Keeping It Small

Where am I? 
Anger Fear Sad & Glad

After 34 years in ministry, I am convinced by both the Scriptures and my own experience, that the Kingdom of God is advanced in “the quiet places” one person at a time – one life at a time. 

Jesus spoke to the multitudes but he poured his life into the 12.  The apostle Paul penned several “best sellers” but he devoted himself to mentoring younger men like Timothy.

I am grateful Harvey Pflug, Miles Ahrens, and Jim Keller were thinking this way when they each considered it worth their life back in the early 80’s to spend time with me during my college years.  Since then, more names come to mind:  Dennis Rainey, Stu Weber, Robert Lewis, Gerry Breshears, Carl Laney, Chip Dodd, Phil Herndon, and Al Henson – each taking the baton to run a lap or two with me around the track before passing that baton to the next.  

So, while I still take opportunities to speak to large groups (and have done so almost every weekend since the end of January), my greater passion is investing in the leaders God has called to shepherd these larger groups.

I received two notes this week underscoring the fruitfulness of this approach.

"I wanted to write to thank you for coming and pouring into us last week.  I cannot tell you how many conversations I have had over the course of this past week that had their source in what you brought to us on Sunday.  It impacted me (and my wife as well) in really profound ways.  Thank you for being willing to come and share wisdom as a spiritual father with a young church.  I know the deposit you made will continue to bear fruit for years to come."

"Thank you!  I cannot begin to describe what your time with us did for my soul.  Loved all that you shared with our people – it was exactly what I prayed for.  The time with our leadership team was deep and provoked lots in all our hearts.  Also, the time the two of us got to spend together was the highlight of your time here and made the kind of investment in my soul that I will be forever grateful for.  You spoke a lot straight into my heart. THANKS!"

The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy encouraging him to invest deeply in the lives of a few who would in turn invest deeply in the lives of a few others (2 Timothy 2:2).   

Spiritual multiplication cannot be accomplished from a distance and transformation requires TOUCH.