Here is a conversation with Cliff Stabler, a mentor and friend of show host Bill Holdridge for 40 years. Cliff introduced Bill to an amazing men's discipleship experience called "Barnabas," and to book Authentic Christianity by Ray Stedman. But most importantly, Cliff further introduced Bill to the life of the New Covenant. Cliff is a longtime pastor, a former missionary, and a discipler of men. Cliff was with us for episode 24 ... talking about reaching men, one of his passions in ministry. Part of Cliff's legacy is a list of many men who have gone on to live out their Christian lives in kingdom related ways all over the world. To be discussed in this podcast: What is the New Covenant, as you describe it? What did Ray Stedman teach you about the New Covenant? What led up to your discovery of the New Covenant life? What does the New Covenant life look like in marriage? In ministry? In relationship with the Holy Spirit?

Today we’ll be talking with Ed Taylor of Calvary Aurora, Colorado on the subject of leadership … Biblical leadership in the role of senior/lead pastor. I’m sure most, if not all of our listeners know of Ed Taylor … he’s the senior/lead pastor of Calvary Church in Aurora, CO. He was saved at Calvary Chapel Downey, grew in the Word and in ministry there for 8 years, and then in 1999 moved to the Denver area with a desire to plant a church. In December of 1999 Calvary Church held its first service, and has been growing deep and wide ever since. Ed is the author of the book Ordinary Servant, the host of the Lead2Serve Podcast, and the Bible Teacher of the national radio broadcast “Abounding Grace.” In this podcast, Ed will be sharing about: What is Biblical leadership? What does it mean to lead as a senior/lead pastor? How does leading a church differ from leading in the corporate world, or in a business? What is the biggest leadership lesson you've learned in your years of ministry? What is the number one leadership challenge senior/lead pastors are facing today? What's the number one thing that pastors can do, that maybe they're not doing so well right now? Join us for this excellent discussion!

Do you want to discover or maybe even reignite the small groups ministry of your church? Troy Drake is the founding pastor of Calvary Chapel Meridian, Idaho, having served as its pastor since 2009, and has led their church into this important area of discipleship ministry. Here's a quote from the church website: "Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, so continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2:46-47) "The early disciples understood that togetherness is essential for the growth of each person and the church itself by being in close community with other believers. The Christian life is way better in community! And yet, this is the one area that is often lacking in the lives of Christians. "We must intentionally 'do life' together. Rather than just hoping that it will happen, we have chosen to set up a purposeful way for the people in our fellowship to engage with each other. We call them House2House Groups. "What can you expect at an H2H Group? Each group has a meal together, they discuss & apply Sunday’s sermon, and support each other in prayer and practical ways as they seek to join in God’s mission." So tune in, and get some fresh ideas that may trigger fresh vision that will help your fellowship do the one anothers of the New Testament.

This conversation between host Bill Holdridge and Ron Arbaugh is all about the venture of faith he’s been on for the last 25+ years of ministry in the Lone Star State. God loves faith, it pleases Him. He loves it because it honors Him … when a man trusts God to do what He wants to do and is able to do, it pleases Him. He loves to work on behalf of His believing children. Pastor Ron is the founding pastor of CC San Antonio, the 2nd largest city in Texas. The Lord has used Ron and his fellowship in many marvelous ways. Dramatic testimony. Overcoming an impairment. Trusting the Lord for the huge things He wanted to do. Living scared, but trusting in the provision and guidance of God. Consistent, faithful development of pastoral level leaders. The list goes on. It's the grace of God, and Ron is the first to tell you that. Super encouraging stuff!

Today we’ll be talking with Dan Davis of Calvary Chapel Mountain Home, Idaho, on the subject of ministering in a community with a shifting population. Many pastors have felt this tension … they build on a foundation of the gospel, the vision of the Great Commission, and the ministry of the Word of God, and PEOPLE. The wise pastor invests in people, people that we assume will be with us for a while, and then, bam, they’re gone. Dan Davis pastors in Mountain Home, Idaho, a community with a shifting population. Mountain Home is about 45 miles east of Boise. During his years of ministry in Mountain Home, the Lord has enabled Dan and his wife Kim to lead such a congregation, and lead it well. This podcast has much to do with pastoral leadership, and is very encouraging. Be blessed!

