A church in Atlanta was honoring one of its senior pastors who had been retired many years. He was 92 at that time and I wondered why the church even bothered to ask the old gentleman to preach at that age.

After a warm welcome, introduction of this speaker, and as the applause quieted down, he rose from his high back chair and walked slowly, with great effort and a sliding gait to the podium.

Without a note or written paper of any kind he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he began to speak....

"When I was asked to come here today and talk to you, your pastor asked me to tell you the greatest lesson ever learned in my multiple years of preaching. I thought about it for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the most difference in my life and sustained me through the years. The one thing that I could always rely on when tears and heartbreak and pain and fear and sorrow paralyzed me was this verse....

"Jesus loves me this I know.

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong,

We are weak but He is strong.....”

The old pastor stated, "I always noticed that it was the adults who chose the children's hymn 'Jesus Loves Me' during a hymn sing fest. It was the adults who sang the loudest because they knew it the best."

"Here for you now is a Senior version of Jesus Loves Me":

Jesus loves me, this I know, Though my hair is white as snow

Though my sight is growing dim, Still He bids me trust in Him.

Though my steps are oh, so slow, With my hand in His I'll go

On through life, let come what may, He is there to lead the way.

When my work on earth is done, And life's victories have been won.

He will take me home above, Then I'll understand His love.

www.firstagcc.org

Write the Pastor at Pastor Bill@firstagcc.org