I’ve had a front-row seat to some of the things God is doing in churches these days, and I’d love to tell you a few of those stories. As you read, think about where you’ve seen God at work in your own life. What’s one blessing you could write down and thank Him for today?
Welcome back! I suppose I’m the one who’s been away. It’s been a while since I’ve written here, and I’d love to catch you up on what’s been happening with me, my family, and David Smith Ministry.
Let me begin by saying thank you, Lord. I am overwhelmed with His blessings. Psalm 37:25 says this, “I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging for bread.” Yes, I have been young and, while I don’t consider myself “old”, I can testify to you that God has never forsaken me and I’ve seen blessing after blessing since I last wrote.
Between today’s writing and through November, I want to share with you some of the ways God has blessed me. My hope is that this might spur you on to look at how God has blessed you as well. Today, I want to tell you how God has blessed David Smith Ministry.
For five years now, I have been coaching pastors, consulting with churches as well as preaching and teaching most every week, including Sundays and Wednesdays. It seems like each day brings a call from a pastor that needs some guidance and a church that needs some help. It seems like each week I hear about new opportunities to come alongside pastors and churches in need. Early on when the ministry began, I wondered if this was going to be short lived or if it would continue until retirement. And each day, God answers that prayer.
And there is something else to share about these churches; God is doing a great work. The Holy Spirit is doing a great work among God’s people. For example, I have the joy of working with a church in Tennessee that is now expanding into a third campus. God placed on the heart of that pastor that the church would be open if God might lead the church to reach his city with the gospel from multiple sites. And that very thing has happened.
I have also had the joy of working with another church outside of Athens, GA that once was near closing. Yet God has “restored the years the locusts have eaten” according to Joel 2 and that church is reaching all ages, including college kids at UGA.
It is difficult for me to tell you all the stories but one other comes to mind. It is a church located in Texas of which I provide coaching for one of their staff pastors. He is the campus pastor of a second site. Not only is the central campus growing and expanding but so too is the second site.
God is doing something special, and I am so grateful to be a part of His divine plan.
Next week, I’ll share a little about my health and how God has cared for me through it all. In the meantime, before the day gets busy, take a few minutes to write down some of the ways God has blessed you. You might call these your Thanksgiving blessings.
This is Part 1 of Blessings, Blessings, Blessings. Visit the series page to find the rest of the posts as they’re released.