I have recurring Saturday evening nightmares. I think it’s a part of being a song leader or church service director. But today topped them all! First some background: At least once a month, and some times more frequently, I pillow my head on Saturday evening only to be tormented all night by some nightmare experience [...]
A friend of mine who serves the Lord at the BBN Radio Network sent me this link to the Christmas story told by a four-year-old little girl. It blessed our family. It will captivate you from the first word! Merry Christmas! This was recorded and is available on CD from Jeff Apthorp, Sound Amazing Studios. [...]
This past Sunday evening, I watched in awe as ESPN commentators literally fell speechless. Then they resorted to words like “magical” and phrases like, “something much bigger at play here” to try to describe what happened in the Denver game vs. Chicago. The Broncos came back to win a game that anyone would have called [...]
I’ll never forget the first time I heard the word “blog.” It sounded like my friend burped. And the concept sounded about as stupid. That was years ago, and—well, it is self-evident that the concept caught on, not only for me but for millions of others. We live in a day when everybody and their [...]
This is a repost of reposts—how’s that for loser blogging!? Over the past few years, I’ve written a number of articles about creating an annual planner for life and ministry and about personal productivity. I thought it might be helpful to re-post these (AGAIN!) with titles, summaries, and links to the original articles. The planner [...]
In an interview recently, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich made a statement that absolutely grabbed me. The statement requires a bit of background, so bear with me. (And the point of this post is not political—this is all leading to a more important point.) Early in his bid for the Republical nomination, the Gingrich campaign [...]
Heavenly Father, Thank you for your love and for my salvation in Christ. My life and destiny would be utter, hopeless despair were it not for the cross of Jesus and your amazing grace! I thank you for redeeming me by the precious blood of Christ. Thank you for making me your child. Thank you [...]
This week, Striving Together Publications introduced a new, hardback, full-color, mini-book from Dr. Paul Chappell. Christmas is a Gift—Unwrap the Significance of the Season is just over 130 pages, and is filled with encouraging insights from the Christmas story, as well as a clear salvation message. It makes a perfect gift for a Christian friend [...]
Life is busy. Honestly, in a given week or day, there is more stuff flowing at us (in the form of information and opportunities) than we can possibly comprehend, much less accept. Doing the right things in life means saying “no” to a lot more than you could ever say “yes” to. The challenge of the [...]
WARNING: Failure to communicate frequently and effectively will bring distrust, tension, and grief in any valuable relationship. A large percentage of our problems in work, family, and ministry could be attributed to communication failures—either miscommunication or a lack of communication. Everybody has people in their lives with whom they should work at communicating more effectively [...]
If you leave your family, you rebel… You rebel against and shame the name of your great God. You rebel against God’s Word and clear commands. You rebel against God’s design for marriage and family. You rebel against “who God has called you to be in Christ.”
This post is all about sharing the gospel with friends, family, and co-workers. If you know someone who doesn’t know Christ, read on: Perhaps you are familiar with the little book I wrote several years ago entitled “Done—What Most Religions Don’t Tell You About the Bible.” It’s a small book (about 100 pages) that shares [...]
The newest edition of the Spiritual Leadership Podcast from Dr. Paul Chappell is posted. This month the lesson is entitled “Developing a Biblical Vision for Every Stage of Growth.” This lesson discusses the various stages of growth that every church experiences, and how to develop vision for each of those stages. It’s a very practical [...]
Not long ago, my son asked my wife, “Was dad proud?” Then he said,”I work hard to make that man proud!” His statement reminded me of the power of parental affirmation, and of how often I fail to let him know how proud I am of him! Affirmation is HUGE! The most hopeless young person [...]
What can you do when your grown children begin to stray spiritually? I’ve seen a lot of parents hurt, mystified, and shaken by sudden and radical spiritual changes in the lives of their adult children. I realize, one day I may be one of them—and so could you. In these moments, some parents grasp for control—trying [...]
