I Could Feel It…

Over the Thanksgiving break, we spent some time in Lubbock. While there, I got to hook up with Tim Beal. I served with Tim at a church in Wolfforth, TX early on in my ministry. My first years in ministry were extremely frustrating.

I could feel it. That gut feeling that church could be and should be different. Didn’t Jesus love the unlovable and accept those who were beat up and broken? At the time, I couldn’t really verbalize it. At the advice of what I thought were “mentors” in those days, I pushed forward ignoring my gut feelings. Eventually it ate me up inside so badly that I eventually reached a point where I was ready to quit.

Enter Tim Beal. Just as I was about to throw in the ministry towel, Tim came on our staff and brought those gut feelings to life! God used him to awaken my soul and re-energize me for ministry.

My gut feelings were right. Ministry IS ACTUALLY all about Jesus. Its all about people. And, its all about making the two intersect.

When I met with Tim this past week I finally got to look him in the eyes (6 years later) and thank him. It felt good. I think he maybe even cried a little. And now, I just wanted to thank him publicly.

We wrapped up by praying together and committing to pray for each other. God is using Tim in some BIG BIG ways. The church he is now at has been around for about 2 years and has grown to over 1,200 people meeting on the weekends. I am pumped up about how God is going to use Tim next.

Who has been your Tim Beal? Who re-energizes you for the mission you have been given?