Mentoring Moments | Episode 10: Pastors’ Roundtable Part 2

this is the mentoring moments podcast

with Jensen Franklin and Marcus Mecum

well welcome to mentoring moments I’m

Marcus Mecum here with Pastor Jensen

Franklin Javon Ruff is also here with us

today I can’t wait for you to hear from

him and we’re also here with a live

studio audience uh here pastors from All

Over America they’ve come in for our

very first round table and we’re so

excited to have them excited for you to

hear from them some of their questions

and hopefully their questions can help

you as well and hopefully soon we’ll do

another round table and so look for some

of those upcoming things and details and

we’d hope to have you as well so Pastor

Jensen I’m really enjoying just being

with these pastors this we had a sharp

group here and they

um you know we really do live in a

different world our occupation world is

really a calling it’s not a career it’s

a calling and and

um but we live in a kind of a lonely

world sometimes it’s different that we

know you know

you don’t find people that get it uh but

but I love the strength that I feel from

this Gathering and it’s it’s a great

honor to be here with you Javon Ruff has

been with us Lord how long I don’t know

22 years this year 22 years his wife

Shannon is here too somewhere but uh

there she is uh beautiful

young lady that uh mother and father and

they’re they’re incredible they passed

our Spartanburg campus but one of the

greatest preachers hands down seriously

now no no no no

platitudes here one of the greatest

preachers you’ll ever hear sitting right

here he’s one of our daughters

when I go off

this is the guy I turned to and he can

hold the crowd and the people are

thrilled and um he’s a blessing and we

love him and his spirit is even greater

and um so you know we we ask him to be

with us we’re just going to talk a

little bit today go ahead

you’re going to tell us what we’re going

to talk about

that’s right

I got all kinds of things I’m trying to

find the best thing here well we got

send in all kinds of questions and I

think we we do want to do that and um if

you watch the last episode you would

know that that really

um we’re just trying to identify exactly

what this is and um

you know one of the things that have

come out of this that we didn’t expect

one of the guys I was just talking to is

and I think Javon could speak to this as

well

is we didn’t know when we did this I

thought I was just positioning Pastor

for people to learn from him the way

that I had and I wanted them to capture

that what I didn’t know was that people

would be watching me

most of us don’t relate to him he we

look up to him we don’t see ourselves as

being him

most of you kind of see yourself in my

seat right learning from someone like

him and that there’s been a lot that

people have learned from that and I

think that maybe one of the things that

we can even do in this is you know how

do you find a mentor how do you uh you

know how do you do how do you be a a

spirit how do you go at that how do you

um you know I again for us I don’t think

it’s ever been defined or said even

though we call it mentoring moments

there was never any of that it was just

it just is what it is

but I do think that we’re seeing that

that we’re all learning a little bit

about the importance of having someone

that you’re looking to you have the Paul

in your life you have uh that Timothy in

your life and hopefully today we’re

being a little bit of a Barnabas to you

guys encouraging you to make sure you

you have someone that you’re looking

who’s who’s you’re covering who’s over

you don’t

don’t think you don’t need that don’t

think you don’t need someone uh that’s

there and then if you if you are that

spiritual father and you you’re doing

stuff then you Who Who Are You raising

up as well so

um I think we should start with Javon a

little bit because you’re so new and

tell us a little bit about your story

and

what are some things that you’ve learned

from Pastor you know for after 22 years

yeah exactly I mean I like you said 22

years came here and um for number one

while I was saved here what I call being

saved for real real you know grew up

around church and did church but

um I think for the most part when you

say learning

um I think of the Apostle Paul where he

said imitate me as I imitate Christ and

coming in and not not only from a

spiritual perspective but a practical

and life perspective I was not only

looking for a spiritual Mentor I didn’t

have the greatest example of a father

and so when I came in that was one of my

biggest prayer because it was a big need

in my life I had followed other people

other leaders or what I thought was the

best what culture presented me and

Friends presented me that only led to a

horrible place in my life and so when I

came in I watched I watched Pastor not

just as a preacher I watched how he

dealt with his family I watched how he

interacted you know with his wife and um

I didn’t just look at him on stage or

off stage and I think for me my first

encounter here was one that I felt the

connection you talked about connection

and connecting with the heart of people

and it was something I had never really

felt in church before

and uh that connection in my heart uh I

felt that the pulpit Pulpit cared

specifically about me and I want to

encourage you know pastors and Leaders

The Importance I was talking to another

guy we were talking about connecting

with people is is there’s nothing like

feeling that the person in the Pulpit is

connecting directly with you I literally

felt like I had a one-on-one that day

and it changed everything I never felt

that in in church before and from that

moment you know I began to look and see

well let me see not outside of a Pulpit

or a sermon how is he treating his wife

how is he treating his children because

I didn’t have that you know and I looked

to that I yearned for that and I wanted

it you know and the reverse side of that

was

it came to a point where he began to see

something in me that I never saw in

myself

Proverbs says that purpose in the heart

of man is like deep Waters and it takes

a manner of or woman of wisdom to draw

it out

that’s one thing I’ll never forget

matter of fact I was serving for Marcus

in Youth and we were getting ready for a

service and I ran into you in in the

staircase that goes up to your office

and that that one few minute

conversation you said God’s hand is on

your life there’s something great in you

just stay faithful to God and he’s going

to use you in a great way I don’t know

if you ever remember that those words

right there were the beginning of

something that I began to Now look for

what does he see that I’m not seeing and

it pushed me to begin to pray God what

is that well it was a person of

discernment or woman or man of God

whoever it is who saw the Deep Waters in

my life and said that needs to be drawn

out and that little moment you talking

about a mentoring moment and we didn’t

really know each other then it was just

a quick second and I can even encourage

pastors and say this never minimize

those quick moments that you have with

