Tom, you were a pastor before you were Tom on mornings with Tom and Tybee. That's true. Sometimes it's good to talk to pastors and people in ministry. If you're somebody who is wanting to go into ministry, or if you just want to be able to pray better for them and learn from them, I think it's really important to just hear their stories.

Tom, you were a pastor before you were Tom on mornings with Tom and Tybee. That's true. Sometimes it's good to talk to pastors and people in ministry. If you're somebody who is wanting to go into ministry, or if you just want to be able to pray better for them and learn from them, I think it's really important to just hear their stories.

Absolutely. And sometimes you just meet a pastor and you think, well, they've always been a pastor. They've been a pastor since they were in sixth grade or something like that. There's always a back story, but if you're interested in going into the ministry, it's really good to speak with somebody that's in it and understands what it is all about, because it's not necessarily the romanticized version that you think it is. There's a lot of work to it. Randy, as we're talking about this, tell us a little bit about your experience. First of all, were you always a pastor? Were you always a believer? Tell us about that.

Absolutely. And sometimes you just meet a pastor and you think, well, they've always been a pastor. They've been a pastor since they were in sixth grade or something like that. There's always a back story, but if you're interested in going into the ministry, it's really good to speak with somebody that's in it and understands what it is all about, because it's not necessarily the romanticized version that you think it is. There's a lot of work to it. Randy, as we're talking about this, tell us a little bit about your experience. First of all, were you always a pastor? Were you always a believer? Tell us about that.

Always in the womb.

Always in the womb.

Right?

Right?

Yeah, that's what we've heard about you.

Yeah, that's what we've heard about you.

And just wanted to Substantiate.

And just wanted to Substantiate.

The.

The.

Rumors.

Rumors.

Here. Randy has always been a pastor since the womb. Truly, what was that like? What was that journey like for your birth certificate?

Here. Randy has always been a pastor since the womb. Truly, what was that like? What was that journey like for your birth certificate?

Reverend Randy. Right, right. In the very beginning. First of all, good morning.

Reverend Randy. Right, right. In the very beginning. First of all, good morning.

Good morning, good.

Good morning, good.

Morning, and merry Christmas to you and everybody who's listening. And, yes, uh, in God's mercy, the Lord called me to be a pastor. And I was blessed in the sense that I had a great mentor in my life, my pastor, I grew up, I was born in Memphis, but I grew up in Newark, new Jersey. And I come, you know, from a broken home. My father abandoned my family and my mom. We were on welfare. We were living in the housing projects of Newark, which was one time called the worst city in America. And but a pastor and his family who were committed to the inner city, they really reached out to us and blessed us. And when we got saved, when our family came to Christ, he really discipled me and lived a life that showed me kind of what a passion. He wasn't perfect by any means, but, uh, he taught me a just a tremendous amount and challenged me when I was 15. You know, you want to pray as to whether or not God has called you. And so, um, in God's mercy, he did. And it turned out he, the Lord, had given me a gift to preach. And people confirmed that and encouraged me. And so in the Lord's providence, I was able to go to college and wound up graduating from Covenant College here on Lookout Mountain.

Morning, and merry Christmas to you and everybody who's listening. And, yes, uh, in God's mercy, the Lord called me to be a pastor. And I was blessed in the sense that I had a great mentor in my life, my pastor, I grew up, I was born in Memphis, but I grew up in Newark, new Jersey. And I come, you know, from a broken home. My father abandoned my family and my mom. We were on welfare. We were living in the housing projects of Newark, which was one time called the worst city in America. And but a pastor and his family who were committed to the inner city, they really reached out to us and blessed us. And when we got saved, when our family came to Christ, he really discipled me and lived a life that showed me kind of what a passion. He wasn't perfect by any means, but, uh, he taught me a just a tremendous amount and challenged me when I was 15. You know, you want to pray as to whether or not God has called you. And so, um, in God's mercy, he did. And it turned out he, the Lord, had given me a gift to preach. And people confirmed that and encouraged me. And so in the Lord's providence, I was able to go to college and wound up graduating from Covenant College here on Lookout Mountain.

All right. And if you're just joining us, you're hearing the voice of Randy Nabors, who's pastor for missions at First Pres Downtown. He's a former founding pastor of New City Fellowship Church, missionary to Kenya and retired Army chaplain. He's also an author, and he's done lots of other things. But that's a that's a quick view. And I've known him my entire life.

