Last Sermon Is Thought Provoking

Yesterday, Sunday October 25th, I came stumbling down the stairs – headed for the bathroom, to get ready for church.

“Good Morning my dear,” Ginger announced.

“Yeah, yeah,” I responded.

“Get your shower quick, we have to be in Covington by 9:30 a.m.,” she noted.

“We’re not going to Sunday School?’ I asked.

“No, I told you we’re going to Nate’s church. This will be his last Sunday before they head to Kansas,” she declared with her Sunday voice.

“I don’t remember you telling me this?” I remarked half asleep.

“I know, I just found out this morning on Facebook,” she acknowledged.

“Oh,” I mumbled.

Nate Paulus was our associate pastor, before he took the pastor openings in Greenville and then Covington. Nate, his wife Miranda, and their new son, Micaiah will be traveling to Kansas this Friday to help start-up churches.

The service was bitter sweet. The entire congregation was both excited and teary eyed with Nate’s farewell sermon. Point by point he told his flock to be strong, move forward, and keep doing the things they have accomplished.

On our way to Dayton, Ginger commented that it will be a challenge for the Paulus’s to take on a new adventure with a new born in a new place and just the three of them doing God’s calling.

“They’ll be fine,” Nate and God have this covered.
“Remember our first winter in Florida?” I asked.

“Yes,” and your points are?

“We knew several people, but it’s the same thing. We had to find a new church, new friends, and find our way throughout the new territory. We made it our new home away from home,” I continued.

The Bible says: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

By his on testimony, Nate has prepared his congregation to go on without him. To keep doing what God tells them. Continue to be moved by the Holy Spirit. Remember what he said? If you can do it by yourself, it’s probably not from God

This week’s bottom line: You get up and you preach a sermon and people walk away thinking what a great guy – and that’s a failure as a pastor. Our job is to proclaim Christ.
Joshua Harris

Amen!