5.11.25 Word from the Pastor

​This past weekend I was at an Assemblies of God conference. It was a blessed time to worship with other pastors from all over Texas who are part of our denomination. I was very encouraged by the worship, the time of prayer, and the heart behind what the AG stands for. They really focus on unity in the body and honoring and blessing one another. I don’t know how many times I stood up for a standing ovation—it felt like every time we honored a pastor, we did so with joy and celebration.

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One thing that really moved my heart was a simple message from a children’s pastor. During one of the sessions, they allowed her to preach as if she were preaching to kids. She shared the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and had us say “yay” every time she said their names. It was truly a spectacle to see older pastors join in during the message. But the fact that they made space for a children’s pastor to preach to other pastors was such a powerful picture of humility and honor.

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​They also acknowledged pastors who had served over 50 years in ministry. These were older grandpas standing on the stage, being recognized for their decades of faithful service. One of them even shouted out, “Never give up!” to encourage his fellow pastors.

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When pastors were being ordained, they called their wives up with them and prayed over them together. They acknowledged that the call to ministry isn’t just on the pastor—it’s on the whole family.

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It was these little things that reminded me of what the Body of Christ should look like.

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I was reminded of 1 Corinthians 12:22–23, which says, “On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor...”

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How many of us take time to honor those who are weaker? How many of us in this world acknowledge the people under us? Usually, only the leaders are seen or celebrated. But in the kingdom of God, he uses the weak to shame the strong, the foolish to shame the wise. God even uses the weaker parts of us for his glory.

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So how have you honored someone who seems weaker? How have you extended a hand to someone who may not have it all together or who is different from you? I think about Jesus and how he served us as his disciples. While we didn’t deserve anything, he humbled himself to the cross and gave us his life. He led by example when he told us to wash one another’s feet.

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How can we grow as a community? We must first learn to honor each other. We must learn to humble ourselves and give greater honor to one another. I pray that we may be a community that is humble, a community that loves deeply, a community of believers who knows how to lift each other up. Let us follow the ways of Christ—for his ways are good. Amen.