Danny Lehmann is a leader in Youth With A Mission (YWAM), an international missions and church planting thrust that has had a tremendous world-wide Kingdom impact. In this podcast, Danny will be talking with us on the subject of vision. Specifically, we’ll be talking about a Biblical pattern for seeing and receiving God’s vision for our lives and ministries. Danny is keen on the subject of church life as well, having served for many years with Pastor Bill Stonebraker at Calvary Chapel Honolulu. YWAM has been, from its inception, big on hearing God's voice, obeying His voice, and persevering through the word commanded by that voice. YWAM founder Loren Cunningham has modeled that approach, and YWAMers have sought to emulate his pattern. Danny Lehmann has written four books on evangelism: Go! The Excitement of Personal Evangelism, For the Gospel’s Sake, Bringin’ Em Back Alive, and Beautiful Feet. He has also written on the subject of spiritual discipline: Before You Hit the Wall, as well as STOKED! Firing Up Your Passion for God. His latest book is entitled The Next Big Thing: How Little Choices Can Make a Big Impact. Danny lives in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, with his wife Linda and now serves as part of the leadership team for YWAM Kona. NOTES from Danny's 5 Points about asking for, receiving, and implementing the vision the Lord gives us: 1) The PRAYER FOR THE VISION. Nehemiah 1:1-10 … his vision was initiated by God and prayed through by Nehemiah. Also Habakkuk 1:2-4; 12-17 … he cried out to God because of the injustice in the land and the LORD’s seeming indifference to it all. 2) THE POSTURE FOR RECEIVING THE VISION. (we must do the possible) Habakkuk 2:1 I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected. 3) THE PROPHETIC WORD THE DETAILS OF THE VISION. Habakkuk 2:2 “Write the vision and make it plain upon tablets that he that reads it may run.” 4) FOR THE PROLIFERATION OF THE VISION. The vision must cast so that others may run with it. Habakkuk 2:2-3 Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, It will not tarry. 5) PERSEVERANCE TO OBEY THE VISION. Often there is a “death of a vision,” so that God’s will and word can be resurrected.

Pastor John Pillivant started Calvary Chapel Bartlett, TN back in 1995. Bartlett is a city that is just minutes away from Memphis, the same place where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. As a pastor, John had to quickly discover how to minister in his part of the country, and has learned much by being humble, asking questions, and being committed to the kingdom of God first. You are invited to join this podcast discussion. We pray that it may be of great help to you in your ministry.

Our program today is with Pastor Rod Carver, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Coastlands in Corpus Christi, TX. We’re going to hear from Rod on the subject of identity. Obviously, today there is a lot of pressure on people to self-identify. It's become a thing, and rather suddenly. We are pressured to self-identify with regards to sexual orientation, ethnicity, skin color, political affiliation, and on and on. But what does that look like for true Christians? What is the identity of the believer in Christ, and how can we pastors help our fellowships understand who they are, and the confession they should be making? Rod Carver moved to South Texas in 1997 and in just a few months, the group began meeting as Calvary Chapel of the Coastlands. He and his wife Noreen have seen a wonderful work of God's Spirit over the years. This podcast originated from a blog Pastor Rod did recently. Here's that URL: https://christiansengaged.org/blog/identity-in-christ.

John Miller is the Senior/Lead pastor of Revival Christian Fellowship in Menifee, CA. In this podcast episode, John will be sharing with us on the subject of the method of expositional Bible teaching and preaching, building upon last week’s episode when he made the case for expositional Bible teaching/preaching (Podcast #74). John is not only a fine Bible expositor, he is also passionate about helping current pastors who share his passion for the Word of God. These are tools. Senior pastors who take seriously the charge to feed the flock and preach the Word will love this two part series. Reference will be made to the Nuts and Bolts Conferences in recent years, conferences aimed at strengthening us pastors in our calling and ministry of the Word of God.

In this podcast episode we will hear from Pastor John Miller, Senior/Lead pastor of Revival Christian Fellowship in Menifee, CA. John will be sharing with us on the subject of Expositional Bible Teaching and Preaching, and specifically, he’ll be presenting the case for Expositional Bible Teaching/Preaching. What is Expositional Teaching and Preaching? Why does it matter whether or not a pastor preaches/teaches expositionally? What is the place and purpose of exegesis in preparing an expositional teaching? How does it contrast with eisegesis? What is the difference between the text governing the sermon and the preacher's own thoughts? What are the reasons that pastors today MUST preach and teach expositionally? Be ready to be challenged and encouraged, pastor. This is for EVERY one of us who are called as pastor-teachers.