Pilgrim Baptist Church

You ever notice some folks can't enjoy a good laugh unless they're the one delivering the punchline? Everything's funny when they're cracking jokes, but let somebody else bring the humor and suddenly it's "inappropriate" or "out of line." I've watched

Big Names, Little Obedience Nothing wrong with appreciating gifted preachers. Paul himself pointed people to his example. God gives the church pastors and teachers for a reason. But there's a dangerous pattern we need to call out. Every church has them.

Every Sunday, the same tragedy unfolds in churches across America. A family walks through the doors on Sunday morning with bright smiles, pressed clothes, and practiced greetings. They fellowship. They serve. They look like they've got it all together.

Let's talk about the Christians who have plenty to say about you in private but go mute to your face. They'll critique your decisions to their spouse. They'll question your character to their friends. They'll analyze your motives to anyone who'll listen.

Nowhere in Scripture does God promise you an easy life. He promises trials, persecution, and suffering. He also promises His presence, His strength, and His grace—and that's better than comfort. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good

"If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). You don't get to love Jesus on your terms. Obedience proves your love. Disobedience proves your rebellion. Stop calling Him Lord while ignoring his Word. Either obey Him or stop pretending you follow Him

We've gotten real good at not lying while still being liars. We don't technically say false things—we just don't say all the true things. We withhold information. We tell half the story. We let people believe things we know aren't accurate, but we comfort

When gas was cheap, builders could put up houses with paper-thin walls and single-pane windows. Why invest in insulation when you could just crank up the heat? It was faster. It was cheaper upfront. And for a while, it worked. Until the bills came. Month

You know the type. Bold with new believers. Silent around mature saints. Put them with struggling folks or people who look up to them, and they've got answers for days. Quick with advice. Ready to lead. But put them in a room with seasoned believers,

Your kids don't need more information. They need discernment. We're raising a generation that can Google anything but can't think critically about what they find. They know how to consume content but not how to evaluate it. They've been trained to repeat

Your children absorb what they see, not just what they hear. If you're lukewarm, they'll be cold. If you compromise, they'll abandon. If you're faithful, you show them "the way, the truth and the life." Live the faith you want them to inherit. Time is

"If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). You don't get to love Jesus on your terms. Real love produces real obedience—not perfect obedience, but a pattern of it. Habitual disobedience without conviction proves rebellion, not relationship. Stop

God's Word isn't up for debate. You don't get to pick which verses you like and ignore the rest. You don't get to reinterpret scripture to match your lifestyle. 'All scripture is given by inspiration of God' (2 Timothy 3:16). Here's the reality: Submit or

Our children need chores more than they need screen time. The status quo of American parenting is raising a generation that doesn't know how to work. They don't know how to clean, cook, or serve. They know how to consume, complain, and expect everything

We don't do traditional altar calls at our church, and people may wonder why. Here's what you need to understand: The altar is never closed. That's the real issue with the modern altar call—it creates the false impression that salvation is only available

There's a fish called the Anablep—people call it the four-eyed fish. It doesn't actually have four eyes, but each eye is split into two lobes. One lobe sees above the water's surface, and the other sees below it at the same time. That fish is living in

I get nervous when Christians say, "The Holy Spirit is leading me." Not because we shouldn't be led by the Spirit—we absolutely should! But because it seems the modern Christian has redefined following the Holy Spirit's leading to mean doing whatever they

No man can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). You're either living for God or living for self. There is no middle of the road on this one. Trying to walk with one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom is impossible. Choose today whom you will serve

No one should view kids as competitors. If your child isn't reading as fast as the neighbor's kid, don't stress over it. Your child doesn't need to be as athletic or as outgoing as his / her friend is. If you're a parent caught in this compare and panic

Marriage doesn't survive on romance. It survives on repentance. It's great that you have date nights, and I'm happy that you've discovered each other's love language, but if you're not applying the gospel to your marriage every single day, you really are

If you want to lead the body of Christ, please get ready to sacrifice. Real Biblical leadership isn't about titles, platforms, or recognition. It's about serving people when it's inconvenient. It's about loving people when they're difficult–and people

No parent goes into homeschooling thinking they are the perfect teacher. However, parents should consider homeschooling because they are the perfect parent for their child–God gave your children to YOU, not to the state. Homeschooling may intimidate some

Do not treat church life as if it were a restaurant where you sit back to rate the sermon, judge the pastor, complain about the people, and post your review on Yelp. Christians can be a fickle bunch. Some church-hop for years. Others stay put and sit back

