Memory Lane

This month I'm speaking every Wednesday night at the church where I first met Christ. I'm there at the requst of a friend as they search for a new pastor. It's Northside Baptist off I-85. It's the place where I cut my teeth on the gospel, where I learned who Jesus was, where a youth pastor named Marty taught me how to follow Jesus and made such an impact on my life that I would grow up and be a youth pastor myself one day for sixteen years. It's the place that laid the foundation for my spiritual journey and made me what I am today. As I spoke last Wednesday night to about 150 people, most of whom were there when I was there over 30 years ago, I had a huge sense of gratitude for the place Northside has in my heart. God used it to shape me, to teach me, to give me a heart for ministry and I'll always have a special place in my heart for this church, it's founding pastor, Dr. Jack Hudson, and the many friends there who invested so much in my life! It's always good to go back to our roots! For its there we remember from whence we've come! Thanks God for the special places in our lives that remimd us from where we''ve come! I'm forever grateful for a church called Northside!