Preaching grace from the family pulpit.
Grace, gratitude, and the beauty of pastoral ministry.
I am always fascinated by the reactions I get when I inform folks that I am not only a second-generation but also a third-generation preacher. With my dad and his dad before him, the Gray family has a rich pastoral heritage that I have come to cherish. After all, I am well aware of the stigma that is often associated with “pastor’s kids.” Their proximity to the ministry that happens “behind the scenes,” so to speak, can quickly lead to frustration and disillusionment with the life of faith and this whole thing called “the church.” The old adage, “You don’t want to know how the sausage is made,” works well within the context of local church ministry.
Despite being privy to the complicated and messy side of pastoral ministry — both second and firsthand — I remain convinced of its beauty and necessity, primarily because I am persuaded of the beauty and necessity of God’s grace, which abides undaunted and unbesmirched amid all the muck of human opinion and interpretation. To echo Paul’s words to the Colossians, “For this, I toil,” knowing that it is “he [who] powerfully works within me” (Col. 1:29). I have happily engaged in the labors of pastoral ministry and remain so because the only sentiment that can make sense of it all is that which is essential to the Christian gospel — namely, that “from [Jesus’s] fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16).
Before I bury the lede any further, though, I am pleased to report that I will be preaching at the church where my dad pastors, Colonial Hills Baptist Church, in Taylors, South Carolina, this coming Sunday, February 23. It is always a privilege to open God’s Word for the purpose of declaring its truth, and that honor is made even more distinct when I get to do so at the church where I grew up. That distinction is amplified this weekend since it is my dad’s 60th birthday, with more than half of those years being expended for the sake of the church. I can’t think of a better way to honor this milestone than bringing the Word of God to the people whom my dad has served for nearly three decades.
As I prepare to preach this Sunday, I’m filled with gratitude for the privilege of ministry, even with its kaleidoscope of joys and challenges. After all, despite how messy and unglamorous it (sometimes) is, that’s precisely where grace shines brightest. Preaching the same Word my father has faithfully shared for decades reminds me that ministry isn’t about our perfection or performance but about the unchanging faithfulness of God, who works through us, despite us, to build his church. I invite you to join us this Sunday, not just to hear a sermon but to be reminded of just how powerful that news is and the profundity of his grace for us.
Worship service details.
📍 Colonial Hills Baptist Church
📅 Sunday, February 23
🕙 Worship Service, 10:30 a.m.
Lord willing, I’ll see some of you there. Grace and peace.
Know a good church near Moncks Corner?