If you are following the news these days, you have likely had your fill of bad news. The future looks dark and foreboding: a devastating war in Ukraine, the rising cost of living due to inflation, widespread illness (coughs, colds…
Category: preaching
Blue Mondays
Here's a chapter from Rick's book, The Heart of the Preacher. It gives you a window into one of the heart tests faced by many who preach and teach God's Word on Sundays. Let it be a reminder to not…
Praise and Prayer Update (October 14, 2022)
This morning, my devotional reading from Psalm 138 ended with a word of praise and petition: "The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands" (Psalm…
Living with the Long Look
This fall, in our Heritage Chapels, I have the joy of speaking on a topic that has greatly impacted my life over the years. The series I'm preaching is entitled "Living with the Long Look." The focus of the series…
Preacher to Preacher Podcast
Back in October of 2020, when the pandemic was keeping us all close to home, I launched a podcast called Preacher to Preacher. The goal of this bi-weekly podcast is to provide brief episodes (7-8 minutes in length) that encourage…
Praise and Prayer Update (September 23, 2022)
As we come to the end of another week at Heritage, we have many reasons to give thanks to the Lord. As Psalm 33:1 exclaims, "Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous. Praise befits the upright." I'm grateful…
What Billy Understood
This summer, I read a fascinating work called The Preacher and the Presidents. The book explores the ministry of Billy Graham through the lens of his relationship with at least nine US presidents. Early in the book, the authors (Nancy…
Godly vs. Ungodly Ambition
One of the challenges those of us in ministry face is the heart test of ambition. Simply put, how can I be sure that what I'm doing "for the Lord" is really for the Lord? How can I tell if…
Praise and Prayer Update (April 29, 2022)
Graduation weekend has arrived! There is a great deal of excitement and joy on campus these days. Students have successfully completed their studies and are able to relax and rejoice together. Tonight (Friday) we have our annual Graduation Banquet and…
Making Sense of Suffering
Last Sunday I had the privilege of speaking at Temple Baptist Church, just up the street from Heritage. The lead pastor at Temple, Jon Stairs, is both a friend and colleague (he co-teaches a preaching course with me). In their…
Rick and Linda Reed 