Every man is driven by something or someone. Defining marks that challenge and establish who he is and who he desires to become. I have pastored or served on a church staff for 25 years now, and God has used different experiences and people to shape the man I am and the man I am becoming. The American author Mark Twain once said, “The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you figure out why.” Knowing what you are doing and why you are doing it has proven to bring clarity and passion in my life. The purpose of this blog is to provide an avenue to explore three areas that have brought an incredible amount of joy and passion in my life.
Preach the Gospel.
Nicolaus Zinzendorf stated, “Preach the gospel, die and be forgotten.” Once a man has an all-consuming goal in his life, he can live a life that is not wasted. For me, preaching the gospel of Christ is that goal. My wife had the bible I used in seminary rebound and presented it as a gift to me on the day the church I serve voted to call me as the next lead pastor. She had the bible rebound with a soft leather cover in which was burned Paul’s words from 1 Corinthians 1:18, “ For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” The message of the cross is indeed folly to many, but to those who have trusted in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, it is the sweetest message we have ever heard. A pastor can focus his life in many directions, and my single focus is to preach the gospel of Christ, there is no higher calling.
Make Disciples.
The last words someone says can often be the most important. Some of the last words Jesus spoke to His disciples are found Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” If I could start my ministry over, I would focus less time gathering more people to events and programs and far more time to developing and making disciples.
Lead the Church.
Paul writes the following to his disciple, Timothy, in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” Now more than ever, the church needs leaders who are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ and who can rightly handle what God says to his people not only with humility but with boldness and confidence. Leaders are not only born but made. Developing men and women who accept the call to lead the church into its glorious future will be full of challenges, but a church that pours into its leaders will reap a reward in the end.
Preach the gospel. Make disciples. And, lead the church. These are the areas and passions I want to spend my life pursuing. All for the Glory of the Father, in the name of the Son, in the power of the Spirit.
Pastor Kevin Wilson
Well said! It is amazing how the older we get the more we realize that the rush of life does…
Thank you Juanita, praying for you to be a light to a dark world!
Thank you Pastor Kevin for reminding me that there are people walking in the darkness everyday, but as a Christian…
Thank you Paula, keep encouraged and continue to look to Jesus during these times!
Thanks Don!