A Pastor's Passion

Hello this is Matt slick from the match look like podcast right defend the Christian faith and lay out our foundation of the truth of God's word. Your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just a few seconds. Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing The Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network kingdom pursuits where you hear from ordinary people instilled with an extraordinary passion together we explore the stories of men and women who take what they love and let God turn their passion into the kingdom pursuits now live from the truth. Your host Robbie Gilmore about how funds today. I got an old friend in the new on.take your passion is to build the kingdom. I thought that I would be out there enjoying hummus and the and the abbeys meatballs of the Middle Eastern Christian festival, which by the way can be live next week.

They put off due to the weather surpassed a light if you want to eat the best meatball long meatball you've ever had your life and have all the food and all the fun and and and circle dancing. It's all going on in the Middle Eastern Christian festival next week that we had to we had to move that, but instead I'm on short notice. These two pastors came in helping me out and clearly, if I can tell you, these are poster children for how does God take your passion and use to build the kingdom's my new friend is Pastor Russ Fox.

He is with Southgate Baptist Church and is working on a book that's can make any Bowersox energize ministries heart go pitter pat because it's on pastoral care called carrying well for your pastor's welcome Russell, thank you, thank you for having me were so excited, so how did how did you mean you are a pastor, so is that a little self-serving will honestly be the call to ministry came out of the blue. No one was more surprised than me and then the call or write with similar no one was more's resume so it's it's very humbling experience of anything I'll bet it is. But how long have you been a pastor.

I actually met eight years okay the lake on life and it's been a tremendous blessing which we my wife and I have been so fortunate to been called to serve in a couple of churches that are just filled with loving people and they have cared well for me and that's just such a blessing. Cool. So it's it's based on those most personal experiences and so also with me and old friends been on with me for years actually in sort of the new church though, so we got pastor Lloyd Taylor and he is now with Bible Fellowship.

He retired from the estate came back out of retirement to start Bible Fellowship so welcome Lloyd. Thank you, Robbie, and it's actually not retired is we resigned how ministers I don't think ever retire but you were the brand-new church and excited about what God's going to be doing and thank you for having us here this morning.

So how fun you can imagine Robbie's can do this is speaking of Bible now how I speaking of that, you know what I've learned. Pastor is you never want to run with you and I were speaking about anyone who insisted no I never want to run you know why I pastor I don't think I will like you. I know I hear you go because you are Psalms get kind of swimming your palms gets some way I know this when when medicine first mentioned as being passed around when his medicine first mentioned in the Bible. Well, I don't think I know where you find all of these so interestingly, when God gave Moses to tablets and I I see if you get this one. What's a missionaries favorite type of cyanosis when I were going for Pastor Russ. What is a missionaries favorite board close. He loves accords because they're all in one accord. His favorite car because he is a missionary as a convertible looking like they didn't agree and I got one more, but by the way, my ass is going to be based on my Bible journal is much to know that my thoughts and prayers are with them now basin by I gotta tell you, might my Bible reading today is a little lighter and a little funnier. I don't think this is all that, okay really not.

Feel free to call in 866-34-TRUTH notice what is God call his no answer 866-348-7884 866-34-TRUTH if you know what God calls his nose.

And if they call it and guess that Grayson tell you land some amazing color from pastor Lloyd pastor Lloyd is actually quite an artist has his own song and and hair coloring books all in the rise causes no. 866-348-7884 well do want to say it on a coloring book you fully illustrated picture book for children called pumpkin. The tales I created out from a pumpkin man and it tells the stories of the mischievous pumpkin head was a beautiful, fully illustrated color picture book for children.

Parents would love it is great time of year around your October and pumpkin seeds, and that targeting so there's two books and one CD that has 22 songs that I have recorded and did the lyrics and music for all of them except for one so this pumpkin man is he starting to see the character he actually does use magical pumpkin seeds, reanimated oxen have elected in your grace and okay with this. Get it but anyway you can win all that I gotta tell us is this an end and I gotta tell you it's absolutely delightful.

The answer to what God calls his nose and that Andrew is calling in.

