I am just getting around to posting this blessing. Last Friday evening Adam and I went over to Lake Worth Baptist Church in Lake Worth, TX. Pastor Jerry Locke was hosting a preachers workshop, which was to begin Friday evening and last through the day Saturday. We had to drive to Houston last Saturday and were not able to attend the main part of the workshop, but we got some real gold just from the introduction Friday evening. Here are some of the things Brother J. Locke gave us. Obviously, Brother Locke elaborated on each point, and I am just relaying it in point format.
Keeping the Ministry in Focus:
1. We did not iniate our ministry...it is God who called us.
2. We did not choose the people initially placed in our lives to prepare us for ministry...God chose them.
3. We did not choose the places of our ministry.
4. We do not determine the length of our ministry. (Unless by disobedience.)
5. We never fully comprehend our ministry.
6. We must entirely depend on God for the resources for the ministry.
7. We are never wise enough to assess the true success or failure of our ministry.
8. We are not to seek any personal praise for what God does though us in our ministry.
9. We don't create our own message, we simply use God's.
10. We never really finish anything.
In addition to this Brother Locke also brought forward these thoughts from a book by Irwin Lutzer called Pastor to Pastor (Brother Locke added the final point in this list).
1. Prayer is more important than preaching.
2. Preaching is more important than administration.
3. Family is more important than the congregation.
4. Faithfulness is more important than competition.
5. Love is more important than ability.
6. A true friend is worth more than 100 aquaintences.
There are decades of wisdom in the above.
THE LORD BE WITH THEE, good morning Pastor Burbidge and family from Bro, Ralph and Sis. June. Praise God for the time we had with u'all last night and what a blessing it was to see and talk with you.Our prayers to Our Heavenly Father continues for your safe journeys as well for the work that your doing (that it dosen't becaome as like a business)and that the time spent with the churches that God directs you towards be truly a blessing too.It's just coming on to 7:00 a.m. and I'm soon out the door for work and the wind has picked up abit more than last night, so from us here in windy Yarmouth to u'all in warm Texas may God continue to put HIS hedge of protection around you.BFN (bye for now) we send all our love as well and look forward to your next blog entry, God bless.
ReplyDelete" How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed ? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
ReplyDeleteAnd how shall they preach, except they be sent?as it is written,How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace ,and bring glad tidings of good things!" Romans 10:14,15
We're keeping you in our thoughts and prayers daily.
the Tedfords