people because what you may give them in

seconds may change their life forever

and that’s exactly what happened to me a

few minutes

begin to change the whole trajectory of

my life not only me now it impacted

which was about to be my future wife my

family my children and my entire Destiny

I wrote down before I came in here

mentors are shortcuts to success

that’s true 100 mentorship is learning

through the pain of another person

mentorship is wisdom

with the seizing of waiting

um

when you invite correction and

mentorship into your life you remove the

pain of it

and when you have a mentor

a mentor will release three things into

your life every time this is how you

know that God has put them as a mentor

in in your life these three things will

happen automatically they will release

provision

when you connect to a mentor they will

connect you to resources

they will release protection

and mentors have to speak up

if you see something that needs to

change you speak up

you don’t sit back and just hope he

works out of it at some point you speak

up if something’s off

that’s a real men it’s protection

it’s not hurting my feelings it’s

protection

there’s a reason why they’re telling you

what they’re telling you over and over

and you’re not hearing it yet

there’s protection in it there’s

provision in it and lastly there’s

promotion in it

absolutely a mentor will bring every

time provision

protection and promotion

if and in other words if you receive

what they have if you receive a prophet

or a mentor in the name of a prophet or

a mentor

then you will get their reward what is

the reward of having a mentor in your

life provision protection and promotion

it it will happen every time if you

submit

in true honor

not considering their ego needs it but

because your spirit needs that

mentorship

and you don’t think you don’t need it

that’s the key that’s the key to it but

mentors are shortcuts to success and I

want to Echo what Javon said one of the

things that that I have seen with Pastor

over the years when you came to the

grand opening of our new building

I had I don’t know 50 75 pastors that

had come in for that and they were all

mostly pastors of significant churches I

mean major churches and they were

pastors supposed to come up and talk

with them but he wanted to see the

building and we get out in the lobby and

uh

one person after another after another

after and I’m there trying to pull on

them like hey we got somewhere to go

and he never even made it up to all

that never never even got up there

because he spent every second he could

and it was it was absolutely the

intensity in his eyes with people that

he would never see again a moment

even even in this room right now he

could have said hey I want you to call

this person and let them call these

people and and all of you here are that

I’m seeing and thinking about have

profound Ministries

but and there may be times we do that

but my point is is

I didn’t ask him to invite some of the

pastors over to his house today he just

on Friday

said I want him to come over to the

house maybe we could get a boat maybe we

could do do whatever and and so he is

right with those moments but I want to

speak to those who are Sons

I want to speak to those who are Sons

because he talked about submitting and

honoring and there has been an abuse

right we all we all know that and again

that’s one of the things I try to trying

to show here he never demands it if you

don’t want to give it he he’s he’s not

going to require it or take it that’s on

you you lose the protection you lose a

provision but if you go into the two

times there’s there’s only two times the

Bible says Jesus was amazed only twice

26 times that people were Amazed by

Jesus but only two times he was he was

amazed one was with the man

um the Centurion whose daughter was sick

and the Bible says that Jesus was going

to go and the man says you don’t have to

go just say the word

and Jesus was taken back and we know the

idea behind that was he said I’m I’m

also a man with authority

and I understand how it works so it’s

surrounded on fit under Authority

I’m said under a thought but the amazing

thing Jesus was amazed by his faith but

it was connected to honor right that’s

right the second place he was amazed was

in Nazareth when he went and he could do

no great miracles

and he was amazed by their lack of faith

and then it says that a prophet is

without honor so miracles of provision

miracles of protection I’m where I am

today I’m here and he knows the details

because of the Miracles of protection

that came through that connect I didn’t

know I needed those Miracles but if I

didn’t honor

then it could have been familiarity it

could have been all those kind of things

and I would have missed the Miracles

that come through honor so it’s not

required

by the person you look to if it’s

required something’s wrong if someone

doesn’t want to honor me and they’re

within our world

that’s the sign that they’re just not

ready for the relationship

they’re just it’s just not there there’s

not a Divine flow so for me

is there is nothing in me to worry about

honor I don’t I don’t even have to think

because he’s so honorable he’s such an

honorable human being and uh and so I

preached yesterday about the moments

that Marcus kind of like that staircase

moment or something and I had by the way

I mean that’s the same process God used

in my life there were just moments with

men of God sometimes I never met him

I said in the audience like everybody

else but that was a moment that marked

my life but um

some of the some of the strongest times

that I felt an anointing dementor is

people who were driving me to the

airport

as in it interesting that it was a

someone that they could have turned it

down probably or whatever but you know

they they desired that time

a Nerf that it and it was never planned

never never do I

think oh so-and-so’s taking me and I

really need to come up with something no

no no no no no no it’s the last thing on

your mind but you get in a car and you

finally got everything ready and we’re

gonna make it now I can relax a little

bit and you have a conversation

and in that conversation I’ve had times

many times and not even necessarily

always with with our own staff or our

team but somebody who picked me up

because I’m purposeful when somebody

picks me up the pastor’s probably sent

somebody that he really trusts

and so I’m probing that person

and sometimes I’ll probe a little bit if

if I’m in the mood and I know God has

used me uh Dave Martin tells a story

that he picked me up at the airport he

was not even in the ministry he picked

me up at the airport it was in a us a

job but not not as a minister preaching

Ministry

and we had a conversation I just liked

him it was just something about him I

just like this uh he’s crazy kind of in

his voice and and and and and whatever

it was boy I really felt the Lord just

kind of say

something this guy about the deep water

there’s I said there’s something in you

that God’s and I don’t just throw that

stuff out there so it’s just that it

goes back to that point that that it

doesn’t take like these these long

