Our 25th Anniversary and Spiritual Leadership Conference is fast approaching. We’ve already spent many hours preparing for these days, and I’m looking forward to the rich fellowship and preaching.

When we started this conference over ten years ago, we named it “Spiritual Leadership Conference” because we wanted to emphasize the importance of godly, Spirit-filled leadership in the church. I see three special roles a spiritual leader is called to fill, and we’ve specifically designed the conference to emphasize all three: (more…)

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I believe that the truths in this podcast lesson are near the Lord’s heart, because they not only deal with ministry itself, but with the spirit of ministry. Christ came to minister to others (Mark 10:45), and He did it with the perfect balance of grace and truth (John 1:14).

Terrie and I moved to Lancaster in early July of 1986. During the first week in our apartment, I was reading through the book of Philippians when a verse arrested my attention. It described the type of church I wanted to see God raise up in Lancaster, California.

That Sunday evening, I stood before nine people and preached from that verse: “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27). (more…)

Harvey Firestone once said, “It is only as we develop others that we permanently succeed.” This is true in every area, but it is especially true in the church. Paul emphasized the importance of discipleship and mentoring in 2 Timothy 2:2: “And the things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

When a mature Christian nurtures a young Christian in the Lord through a discipleship relationship, the young Christian has the opportunity to observe in real time how the Christian life works. Here are five goals of what can be accomplished in a young Christian’s heart through discipleship: (more…)