The closer we get to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ the more discouraging the world around us becomes. As believers we are subject, like never before, to assaults and attacks by the enemy. One of the greatest tools in his arsenal is the weapon of discouragement. I see it more and more, people are overwhelmed with decisions, mistakes, regrets, and failures.  It is hard to endure such turmoil; it is harder still to endure it alone.

Perhaps you know someone who is discouraged at this very hour. You can be the difference maker in them getting victory in …

There are thousands of books available these days on leadership.  The spiritual leader must be careful not to incorporate secular principles (even if they promote character and integrity) into his ministry.  Just because something works for a corporation doesn’t mean it is supposed to work in our churches.  Leadership, for the spiritual leader, must be rooted, grounded, and taught from a biblical perspective under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

In his book Spiritual Influence, Mel Lawrenz reaffirms that our influence as leaders has to be rooted in the most powerful but often the most-overlooked force- the Holy Spirit …

1. Show Up.

Sometimes just being in your place is the biggest blessing. When you are not there, you are missed. C’mon, did you really think I would leave this one off?

2. Bring Someone with You.

You don’t have to wait until some “Big Day” at the church to invite friends and family. Just imagine the growth your church would experience if every member brought just one person a week with them to worship.

3. Do More than Tip.

Ministry is not about money, but it takes money to do ministry. Don’t be a casual, occasional giver. …

Holiness is a divine attribute that can only be imparted to us and through us by our standing and position in Christ. An unsaved person cannot be holy; and a saved person can only be holy as he surrenders his will to the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore we measure our holiness not by how stark or different we are from the world (the world is always changing their standards); rather we measure our holiness with the alignment of Scripture, and our resemblance to Jesus. Jerry Bridges said, “Many Christians have what we might call a cultural holiness. …

I recently read in an article of Preaching magazine that eight years worth of sermons are downloaded every single day onto YouTube.  More and more churches and pastors are finding ways to utilize technology in their ministries.  At Cross Roads Baptist Church we have podcasts, blogs, live-streaming and archived videos of services, several websites, mass emails for our daily devotions, and a ministry app for electronic devices.

In this information age you can literally find out anything you want to know about any particular subject.  All of these resources are great and can be used to help our preaching; but …