conversations in years and years but if

but if you get a if you get a shot you

know get around I’m I speak I learned

this myself if Tommy Barnett or somebody

like that calls me I go preach for them

I don’t care if I want to or feel like

it or not I’m going to go hang around

that man that man has the ability to

speak into my life uh others that that I

Look to You know if they call me that’s

my shot that mentors don’t usually fit

your schedule

and boy when you learn that lesson you

know that that that that the Elijah’s

don’t don’t come to Elisha’s and say uh

can you work me in I Really Wanna he’s

like I’m moving you want to be with me I

don’t care I don’t give a rip I’m going

and if you’re there you get it if you

don’t then then fine and that’s how it

is and I don’t care and I’m sure Javon

would say this too and I’m not saying

this to make anything of myself but has

there ever been a time you call and I

don’t pick up oh no no right away no and

so he’ll say what are you doing a lot of

times I won’t even tell him that I’m

doing something that but that’s

something more out of it because yeah

whatever it doesn’t matter but if I call

you and you don’t answer or I text you

and you don’t answer I I’m not worried

about it I know he’s busy or he’s

burdened or overwhelmed or with one of

you or with somebody else and I I’m it

could be two months

and I and that’s would be rare but I

don’t even

I just realized at that time I just

focus on whatever I’m focusing on so

there is something to

being available being accessible doing

the the things just to be in their

presence this right here is something I

thought well I want to do a podcast yeah

I want to do I want to add I got a

church too I got things to do too you

know I got family too and I’m not saying

that I’m not honored to do it

I’m I’m here because I get to do this

that’s if if he wants me to do something

else and I can get some of this

whatever it looks like you know a Waffle

House trip after or something like that

that’s what that’s what I care about

true that that’s

so

you know and I love the fact too that

those moments

um as as in this season because I’ve

been both I’ve been I’ve been on both

sides and as you get older you become

weirdly it’s weird a little bit but but

um it’s frustrating because you know

people would like some time with you

especially your own team

and I think they feel shafted sometimes

and they Wonder but it’s but it’s almost

like it’s beautiful that that you know

that God can it it can be a moment in a

staircase or it can be a moment where

you just bump into each other or a car

ride or something like even like this in

casual conversations this is where this

is why coming together come let us

reason together it really is not wasting

time to to iron sharpens iron

and and you just are sharpening you know

you can swing harder or you can sharpen

your ax and and if you sharpen your exit

take a minute you’re taking time out you

came all the way here you’re listening

you’re leaning in but you’re sharpening

your ax so so can you can you chop down

a tree with a dull ax you sure can but

you’re gonna swing harder and longer or

you can get a sharp relationship that

helps sharpen you and you go back with

wisdom that

um you didn’t learn through your mistake

you learned through your mentor

because that’s the only two ways you

learn

and and I want Javon I know something

was on your heart but I think the

mistake we can make is look into the

world for cues and thinking it’s about

equality and I get offended if if he

doesn’t pursue me or run after me or I’m

the one always calling and I’m the one

always really good and the point is I

that I cannot let that stuff in my head

because he’s got something that I know I

need in my life so at that point I’m the

one that’s hungry he’s not the one

that’s hungry if I’m the one that’s

hungry I gotta position myself to eat

you know I I it’s my and if it’s crumbs

at the table and I don’t get a seat if

I’m put at the Kitty table in the back

and I just lean it then that’s fine too

it doesn’t matter it doesn’t matter he’s

got something that I want how do you

explain that I don’t know I I mean I

think you’re crazy if you don’t

want that but

um for me it’s I just always know

because every time I’m around him I’m

better every time I’m around every time

I leave his presence I’m better every

single time I would not be who I am had

I not

pushed all those feelings down of Pride

and ego and and why didn’t this and why

you cannot let that in I’m here to do

whatever I can to make his life easier

better and then I just pick up anything

I can get in the in the meantime

anything I get

and that’s what I was going to share

about the mentoring moments and we often

hear it’s more caught than it is taught

and I learned the value of those

airport trips or any and not what I’m

going getting to is this

I learned elements of pastoral care that

I don’t think I would ever learned in a

book or going to school

and you may not remember this but I was

asked to take you to visit one of our

members one of our longtime ushers was

battling cancer just sick and I took you

to his house

and I sat and watched how you interacted

with this man

who lost his hair his body’s diminishing

struggling hurt but I watched how you

served and communion I watched how you

single him with him prayed with him and

I didn’t do a whole lot but just watched

but I learned so much the attention that

you this guy is going through the trial

of a lifetime but that few moments that

you came

it made like heaven on Earth for that

man and it wasn’t just heaven on Earth

for him it was also Heaven enough for me

and I said I got it I know what it takes

in moments like this there was another

time

in a hospital situation many of you

probably have been there I was I was

young on stuff I’m learning but what do

you do when when you go to the hospital

in a husband and wife loses a child what

do you saying what do you do what words

can they that’s right I would have been

Clueless

but I remember being there with you I

watched you and cherries I watched how

you dealt with the family I watch how

are you the power you preach the message

of just being there and being a presence

you didn’t say a whole lot the words

were few but you were just there that

stayed with me and so times after that

when I go to do a home visit that always

stuck with me make sure try to create

heaven on Earth in just a moment just be

there one I’ve been in a situation where

all I did was hand water in clinics

prayed a little bit was just there but

those are the things that were caught in

those small moments and I just I guess

I’m just encouraging

pastors and Senior pastors there take

I’d encourage you take that young guy

along take that other pastor with you

you know and that you you don’t know

that what they’re seeing from you in

minutes is going to help you over the

lifetime so you like Pastor said you

can’t be accessible all the time but

you’re transferring your spirit you’re

transferring that heart that culture

that Vision to that young person in

other words because when I go I feel

