FROM YOUR PASTOR’S HEART September 30, 2024

The timid kid “Growing Up on Dump Ground Road” would never have been able to stand before a group of people and speak to them about the Lord. He wanted to blend in with the crowd, going unnoticed by those around him. He feared being called on in class by the teacher, especially having to go to the board during math to solve a problem in front of his fellow students. At recess, he was happy to just hang out with his friends. He was not that good at kickball or any other sport. When he did play Little League Baseball, he was content to stand out and daydream in the outfield. Coming to bat was another frightening experience in his life.

I am still amazed that God chose to call this young man into the ministry. When it was clear that this was God’s plan for my life, I realized that He was going to have to make some radical changes in me. He could not use a timid preacher to tell people about Jesus. Thankfully, God gave me a mentor and an encourager in my Pastor, Bro. D. D. Simpson. He believed in the “sink or swim” method, giving me opportunities to preach on Sunday nights and taking me to meet local Pastors in the area. God gave me an abundance of chances to preach in a wide variety of venues, as a teenaged boy. I was asked to preach at nursing homes, as well as churches of varying denominations.

It was while serving in my second church as Pastor, in Oil City, Louisiana, that I discovered a side of my personality I did not know existed. My dear friend and Youth Pastor, Chip Dickey, helped me begin a “Clown Ministry.” We were able to visit children in the hospitals and work with children at camps and revivals in the area. We developed a magic show that left kids laughing and adults in amazement. We even caused a few fellow ministers some concern, when we beat what they thought was their own watch with a hammer. Chip would say, “Oh, that was a Rolex! Only a Timex takes a licking and keeps on ticking.” Of course, the watch that was destroyed was actually a cheap one that came from his pawn shop.

My clown partner, Chip, is now enjoying the glories of Heaven. Yet, God is still using me to share the gospel, serve His people and make folks laugh. The Bible teaches us in Proverbs 17:22, “A merry heart does good, like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” With so many precious people in our congregation suffering from serious health problems, it is good for us to find an opportunity to laugh and enjoy life. My calling is to minister to the needs of God’s people. If I can give you a reason to find laughter in the midst of your struggles, then I am happy to do so. Just don’t ask me to solve any math problems in public!

Serving in love,

Bro. Jim