Wow! We had a really good first day of special meetings with Evangelist J. Mark Kittrell. It was good to see Mark and Tammisue Kittrell again after a number of years. It was also good to meet their three boys, Kaleb, Zachary, and Micah.
On Sunday morning, Evangelist Kittrell preached a very good message on Ephesians 2:1-10 on The Walk of the Past vs. The Walk of the Future and What Makes the Difference. He very clearly laid out the difference between the life without Christ and the life in Christ.
On Sunday evening, he preached one of the best messages I have heard in a very long time. (Granted, as one who usually hears himself preach three times a week, that may not be saying much, but since I have had opportunities to hear some other very good messages at places like the ACCC Convention, etc., I will keep my comment as originally made.) He preached from Hosea 14 and he dealt with the concept of "Returning to the Lord." I was greatly blessed and challenged by this message and I plan on listening to it again on tape.
I greatly appreciate a number of things regarding Mark Kittrell's ministry. One of those things is that when he preaches, he does not fall into the trap of some evangelists of simply telling a lot of stories around a Biblical truth, but rather he takes the time to develop and explain THE SCRIPTURE PASSAGE. To me, that is one of the keys to proper preaching and I greatly appreciate this aspect of his ministry. A second thing that I particularly appreciate is his way of dealing with invitations. Mark makes it a point to give an opportunity for people to respond, but he does not do any type of high-pressure tactics or drag out the invitation.
On a side note (if anyone is still reading), I plan on keeping the posts these next few days focused on the special meetings and things of that nature. I do have a few broader posts in the Save as Draft mode that I will put up after the meetings are over, but I wanted to keep the thoughts focused on the meetings and the messages these next few days.
(Note the posts about the Special Meetings are being cross-posted on The Pastor's Pen this week as well.)
Just my thoughts,
Frank
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4 years ago
5 comments:
These meetings that you are writting about bring back fond memories for both Daphne and me. Mark Kittrell lead two Minutemen teams to Daphne's church in PA. Daphne also knew Tammisue from her college days at BJ. One of those years, as you know, your team came to my church as well. You and the other guy (whose name I forget) stayed at my apartment. I can't believe it's been nearly 15 years ago, now. Daphne and I didn't know each other at the time, but having the same Minutemen team at our respective churches was a neat shared experience that helped us form a bond together.
I remember looking at the material that you guys had for fulfilling your Summer preacher boy's requirements. One of the things that your papers said was that sermons should derive their authority from the Scriptures. Real basic, I know, but it really stuck with me. You just never know what will make an impact on someone but that did. It helped set a direction and philosophy that has served me well to this day.
I don't know if they would remember us, but tell the Kittrells "Hi" for us, if you get a chance.
Andy,
I will definitely let them know tonight that y'all said "Hi." I am sure they will remember you both.
It has been neat to get "re-acquainted" with them. Other than having the three boys and a little sprinkle of gray in Mark's hair, they have not changed.
Andy & Daphne,
They both said to say "Hi." They were encouraged to hear that you guys were together and that you were serving in Andrew Henderson's church. (Pastor Henderson had also been one of the Minutemen Captains who had traveled with Mr. & Mrs. Kittrell).
I knew Pastor Henderson traveled with the Minutemen but I thought it was with Jim VanGeldren, for some reason.
Sounds like you guys had some great meetings.
Andy,
We did have some great meetings. I am glad that it worked out to have Mr. Kittrell come for my first time ever hosting special meetings.
Regarding your Pastor. Yes, Pastor Henderson did travel with the Kittrells. You can find out a little bit more about your beloved Pastor and his experience with the Minutemen Team by visiting another one of my pages, www.minutemenveterans.comM which contains my "Unofficial" Minutemen Webpages - including the Captains Pages which are a kind of "Where are they now?" section regarding former MET Team Captains (including your Pastor). I am updating these slowly as I get the information from the men who traveled.
Frank
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