like I’m doing what I know he would do

but I caught that in that moment and

said I’m going to do what I know my

pastor would do

so and and this I feel like this is

speaking to to guys like us right now

and if I have regrets

it’s that

I didn’t even though it wasn’t my job to

attend a funeral

then it was my job to do a funeral and I

didn’t know what to do I never went and

watched and studied and ask questions

and took notes and I didn’t do that

because I didn’t it wasn’t my job I

didn’t go to the hospital with him I

didn’t and now I feel like I’m listening

to you talk and my point is that some of

you are under a pastor and you know well

that’s not young people that’s that’s

that’s the adults that’s the grown-up

stuff you know but what he’s saying is

that’s what you do that’s how you learn

that’s how you see it that’s how you

feel it which by the way we should do a

podcast on funerals hospital visits

because I want to hear how you do it

because I don’t know and it’s weak with

those that weep scripturally is what

you’re doing you you sometimes yeah you

just weep with them you just hold one

another and uh

you know I’ve got stories that I could

tell that would rip your heart out

of family lost their child and and the

mother wouldn’t let the the daughter go

and your daughter’s laying there on the

bed for hours for seven hours and she

would not was that the one that’s the

one yes and um and we we sat there with

them and we wept with them

we didn’t there’s there’s not much you

can say

but boy what that means to people and

this is what it’s all about it’s not

about budgets and buildings and that

it’s about people and uh and and that’s

what’s so beautiful about Cherise is she

she’s uh

she doesn’t have a lot of uh

um tolerance for

just showy stuff in Ministry but boy

what she cares about is if she sees

somebody hurting

she she’ll run to the fire she’ll run to

the fire and you cannot put a value on

someone who pastors people like that you

cannot put a value on a team member who

gets it and whether I’m watching or I’m

not watching whether I’m aware or I’m

not aware and most of the time I’m not

do you know what it means to me to know

that I have somebody with a heart like

that that represents me in Charisse and

the church and the love of the church to

that family in that moment and does it

so well and so caring and so pure you

know pure for the glory of Jesus Christ

because ultimately it’s his church and

women we are doing this for him it is

not about our stuff you know we’ve

talked a lot about me or whatever and I

understand that’s what this is about but

as far as you know trying to pass

lessons on but let’s not forget the

ultimate one we represent

that is our Mentor that washed the feet

with a towel

and you know that’s the one that I want

to please that’s the one that I want to

represent

and um so that’s powerful that’s that’s

so good feel the presence of the Lord

here don’t you absolutely and it’s the

anointing not just of a Preacher

you know not just of a brilliant

sermonator right but it’s the anointing

of a true pastor

I keep going back to this that’s the

stuff that people miss with him and that

is his greatest gift to us

if we’ll pick it up if we’ll learn it

that you it’s

it’s better than even his preaching I

think

is is how he loves and cares

for the church if it’s okay let’s go to

some questions I’d love that about that

yeah great group of pastors and leaders

here and uh feel free to jump in yes

hi I’m Tyshawn Roland can you hear me

I’m Tyshawn Rowland an evangelist from

here uh free chapel and the question

that I have that I think a lot of people

in this room are thinking about right

now is the next generation and I know

there’s some people here that aren’t

senior leaders yet but I would love to

hear from all of you because from Pastor

Javon to Pastor Jensen and Pastor Marcus

all of you have given me wisdom and

correction I really do believe it’s in

implying that that has got me to where

I’m at today but I would love to hear

what are your concerns for the Next

Generation what’s your advice to the

next generation of leaders people

probably under 40 or 35 like what are

you seeing and what should we be focused

on

great question

um I love that you are an evangelist in

this season in your life and how we need

to recognize the office of an evangelist

as pastors you know let’s not forget

that truly there are people if I started

out as an evangelist I have a very

tender spot in my heart for evangelists

and I use them I use them because I I

believe they there is there are

revivalists I am one that that if I come

in I’m I’m gonna that

a revivalist is someone who changes kind

of the culture for a night or something

of of a church to that kind of spirit of

Revival and

um you carry that you just not something

you work on you carry that it’s part of

how I preach even now uh I used to hear

people say you can’t carry a Revival in

your suitcase but really you can

and I mean because if you go in with

that Spirit on you it’s contagious and

so I recognize that and but um for for

me

um

that’s why I’m doing this the very

reason I’m doing this is I saw a need a

void in the Next Generation that is

crying out for mentors and he’s crying

out for fathers and you have many

instructors but not many fathers and I

love that we’re really defining how God

wants fathers to be is not like

one-on-one father parent every day but I

love what that we submit one to another

and and one of the great frustrations of

of my life is to see

uh people even on my own staff that are

gems that are diamonds that are

amazingly gifted leaders and I don’t get

to spend a lot of time with them and I

feel frustrated about that

but

um I think what we’re putting our finger

on as far as if they will lean in and

even in the sermons even in the Sundays

you’re under that Ministry you’re

spending time

one-on-one in so many ways with that

leader that that mentor and so that’s

how I was mentored more

I never really got FaceTime or it’s

personal time hardly with any of the

people who mentored me it was more of uh

from a distance some of them I never

even met but they massively impacted my

life absolutely and uh so you know

um but boy how much more if they are in

your world on a regular basis should you

be picking up from that so it’s there uh

it’s there that their God has turned the

hearts of the fathers to the children

spiritually and and the hearts of the

children to the fathers or another

generation and so uh when you find that

and you find that connection then get

full of it you know you you pursue it

and at the same time my concerns would

be uh hold the hold the

before you throw convictions away before

you throw Traditions away do it with

tears

do it after you’ve really sought the

Lord and really been close to him don’t

do it casually don’t go in and just

throw away

generations of Standards just because

every other body is doing it now

sometimes the greatest thing you can do

is hold on to what other people have

left go on let go off

because I think we’ve done that we’ve

thrown away our standards that nothing

matters now and there’s not a whole lot

of difference

