Over the past several months, I’ve been writing a book for independent Baptist pastors and leaders—The Road Ahead.

This book shares personal midcourse adjustments the Lord has worked in my spirit and ministry philosophy. Particularly, it addresses the needs I see in independent Baptist leaders and churches to look to Jesus and serve with authenticity.

As I travel, I’ve met hundreds of Bible-believing pastors who love God, are faithful to their families, and have a pulpit ministry that is grace-based and Bible-centered. Some of these men have shared with me their concerns about the testimony of Christ and the future of biblical Baptist churches.

As with other institutions, and even other denominations, we serve in a day when the actions and reactions of a few have been broad-brushed over all of us. In these times, it is more vital than ever that we understand our biblical position and allow the Holy Spirit to thoroughly search our lives for imbalances in ministry.

Packaging these thoughts into book form with written steps of action has been a challenge. In fact, I haven’t written a book with more prayer…or a greater passion to clearly communicate. (more…)

Why do we observe men in ministry? Ultimately, the answer to that question rests in the heart of the observer.

Scripture expressly tells us why the Pharisees observed Jesus—for the sole purpose of finding fault: “And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.”(Luke 6:7).

When we observe other men or ministries only to find fault, we evidence the spirit of the Pharisees. But when we observe with a heart to learn, we grow.

In this week’s Growth Points video, I share three biblical motivations for observing godly men and ministries:

(If you cannot see this video in your RSS reader or email, you can watch it here.)

Make sure you get all future Growth Points videos by subscribing to the Spiritual Leadership Podcast.

As we approach Spiritual Leadership Conference, I’ve asked a few of the conference speakers to participate in brief interviews regarding what is involved in launching out by faith. I believe you’ll find their perspectives both helpful and faith-building.

This interview is with Pastor Andrew Reed. Pastor Reed has served as the senior pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Cortez, Colorado, for the past six years. Brother Reed and his wife Angela are both graduates of West Coast Baptist College. I had the privilege of preaching his ordination last summer.

What is an area in the past five years in which you’ve launched out by faith, and how has God blessed?

About five years ago, our church was in a tough spot. I was a young pastor, and there were some difficulties I had inherited with the church. Particularly, some people were divided and resisting our leadership and vision.

My wife and I were discouraged. Sometimes we wondered if we could even help the people. We regularly considered giving up on the church, thinking they needed an older and more experienced pastor. Thankfully, instead of quitting, we decided to trust God, love the people, and preach the Word.

For us, launching out by faith was a commitment to stay in the deep water where God had called us. When we were uncertain about our future, we stayed, and we are so glad we did! Today the spirit of the church is better than it has ever been. Hardly a week goes by without someone being saved, baptized, or joining the church. (more…)

There are many ways to use your life, but there are only a few ways to invest it.

One of the greatest joys of my life is training young men and women in the ministry through West Coast Baptist College.

Today we had the privilege of graduating almost two hundred new laborers for the harvest. Within ninety days, graduates of the 2013 class will be serving the Lord in twenty-five different states and thirteen foreign countries.

It has been a joy to invest in the lives of these students, making a joint investment in what parents, home pastors, teachers, and others have already poured into their lives.

Is training people in the ministry difficult? Yes. Is it time consuming? Yes. Are there disappointments? Yes.

But is it rewarding? A thousand times, yes! (more…)

Most of us who use Twitter would like to think of our tweets as resembling eagles—majestic, timeless, strong.

In reality, we probably sound more like ravens—noisy, incessant, perhaps annoying.

(If you’ve lived in Southern California, particularly Lancaster, for any length of time, you’ve had plenty of opportunities to observe the common raven. Ravens are rated as the most intelligent birds, but they have a knack for making themselves obnoxious as well.)

Eagle or raven (or mocking bird, hawk, or vulture), spiritual leaders who use Twitter should be intentional about how this tool relates to their leadership.

I’ve been using Twitter for about five years now, and I’ve gone through multiple love/hate phases with it. Currently, I enjoy using it to receive updates and interact with friends around the country who are in ministry. But I’ve recently read a couple of disparaging articles regarding Twitter—both which made me pause and consider anew the effect Twitter has in spiritual leadership.

From a bird’s eye view, here are a few thoughts on Twitter and leadership: (more…)