Back in 2013, when I was an associate minister at Saint Paul’s Baptist Church, I used to teach a Thursday morning Bible study class there.
Deacon Ricky was on staff at Saint Paul’s at the time.
One day, after hearing me teach from the hallway, Deacon Ricky tells me, “You’re a pastor.”
I say, “No, I’m just an associate minister.”
He says, “I heard you teach. You’re going to be a pastor one day.”
The next year, a church calls me to be their pastor.
Two and a half years later, we launch New Beginnings Church.
In 2018, while I’m pastoring New Beginnings, Deacon Ricky invites me to preach at a Sunday evening service at his church.
I agree.
But when that Sunday evening comes, I really don’t feel like preaching because I had just preached up a sweat that morning.
As I approach the church, tired and hungry, I stop by McDonald’s to get a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, with extra onions. While I’m eating my burger in the church parking lot, I spill ketchup on my suit!
Now I’m about to preach smelling like a burger!
As I wipe the ketchup, I ask myself, “Why did I even accept this invitation?”
Eventually, however, I get my mind right, and I preach as hard as I can.
Later I learn that after hearing me preach that night, one of the attendees Anthony had said, “I’ve got to find that cat.”
He finds this cat because a couple weeks later, Anthony shows up at New Beginnings. About two months after that, he and his wife Nell join the church.
I later find out that Anthony came to that evening service because Deacon Ricky had invited him to hear me preach.
So, when I agreed to teach Bible study on Thursday mornings at Saint Paul’s, God had ordered my steps. When Deacon Ricky heard me teaching from the hallway, God had ordered his steps. When Deacon Ricky invited me to preach, God had ordered his steps. When I agreed—even though I didn’t feel like it—God had ordered my steps. When Deacon Ricky invited Anthony to come to the service, God had ordered his steps. When Anthony agreed, God had ordered his steps.
I am a witness that God can order your steps, so that you end up at the right place, to see the right people, at the right time.