When people are asked what an ideal church looks like, often there are two types of answers. If they are happy with their current church, their response to the question will consist of everything they like about their church. If…
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Sharing the Gospel
In order to effectively share the gospel, there is a skill that you need to learn, develop, and even master. This skill I’m speaking of does not require the memorization of Scripture (although doing so is strongly recommended).
It does…
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Why Read God’s Word Over and Over?
Simply based on my observation, reading for personal benefit is mostly a lost asset in our culture these days. Whether its reading “the classics” like To Kill a Mockingbird, or reading non-fiction to increase knowledge, it seems that most people…
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How Then Should We Listen?
I recently heard a well-known SBC pastor, speaking to a large group of seminary students, make the following comment, “No one will remember what you preach. What they will remember is, were you there when they needed you.” What a…
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“It was kind of you to share my trouble.” Philippians 4:14
These are simple words from the apostle Paul to the church at Philippi, which had given him a gift in support of his on-going ministry. The word translated into English as “kind” could also mean noble, honorable, or right. In…
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Creating a Culture of Evangelism
Do you find it difficult to share the gospel effectively? That probably describes most of us. We don’t find it difficult to be kind, or to love our neighbor, or even to serve the underserved among us. Those are natural…
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God Can Use You
GOD CAN USE YOU
d e s p i t e y o u r f a i l u r e s
The final chapters of each of the four Gospels contain the struggle and fall of Peter, arguably…
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Trust God and Obey Him, Especially in the Tough Times
Think back for a moment to a time when you had to make a big decision. As the situation begins to unfold, you probably begin to experience an increasing amount of stress. You consider your options. You pray and ask…
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The Queen is Dead But the King is Alive!
On September 8th, 2022, the world was given the announcement that Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth Realms had passed away at the age of 96. She reigned on the throne for 70 years, providing those…
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Expository Listening
Over the past couple of years, you may have heard me talk about my style or technique of expository preaching at Lakewood. Expository preaching means that the preacher does the work to learn and accurately expose the biblical writer’s original…
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A Biblical Model for Church Growth
Did you know that there is no verse or passage in the New Testament that teaches churches to focus their ministry efforts on bringing more people into the congregation? That’s right – not one time are churches commanded to work…
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Don’t Make Enemies Out of Your Mission Field
Imagine that you have been given the task of sharing the gospel with a large group of people who will be gathered in an auditorium. Actually, you’re not going to be speaking to them all at once, but you will…
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