He may know the answer to that. Or maybe he's got a weather report for so answer your on kingdom pursuits good morning I am wonderful. You know I God causes no Xander close to me is his home is as is often but I bet you want to give us of the weather reports a go-ahead enter start and rain. Now those of you who don't know me to share with you that Andrew is long been a member of our special-needs Sunday school class at Calvary and Andrews actually blind and so when he's given you these weather reports he's not reading them okay and he even given that from his remarkable memory that that he has and so thank you, Andrew, and I know I will relay your message and I you love Tammy and I'll tell you called okay no Tammy did not pass away in no Tammy did not pass way it was. Her niece are 36-year-old niece passed away. So that's why Tammy was at a funeral funeral in Texas so I'm I'm sorry for the confusion on that issue with her niece to pass way, not her mother or not. Tammy, I Tammy sad about that and I will tell her that you pass.

Thank you for calling Andrew and for that weather report got blessed by I I know you know what God causes no and you got a call 866-34-TRUTH 87884. You're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com is where we got takes your passion and uses it to build the kingdom and today were so blessed that with a smile from pastor Lloyd Taylor with Bible Fellowship and Pastor Russ Fox with Southgate Baptist and he is working on this book on pastoral care and is also from understand right pastor, your you help out any Bowersox with his ministry and entice you what where were working together on this project actually all really huge fan – ministry and grown to love that brother and this what they do.

So man I I am really I I think it's so cool that the you're basing it on some ways that your congregation love Don you well right now they have.

They do a great job supporting us and letting loving sin is provided quite a contrast from the stories that I hear from other pastors and the things that I read about in the right now we have a bit of an epidemic and pastoral suffering significant percentage of pastors are considering walking away with depression, anxiety, and because it really is no it's it's brought so much division.

It has people you know to master not to mask that is the question or to meet her not to meter to zoom or to whatever and it causes you know I people on taken sides and all that stuff in it. And you're right that's is certainly a big part of the reality is most pastors were pretty running pretty much of the maximum load for coded and has really just exacerbated some of the issues that were underlying issues I pastor my hunters past where we say this problem that this octopus has a lot of tentacles, so that this this issue of pastoral suffering is is is not a a simple issue with a simple solution. There are a lot of a lot of underlying factors think of health as a three legged stool emotional health, physical health and spiritual health. You remove one of those legs your trouble and your ministers right now. In fact, I just read survey, doctors, ministers and attorneys are among those with the highest rates of addiction and suicide.

It is, it's a difficult call, but even Moses needed help. Her racist times in attic. Sometimes we pastoral pain is is in many ways, a byproduct of not getting the help not asking for help. Not having the relationships with either people in the congregation outside the congregation that can help them can hold their arms and there's a lot going on so you you kind of resemble that remark right yes sir yes you've experienced it on all sorts of levels really for decades right because you've been a pastor long time to get a little bit over 40 years course I started when I was 2 1/2 kidding.

I have been in ministry alone, and just sit here thinking that really the last few years I've only had I can probably count on one hand the number of people that have reached out to see if I'm doing okay. You know my life is been wrapped up in caring about people, but very seldom do pastors help people who care about them in the same way and it's really sad I I was telling my wife I I said to I had a pastor called me yesterday and asked just how are you doing and I said you know he's the first person that's called in over a month to just see how I'm doing and that meant a lot to me and I have to remember I need to be doing the same thing.

So I constantly reach out to people text pastors let them know how they're doing that you asked how they're doing that type of thing, but I think it is a very very important ministry and there are a lot of pastors walking away from the ministry in most of it out and defeat discouragement.

Absolutely no, I would imagine it is just me talking off the top of my head.

I'm no expert, but I imagine a lot of people out. The congregation are somewhat intimidated by the pastor like you know, I know he doesn't have time and I just want to talk to me. I'm just nobody I and you know you think wow should I reach out and touch someone, but you don't want to bother him right can see anyhow is a busy man is got responsibility, people are hurting all the stuff out what I hear you saying both of you is that. Wait a minute that they need your pastor need you anxiety and isolation are two contributing factors factoring in a recent faith by survey. Those were the two top reasons why pastors are considering walking away was isolation, anxiety, and in the in the interesting thing is the matter what life is what line of work you're in Satan's got your number in the you're the only one that's the only this right this minute you are on your own.

Well, I don't care what you doing you are the only guy Eliza right right you know.

And so it's interesting that you know Eliza got at a dose of humility right when God said wait a minute, buddy. A lot more people you know and and wow you want to reach out and touch some of them right. You know, and I love the fact that you got a lot of friends pastor like that that you reach out and talk to that are in the ministry right yeah and I don't mean this to sound like a PD party. It was mainly a reflection on brother Fox's book is just it. I think it's a neglected type of people. The pastor and the pastor's wife. They do so much for other people and I'm not just saying this to be self-serving, but they do so much for other people and in my counseling ministry. Having counsel with a lot of pastors and missionaries use the same thing.

