Last week was the Annual National Pastor’s & Workers Conference, held at North Valley Baptist Church, in Santa Clara, CA. I had the opportunity to go with my family, a couple of preachers, great members from our church, and friends. To some of those with us, it was a first time for them. They loved it! There was great preaching, music, and fellowship for all who attended.

So, why do I go to these types of meetings?

Well it can be broken into three main reasons why:

• Encouragement – I heard many sermons preached, as well as lessons taught. Through it all, I find that when I go to conferences, I get encouraged. The year is coming to an end, we’ve had battles in the ministry, and I feel worn out! Then comes a meeting with preaching and God stirs my heart with the preaching of His Holy Word. I leave feeling like I was just recharged and ready to take on one more year. Hearing testimonies and sermons does something for me that helps in ways that only God works…by the “foolishness of preaching“!
• Fellowship – It is great to go to meeting like this because I am able to fellowship with preachers of like doctrine. I don’t need to worry about fellowshipping with people that believe contrary to the Bible. I am able to see friends from Bible college and meet their children. It’s a great time. I can see friends that are still serving Jesus. It is great to see old friends that are fighting the “good fight of the faith“, but I love meeting new people. Every time I go to a meeting like this, I meet new people which means I make new friends.
• Learning – At these conferences, one can attend sessions that are catered toward specific areas of ministry. For instance, I attended a Pastor’s Session, where Pastor Trieber taught practical lessons from 30+ years of ministry experience. They had sessions for pastors, youth, media, women, and other areas. Every time I go to this conference, I always come back to MVBC with something to help our ministry.

While those are the reasons why I go to meeting like this, I want to share a few thoughts about what I learned at the conference.

People Can Encourage You

We were tired when we first arrived. Why? Because were on the road for 20 hours! Upon arrival, I got ready in 15 minutes, just to get to a special meeting with Pastor Trieber. This meeting consisted of some staff members from NVBC, and fellow pastors that are graduates of Golden State Baptist College. They had great food and fellowship, but the best was yet to come. Several families from the church wanted to encourage pastors from GSBC, so they gave to this special meeting. To make it short, I walked out with new ties, books, cds, and a “Bookstore In A Box”.

Though the food, fellowship, and gifts were great, I find that I was most encouraged with the kins words and time with Pastor Trieber, the NVBC staff, and fellow Pastors. They let us know that they loved us, prayed for us, and were there for us. I came into the meeting feeling low, and this 1st event helped me to realize that I am not alone in the ministry.

Don’t Bury Your Commitments

On Tuesday morning, we heard a sermon from Brother Raymond Hancock. He is an older gentleman that pastored for a long time, and is now preaching around in churches. His testimony is amazing! He nearly died in an airplane crash. But God spared his life. He should have lost his voice in the accident, but God has allowed him to keep on preaching!

During his sermon and testimony, Dr. Hancock kept making the statement “Don’t bury your commitment to God!” He gave examples of people in the Bible that faced hard times, but they didn’t quit. He gave testimonies of people that faced impossible situations, but didn’t quit.

Though I wasn’t thinking about quitting, I have had times when I wanted to go to a ministry that was “easier”. You know, take a church that was established or something like that. But the sermon convicted me. God spoke to my heart. I decided that staying faithful is worth the challenge and I committed to keep on serving Jesus in Taos, NM at MVBC.

God Must Take You Low So He Can Exalt You

This thought has been real to me in times past. I find I face it every time God is getting ready to work in my life, family, or church. Though I have seen God “lower” me in the past, I was reminded again. This thought came from Pastor Doug Fisher, Pastor of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Lemongrove, CA.

Pastor Fisher had some difficult times in the past, and seems to have a special voice when speaking on the subject of humility. He has faced bouts with heavy depression. Though he has been through it, God brought him out. In the sermon, he used the verses:

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
~ 1 Peter 5:5-6

After thoroughly explaining the verses, he then began to illustrate with his own personal experiences from the military. We just sat in awe of the Power of God! It was a helpful reminder of How God can use a person greatly. We “simply” need to let God take control of our life, even if it means that He needs to take us to the depths of darkness. Even when it feels like things are out of control. Even when we can’t tell which direction we are headed.

Overall, I really needed to be encouraged. This meeting HELPED me personally. I find that I am constantly giving myself to others in preaching, yet, I needed to hear preaching myself. Thank you Pastor Trieber, North Valley Baptist Church, and those who helped make this conference possible!

I encourage all to listen this these sermons, and the rest of the preaching, which can be found here:

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What Do I Do When God Has Given Me A Calling?Pastors That Helped Influence Me As A Preacher21 Day Challenge To A Closer Walk With God - Day 3 Prayers Being Answered21 Day Challenge To A Closer Walk With God - God's WorkingIs God Trying To Tell Us Something?What Has Done With A Week Of A Daniel Fast?