um and and I would just that’s I worry

about that a little bit that that maybe

um and this I’m not talking about

legalism I know what legalism is we all

know probably what legalism is in one

way or another but I don’t curse any of

my roots and I don’t conduct I don’t

curse any or or resent any of the

Traditions that I was raised in because

I’ve I have disregarded some of them but

Tommy Barnett told me one time he said

Just remember when you change something

like that like a like a well-grounded

value in your in your personal family

that may not be black and white

scripture you know of what is is right

or wrong but as a tradition this has

been your culture of your life before

you change it remember the next

generation is going to lower it a little

bit more than you do

that changed my world that you’ve heard

me say that before that changed my style

I can let some things some things would

never bother me but if I let the

standard down I wonder how it’s going to

affect my children the Next Generation

and the Next Generation better hold the

line somewhere

and then I want I want uh to challenge

uh the Next Generation to seek to to and

I see that I see it now I used to think

that they don’t get it but that Ashbury

thing and little signs of it like that

that man there is something’s pure

something’s real going on there’s a

yearning going on out there there’s a

stirring going on out there and man I

don’t want to be that old man on the

sideline criticizing the Next Generation

I want to be that guy cheering them on

and saying here

hey let me throw some fuel on that fire

and let me and and what I was trying to

get to and I’ll stop but I get

frustrated too there’s a frustration in

me is the only way I describe it when I

see young amazing pastors

um that have it they just got it

can I somehow I know I’ve got a few

little Tools in my box that if I could

just help them apply that it would go to

the next level for them I would get the

greatest joy out of that of playing a

part in that of of God connecting me too

to people that I can uh be responsible

with what he’s given me in a way that

reproduces a great church

and there’s great churches in them and I

want to feed that fire I get more out of

that than me starting another something

another you know I I’d rather do that

and even here and people that I don’t

even know yet but I believe that that’s

the season I’m in is uh just just just

have Mickey Mouse ear spiritually to say

now pay attention to this one because I

got my hand on them and you can you got

some something you’re supposed to impart

Before you depart their life

I know we’ve heard it heard it a hundred

times but

a million times that the church has

always wanted one generation from

Extinction

so what would I be concerned about with

the Next Generation

Um

I’m not ever concerned about the Next

Generation

concerned about how we love them

you know how that’s it’s not their job

you know it’s my job to reach them love

them invest in them

do whatever we got to do to make them a

priority

my concern with the church is that the

church is not great at that

if I’m concerned with young leaders it

would be that everybody wants to jump

their season of youth ministry

and and uh and go plan a church because

it’s sexy and um the problem is the

problem is with that is uh if you don’t

cut your teeth somewhere and I’m not

even saying you look at it like a

learning curve the way I looked at it

um the way I even say to my son-in-law

and others is I think everybody should

give a tithe of their life to the Next

Generation I think that’s at a minimum

your 20s and um because that’s the

leadership Nursery of the church

so that’s where you that’s where you

learn to lead that’s where you learn to

build that’s where you learn your

weaknesses your strengths that’s where

you learn all that stuff and

um so my concern is that we Overlook

youth ministry we Overlook children’s we

Overlook it like well it’s okay it’s

good but I could point out to anybody

that’s on our staff and they pretty much

most of them I think that are here got

saved in our youth ministry or our

College Ministry and now they’re major

players or campus pastors or whatever

and we didn’t think about oh well we’re

gonna have a campus pasture that comes

because we’re doing everything we can to

to prioritize youth ministry

didn’t even think like that but that’s

what does happen is your Future Leaders

come out of a youth Revival

type and I’m not talking about just a

camp I’m saying a sustained weekly

emphasis on how are we reaching how are

we teaching them how to be the church

how are we teaching them to take

ownership how are we teaching them to

reach their friends because I can’t

reach their friends but they can and so

I don’t know if I’m concerned for them

as much as I’m concerned that when I was

in Youth Ministry there was much more of

a priority on youth ministry there was a

hunger from guys my age to want to reach

their generation

and now it’s like we just want to just

jump over that and uh and again I think

we just romanticize this role

but when you do get the chance to get in

this role if that’s what God’s called

you to

the more time you spend in youth

ministry you’ll just jump a lot at

learning steps like a lot of guys are

going to have to cut their teeth go

through the learning curve

as the senior pastor and I think it

could be avoided and I I could have

spent more time in youth ministry by the

way and I would have been much better as

a pastor if I would have taken more time

to get to that role in my opinion but

I I would say the one word that really

comes to my mind especially not Young

Generation and even youth pastors

thinking about it is is the power of

encouragement and reinforcing inside of

them that they can make a difference and

they’ve been called to make a difference

um I just think about Paul and Timothy

and he said those people let no man

despise your youth and he recognized

once again as kind of redundant but

there was something in that young person

that had been passed down for traditions

for several Generations that he refused

to let die and that goes back he took

the words about holding on to those

traditions and those convictions that

Paul said I Stir It Up and I think we

have a responsibility to keep stirring

it up

it means to Fan the flame and if you

look at it in context it was a Timothy

was a young man pastoring in some of the

most horrible times

Nero was in control he was filleting

Christians they were being persecuted

the government was doing crazy things

people were leaving Timothy’s Church

they was questioning his authority

here’s a young guy he was a son but the

Apostle Paul came numerous times through

the book of Timothy matter of fact he

even told him he said you’re gonna make

it and he gave an example he said if

you’re going to make it Timothy I want

to encourage you he said three things

real quick he said you’re going to have

to have the dedication of a soldier many

remember he said that you’re going to

have to have the discipline of an

athlete and you’re gonna have to be

diligent like a farmer and you’re going

to have to endure these times but you’re

