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Up or down?

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This weekend, The B99 and I are helping out at a church planters assessment. Basically, we sit with other veteran church planters and listen to people who are considering becoming church planters to help them determine next steps in the process.

As you can imagine, it’s a nerve-racking and anxiety-inducing weekend for the potential planters.

But that’s when Proverbs 12:25 starts to play out…

Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. (Proverbs‬ ‭12:25‬ ‭NLT)

Pastors who have been down the road start sharing encouraging words with pastors at the beginning of the road, and the faces begin to change. The anxiety begins to replaced with possibility. Nerves give way to breath, and what seemed intimidating becomes validating.

Friends, we don’t have to be at an official conference to do this. We all have the opportunity multiple times a day to determine which way the elevator goes in the lives of people we encounter. Use your words to push the up button and watch the faces lift around you. Be an encourager. Put helium back in their dreams and watch them fly.

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July 17, 2021by Paul Jenkins
Written by Paul Jenkins
Paul Jenkins is lead pastor of The Gathering, a community church located in beautiful downtown Albemarle, North Carolina. He's the author of God is My Air Traffic Controller and My Name's Not Lou. Paul is passionate about his wife, his 3 children, running, reading, coaching, leading people who are following Jesus, Swedish Fish and the Carolina Panthers.