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| How much do I love this church? |
As soon as I heard my wife say, “Phil, I’m sorry I have to tell you this. Your dad has died.” I instantly knew we would need to move back to Oklahoma from Colorado. My brother, due to his struggle with Multiple Sclerosis, moved in with my parents in June. In July, one month later, my dad passed away.
No one tells you that there is an unknown mantel of responsibility that is passed on to you when the patriarch dies. Sometimes, you discover the weight of the unknown mantel of responsibility when it lands on your own shoulders. It was the weight on my shoulders that caused me to instantly know that we were moving back to Oklahoma.
Sometimes, when God calls you to action He whispers (1 Kings 9:11-12). Most of the time when God calls you to action, He speaks through His Word and expects you to obey Him in faith (Romans 10:17; Revelation 14:12). This time, God called me to action, through deafening circumstances. Due to my father’s unexpected passing, my extended family needed me to come home.
The pastors in the Baptist faith move from church to church like free agents move in the NFL. You can’t ask for a transfer. You have to convince a church, which needs a pastor, to choose you. Pastor selection is like a blind date. There are awkward phone calls, awkward conversations, and if you make the cut, and awkward try out. My introduction to New Beginnings Church was awkward. There was a resume – no internet, no video, no .mp3 sermon, no GPS – just a resume. The first person I met from New Beginnings Church, I met at night at a 7-11 convenience store (creepy and awkward). New Beginnings Church had sent a “search committee” to hear me preach. They sat on a pew in the back of the church. Everyone knew why they were there.At this point in the blog I discover that this blog may be book length before I am finished documenting the last 20 years. So let me cut to the chase, let me stop the idle chatter, let me get to the point, let me not waste any more time.
I’m so thankful they picked me to be the pastor at New Beginnings Church.
- Thank you for listening to my sermons (more than 4000).
- Thank you for following my leadership.
- Thank you for loving, and protecting my family.
- Thank you for ignoring my mistakes.
- Thank you for serving along side of me.
- Thank you for allowing my wife to teach.
- Thank you for giving so generously for the cause of the Gospel.
- Thank you for trusting in God’s promises.
- Thank you for finding joy in God’s glory. (There are too many other things for which I am thankful to list here)
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| Dr. Phil Sallee, Pastor twitter.com/philsallee facebook.com/phil.sallee philsallee.info nbchurch.info nbfamilies.info |
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