I was saved at 35 years old and in 2013 at 45 years old, the Lord called me to go to Master’s Baptist College from South Florida. I graduated on Mother’s Day of 2017 with a bachelor’s degree, Pastoral Major, a few months shy of my 50th birthday. I’m in my 29th year of marriage to my wife Christine and we have 4 children and 3 grandchildren.
On New Year’s Eve, the Lord called me to Pastor a church in Northern Colorado, and that’s where we’ve been since May of this year.
Let me take a step back and just plainly say; Trust in the Lord. Proverbs 3:5 says – Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
I did not know Brother Singleton when I took his class, but I knew of him and I probably stuck out in class because of my handsome salt and pepper beard, but I digress.
I had some experience with financial terms and products because of the fact I had worked on Wall St. for 14 ½ years. My first job out of high school was a foot messenger for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 105th floor of Tower One of the World Trade Center.
I got hit by a cab in my 9th month and because I leaned on a stranger’s body so he could help me make my delivery, I was promoted to be a computer operator.
From there I went onto being a back office clerk and eventually a trader, trading 15 to 35 billion in government securities every day. In 1998 we moved to Florida and was a financial advisor for Ameriprise Financial from 2000 to 2013, when I got to tell 133 clients that I was moving to Fargo, ND because of Jesus Christ. That was the greatest testimony I had up until that point.
Fast forward to Fargo. Even though I had all this experience, I always respected all my teachers and paid close attention to these men of God.
I did not want to seem like a mister know-it-all, so I participated without stealing all the answers from the rest of the class participation and just humbled out, and when Brother Singleton looked my way for some real life experience, I then provided it.
I’d like to give you a few tips of encouragement if I may, and let be preface it by saying that all of this you are hearing, is only a tiny, tiny bit, of how the Lord has been working in my life.
First of all, don’t rush things. Please pray fervently over your lives, your future family, and you classes. Don’t jump ahead of God. His plan is perfect.
Psalms 46:10 says – Be still, and know that I am God:
Even though I had all this experience in life and in finances, just like with God’s Word, you can never stop learning. You’ll probably figure out later on yourselves that even when you are teaching others, as the Bible instructs in 2nd Timothy 2:2, you are learning as well. Sometimes more than the students themselves.
The Lord has worked through Dave’s life in such a way, that it would be considered nothing less than one of His mighty miracles.
Well, over a year later, I got word that Dave was hiring to clean apartments an hour away at an acceptable wage. I gave it to the Lord and knew he would provide.
One person in the church had audited a college class. She had missed a class and asked me for my notes. She told Dave that she had seen my note taking and that I would be better off working on the inside.
Dave started a Property Management Company and put me in charge of Fargo, and then, once fulfilling occupation goals, he created the position of Regional Property Manager which included a company car and management of 352 units in three cities.
Dave is willing to invest in others and has done so many times in his past, even when people took it for granted and treated him terribly.
He still took the high road and knew that the Lord has a plan in everything that he does.
He has helped so many single mothers, people hooked on drugs, homeless people, and residents late with rent.
Many times, Dave has gotten the short end of the stick, but still, never gives up on all of us sinners.
God has a plan in all of this.
Because of the depth of the knowledge that God has given to Dave with regards to building a company, he has been able to help hundreds of people in so many ways.
He has hired hundreds of people in the church for many different positions in his company such as apartment cleaners, maintenance, construction, management, and the list goes on and on and on.
My family has truly been blessed by Dave and his family and their dedication and investment to our lives and the lives of others.
There have been folks on many occasions where Dave provided a home for the homeless and offered them a job in his company, and drove them hundreds of miles to come to Reformers Unanimous here in Fargo.
When church members had to be put out of their home, Dave was able to lend them his family’s motor home for months at a time.
All the money that Dave is able to tithe to the cause of Christ because of the Lord’s provisions and blessing upon his life, but not only that; All the tithing that helped build the church and the kingdom of God by all the money that church members got to earn by working for Dave.
Whenever my parents or in-laws came to town, he would treat them to Pizza Ranch. I couldn’t do that for him, but he did that for us.
This is now sermon length so I must cut it short but just know this; I know that Dave and his family have sacrificed much more than I ever could on a daily basis to help others that are in need. I don’t have what it takes to take on the stress of running such a business and all the headaches, and probably worse health issues as well. But that is his calling and I have my calling.
Many times these blessings upon others may be thankless, but we don’t do them to be seen in the eyes of men. These are the good works the Bible speaks of once we are saved. We ought to take care of, strengthen and exhort the brethren, using your gifts and what the Lord provides for you; and I urge you to do the same.
I’m probably leaving so much out but I have to write a sermon for tomorrow morning.
I’ve always been grateful to start on the ground floor and leave the rest up to God.
Trust in the Lord and wait upon the Lord.