Does it really matter which Bible version your family uses? I believe it does. The King James Bible stands alone because it comes from the right manuscripts—the ones preserved by God's people through the centuries. The modern versions all lean on Westcott

I'm honored to be preaching at Bear Trail Baptist Church's Bible Conference this December 29-31, 2025. The theme is "All Things Through Christ" from Philippians chapter 4, and I can't think of a better way to close out 2025. When Paul wrote, under the

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Soft men live in the comfort of what they're used to. They have trouble changing. They're

God's Word doesn't need an updated standard. The King James Bible has stood the test of time because it's built on the correct Antiochian manuscripts, not the Alexandrian manuscripts from unbelieving Egypt. A book translated for God's glory and the church

If you're in church leadership and everyone likes you, you're probably compromising somewhere. I don't mean you should try to be difficult or contentious. But I do mean that faithful leadership will inevitably make some people uncomfortable. Truth has

Hospitality isn't about having a Pinterest-perfect home or serving fancy gourmet meals. It's about opening your life to others. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:9 "Use hospitality one to another without grudging". That word "grudging" matters because God cares

When my kids were young, I used to worry about whether we were too strict. Too old-fashioned, or too different from other families. Then I read a phrase in Ephesians 6:4 that really stood out to me: And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:

If you're the Christian parent who says: "I'm just waiting for my child to get saved" or "I'm hoping they'll eventually understand the gospel." Brother, sister—remember this: faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). Noone

I've watched it happen too many times. Parents bring their kids to church faithfully—every Sunday, every midweek service. But somewhere along the way, church becomes just the place their kids see their friends. The youth group becomes a social hour. The

Years from now, your kids won't remember every devotional you read to them. Nor will they recall every sermon you preached to them. They will remember if Jesus was real to you. They will remember if they saw you pray. They will remember if they saw you

Church hurt is real. I've seen it, I've felt it, I've walked families through it. And sometimes leaving a church IS the right thing to do. But most of the time, people leave for the wrong reasons. So, before you leave the people, you said you loved.

The world tells you to go big. Build a big life. Big house, big career, big reputation, big platform. Make your mark. Leave your legacy. Live large, man! But Jesus said His kingdom works differently. The first shall be last. (Matthew 19:30) And whosoever

Are your kids are complaining they're bored? Good. Don't fix it. Boredom is where creativity lives. It's where imagination grows. It's where children learn to entertain themselves instead of demanding to be entertained every waking minute. We've raised a

I know...you've read the marriage books. All the authors said "schedule a date night" – "take your wife out to dinner and a movie" – "plan alone time, without the kids" – fair enough, I get all of that. But sir, your wife is going to need a bit more than

If you're saved, stop trying to earn something you already have. If you're saved - you're already forgiven. Already justified by faith. Already sealed unto the day of redemption. Already His child. Already have a home in heaven. It's impossible for you to

It is important to teach our kids to pray. However, God may answer them differently than they expect. Their goldfish might die. Their friend could move away. Grandma may not get better. So, how do you explain that to a child who believes God can do

Many grew up watching Kirk Cameron. Growing Pains was considered wholesome entertainment, and when Kirk got saved, it seemed like a real victory for the Kingdom. Here was a Hollywood actor taking a stand for Christ. Christians cheered for him. Now he's

The world will tell you to raise your sons to be tough. Independent. Self-sufficient. To never show weakness, never cry, never need anyone. That's not biblical manhood. That's just pride with muscles. Yes, teach your boys to be strong. But teach them that

Every December, we get the question. Sometimes it's genuine curiosity, sometimes it's thinly veiled criticism. "You really don't do Santa?" No, we don't. And before you roll your eyes, hear me out. I'm not out to judge your family's Christmas traditions.

Whether you signed up for it or not, someone is learning how to be a Christian by watching you. Your kids. That new believer at church. Your coworkers who know you're a Christian. The question isn't if you're discipling. It's what you're teaching them

Your children learn more from what you DO - when you think they're not paying attention - than from any family devotion you'll ever lead. The snarky comment you made about the neighbor. How you talked about your boss on the drive home. Whether you opened

Somewhere along the way, we started treating the Holy Spirit like a divine GPS—punch in what we want, wait for turn-by-turn directions to our dreams. But the Holy Spirit is not here to help you accomplish your agenda. He's here to conform you to Christ's