The isolation of the rejection. The feelings of failure. It's all there.

And like you said earlier with the pandemic hitting as it did in not knowing what to do in our churches. People became angry at the pastor upset with her pastor. You know that type of thing so it is the humanness we really want to be human. We want people to know that were real people and I think folks appreciate a pastoral act at this down to earth, that is not afraid to be human in the neat thing about your church is at this point in time you hear up close and personal right yet we have said we had seven members when I took the pastorate and there were up to. I believe 12 now so we grown significantly. Well, that's right, you know what a neat thing. I think you know clearly that with smaller groups like that it's it's very you know there's a lot of intimacy right you get to know each other and you get to know the pastor and I'm just going to get very close to them in the fellowship of that size and and what an opportunity to build relationships right must sir yes sir and where were trying to do that.

Do what you know it's a small congregation, but we have a large building that conceit almost 200 people.

So when invite anyone that wants to come and visit. So our goal is to rebuild the church or to see it revived in becoming the lighthouse in the community that God has called it did sound unkempt, curious about the name Bible Fellowship will again I did not create the name, but I'll have a name Bible Fellowship Baptist Church and so what we are, we come up with the theme that this is where the Bible is at the heart of our fellowship, and so we are trying to focus on Bible preaching more of a traditional type of church. But again, where we create fellowship based upon biblical teachings right and what a neat thing to have your experience there with that with those families right now appreciate that.

I hope so yeah yeah yeah yeah and then you know it's not like you don't have a worship group as I have, though, that that right.

That's another one you're getting is a God gave you is you love to play musical instruments and sing and write songs into all that right.

Well, God has used it and it's in the ministries that I've been involved in as a missionary as well as now a pastor in what we consider like a mission church is really helpful to be able to play an instrument and maybe sing a little bit indefinitely and and and you've got family members that Nasser with that with the like. Love right yes are actually rubbing my grandson who is 19 is my Congregational music leader now. Want to join our church and I'm really proud of you.

19 years old is a blessing and not a big part of church that was just it is family in Internet: includes your own family what yes sir and I hear that the best way to build churches backdoor evangelism where people are actually bringing family members to church and we can do a lot to reach out into the community, but is usually word-of-mouth in one family member tells another family member or neighbor or friend. That's how the church can really reach a lot of folks about you pastor Russ your church. Yet we said pre-Kevin Weaver doing pretty well in a little larger than average, but not a major Spanish stress is about 125 Arctic have it. Like a lot of churches were probably off about 25, 30%, but working on that word-of-mouth and backdoor evangelism like you're talking about.

I just really in I don't know that were really a post coded nation now, but that it certainly seems to the numbers if it certainly tailed off and I think there's a lot more comfort with meeting in an shipping and sharing meals and things and so pushing folks you know to get out and share the gospel or the show. Your neighbors love and you can do that virtually anywhere in the grocery store checkout line. It's a simple act of kindness correct now and I think you know it's it's a neat thing really. When I get I I am now.

I guess assistant pastor of the church and asked for, which is west Asheboro Baptist Church. Interestingly, all three bath. Anyway and and were you to come there. You're going to find that it's there's several families that are generational family motherboards there there there grandkids are there great great grandkids are there other uncles or nephews and nieces. In other words, everybody in this church and and you know it's probably 250 people or some like that but man they're all related and and when you show up if you like your part of the family right and there in like we are all brothers is talking about. So we come back. Now I'm really shocked that nobody knows what God calls is no you're listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com takes her passion and uses it to build the kingdom as well as I know you all are dying to know what God calls his nose and so I'm just shocked that some is in at least googled it 866 like we got prizes to give away are good ones. We have the pumpkin head stories Chronicles pumpkin head Chronicles is that what is called the adventures of Mr. pumpkin here at okay is retail pumpkin details as well as pastor Lloyd CD all you do is call us and tell us what God calls his nose, 866-348-7884 we have with his pastor Lloyd Taylor with the Bible Fellowship. His new wonderful church that were finding out more about and pastor Russ Fox with Meridian Baptist Church Southgate, excuse me, why did I not she's with Southgate Baptist Church in Thomasville North Carolina and his book is working on on pastoral care hearing. Well, for your pastor, so I I've been dynastic sir since I found out about your book here so what did your congregation do that you went home and I need to write a book but to be perfectly honest with you I was sitting in a meeting of fellow pastors and ecumenical movement that that is kind of been going on in Davidson County, and the longer we would Meeting in the more Meeting being a biblical counselor I watch body behavior. I watch I watch for word choice. Different thanks expressions all of that and when I didn't hear verbally. I saw a lot of pain. 11. Guarded pain stories that people he want talk about Thanksgiving will talk about in this like the largest bird in my heart for these brothers that were struggling that I'm physically right next to that don't feel freedom to share their burdens and began to pray about that and think about that in an and one thing led to another series of not coincidence what what we call coincidence God calls).