going to make it and when he was

speaking to it when he was encouraging

don’t be afraid you got to read it in

context I know we we use these but when

was he saying that when a young person

which represent a young generation was

going through some of the toughest

cultural times but he says God has not

giving you a spirit of fear you can make

a difference let no man despise your age

but be an example in your character in

your integrity in your lifestyle find

listen to what I’m saying these things

that I’ve given to you commit to others

be faithful men that are able notice the

criteria faithful before ability

a lot of times we commit to ability and

we Overlook faithfulness

did you see that he said committed to

faithful men that are able and sometimes

he’s got that gift and he’s got that but

is he Faithful Is He loyal or is she

loyal are they committed to the house

but those words came to a young

generation Timothy we got to Stir It Up

Fanning the flame that means it’s

dwindling

that means the fire may be kind of a

culture that’s trying to Snuff out the

fire of a Young Generation but it takes

us to continue to fan that flame and

stir it up inside of them and I’ll go

back to and I’ll hush but I thought

about Moses

you know on the mountain top when Aaron

and hers

think about it if they don’t keep if if

that if the generation before don’t

continue to hold up hold up the

standards hold up the word hold up what

God says when they start letting down

the Next Generation which was Joshua was

in the valley

and they they begin to lose the battles

and so it’s important for us right now

we got to hold up the standard of

Holiness hold up the standard of

righteousness and guess what we’re doing

these are Aaron and her moments where

we’re coming along each side of each

other and saying we’re holding your

ministry up we’re holding your church up

that’s what we’re doing that’s what

makes this powerful because we all go

through Seasons that we get weary but

we’re not just doing this to hold each

other up but we’re holding up also the

standard of a whole generation that’s

fallen behind us how good and pleasant

it is for us to dwell together and unity

to come come unify and strengthen one

another James uh stand up James gluten

stand up

this is one of our staff members

um this is a prime example I think about

you a lot

I don’t know why I hear about you a lot

I hear about the Ministries you’re over

I I I see the sacrifices you give and

you’re under the radar for

95 of the congregation except the doers

except for the greatest workers in the

ministry

somehow you keep popping up

uh in every great thing some of the

greatest things that we’re doing

and it’s somebody you probably don’t

know but the team knows the team knows

and you think I don’t know but I know I

know who’s doing I know you don’t you

don’t have any idea how much I I’m not

picking on you I’m not trying to play

games I want I want you who feel unseen

when the Holy Ghost is in control of a

church he will wake you up with somebody

like that on their mind on your mind

he does

I know what you do

I almost feel like the Lord in the book

of Revel I know your works

it is not unnoticed

in my mind it stores up and builds up

to

at some point it will come back like a

wave on you

and that’s how God does it I don’t know

any other way to say it I didn’t plan

this illustration don’t even didn’t even

know you were there look through there

and the Lord said there he is again

and I want all of you to know

when you feel hidden you’re not hidden

when you feel like like yours is not as

public and big and and as he said sexy

of a of a deal as somebody else I tell

you the Holy Ghost is in control of the

church and he raises up and he has a way

of making

favor

I mean that’s that’s what it is

and and I carried this from for I’m

talking about months and I’m not ever

said a word to him other than when I do

see him I appreciate you James and you

think I’m just saying that but but I’m

not just saying that I I have thought

about him so much I keep hearing his

name I’m trying to remember what it what

the the last thing was but it’s it’s the

thing after thing and like it’s not like

he never would tell me that he would

never tell me he did he did he was there

for that he did it kind of like those

kinds of things and you just hear that

and I just want to encourage you guys

that more importantly he sees and hears

that it’s almost like the closet what

you do in the closet God will scream

from the rooftop

and so you matter

you really really matter in Ministry

doesn’t matter the size of your church

doesn’t matter if somebody’s bigger and

got a bigger name or whatever

your ministry matters be encouraged in

that today

and you’re not going to be rewarded

because you were successful you’re going

to be rewarded because you were faithful

be faithful with what you’ve been given

and be confident in it

and do it with joy Let’s Be Joyful

and I want to close with this but that

scripture came to me when he was

speaking that if

if the if the footmen have wearyed you

what are you gonna do when the horsemen

come

and you can look at that verse

negatively and say oh God I’m worn out

and and I can’t imagine having more

responsibility more but but really it’s

a great encouraging verse because what

he’s really saying is if you read the

context of it he’s saying Jeremiah uh

uh you know that’s the that’s I form you

in your womb you’re called to be a

prophet to the nation and then and then

he gets weary and and God comes and he

turns to God and says look at what

they’re doing to me my family’s trying

to assassinate me his own family put out

hit me if you read it they tried to kill

him they threw him in a mud pit it was

crazy the attacks the guy went through

and he goes to God for sympathy and

God’s word is if you if you’re weary

from the footman what are you going to

do when the horsemen come and really

what God was saying was I have such

bigger things for you coming that this

will be seen as light and little deals

compared to how I choose to use you

and you have no idea this is just I’m

going to use this as training for the

bigger days and bigger opportunities

that I have coming your way and don’t

let the don’t let this don’t let it die

here because really it was an

encouraging word you’re gonna run with

horses

you can run with horses and other how

can a human being run with horses I’m

gonna I’m Gonna Give You Supernatural

ability and that’s how I feel I’m

running with horses when I when I go

preach for Chris Hodges or somebody like

that he’s so smart he’s so freaking

smart and and structured and that oh my

God and it wears and I’m I’m like but

I’m running with horses I’m running with

I’m I’m preaching for these guys and

they’re so much better in areas of their

life than I am at this and that but I’m

running with horses I’m in the game I’m

running with them and you’re running

with them

so don’t let the footmen because I had

the footman battles I mean in the

earlier years particularly and still but

don’t let that weary you because God

says greater greater things are coming

the horsemen are coming you you you’re

