sundays

Sundays: The Farmhouse
There was a preacher who saved up enough money to
buy a few inexpensive acres. A run down farmhouse
sat on the property. The land was overrun with old tree
stumps, rusted pieces of machinery, and a fence in disrepair.
The whole scene was a mess. During his spare time the
preacher rolled up his sleeves and went to work. He hauled
off the junk, repaired the fence, pulled away the stumps, and
replanted new trees.
Then he refurbished the old house into a quaint cottage.
It took years to finish, but was certainly worth the effort. One
day, when he was trimming the hedges, a neighbor walked
over and said, “Well, preacher, I have to hand it to you. It looks
like you and the Lord have done a pretty good job with this
place.” The preacher wiped the sweat from his brow and said,
“Yeah, I suppose we have. But you should have seen it when
the Lord had it all to himself.”
John Wesley said, “Pray as though it all depends on God,
then work as though it all depends on you.” The Apostle Paul
was a church planter and missionary. But he was also a tent
maker. He understood work. He said, “We are God’s fellow
workers” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Whatever your work, make God
your partner. You will be amazed at all you can do . . . together.
Dr. Mark Denison
First Baptist Church of Conroe
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Denison serves as pastor of First Baptist Conroe.
He also serves as a chaplain for the Houston Rockets
and as Chair of the Board of Trustees at Houston
Baptist University. He writes a daily newspaper
column, online devotional, and records a daily radio
devotion. His new book, “The Daily Walk,” has just
been released. Mark and his wife Beth have one
son, David. You may contact him by email:
Mark@fbcconroe.org
Be seen. Be heard.
onthetown 39
OTT Texas JanFeb Issue.indd 39
1/28/2014 1:24:55 PM