The music program in the local church is vital, and it’s impact—for good or bad—on a church service is immeasurable. While some may view music as simply a form of entertainment and emotional conditioning, godly music plays a much larger role in a church.

Scripture gives at least seven purposes for Christ-honoring music. Use these principles as a gauge to evaluate the biblical soundness of your music ministry:

1. The Purpose of Worship—“And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished” (2 Chronicles 29:28).
2. The Purpose of Thanks—“Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God” (Psalm 147:7).
3. The Purpose of Rejoicing—“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm” (Psalm 98:4–5).
4. The Purpose of Consecration—“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts” (Psalm 139:23). (Spoken in song!) “Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation” (Psalm 111:1).
5. The Purpose of Edification—“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).
6. The Purpose of Evangelism—“And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:3).
7. The Purpose of Preservation of Faith—“One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works” (Psalm 145:4–5).

May the music of our churches bring glory to the Lord and lift our hearts in His praise.

Note: West Coast Baptist College is hosting Bible Truth Music’s National Church Leadership Conference this week, February 10–12. This is a preaching and teaching conference focused on the biblical principles that apply to music. It is primarily aimed at the pastor and all music ministry leadership.

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.

Several months ago, I posted an article about social networking on “The Pastor’s Perspective.” As social networking gains popularity and usage, the need for Christians to apply biblical principles to online communication has exponentially increased. Thus I’m re-posting the article, and I trust it will encourage you to re-examine your online activity in the light of God’s Word.

You may also consider reading the booklet I wrote this past summer on this topic: The Blessings and Pitfalls of Social Networking, available through Striving Together Publications.

Keeping a Good Testimony with Your Friends and Followers

As a pastor, it is my joy to help people in their daily walks with God.Every day more and more people are becoming connected through technology.  While I am not an expert on these subjects, I obviously have a blog, and I am even trying to understand the value of Twitter and other such technologies.

With that in mind, allow me to share some thoughts with you that I shared with some of my fellow laborers here at Lancaster Baptist Church and West Coast Baptist College. (more…)