you got so much in you and if you’re

weary they that wait upon the Lord

will renew their strength you’re going

to run and not be weary you’re going to

walk and not think hang in there to all

of you listening to us on this podcast

be encouraged today

in Jesus name

man wasn’t that so powerful

okay we’re at 50 minutes so we can keep

50 minutes so we got time for one more

maybe two

hey thank you so much for this this is

uh I think everybody with hand clap give

us your name your church Brian Bagwell

Palm City Church and uh my question is

just about the anointing

um the personal responsibility to

cultivate it protect it release it in

your church

uh love systems love structures but more

than ever to have presence filled

Services I walked in here a little bit

late and I needed it after that Atlanta

traffic but as soon as I got into the

room in that prayer meeting

I was like I gotta get this back this is

what I got to get back so you came to

the prayer meeting yes sir tonight yeah

and so can you just speak on the

anointing how to cultivate it

um just how to protect it

and and Steward that in our in our

churches and especially in this day and

age because that’s what breaks the Yoke

yeah uh uh one of the most famous

sermons uh that impacted my life marked

my life was a sermon that was preached

by Dr Ray Hughes called the anointing

makes the difference the anointing makes

the difference that sermon marked my

life not a great title the anointing

makes the difference it’s a masterpiece

sermon it’s a it’s one of the most

powerful messages you’ll ever hear and

it’ll live with you and go online I

think it’s on YouTube Dr Ray H Hughes he

was the old General versier Bishop of

the Church of God many many years ago

but one of the greatest preachers on the

planet ever I mean he’s in he’s in TD

Jake’s world of preaching that masterful

preacher

and um

but I agree with you Pastor that

um that’s that’s if we if we don’t have

that you’re sounding brass and tinkling

symbols and so we’ve got to get a burden

we’ve got to get a burden for it we’ve

got to hunt yearn for it we’ve got to

desire it we’ve got to get back to it we

got to go back to the touch get back to

the touch it’s not enough to hear a

message and and some uh the times okay

it before pandemic and all that maybe we

were we were bumping along but the times

are too serious the people are dealing

with too much they need more than just

talks they need to encounter the

presence of the Lord in that service and

you and if you as a leader want to get

us there you will get us there it will

come directly out of your relationship

one-on-one with the Lord and if it

happens in you it will happen in that

congregation it’s in possible for it to

happen often if it’s not happening in

you

and so guard that time with the Lord and

rebuild it and you go through Seasons

where you you get undisciplined and you

don’t read the word like you should

you’re reading it to study and and

you’re not ever just really feeding

yourself like you should and and we hear

this stuff all the time but it it really

does matter

the the time you spend like worship you

know if I’m a good private worshiper

I’ll be a good public worshiper

we we want to come in and be the big

public worship guy and we spent no time

in private worship well but but the more

that you do in private with Jesus

and so I’ve learned to study to get a

message

but worship and pray to get a burden

because the greatest thing that you can

do is preach with a burden

there’s a weightiness the heart moves

just like that guy that was here for the

first time that is that he felt

something he couldn’t shake

that this is real this is not what I

thought it was this this is messing with

me that’s the anointing and then and

here’s the bottom line on it all here’s

how you got to think if you’re a worship

leader if you’re a a youth pastor or

Pastor when it what is our job what is

our job is it to give a lesson is it to

bring songs and have excellent music and

sound all of that’s great

no

our job here’s I sum it up in one word

facilitator

we are the facilitator of the Holy

Spirit

if if if he’s going to have he has to

have a vessel

he has to have a vessel Spirits without

bodies are illegal

he has to have a vessel and our job in

every service my mind is

I’m I’m a facilitator Jesus has got to

flow somewhere in this service I gotta

find that vein of the Holy Spirit and

facilitate it and let God do it

and sometimes it’s one sentence in my

sermon

that it moves me to the core slow down

on that

breathe on that stay there a minute you

preach along and you bump along I’ve

learned to hurry up and get through the

stuff if it’s set up and this and that

and get to what is the very heart of

what I feel like God has put on my heart

and when he and sometimes it’s a song

it’s more on my heart than the whole

sermon and I’ll sing that song and or

I’ll save it for the end and I know if

everything else fails I will facilitate

the Holy Spirit through that one course

because it’s already happened to me in

private

that’s it that’s it that sets you free

you’re a facilitator and it’s not about

you it’s it’s not if you preached a

magnificent job Rick Warren told me

something one time that really helped me

in preaching he said

he said your job is not to knock a home

run every Sunday

he said but you do need to get on base

and if you just get on base

they’ll keep coming home

we it’s consistency is what he was

saying it’s it’s all about the

consistency in preaching but then you

put on top of that

we will facilitate the presence of the

Lord before this certain one hour is

over or whatever we will find that vein

and help people and you know that’s the

anointing right then the anointing makes

the difference

because people are are moving away I’m

sorry there’s a real transition going on

if you’re just uh they are looking for

more

their lives are dictating I’ve got to

have more

and there are people that are filling

this room who have never been in

Spirit-filled churches but they’re so at

an end of themselves I’m talking about

doctors and lawyers and people and they

come in and just like what you you walk

in and the anointing and they say I I

watched on TV I watched online this is

great but I have never been in anything

like this and if we can do that we will

see the anointing break the Yoke and the

anointing make the difference

Heather Pastor Trustin from Moore Church

in Arlington Texas and thank you guys so

much for putting this on I think on

behalf of us as pastors we’re looking

for a place that we can laugh and cry

and be safe to do it and we can be

celebrated and fail and so Pastor James

and thank you for being a distant Mentor

in my life

um all the mentors and pastors that I’ve

sat under have helped me step into the

communicator that I am and I’m kind of a

driver and a pusher but our church has

been a really hard season over the last

three years as have I and my family and

our staff and I feel like the Lord’s

been directing me to become more of an

encourager and he’s told me that I

needed to replenish the congregation and

I kind of don’t know how I’m good at it

