We all should have spiritual mentors and heroes of faith in our Christian lives. One of mine is a Scottish preacher from Bo'ness.Podcast version here
I have a few minister heroes that have been very influential in my life. One of the dearest to me is the Rev. Albert Bogle, who has been the minister at St. Andrew’s Church in Bo’ness, Scotland for his entire ministry. He is dearly loved by his people and deeply respected by a lot of ministers in Scotland. He is a great preacher, a wonderful musician, and one of the best holy teachers that I have ever come across.
I met Albert when I went to Glasgow University. His wife Martha taught in the same elementary school as my wife Evelyn. The two of them had a great friendship and because their husbands were studying to be in the same profession, we all met socially on a regular basis.
Albert’s enthusiasm for the Lord is deeply contagious. Whenever we came into his company, we always left feeling lifted up. His understanding of the scriptures is remarkable and the way in which he expresses his faith is highly attractive. Sometimes, I go to his church’s website just for a dose of enthusiasm to recharge my soul. Albert’s a great innovator who uses audio and video techniques in his worship services to make everyone feel that their faith is vibrant, relevant, and strong.
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.
Years ago, when I was being ordained in Maybole, Albert wrote a special song for me called “Preacher John.” He wisely used today’s verse from 2 Timothy 4:2 in order to remind me that preaching is the one of the most important vehicles for encouraging faith and challenging people. It’s something that I have aspired to do over the last 22 years. Albert has been a great encourager to me, and so I want to pass on that enthusiasm for Christ to other people.
Albert’s church’s website can be found at http://www.standonline.org.uk/ If you click on the audio/video section at the top, you can watch one of his wonderful services.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You for the heroes of faith in our own lives. They may be preachers or Sunday School teachers. They may be members of our family or friends at church. Whoever they are, we pray that You will continue to bless them for their wonderful faith. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John Stuart is the pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.
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