Several weeks ago, I began recording weekly “Growth Points” video blogs. These videos were initially birthed from a desire to stay in touch with our West Coast Baptist College graduates who are now pastoring and in ministry. But they are also a greeting to our pastor friends and Christian servants around the world.

My heart as a pastor and the president of a Bible college is to mentor and train the next generation for the cause of Christ. Specifically, I want to do it on a personal level. The Growth Points videos are brief and often consist of me simply clicking the “record” button on my computer webcam. They are a quick, often unedited, sharing of what is on my mind and heart. (more…)

This lesson speaks to the very heart of local church ministry. Jesus Himself came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). But in so many of our churches today, I see pastors fervently reading books and attending conferences, but never really settling in for intentional soulwinning—building the church the way God designed.

If you want to reignite the soulwinning fervor in your church and in your own heart, this lesson is for you. You may not need to read another book or find another conference. You may need to simply take some time with the Lord and ask Him to stir your heart once again with a passion for souls.

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Before and after this lesson, I answer the following in-studio questions: (more…)

How would you assess your spiritual health? Is it related to how busy you are for the Lord? How good your intentions are toward your wife? How much outward fruit is evident in your ministry? Although there are outward evidences of a rooted Christian, I don’t believe any of these are the best measuring sticks for spiritual growth.

In 10 Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, author Donald Whitney suggests convicting and probing questions to help you gauge where you are spiritually.

Every one of these ten questions gripped my heart: (more…)

One of the first books I received as a college student was Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon. This was the text for my Pastoral Theology class and has been one of my favorites throughout the years. Although I have probably read Spiritual Leadership by Oswald Sanders more than any other book, Lectures to My Students would be at the top of the list of books to which I often refer.

One of the things I appreciate about Lectures to My Students is how clearly it reveals that many of the pressures and challenges of the pastorate have not changed over the last two hundred years. Much of Spurgeon’s advice to young preachers is as relevant today as the advice of anyone currently writing. There are a few areas here and there that Spurgeon addresses (mainly regarding health or issues with the schedule of ministry) that indicates the limited knowledge of the medical field at the time in which he ministered. But overall, this book has been helpful and a friend to me.

Spurgeon speaks about “the minister’s self watch” and the importance of remaining consistent in our walk with the Lord as we serve His people. (more…)

It’s hard to believe that I began this blog just over five years ago. As I recap the last year of blogging, I want to thank each reader for your time over 2011. It is always my goal that the time you spend here is an investment—providing help and encouragement for your life and ministry. And I’m always thankful for your feedback and suggestions.

Here is a quick summary of the top twenty posts of 2011—in case you missed any of these. (more…)