Just kinda blossomed into this this project and it's been very eye-opening so you didn't answer my question. It's okay… Well I know they love you well and I wanted some practical like what exactly but before we do that I know the whole world is want to know what God calls his nose and we have Lewis calling from Virginia Lewis you're on kingdom receipts, thank you for taking all of us off the hook and tell us Lewis. What does God call his nose. Everything he calls his nose, and I love I love that I never thought what did you say he calls his nose everything he smells everything and anything about it that he knows yeah you you nailed it because you know what God really causes nose. God knows everything about that spell Lewis. I couldn't be more right. I mean clearly and you know it's interesting to me. If you look in the song of Solomon. How many references are made to the way things smell how delightful are your spices, your spikenard in your calamus your saffron and your cinnamon enter aloes in your frankincense number oh it's it's coming on.

I mean he God's nose is awesome and so I thought I thank you both.

I appreciate you calling in today. God bless him a push back on hold and there to get your information so moving back to my question like, practically speaking, I know that you felt loved. I mean did do they call did they take you to determine what what what practically did they do to some of the ways it that our current edition is lived on us is what we have an altar time at the altar for prayer and our deacons rotate leading the prayer and I can't think of a time when there's been a prayer that they haven't thanked God for us and pray for us and I think there's something very important about hearing people's heart of gratitude and concern for their pastor you know and and and pray that and in meeting just to hear it in her voice. In their words and they've also supported us with gifts. They invited us to meals and they just been a tremendous blessing. I actually love to just hear them call me pastor yeah that's we didn't yell when I first took this church in one of the elderly's couples came out so that I guess we call your pastor now and it really is something that makes you feel that it makes you feel that your other Shepherd that you belong. Remember the first time after being called to a particular church they call me pastor and I turned around I was looking for their talk about in a bit. Yeah it once you get past that that kind of at their little bit of a tear in in being called and chosen and set apart for that. It is a comfort because there's an intimacy in being someone's pastor. You one of the challenges that pastors face is that many congregants don't think you should struggle like we come to you for help. You don't come to us for help correct and and I think there's there.

So there is kinda some problem thinking there, but are our church to you to your question is date they pray for us. They love honest.

They show us that in fact they given my why flowers think they've done a good job. They really have in such a blessing really is. As such a powerful question on when you think about it and I can remember the name of that and think of the name of the girl. It was a Disney star that is to be on the Suite life of Zack and Cody anyway.

You know back in a big big huge Disney star and I got a chance to interview her because she was in the movie. What if and I got to spend it on my heart in the middle of the interview.

I probably asked her how you can pray for you Nevada things acidly let you know your kind intimidated by her your interviewing and I just then her name was Debbie and I said Debbie how can we pray for you and she wept and she said the same thing that you just described. She said nobody's ever asked me about. She meant nobody had ever asked her that can imagine in your whole life. Nobody is ever asked you how they can pray for you and and and she just went on to describe you know in this line of work you know all these things that are thrown at you in the way of temptations to do things that you don't you know that you want to do and honor God with your career and when she share I've never forgotten experience because God just put on my heart by the second.

After that, which for what I thought of like you said, right, I would've thought of that in a million years, like really fast know this Disney star but that's that's what happened and like often eyes I supposed to care well for people is to simply listen yeah this thing is such an important quality that I think our culture has moved away from you know there's a there's a real intimacy and power in just listening to the words people are Sanka so often what happens is people are talking and worth thinking about what we want to say instead of listening to what they're saying right over distracted by technology or what's around us or whatever it is or not listening and not paying attention. You know, we see it all the time people sitting through a green light because not paying attention.