All right. And if you're just joining us, you're hearing the voice of Randy Nabors, who's pastor for missions at First Pres Downtown. He's a former founding pastor of New City Fellowship Church, missionary to Kenya and retired Army chaplain. He's also an author, and he's done lots of other things. But that's a that's a quick view. And I've known him my entire life.

Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.

Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.

Great friend of our family.

Great friend of our family.

I resent you because you grew up to be taller than me.

I resent you because you grew up to be taller than me.

Don't resent me.

Don't resent me.

I resent her for other reasons. But if you need a reason, might as well just pick one.

I resent her for other reasons. But if you need a reason, might as well just pick one.

Pastor Randy neighbors. He is the missions pastor at First Presbyterian and the former founding pastor, former and founding pastor of New City Fellowship Church, and the man who stood up in front of everybody and told my momma he didn't like her kids.

Pastor Randy neighbors. He is the missions pastor at First Presbyterian and the former founding pastor, former and founding pastor of New City Fellowship Church, and the man who stood up in front of everybody and told my momma he didn't like her kids.

You remember that? Yes.

You remember that? Yes.

And there was good reason.

And there was good reason.

And talked about.

And talked about.

How bad we were as.

How bad we were as.

Children. Okay. So it wasn't all the.

Children. Okay. So it wasn't all the.

Kids or were there?

Kids or were there?

Was there one.

Was there one.

In particular that stuck out? She brought him over.

In particular that stuck out? She brought him over.

To our house.

To our house.

And we.

And we.

Were in the living room and just enjoying deep fellowship. And go in the kitchen, and every single pot and pan we had was just strewn throughout the kitchen. And we were.

Were in the living room and just enjoying deep fellowship. And go in the kitchen, and every single pot and pan we had was just strewn throughout the kitchen. And we were.

Creative.

Creative.

Yeah, they were great. They were.

Yeah, they were great. They were.

Great.

Great.

Yeah, but long history. And you've had a long history in ministry doing so many amazing things. And we want to know kind of where, where you are now and then kind of go back through memory lane a little bit as well. What's what's on your on tap for now.

Yeah, but long history. And you've had a long history in ministry doing so many amazing things. And we want to know kind of where, where you are now and then kind of go back through memory lane a little bit as well. What's what's on your on tap for now.

Well, I'm kind.

Well, I'm kind.

Of amazed at, you know, just at God's mercy, you know, just to still be standing, as it were.

Of amazed at, you know, just at God's mercy, you know, just to still be standing, as it were.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Um, I'll be coming up on my 74th birthday next month and, uh, married, be married 54 years to a wonderful woman named Joan. Um, but now, as pastor of missions at First Press, I get to travel around the world to visit our missionaries and encourage them and to hopefully get behind new missionaries, and just came back from a month in Europe. But I'm also involved in a doctoral program at Covenant Theological Seminary in Saint Louis on cross-cultural leadership. And I'm finally reading and learning stuff I should have known years ago. And so I my concern is, you know, we still need to present the gospel to the lost and that that is not a mission that has gone away. In fact, it's in growing, it's increasing. But we've got to get smarter about how to do it. And so one of the things I'm learning is just what, you know, what are we up against in that regard? And I bought a book with me. This is by Moon and Simon. It's called Effective Intercultural Evangelism. And they talk about four different, um, uh, worldviews. So when you, you know, when you come to witness to somebody, they're not in a vacuum. They have a way of thinking. Culture has affected them. And so not everybody is the same. And they say there are four and they there used to be just three, but now they've added one that I think is really important for us to understand. One is the guilt Justice worldview. And and that is what Americans have been used to. Some of that is because of the history of Christianity in Europe. It's affected us. People are aware. Yeah, I could be guilty. Yeah. Justice demands a payment. It's easier to present the gospel to somebody who has that framework. But there are a lot of people who come from a shame, honor culture. And so their issue isn't personal guilt, but it is community shame. And so once that's once their honor has been taken away, they're really kind of devastated. Then there's a fear and power, which is often what people deal with with witchcraft and that kind of thing. And they want to see miracles. But the secular West now has a worldview, and they call that indifference and a need to belong with purpose. And they say that is what we have to look especially, you know, coming back from Europe, a lot of missionaries will tell you, you know, it's not. The people here are atheistic. They just say they never think about God. It's not on their agenda. It's not something they care about. And so they're right on the money with that concept of indifference. But those same people still long for community, even in their loneliness.

