About David Prince

David E. Prince is pastor of preaching and vision at Ashland Avenue Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky and assistant professor of Christian preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of In the Arena and Church with Jesus as the Hero. He blogs at Prince on Preaching and frequently writes for The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, For the Church, the BGEA and Preaching Today

Countercultural Gospel Competition

We live in a world that competes for honor. Social media is essentially a daily referendum on who is most impressive, gets the most attention, and is the most followed. We curate images, craft narratives,

No Smiley Face Masks at Church

Many wear their Smiley Face mask to church every Sunday. Not because they are joyful. Because they are hiding. Everything looks fine on the surface. Smiling. Polished. Put together. We know how to say the

A Charge to Graduates: Four Things Graduates Need to Hear

This charge was originally given to graduating high school seniors at Ashland Avenue Baptist Church, May 3, 2026. Graduation season comes the avalanche of advice—speeches often tell you: Chase your dreams. Follow your passion. Only

Toil in Christ, Y’all

There's a word the Apostle Paul uses in Colossians 1:29 that we often take the wrong way. He says, “I toil.” The Greek word behind it conveys the idea of working to the point of

Worship and War: Why God’s People Sing in the Fight

What is congregational singing for? That question exposes more than preference. It reveals what we believe is happening when the church gathers and lifts its voices in song. In many churches, singing functions as a