Are You a Bill Snyder or a Nick Saban Pastor?

Two coaches. Two great coaches. And they are about as different as night and day. One, Coach Snyder, is the epitome of the "old school" type: cautious, reserved, conserving, and, well, just a fine, gentle man with a hidden but real furnace burning within. Continue Reading

Inaugural Prayer for 9/14/2012

The Reverend Robert E. Baxter is the most noble man of God that I have ever known in my life. He is, now into eight decades of living, a very active preacher and pastor and encourager of the saints. He is the Associate Minister, First Presbyterian Continue Reading

Entrusted with God’s Truth to Extend God’s Grace (2 Timothy 2:1-2)—An Inaugural Address

An inauguration is not a coronation. An inauguration is a consecration—a setting apart for the purposes of God. This service is a consecration of our institution, our vision and values, and a consecration of our very lives, with my life intertwined Continue Reading

Now and Forever: The Inseparable Love of God in Christ in Romans 8:35-39

What are the most transformative words in the world for believers? My friend, John Guest, says that the most powerful words in the world are, "God loves you."[1] I don't disagree. Yet, for many believers who are passing through the storms of life, the Continue Reading

You Are the Living Legacy of Those who have Gone Before: Another Motivation to Go the Distance in Ministry

Dearest Students in the Gospel Ministry: I want to write you as this new semester begins and tell you a story about myself and then ask something of you. But first let me give you a Scripture to start your studies with: “But as for you, continue in Continue Reading