One area Independent Baptists are not lacking in is our full schedule of conferences and meetings. From coast to coast there are ample opportunities to attend meetings that will “re-charge your battery.”

I use a template document for typing my sermon notes. But I guard against a template philosophy in preparing my sermons. My church deserves fresh sermons that are prayed over and thoroughly studied for—not cycled through.

The Bible declares that God made the world out of nothing—He created! He did not make something out of something—He created something out of nothing. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).

Let him know if his preaching is a help to you. Point out something specific God spoke to you about.

One of my pet peeves is email. More specifically, it is email that is used as a substitute for a personal touch. Ministry is people work. It involves building real relationships and nurturing spiritual growth.

Most of us are not interested in spending money on something that is broken. We are reluctant to buy a used car until we have done a thorough check with Carfax to ensure ourselves that we are not getting stuck with someone else’s junk.

Sometimes people wonder why I emphasize soulwinning so much. An evangelist once preached at our church and asked how many of our folks went soulwinning on a regular basis. When approximately half of the evening crowd raised their hands, he said, “Look at that amazing sight!”

Christian hospitality is one of the most fruitful of ministry disciplines. Over the years, my wife and I have made a habit of having people over on a regular basis, and we’ve found that opening our home for fellowship often opens hearts for discipleship and mentoring.

A few summers ago my family and I visited Destin, Florida for vacation. We rented a house right on the beach and had an amazing time. As I recall that trip, we did a little bit of everything.

Most of you can remember what life was like in America before what has simply come to be called 9/11. And while we have become accustomed to living under a constant threat of terrorism, our lives are different since that infamous day. Nowhere is this more evident than at an airport.