Wedding service

[Hans Deventer]

Tomorrow, the 31st of July, I'll be leading a wedding service for a couple that (obviously, according to Dutch law) married a little earlier that day at the city hall.
I'd want to request prayer for this, because

1. I've never done this before. I think I've preached some 150 sermons in these 20+ years, but this is a first. Please pray that I don't mess up.

2. The bridegroom agreed to the service, but is not a clear believer. The bride is. Anyway, this means I'll expect quite a few people who might look anything from curious to sceptical towards this service. Please pray that the gospel may be properly presented.

The service is at 2:30 pm Central European Time.

[Hans Deventer]

Dear friends, thank you so much for your prayers! I've heard positive reactions from both believers and non-believers, so it seems I've not been standing in the way of Jesus too much. Glory to Him!

[Hans Deventer]

Well, next Saturday will be my second wedding service. Since our new pastor will officially start the day after, I presume it will be the last for the foreseeable future.

Interestingly, there was another first today. After the service (in which I didn't preach but played the bass guitar) a lady came up to me asking me to join her right away to visit her father who was in the hospital after a surgery, and was facing kind of a faith crisis. So I brought home my bass and went. Having been introduced by his daughter as "the pastor", I listened how he shared a lot of his life's story (it's shocking what some people have had to go through in life) and we talked and prayed.

It's been a strange year so far. For 20+ years, I've been a lay minister and all I did was preach and lead Bible studies. But in recent years it seems the area of ministry is expanding and I'm starting to feel more like a lay minister than a lay preacher, as I used to.

Don't know where the road will take me and how the Lord wants to use me. I do know that you can never say, at whatever age, that God can't open new doors anymore.

[Hans Deventer]

For those who want to know, my text was:

Ephesians 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

[Cynthia Prentice]

For those who want to know, my text was:

Ephesians 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Hans...the text you chose really spoke to my heart this morning. It has been a challenging year with Paul's brain illness and in the last few days I have been weary...and a little overly focused on the "sacrifice" aspect of love. This morning the text has encouraged me to live a life of love and to also give myself up as a "fragrant offering." Thanks for your post.

[Hans Deventer]

Thanks for your post.

You're very welcome! I explained we actually can only do it if we understand that we are indeed God's "dearly loved children". And that's what you are too! May He bless you.

[Cynthia Prentice]

You're very welcome! I explained we actually can only do it if we understand that we are indeed God's "dearly loved children". And that's what you are too! May He bless you.

Thank you so much Hans. I have created a new desktop background with the scripture in the center. I bless God that he gave you what I needed to hear today.