Our 2010 theme for Lancaster Baptist Church is “By His Spirit.” Truly, the Holy Spirit’s filling is a “must have” for every spiritual leader. Without His ministry in and through our lives, we will not properly fill the leadership roles in which God has placed us. But through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can see Him to the impossible!

Sometimes, however, we become a little fuzzy on what a Spirit-filled life looks like. Here are ten indicators that reveal the Holy Spirit’s filling in your life:

1. A Spirit-filled leader is personally yielded. The key to effective public leadership is a genuine private walk with God.
2. A Spirit-filled leader models godliness. The lifestyle of a spiritual leader is to be an open book—a living testimony—easily seen, clearly examined, and able to be emulated.
3. A Spirit-filled leader leads others in sanctification. When God’s Spirit is in control of our lives and leadership, there will be a noticeable direction away from sin—both privately and publicly, at home and at church.
4. A Spirit-filled leader maintains spiritual priorities. Right priorities are the product of God’s leading. Without the Holy Spirit’s guidance, you’ll never truly zero in on God’s priorities for your life.
5. A Spirit-filled leader leads others to Christ. Acts 1:8 instructs us to be “witnesses.” Simply put, the product of the Spirit at work in your life will be a soulwinner’s heart.
6. A Spirit-filled leader maintains oversight. Spirit-led oversight will make you both observant and obedient. In other words, you will notice things you never noticed, and then the Holy Spirit will lead you to take action and to obey His impulses.
7. A Spirit-filled leader encourages orderliness. When His Holy Spirit is active and working, order will be the natural result. This “order” might be as simple as picking up a piece of trash or as complicated as restructuring your adult Sunday school.
8. A Spirit-filled leader remains impartial. The Holy Spirit will lead you to serve every member of your church with the same concern and intensity. He will give patience, understanding, and caution where you might otherwise be reactionary or emotionally charged.
9. A Spirit-filled leader is gracious in trials. Hebrews 4:16 teaches us that we can “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” A peaceful, gracious, and strong spirit through the most difficult of times is supernatural. Apart from the Holy Spirit, we tend to “fall apart”!
10. A Spirit-filled leader exercises spiritual authority. Holy Spirit-led authority will lead authoritatively but kindly, and it will always seek to resolve discord rather than stir it up. This kind of authority responds kindly to those who disagree and still loves and gives from a deep heart of compassion and grace.

It’s exciting to see the ministry that can take place when we are filled with the Spirit. In our own might and power, we can accomplish nothing of eternal significance, but by His Spirit, we can bear spiritual fruit for God’s glory.

As an independent Baptist pastor, I’m encouraged with the potential our churches have to reach an eroding society with the truth of the Gospel. As we are careful to maintain doctrinal integrity and biblical separation, the truth of God’s Word is given freedom to change lives for the glory of God. But sometimes we limit our influence by pettiness and strife.

This podcast lesson is my heart’s plea to independent Baptist pastors and leaders to see our potential reached by obeying the admonition of Philippians 1:27: “…that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”

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We’ve added a special feature to this lesson (originally preached at the Spiritual Leadership Conference this past summer): in-studio Q&A at the beginning and end of the lesson in which I answer the following questions:

• What excites you about what God is doing in our local churches today?
• What burdens you about the movement in independent Baptist churches today?
• What is most needed from the younger leaders in local churches today?
• What is most needed from the older leaders in our local churches?
• Most of our listeners know that you’ve been dealing with a trial as your son Larry has been battling cancer these last couple of months. What has God’s been doing in his life during this time?

We are ministering in the last days. Now is the time to strive together—young and old, east and west—for repentance and revival in our land. This is not the time to marginalize, but to march together holding high the banner of truth.

The Spiritual Leadership podcast is a free resource from Striving Together Publications (a ministry of Lancaster Baptist Church and West Coast Baptist College).

You can subscribe to this podcast through iTunes and listen on your computer or iPod. You can also receive the complimentary outline with each lesson. Click here for more information about subscribing to the outline.

The title of the January edition of the Striving Together podcast is the same as our church theme for 2010: By His Spirit.

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In Zechariah 4:6, God  reminds us that what we accomplish for Him is, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” I’m looking forward to what the Lord will do through His people this year by His Spirit, and I pray this podcast will encourage you to attempt great things for God.

The Spiritual Leadership podcast is a free resource from Striving Together Publications (a ministry of Lancaster Baptist Church and West Coast Baptist College).

You can subscribe to this podcast through iTunes and listen on your computer or iPod. You can also receive the complimentary outline with each lesson. Click here for more information about subscribing to the outline.

Ten years ago, I taught a Spiritual Leadership Lesson on “Developing an Annual Plan.” This lesson details how to wisely steward your time and ministry resources by long-range planning for your church. It also includes ideas for sharing this plan with your staff and church family and implementing it into weekly goals.

One of the incredible joys of pastoring is to see God’s grace at work in people’s hearts and lives. Early in my ministry I found that God’s grace is more powerful than even my cleverest charm in helping young Christians grow in their relationship with the Lord and Christian service.

I can attempt to motivate people to grow and serve through guilt or manipulation, but encouraging them to grow in grace is a far better approach—for both the Christian and the ministry.

When spiritual leaders follow a grace-based approach to ministry, great things happen, and they are singularly attributable to God’s work in the hearts of men. This is the desire of God—His glory!

What are the results of a grace-based approach to ministry? There are four I would share: (more…)