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Have you ever faced a challenge and felt COMPLETELY inadequate and unprepared?
I have felt this way for the past eleven months (and still do). I have the honor and privilege of pastoring The Rescue Church in Garretson, SD. I remember having many conversations with my wife leading up to launch, explaining how I thought I was the wrong guy for the job. I’m not the best leader. I’m not the best counselor. I’m not the best speaker. And I’m definitely not the best pastor.
Why the heck would God choose ME to help lead His Church?
When I got to Garretson this morning, I sat in the sanctuary and looked out over all the chairs and equipment. Eleven months ago, I thought all of it was impossible. I never would have said that out loud, but in the quiet times the enemy whispered lies into my ear.
If you have ever felt this way, I want to encourage you with a Scripture that has spoken deeply into my heart and situation. The Apostle Paul writes this to a young church in Corinth –
“Brothers, consider your calling: Not many are wise from a human perspective, not many powerful, not many of noble birth. Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world – what is viewed as nothing – to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, so that no one can boast in his presence.” 1 Cor. 1:26-29
If you feel foolish, weak, insignificant, and despised you are in the BEST position to be used powerfully by the Living God.
Be of good courage today if you are overwhelmed by what God has called you to do. He has purposely chosen YOU for His purposes so that HE receives all the credit. I discovered that God chose me to plant His Church in Garretson precisely because there is no possible way I could do it in my own power.
God chooses people who seem to have nothing to offer SO THAT when God paints a beautiful picture with that person’s life, HE receives the credit and glory – not the brush.
What about you? Leave a comment about a time when you felt inadequate yet God STILL showed up in a powerful way THROUGH your weaknesses.
Tyler Ramsbey 
Good point!
Jacque Kennedy, CPA
Business Manager
Pipestone Area Schools
http://www.pas.k12.mn.us
Thank you!
Tyler, you are doing a fantastic job w/ Garretson! So upbeat and positive! Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the encouragement, Diane! Thankfully, we have a great team of people in Garretson!
Our downtown church was losing membership as people moved to the suburbs and we became an “inner city” church, providing bathrooms, some small aid and referrals to people on the street. One broken man (he called himself after devastating blows) came and started a Sunday morning early breakfast for street people, with first 20 people, then more and more, until now it’s 200-300 every Sunday morning, with church members and outsiders providing the food, the serving, and the clean-up, some of them the homeless themselves. We have a HeadsUp (501.c.3) group that writes grants and solicits funds from outside the church too. It provides arts classes and services and referrals–and compassion as well. People with more faith than I have saw we could do this and the church is growing. We have homeless people who come to the worship service (many leave after the breakfast) as well as blacks, Liberians and other Africans, many foreigners, Hispanics, people who are disaffected Roman Catholics, all added to what was in the beginning a mostly professional, middle class, white congregation, some of whom remain. Isn’t it amazing? Theil Ramsbey
That is AWESOME! Thank you for sharing, that is really encouraging! Many churches would have just given up; it is great to see the church adapting successfully to a new environment and making an impact in the lives of people!