Blog

This Sunday, February 26, will be a landmark event in the life of Providence Baptist Church. For the first time, our congregation will be commissioning two men for the office of deacon. For those who are unfamiliar with the leadership design of our church, let me explain this vital role in our church. Providence will not have a deacon board where a group of deacons meet ...

Liz Hale was a participant on our most recent medical trip to the Pacific Rim. I asked her to write down a few thoughts about the trip to be shared here. As most of you know, I went on the most recent trip from Providence to an island in the Pacific Rim. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, but I would absolutely do it again. I am a planner and I like to know and be...

Best Books I read in 2016 1. Naselli, Andrew J.D. Crowley, Conscience 2. Eswine, Zach, The Imperfect Pastor 3. Perkins, John M. Let Justice Roll Down 4. Moo, Douglas. Romans 5. Tripp, Paul David. Awe 6. David, Dale Ralph. Study Commentary on Micah 7. Vos, Howard. Ezra Nehemiah and Esther Bible Study Commentary 8. Stiles, J. Mack. Evangelism 9. Chantry, Walter- Pr...

Allen, Leslie Timothy Laniak. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. Grand Rapids: Baker Books,2003. In this month's reading list, I thought I would review some of the commentaries I used in our study of Nehemiah. I only review those that I read completely. This review is only on Leslie C. Allen's work on Nehemiah. Allen has a tendency to lean toward more liberal sources. It was help...

Booth, Gordon. Evangelical Congregational: The Principles of the CongregationalIndependents with the Savoy Declaration of Faith and Order. Ware: EFCC, 1981. This is one is probably only for those who have some historical interests in the polity of Congregationalism. It was written by congregational pastors in the late 20th century to encourage their brethren to return ...

Aitken, Jonathan. John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace. Wheaton: Crossway, 2007. I had set this book down a while back and revisited it recently to complete it. Aitken is an interesting character himself. He was once a Member for Parliament and rising political star in Britain until he was convicted of perjury in 1999. He came to faith while in prison. He is much l...

What Pastor Blair Has Been Reading (from January 2016 through March 2016) Blumhofer, Eidth. Aimee Semple McPherson: Everybody's Sister. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 1993. Semple McPherson (1890-1944) was the premier Pentecostal evangelist of the 1920s. She was a national and international celebrity. Her methodology was self-promotion for the sale of sharing the go...