Enjoying the Journey
Preaching
Preachers Need Preaching Too!
It was only after I went into full time evangelism that I began to appreciate how much good preaching I had been privileged to listen to…and how much I still need to hear it. Those of us in full time ministry are almost always the ones doing the preaching. While this is a tremendous privilege, it is also a great danger. If you keep giving out and never take in you will soon run dry! I am not just a preacher; I am a Christian. Every Christian needs to hear exhortation, reproof, and doctrine. Every Christian. There are many reasons for this: God chose to use preaching! 1 Corinthians 1:21 tells us the priority God places on preaching and its…
Read MoreCONTINUE!
Everyone’s favorite verse to quote in recent times has been, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13). While this is absolutely true and evidently happening I would encourage you to read the next verse: “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them” (2 Timothy 3:14). We must never use the condition in our world as an excuse for our own faithlessness and fruitlessness. When the Lord said that wickedness would abound more and more He did not say that His power would wax less and less! CONTINUE! As we begin a new year this must be…
Read MoreThe Last Few Days and the Days Ahead
My heart is full of the goodness of the Lord to us! Over the last few days it was a privilege to gather with so many pastors and Christian workers in Walkertown, NC. As we planned and prepared for this year’s Southwide Baptist Fellowship none of us knew if it would be possible for friends to actually make it to the meeting. This has been a year where many conferences have been cancelled or forced to move to a virtual format. How thrilling it was to see people come together for a few days of prayer, preaching, and fellowship. Several folks commented how hungry everyone seemed to be just to be with other laborers. It was a reminder to me…
Read MoreLight for Dark Days
We all know that this year has been particularly challenging. Clouds of doubt and a fog of uncertainty have come into a world that was already dark with sin. It is at this time, more than ever, that we must remember our “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). He alone can bring light in the midst of dark days! The brightest days are dark outside of His presence, and the darkest days are light when He is near. When the pandemic halted much of our travel back in the spring I had the privilege of preaching a series of messages to our home church. These four Bible messages came from the book…
Read More3 Elements for Effective Preaching
Preaching the Word of God is a grand privilege and great responsibility. For the faithful minister there is a joy and a soberness in standing to deliver the Lord’s message. The preacher’s objective is simple: to use Scripture and be used by the Spirit to point people to God. Thirty-one years ago this summer I preached my first sermon. (At least I think that is what you would call it!) Now, after a host of meetings and messages, I am more conscious than ever of my need to become a more effective communicator of the truth. I need God! There is never a place to stop growing as a preacher, both in our understanding of Scripture and our delivery of…
Read MoreOur New YouTube Channel!
In recent days we have all been reminded of the positive use of technology and online resources for Christians and churches. They are platforms that can be used for the gospel and the encouragement of God’s people! We are increasingly asked where to find our full length Bible messages. Every church uses different platforms to archive their services and some are not available to all. The friends who help us with media have worked hard to archive many of the sermons that I give in revival and evangelistic meetings. We are very pleased to announce that these will begin to be posted regularly on a new YouTube channel! As always our daily podcast audio archives may be found at scottpauley.org/broadcast,…
Read MoreNew Resource For All Christian Workers
One of the great desires that I have is to get helpful resources to those who are laboring faithfully in God’s work. There is no lack of available resources, but there is often a dearth of trustworthy ones. That is why I enjoy partnering with other likeminded ministers to develop tools for Bible study and gospel work. I am excited to share with you a brand new podcast that has been designed with one goal in mind: to edify and encourage Christian workers. Each Labor Day my friend Pastor Scott Hooks and I co-host The Rest conference in Hickory, NC. This is not a meeting for preachers to come and take a nap (although that is a good idea!). It…
Read MoreOur February Itinerary
“As thy days, so shall thy strength be” (Deuteronomy 33:25). These words, given by God to His people, have come to mean more and more to me with the passing of every day. Though we schedule into the future and plan for days ahead we can only live one day at a time. Each day I have divine assignments and for every one of those days I have divine resources. Many dear friends have told us that they pray for us every day. This means more than you could ever know! It is not just the days of public ministry that matter – every day God is at work and every day we are endeavoring to be engaged in His…
Read MorePreachers Can Have Rebel Hearts Too
Long before I was a preacher I was a sinner. We would like to think that this changes over time, but I am still a sinner! One of God’s great preachers said it best: “O wretched man that I am!” (Romans 7:24). For sure, we should be sinning less but we are not sinless. Only Christ is that. Sometimes in the busyness of ministry, surrounded by so much religious context, we are prone to forget how wicked our hearts truly are. The flesh never gets better. It cannot be trusted. Deep within the most holy man is the unholy current of sin. There is in ALL of us a rebel heart. Sometimes it even comes out clothed in “preacher talk”…
Read More4 Suggestions For Preachers
Augustus Toplady, author of the great hymn “Rock Of Ages,” was twenty-eight years old when he spent an afternoon in London with an older preacher whom he admired greatly. The advice that an aged Mr. Brewer gave to that young minister has been passed along to me. I am amazed at its relevance to our day and reminded that times change but truth does not. Toplady was so affected by the counsel that he recorded Brewer’s words in his diary. I pass them along to you with a prayer that the Holy Ghost will help us all to apply them wherever we may serve. “I cannot conclude without reminding you, my young brother, of some things that may be of…
Read More
