Church Planters

I feel inspired at the moment to share with you something that is very biblical and necessary, while in the process I want to also include a couple of people that I think the world of in this blog that have been very instrumental in spreading the gospel and a huge influence on me and my ministry.

The "Great Commission" was commanded by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ right before he ascended into Heaven. He told us (his followers) to go into all the world and spread the gospel. The bible also tells us that it "pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe" (1 Cor. 1:21). God didn't command us to put on a good show, lighting, dramas, dances, or play videos to grip the emotion of the people watching to get them saved, but yet the Holy Ghost brought conviction while the preacher preached. That's how souls are biblically won. If you are winning souls some other way outside of preaching and teaching the gospel then honestly all you are doing is entertaining them. But I want to share with you two men who have taken the "Great Commission" to the unchurched.

My pastor Phil DePriest has a burden unlike any man I've ever met. I know a lot of people but never once have I met a man that has a burden like he does to spread the gospel in cities that are unchurched. Pastor DePriest is known as a "church planter", he has started 7 daughter work churches that span over 900 square miles and in his church he runs around 400 saints, while the daughter churches he has planted run a total of around 600. Now his daughter works are planting churches giving him grand-daughter works.

This is honestly a big deal and so many of us can learn from this. My pastor could pastor a mega church, but instead he trains us ministers to go plant churches in areas that aren't spirit filled. He has a passion for souls that go farther than just evangelism, but stretches out and provides a home for the lost. He is taking the "Great Commission" that our Master commanded us to do and seeing souls saved. I thank the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for opening a door for me to be able to learn and train under such a man. And I pray that I can only take what I've learned from him and apply it to my ministry.

The other person I want to recognize is my good friend (if you only knew all of it) and church planter/home missionary Lee Stephens who pastors The Sanctuary of Nolensville in historic Nolensville, TN. Pastor Stephens is a man I know very well and a man I will vouch for that he is a lover of the Word and of souls. He and his wife Daicia felt a call to Nolensville and the door opened for them to go into the city and plant a church. Since that time they have seen several souls won for the kingdom as they continue to reach out to the citizens of Nolensville. With church planters and soul winners like Lee, Daicia, and their 2 year old son Levi the gospel of Jesus Christ is sure to flourish to those that are lost. I'm proud to call the Stephens family my friends!

It's very important that we realize that souls are very important to God and to also remember that at one time you also were a lost soul as well. Where would you be without the grace of God and the death and resurrection of Christ? When I see men and women that are passionate about seeking the kingdom of God while offering it to others it truly does inspire me to do the same. I hope that all of us have men and women of God in our lives that inspire us to live by faith and win the lost by the word of our testimony and apostolic teaching. We must never be shy of sharing the gospel and our testimony to others.

Thanks for reading,

-Hank