Story Worth Telling | The Powerful and Painful Ways God Called Me into Ministry

So I remember the day as a young man, I was only 18 years old, walking back from campus with one of the men who was discipling or mentoring me, and I can ...

I can't remember the date, but I do remember the day.

I even remember the exact spot on planet Earth, this very sidewalk where we were standing when he asked me this question.

He said, "Tom, have you ever thought of becoming an elder or of being an elder?" And I remember, how do you answer that? To me, I really looked up to our elders, and I thought, in one sense, I thought, "No way I could ever be like those guys." I mean, they were so godly.

They knew the Word so well.

Their, their lives just were, uh, you know, not just one notch above mine.

They were, they were ...

I really respected them.

And yet I had thought about it, and I was thinking, "Yes, I, I think this is what God would want me to do, and I would love it if I were that." And so I answered hesitatingly when he asked, "Have you ever thought of being an elder?" And I said, "Well, yeah, I've kind of thought of that.

Why do you ask?" I'll never forget his answer.

He said to me, "Because if you ask me, I think you'd make a great one." That moment, that very moment, I knew what I was gonna do with my life.

That ...

Shall we say, that confirmed the call of God that was in my heart to hear an older man give me that vote of confidence.

Listen, I, I need to remember that I have that capacity with younger people as well, and so do you.

We need to be expressing confidence in our younger people.

We need to give them permission.

That's what this guy did.

He gave me permission to realize I could do that with my life.

I could have a future this way, and it's worth pursuing.

And so that was the day I knew what I was gonna do with my life.

I was going to aspire to this noble work, this good work of being an overseer or an elder or pastor in God's church.

So I remember the day as a young man, I was only 18 years old, walking back from campus with one of the men who was discipling or mentoring me, and I can ...

I can't remember the date, but I do remember the day.

I even remember the exact spot on planet Earth, this very sidewalk where we were standing when he asked me this question.

He said, "Tom, have you ever thought of becoming an elder or of being an elder?" And I remember, how do you answer that? To me, I really looked up to our elders, and I thought, in one sense, I thought, "No way I could ever be like those guys." I mean, they were so godly.

They knew the Word so well.

Their, their lives just were, uh, you know, not just one notch above mine.

They were, they were ...

I really respected them.

And yet I had thought about it, and I was thinking, "Yes, I, I think this is what God would want me to do, and I would love it if I were that." And so I answered hesitatingly when he asked, "Have you ever thought of being an elder?" And I said, "Well, yeah, I've kind of thought of that.

Why do you ask?" I'll never forget his answer.

He said to me, "Because if you ask me, I think you'd make a great one." That moment, that very moment, I knew what I was gonna do with my life.

That ...

Shall we say, that confirmed the call of God that was in my heart to hear an older man give me that vote of confidence.

Listen, I, I need to remember that I have that capacity with younger people as well, and so do you.

We need to be expressing confidence in our younger people.

We need to give them permission.

That's what this guy did.

He gave me permission to realize I could do that with my life.

I could have a future this way, and it's worth pursuing.

And so that was the day I knew what I was gonna do with my life.

I was going to aspire to this noble work, this good work of being an overseer or an elder or pastor in God's church.