I have just a few thoughts that I want to share with you as we begin our transition away from this ministry. There is one verse of Scripture I want you to hold onto. It comes from I Corinthians 15:58-“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
Paul concluded the end of I Corinthians 15 with an admonition to the Church to stay put in the place where they were serving, to be steadfast, to be immovable, to be committed to the work of the Lord, knowing that it would be worth it. It wouldn’t be for nothing. It wouldn’t be in vain.
I want to challenge you to stay committed to the work that God is doing here at Teays Valley Church of God. Stay engaged. Those in the original group that were here when we finally landed 18 ½ years ago have a lot of God-stories to tell. They have seen community outreach, expanded discipleship, and intentional fellowship spur on the growth of ministries that have resulted in bringing hundreds of people to faith in Christ. It takes work to win people to Christ. It takes work to welcome people into the Family of God. It takes work to run the ministries we offer. Don’t use this time of transition to take a break from the work of ministry. Don’t step back from serving, and if you aren’t serving in some capacity, now is the time to jump in. Nothing would delight me more as I finish serving here than to say that everyone who calls TVCOG their home has a place to serve! Stay and do the work of the Lord.
Stay prayerful. Colossians 4:2-“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”
Pray for your “ones” to give their hearts to Christ. Don’t give up on anyone. David Vest and Keith Tyler are two of my “ones” that I have diligently prayed for, for years, and both of them have surrendered to God in the last two weeks. I have a few more people on my list that are connected to this ministry, and I won’t quit praying for you. That’s the beautiful thing about prayer…It goes beyond distance. You keep praying for your ones. Pray for their hearts to be softened, for opportunities for strategic conversations to take place, for Divine appointments to witness.
Pray for a move of God every week in our services. Pray for the interim pastor, Ancil Abney, and his wife, Kathy. Pray for our staff as they navigate this time of transition. Pray for the pulpit committee and the search for a permanent pastor. Pray for the Trustee Board to continue to lead with a heart to undergird the staff and all of the ministries.
Pray for the success of every outreach. Pray for spiritual growth and forward momentum. Pray for God to develop more leaders here. Pray for miracles of healing and deliverance to take place. Pray, pray and pray some more. Stay and do the work and stay and pray.
Third, Stay in the Word. John 8:31-32- 31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
You will only truly realize what God can do through you as you stay connected to Him through His Word. Christ is the Vine. We are the branches. We get our strength, our vitality, our life from being connected to Him. These verses say to me that there is no real Vine/Branch relationship without a commitment to knowing and doing God’s Word. In other words, you can’t say you are a disciple of Christ without pursuing the knowledge of God through His Word. The greatest spiritual growth will come to those who stay in the Word of God, and they will produce the greatest spiritual fruit. We see here in John 8 that Jesus says true disciples are those who keep their noses in the book. Not only that, but those who stay in the Word will know the truth. That means you will know how to live to please God, and you will know when deceptive and false ideas are being introduced to you. In addition to that, you will live a life that is free as a result.
I am not sure we fully understand the freedom we could possess, the freedom that is a byproduct of staying in the Word. You can live free from anxiety, worry and free. That freedom is given to you more and more as you embrace and live by the Word of God. You can live free from offense and bitterness. That freedom comes to you as you understand who you are in Christ and as you put the opinion of others in its rightful place in your life. Supernatural transformation comes to the person who will stay Word-centered. Those rough edges on your personality will smooth out. You’ll gain freedom to become who God says you can become in Christ. Your mind will be set on things higher than the noise and nonsense and nuisances in the world. That is freedom to achieve, to soar, and to succeed.
The Word of God will wash you. It will cleanse you from the filth that is pervasive in the world. It will help you stay connected to the voice of the Holy Spirit. You need the Word of God to keep your heart and mind pure so that you can hear what God has to say to you every day. Staying in the Word will lead you to a fruitful prayer life. Your prayers will be answered! Jesus said so in John 15:7. “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
Pastor David has introduced us to a phrase that I have loved. It is this: Stay bowed down. What this phrase means to me is that we must choose to “walk humbly with our God,” Micah 6:8. It involves laying down our agendas, setting aside our personal preferences, and acknowledging that His ways are higher than our ways. No matter what is ahead for this congregation, what ministries are birthed, what changes are introduced, what new people God sends, what the personality and leadership style is of your incoming Interim Pastor or the permanent replacement, no matter how long it takes for this transition to take, just stay bowed down. Seek God’s way above your own. Trust that God is executing His will and plans and believe that they are good and are for your good and the good of this community.
Change is an opportunity for spiritual growth. God wants to do a new thing in your life and in the life of Teays Valley Church of God. Let Him do it! Refuse to lean on your own understanding. Keep acknowledging God in all of your ways. He is going to direct your path. He is going to direct the leadership of this church. He is going to direct the pulpit committee. Stay bowed down. And as you wait for the revelation of God’s will, stay bowed down in worship and in prayer.
Stay and do the work. Stay and pray. Stay in the Word. Stay bowed down to God’s will and plans. Fifth, Stay on mission. Teays Valley Church of God’s witness in this region must remain and must remain strong. Take personal responsibility for the Great Commission to go to the world, to preach the Gospel, to baptize people and to teach the ways of God by what you do and say. Make disciples in your home. Talk to your extended family about Jesus. Your home is your first mission field. Use your social media to tell people what Jesus has done for you and to invite them to Church. Take an interest in your co-workers and neighbors.
You are responsible to carry the Good News of the Gospel. You are responsible for connecting your community to Christ. Don’t put it off because time is of the essence. Don’t pawn it off on the staff or other leaders. Own what God has placed in your hands. Influence those you see on a regular basis by being a light for Jesus. As of today, we have had 36 people give their hearts to Jesus in 2025. In January of 2024, we set a goal for a minimum of 50 each year. Who are you working to bring in? There are at least 14 to go in the next four months! Surely with well over 500 people here today, you could work together to see 14 more people brought to Christ in the next four months!
Finally, Stay together. This isn’t the time to drift apart or to disconnect. The culture of this Church is intact. The worship life of this Church is intact. The discipleship and fellowship experiences are in place. Yes, some things will change. Some things might feel different, but who you are as a people is well established. You are family. Families are meant to stay connected, to see each other, to check on each other, to care for each other, to pray for and to protect each other. God brought you here. You stay here, and let Him have His way in this Body.
To say, in a biblical sense, literally means to stand. It’s used in Ephesians 6:13: “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”
Stand firm and do the work. Stand firm and pray without ceasing. Stand firm on the Word of God. Stand firm for the will of God and the mission of God. Stand together.
Don’t miss what is yet to take place in the life of this God-blessed congregation. May God give you standing power, staying power, and may He expand the Kingdom of God in this region beyond anything we have asked or imagined!
