User:Pastordwatkins

My Testimony:

I remember when I was 11 years old and walked the aisle to accept Christ. At that age, I did not understand the brevity, dedication or importance of what I had done. It was not that Pastor didn’t teach or try; it was that I was 11. Although my family attended Church on a regular basis, my Dad a Deacon and my Mother a Teacher, I did not feel Christ in me. After high school, and a short stint in the US Navy, I had been the way of the world… and most of the so-called pleasures thereof. By this time, I had been around the world twice and you could not tell me anything.

I had met a Pastor and when he looked at me the first time, he said God is waiting for you to come back; He has a plan for you. My knees buckled and I gave myself to God that day… and I knew then what it was He wanted from me. All the teachings from my childhood, all the knocking God had done on my heart came though at that very instant. I was asked to be his Youth Pastor at his new Church; I accepted and so began my ministry.

Through the following years God kept teaching me through my failures and success a lesson of love and commitment to God through obedience in the Word and supplication to the Spirit. God loves me so much that He gave His Son… that His love never dies and He would use me to spread His message; no matter what.

Through all of that, I believe that anything that has happened will be overcome by God to do His calling. So, here I am, thirty some years later now understanding the brevity, dedication and importance and what I am to do. I believe that God has called me to teach, pastor and win souls to Him. I believe that all my experience, albeit some not to be proud of are useful in that endeavor; I can empathize and give relative teachings, council and comfort based on what God has done in my life.

Some of What I believe:

that God is exactly what His Holy Word says He is.

without forgiveness, we would be eternally damned. I believe in Heaven and hell.

forgiveness comes through the Blood of Jesus Christ and is the only way to eternal life.

all sins, from the moment you accept Christ as you personal savior, are forgiven and forgotten, no matter who you are; it is available for anyone.

you can fall from grace & you can rededicate yourself applying the above.

Jesus Christ is the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, lived a blameless life and died on the cross for the entire world.

the Holy Word of God is just that; it is true and it is what we must follow to achieve the righteous life required by God.

the Holy Word of God is what I preach, teach and pastor from. I generate sermons, council and live my life through study of the Scripture coupled with prayer.

in the Holy Spirit and seek to be filled and guided by Him constantly.

in the Gifts of the Spirit.

in prayer and the power, authority and communication it gives me by, of and for God. It is also essential to the life of a Christian.

I am a Spirit filled servant unto my Father, a follower of my Savior, and a witness to my fellow man.

A Few Character Traits:

I am very honest, but not harsh. Sometimes, the only way to get someone to understand is to be direct. However, I try to be as empathetic as the situation allows. There is no need to dance around issues, but neither is there a reason to make someone feel bad about what they feel strongly for, their situation or have a misunderstanding on.

I am a studier. I believe that the Scripture is a standard element and requirement of my belief. I back up all of my advisement, pastoring, preaching, teaching and living with the Word of God. I will not answer without having a Scriptural reference to back it. I would rather not answer than to err.

I love how far you can get with the scripture; the cross referencing, the word deciphering and defining, the stories, the amazing and most time simple truth of God’s Word.

I am a listener and a “fixer”.

I am a doer and am task driven. I am a self starter and will do anything required to achieve the end result.

I believe in a good set of rules, policy and procedure; and those should be Scriptural.

I believe that God can use anybody at anytime.

God doesn’t necessarily call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

I feel for humanity, and long for them to know the peace and love of our Lord.

I am very loyal and protective.

I am human, born of sin; have made mistakes and will make mistakes.

I am a Spirit filled servant unto my Father, a follwer of my Savior and a witness to my fellow man.