning out of control, sprinting full steam ahead toward the edge of a cliff.  It can feel like there is so much sinful momentum in America that the complete destruction…

I was scrolling Facebook the other day and noticed a post by someone who was offering a devotional thought regarding the translation of a biblical word, from Hebrew to English. As I began to read the article, my internal warning…

For the past couple of weeks, I have used this article space to explain “The Five Solas” and why they are important.  The first two are Sola Scriptura and Sola Fide, meaning Scripture Alone and Faith Alone, respectively.  If you…

I already know what you’re thinking… “Oh no, not another language lesson from our pastor!”  Haha.  Yep!  But this one is a bit different.  It’s not Hebrew.  It’s not Greek.  It’s not even Aramaic.  This language does not even appear…

Please notice the announcement on the other side of this bulletin that on January 29th, Lakewood members will have an opportunity to nominate new deacons to serve.  Those who are ultimately called to serve will be added to our current…

Several in our church family have experienced recent heartbreak due to the loss of loved ones.  Leanne and I have been praying for a local Hermitage family who recently lost their teenage daughter in a car wreck – after she…