personally but it feels like one-on-one

but when I get up into the pulpit I just

keep pushing and driving and you can do

it and here’s Five Points and change

your life and it it’s not I mean it

works but also I I have a hard time

learning how to just encourage and

replenish people and as I listen to you

you talk about

um how great God is and how great he’s

put that gift in you but I I don’t know

I’m lacking the the

something the motivation the the

understanding of how to become that

Pulpit encourager I I love your honesty

and if you will get up and do that

if I was sitting in your congregation if

I if I was a visitor at your church and

I heard you get up and be that

vulnerable

I would immediately be connected to you

I would immediately I think they’re so

tired of our of our

what strength or whatever it is it’s in

our weakness that he’s made strong and

when you get up and you’re that

vulnerable and you say to those precious

people

I this is how I feel

I mean that’s powerful what you just did

whether you recognize it or not that’s

what’s missing be real in that Pulpit be

real just just say it I’ve had times

when I walked into this place and I had

my sermon basically

and

and I would just I would just say

I don’t you know you don’t talk about

personal stuff necessarily till after

is how I’ve learned to use it

when I’m on the other side of it I’ll

talk about some things

but there have been times when I walked

into this room and you see people here

and they’re you know expecting this and

expectations of that

and I have learned

to trust the anointing if the anointing

is going this way and everything in me

says for my own insecurity I better stay

with this I wrote it down it’s a good

little thing and I will stay I’ll use it

I’m not against you you better have

something you know

but but I also have learned

that if I’ve had a hell of a week and

I’m broken and I couldn’t hardly

you know even walk up to the pulpit

than if somehow

that can be shared with that

congregation even my own

uh inadequacies as a leader I mean

they’re I’m very flawed very flawed

and uh to say it sometimes I was wrong

or I don’t know it does something to

when when we went through what we went

what we’ve been through through the

battles in our lives in our church

um

we would me and Charisse would be on

that front row and and Jonathan and the

team would sing those songs and he just

don’t know it was a it was a lifeline

it was a Lifeline of course I never

wanted to quit so much I never wanted to

give up

like I have I never was down on myself

like I have

disqualified Phil like you know

and they threw lifelines and they didn’t

even know how important what they were

doing the song selection just was a

Lifeline I had to hear that song it

helped make me breathe again you know

and so uh that I guess just that I don’t

know what I’m trying to say but just

that God called you you didn’t call

yourself

so so if you’re lacking in that

get up and say that and watch how you’ll

start doing that

yeah go ahead I was just gonna just say

the vulnerability thing was huge and my

wife is sitting back there and I’ll tell

you I’ll go back to a time of what you

just said because when we came

you know

the church was at a critical moment of

of a transition that was happening you

know with another pastor and we watched

this is what changed because up until

that point growing up around church I

never saw a pastor get vulnerable in the

Pulpit I’m just saying me and his wife

and I watch you and Cherise and two

back-to-back Services Shannon

weep and cry and apologize to a

congregation not a sermon not a teaching

about what was taking place and even

though it wasn’t your fault but still

took full responsibility for the sake of

the people in the congregation and I’ll

never I’ll never forget

I said they’re people just like us

and that changed me because before it

always felt there was a disconnect I’m

just saying how I grew up when I did go

to church that the pulpit was so far up

there and you were so far down here and

you never reached that standard but I’ll

never forget saying there are people

just like us and it changed every I’ve

never seen anything like that I’m just

saying as as one I wasn’t on staff let

me just say that I was a member of the

church who sat in a congregation that

heard the vulnerability of my leader and

his wife and it changed everything

they’re real they’re people just like us

and from that point I understood they

bleed like me they hurt like me they go

through like me and it changed

everything for I know personally for us

yeah thank you

thank you

it helps to know that you know Our

Heroes hurt too huh

it’s not easy we’re not we don’t do an

easy thing and

thank you

I feel good

I don’t know what else to do pray for

you I want to pray for our audience

that’s watching this I want to pray for

every one of you

father in your name we come the name of

Jesus the name above every name we’re so

mindful of you right now we feel your

presence even during this taping

because

the anointing is for others

everything you said the anointing would

do in our lives the spirit of the Lord

is upon me to heal the brokenhearted

Open the Eyes of the Blind and set the

captives free on and on it was none of

it was about us

was about others

and so father today we just thank you

for the anointing that is flowing

through this

time together with these great leaders

I ask you to

I ask you to Breathe Again on their

dreams

I ask you to

Quicken

that vision

in

clarify that vision

[Music]

I pray o God that

you would cause people to be encouraged

today and be loved today and to know

that you’re with them

to have the Assurance again that you

chose them

and what an honor and what a privilege

it is to be chosen many or many are

called but few are chosen

and the ones that I’m talking to today

are among the chosen

there were a lot of kids on the

playground that were

much taller and

so agile and gifted and athletic

but in some of our cases you pass them

up

and you chose us and handed us the ball

because you saw something in us that we

didn’t see in ourselves

and we praise you for that today

it’s a joy to be in the ministry and we

praise you for that calling today let us

do it with confidence and joy

and with the assurance that you’re the

lord of the Harvest

and you’re going to bring it to pass it

will come to vision

we will we will see you bring it to pass

comfort and heal and help those that are

struggling right now

and speak to them again all it takes is

an encounter

and and the fear goes away

Hallelujah let the fear go away

and let us walk in a Grace I ask you to

give a supernatural Grace to pastor and

to lead like never before

and I praise you for that right now that

even by this podcast

impartation is happening

and such as we have Lord we believe

you’re transferring and imparting that

into men and women

for your name’s sake in your glory in

your kingdom in Jesus name we pray amen

[Applause]

thank you for joining us for mentoring

moments with Jensen Franklin and Marcus

Mecum leave a comment to join the

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