Philosophy of Ministry

After over 30 years of studying the Scriptures, I have come to see three major areas of ministry that Jesus focused on.

1) Speaking the truth of God in love

2) Showing mercy to those in need

3) Exposing the hypocrisy of the false religious leaders

It is my desire to follow the pattern of Jesus in ministry. Just as it was in the days of the Old Testament prophets and the days of Jesus in the New Testament, so it is today. There are many who profess to speak for God, but far too few who actually speak the truth in love or show mercy to those in need.

In Matthew 22:16, the Pharisees and Herodians sought to trap Jesus with his words. The interesting point about their conversation is that they spoke the absolute truth about who Jesus was. This is their testimony when they came to him.  “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances."

Sadly, many pastors are greatly concerned about the opinions and appearances of others. We need men today who will follow in Jesus' steps. Rather than preaching a message to please their followers, we need men who will stand for the truth of God's Word, show mercy to those in need, and stand against the religious leaders of our day who are more concerned about building their kingdom, rather than Christ's.

Personal Testimony

I was raised Roman Catholic, became a Baptist, earned a B.A. in Bible, began pastoring a church, and, by God's grace, I then became a Christian! The grace of God is truly amazing. After 13 years of thinking I was a Christian, I was finally born again by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

I was taught "easy-believism" for years. While attending an independent, fundamental Baptist church in 1979, I "walked down the aisle" and professed faith in Christ. Sadly, the true message of the Gospel and the cost of following Christ were never explained. I continued for 13 years, convinced I was a Christian.

In December 1992, while pastoring a church and preparing a sermon, I read Jesus' words in John 8:32: "...and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." I realized at that moment that I was not free from the power of sin in my life. I had never repented.

Since that night, God has been working in my life to conform me to the image of Jesus Christ. I have a long way to go, but I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. I found out very quickly that the words of Jesus were true: "If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20). Despite the opposition that comes from men, I can relate to the words of the songwriter, "Foes may hate and friends disown me, Show thy face and all is bright." There is no greater joy than to suffer for the name of Christ.

Philippians 1:29 - For it has been granted (gifted) to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake...

Foundational Belief

The Bible is the Word of God. This is the basis for all that is true. Jesus made this plain in John 17:17, "...your word is truth." Sadly, every ministry claims to teach the Word of God truthfully, while most do not.

At Searching for Truth, we encourage everyone who listens to our teaching to personally examine the Scriptures and only believe those teachings that line up with the Word of God. If you are a Christian, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, willing to know and follow the truth, the Lord will guide you into the truth.

Don't believe anything we teach on this website unless you have personally studied the matter for yourself and see it to be true from God's Word. This is rarely encouraged by most church pastors. How often do those who hear the message on Sunday morning have the opportunity to sit down and talk openly with their pastor about the truth?

Most people do not feel qualified to question what they hear because they are not encouraged to dig into God's Word for themselves, and most do not. Rather, many people take what they are taught and follow it, convinced that they are believing the truth.

Often, the greatest times of growth come when our beliefs are challenged, and we are forced to turn to God's Word for answers. This is why most who call themselves Christians do not talk much about God's Word. They do not feel comfortable standing firmly for the things they claim to believe.