It’s been a tough year for many pastors, and “maybe today is a day you need to be here in front of your laptop, to sit and soak, to be here and hear God’s Word and be reminded that God loves you in Jesus Christ,” said Daven Watkins, pastor of First Baptist Church, Pelham.
If so, there’s encouragement waiting at the Alabama Baptist Pastors Conference today (Nov. 16), an all-virtual, cost-free conference that you can watch from your home or office at your own pace.
Eight speakers, including Watkins, will be unpacking passages on the theme of One Another.
Nathan Daniels, ABPC president and pastor of Bethany Baptist Church, Andalusia, said they are “powerful passages that have had a transforming effect on my life and my heart, and I hope you’re blessed by them just as I have been.”
During his message, Watkins challenges pastors to let Jesus minister to them before they minister to others.
“Friend, I know that you may feel at times that you’re abandoned and alone, but Jesus has never left you,” he said. “Jesus has plopped you in your place of ministry and is telling you today that He is calling you to love others in meaningful ministry. Before we can do ministry for Christ, we’ve got to receive ministry from Christ. It starts with our relationship with Jesus.”
Preaching from John 13:1-17, Watkins talks about how Jesus modeled meaningful ministry in washing the disciples’ feet and how we can be empowered to serve by spending time with Him.
“Meaningful ministry is joyfully demonstrating the sacrificial love of Christ by serving others,” Watkins said. “Sometimes, friend, if we’re honest with ourselves life, ministry, a pandemic, chaos, suffering — all of these things can rob us of our joy.”
But Jesus came to bring an unspeakable joy, he said. “It’s a joy that the world can’t waste away. It’s a joy that tragedy cannot topple. It’s a joy that cancer can’t cripple, that surroundings cannot stifle. It’s an everlasting joy, a joy that Jesus deposits in us. And as we minister to others, He pulls out of us His joy.”
You can watch the conference sermons at albaptistpc.com/virtual-conference.
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