What happens in conversations and a big part of listening with our years is listing with our eyes and your attention to body language, facial expression mean. Oftentimes, people can say the right things that you see in the heart and that something's not right by their body language about her expression and it's absolutely that's that's very, very, very well said and and reminds me of a joke that's actually not funny because it has to do with these scarecrows tell me Ms. please present could tell that that was. Not a real human scarecrow because he didn't have his device in his hand and NSF funding because I mean how many kids are out there. My dad is looking at his phone no list everything in my pastor and not a mean when I'm talking to my pastor anyway when we come back your listening to the Truth Network and TruthNetwork.com how God takes her passion and uses it to build the kingdom and and I love love love who I have on my show today two people have passion for pastoring, which is shepherding right and and and if ever saw this in the song of Solomon.

You may know, it's my favorite book. But what what the husband calls his beloved heat.

It's all translated beloved in about when you look at the root of the word it shepherdess okay that's what he calls her right because you know what the shepherdess is due is that if they love on the sheep right the good Shepherd loves the sheep and so we whether or not we have the term pastor on her name anywhere right everyone of us in our own way is shepherding the people that are in our lives. To some extent we got given us people that we have a chance to do that and I love. I just think it's so cool pastor Lloyd that that you have this church in this size to watch it come from that and and and you know as we been friends for a lot of years I get a chance to talk to pastor quite often and your heart is always like God, I want to do something that we can show me what you want for this church running yes Robbie. I appreciate that so much it really to me. The thing that amazed my wife and myself. We visited the church when we were looking for a church home to be a member of after I resigned my previous ministry even though they were small we were just amazed by how faithful how loving they were and that kind of drew us to to the church. We had opportunities a pastoring of the church's larger churches, but for some reason God placed us there and what we have been excited about just seeing our friends. We have friends from previous ministries in doing missionary work in several different states that have sent us a prayer letter some absent donations to help us with the ministry because were struggling were were not large church in size and financially were were making it, but we've had friends that jumped in behind us and partnered in the ministry and have been able to send donations some personal donation. Some from other churches which haven't allowed us to do some amazing things in the church to share couple with you please. Well, one thing if you were to try to find the church you would have a hard time because there's no road signs of the church is a beautiful sign in front of the building, but no one knows it, it exist hardly because there's no directional signs there so I begin praying that God would provide us with signs and then give me a sign time so I just kidding. And so what I wanted was it to say Bible Fellowship Baptist Church at the end of the road with an arrow pointing to the church annex. It but I wanted to date at the end of each end of our street. Other churches on well the Lord has provided that not only that, but were going to be able to provide six of those signs both sided double-sided, so this will allow the community to know where they are now just to the church signs and that was provided for through donations of people apart. Apart from our church but also from people outside the church that have taken an interest in the ministry with the next thing I wanted to do was saturate the community with knowledge about us. So what we did is we had to outreaches were we invited folks to come and help us pass out pamphlets in the neighborhood and into different settings and dad or occasions of doing that. We passed out over 400 pamphlets order for 400 homes, but I still felt a burden that we needed to do more. So I started looking into a direct mailing campaign and it was so expensive so expands to send direct mail, but I took the little town.

The thing you pop town where churches at part of Tubac available part of the granola Road area of Winston-Salem and I selected 7000 residents, and I begin to pray that God would provide the money to send out 7000 direct mail parent or the rate in half by five cards and so we are able. Next week to have the signs put up in the direct mail will arrive at the mailboxes next week, and it's all been then conference hunting pursuits that in an amazing and so cool when we got a couple minutes left to pastor Russ what it tells about the book housing to get there. What we need to do to make sure that that that that book it's out there. We got pray oh we got we got pray this if you listen to this. Pray about this support for pastors and pray about this.

This project this this book in my mind burden is that God would be glorified. Ultimately, that he would use this as a tool to minister to the ministers (Jesus, thank you for the heart that you've given these men and for for each other and I just pray that you would move this forward. I pray that you would put it on Andy's hard and you and you would put it on pastor Russ is hard exactly what they needed in the book and then provide the publishers and everything so that it would be distributed. Lord I thank you for the visions that you give us and I pray that you would take these passions build your kingdom. Jesus name I pray and I thank you for listening and we got so much for coming at you because encouraging prayer starts right after this, followed by drink.

Then we can call off time to man up so much truth in this is the Truth Network