Christian Living

The indispensable aspect of spiritual leadership is guidance from the Holy Spirit. I often remind myself, our staff, and our church leaders to “obey every prompting of the Holy Spirit.” But it’s hard to obey His promptings if you don’t hear them.

Have you noticed how vulgar and profane we have become as a society of enlightened people? It seems that the more “civilized” a nation becomes, the more uncivilized its language becomes. People do not feel the slightest hesitation in using the most perverse language in public.

Driving in Cambodia is a challenge, but you don’t have to be here long to pick up little “tricks of the trade.” One of the techniques which I employ often is something which I call the “I’m with him” approach. Let me explain it.

Servant leaders who encourage and equip others to share in ministry multiply their impact, and they multiply the effectiveness of the ministry itself. Actually, this is what discipleship is all about.

Homosexual advocates continue to make gains in their efforts to legalize same-sex relationships. President Obama has decided not to defend the federal Defense of Marriage Act in court. DOMA is the 1996 federal law signed by President Clinton that allows states to refuse to legally recognize same-sex marriage, including those marriages performed in other states. Without a federal DOMA, the “full faith and credit” clause of the United States Constitution would require every state to legally recognize gay marriages performed in another state.

The servant leaders who make the greatest impact on lives are those who have a genuinely joyful spirit. Joy is both compelling and contagious. Furthermore, the joy of the Lord is strengthening to us. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

I anticipate every fall season as the fullest harvest time of the year for reaching souls. The fall is when our church has our annual Open House Sunday, and it is also when we have our annual time of training for new soulwinners. All in all, it’s a fruitfully busy time of ministry—if we are prepared for it.

For several nights in a row I had felt a slight pain in my stomach while I was preaching. I didn’t think much of it—I chalked it up to be something I ate or perhaps the early symptoms of the flu. It was Saturday night, and I was exhausted from driving just over a thousand miles to a church where I would be privileged to speak all day on Sunday.

Thomas Edison observed, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” It seems to me that something similar can be said of faith.

What does it take to break through the momentum of this world and truly be great in the eyes of God?

It has always amazed me, that God, who owns everything, allows you and me to be involved in meeting the needs of His church. Let me encourage you to evaluate your own stewardship and ask God to grow your faith.

Do you take periodic inventory of areas in which you need to grow? This is an important practice for leaders. And equally as important as identifying areas of growth is taking steps to actually see growth take place. If you want to see change in your life, here are seven tips:

We have our choice. We may live for self and take good care of our lives (not exposing them to danger, not making sacrifices, looking out for our own interests,) and we may prosper in the world. People will commend our good sense and congratulate us on our success.

Over the years, I’ve had Christians ask me if Baptists believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit. I always answer with a resounding “YES!” Not only do we believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but we recognize that no Christian can function properly without the guidance of the Spirit.

Adversity comes in all shapes and sizes. Adversity is simply defined as hardship and suffering or an extremely unfavorable experience or event. The word adverse means creating momentum in a direction opposite from that desired.

The Bible is the most powerful book ever written. It is the very voice of God for us to hear; the very words of God for us to learn. Consider the magnificent description of the Bible in Hebrews 4:12.

We live in an age when technology and its practical and everyday uses are exploding. The fields of medicine, industry, finance, and especially communication are all being dramatically impacted by the use of technology. The cell phone and computer are chief among those innovations directly impacting our lives.

The fifth book in our New Testament records for us the powerful and amazing Acts of the Apostles. Many of the chapters read like an ancient book of Ripley’s Believe it or Not! In Acts 2:41, we read of three thousand being saved, baptized, and added to the church. In Acts 4:4, another five thousand men are wonderfully converted.

There is a tremendous attack against standards today. Those who have standards are called legalists. Even some of our fundamental brethren are telling us that we cannot forbid any behavior among our people unless it is expressly forbidden in Scripture.

In January of 1655, the Duke of Savoy forced a cruel choice upon the Waldensians of the lower valleys in Italy—either attend Catholic Mass, or move out of the valley within three days. In the dead of winter, some two thousand people journeyed across swollen rivers, snow-buried valleys, and ice-covered mountains with traces of blood marking their trail.