Um, I'll be coming up on my 74th birthday next month and, uh, married, be married 54 years to a wonderful woman named Joan. Um, but now, as pastor of missions at First Press, I get to travel around the world to visit our missionaries and encourage them and to hopefully get behind new missionaries, and just came back from a month in Europe. But I'm also involved in a doctoral program at Covenant Theological Seminary in Saint Louis on cross-cultural leadership. And I'm finally reading and learning stuff I should have known years ago. And so I my concern is, you know, we still need to present the gospel to the lost and that that is not a mission that has gone away. In fact, it's in growing, it's increasing. But we've got to get smarter about how to do it. And so one of the things I'm learning is just what, you know, what are we up against in that regard? And I bought a book with me. This is by Moon and Simon. It's called Effective Intercultural Evangelism. And they talk about four different, um, uh, worldviews. So when you, you know, when you come to witness to somebody, they're not in a vacuum. They have a way of thinking. Culture has affected them. And so not everybody is the same. And they say there are four and they there used to be just three, but now they've added one that I think is really important for us to understand. One is the guilt Justice worldview. And and that is what Americans have been used to. Some of that is because of the history of Christianity in Europe. It's affected us. People are aware. Yeah, I could be guilty. Yeah. Justice demands a payment. It's easier to present the gospel to somebody who has that framework. But there are a lot of people who come from a shame, honor culture. And so their issue isn't personal guilt, but it is community shame. And so once that's once their honor has been taken away, they're really kind of devastated. Then there's a fear and power, which is often what people deal with with witchcraft and that kind of thing. And they want to see miracles. But the secular West now has a worldview, and they call that indifference and a need to belong with purpose. And they say that is what we have to look especially, you know, coming back from Europe, a lot of missionaries will tell you, you know, it's not. The people here are atheistic. They just say they never think about God. It's not on their agenda. It's not something they care about. And so they're right on the money with that concept of indifference. But those same people still long for community, even in their loneliness.

Randy, thank you so much for just bringing that up, because, um, many believers are tearing their hair out trying to figure out how in the world do we reach today's culture, the millennials, the Gen Z's, you know, what's going on in their life. And we hear about their desire to have purpose, but this overall indifferent spirit towards things. How do you break through that?

Randy, thank you so much for just bringing that up, because, um, many believers are tearing their hair out trying to figure out how in the world do we reach today's culture, the millennials, the Gen Z's, you know, what's going on in their life. And we hear about their desire to have purpose, but this overall indifferent spirit towards things. How do you break through that?

Yeah. You know, when I, uh, Joan and I spent five months in England in 2022, and we realized there were a lot of British people, they love to volunteer. They're involved in nonprofits, but they don't know Christ. So they they yearn to have meaning in their life because otherwise it's just trying to make a living, making money, you know, or trying to find somebody to love you. But a lot of loneliness and that, you know, Jesus not only satisfies the deepest longing of a human heart, but he also brings us into the body of Christ. And and that's what the church ought to be. You know, sometimes a lot of people have been hurt by bad churches, bad pastors, we admit that. But Jesus has never hurt anybody, you know, and he's able to heal so many deep wounds.

Yeah. You know, when I, uh, Joan and I spent five months in England in 2022, and we realized there were a lot of British people, they love to volunteer. They're involved in nonprofits, but they don't know Christ. So they they yearn to have meaning in their life because otherwise it's just trying to make a living, making money, you know, or trying to find somebody to love you. But a lot of loneliness and that, you know, Jesus not only satisfies the deepest longing of a human heart, but he also brings us into the body of Christ. And and that's what the church ought to be. You know, sometimes a lot of people have been hurt by bad churches, bad pastors, we admit that. But Jesus has never hurt anybody, you know, and he's able to heal so many deep wounds.

Mm. Thank you so much for that perspective and for bringing us back to the heart of the matter, which is that we have to win the loss for Christ. And we're we're still reticent as a as a group, I think, of believers in the West to share our faith, and we don't feel confident in it. But even just knowing that worldview and coming at people with about purpose and that God has a purpose for their lives and and that they can have deep meaning will be so helpful. Well, we got to keep talking to you, right? We can't just let you go. One more question.

Mm. Thank you so much for that perspective and for bringing us back to the heart of the matter, which is that we have to win the loss for Christ. And we're we're still reticent as a as a group, I think, of believers in the West to share our faith, and we don't feel confident in it. But even just knowing that worldview and coming at people with about purpose and that God has a purpose for their lives and and that they can have deep meaning will be so helpful. Well, we got to keep talking to you, right? We can't just let you go. One more question.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And this question is, um, how do we actually apply this in our lives as people that are in the church? It's part of your passion. And as pastors and with a pastoral heart, um, we hear this message as people that are sitting in the pews. But how do we do this? What is one thing that somebody can implement in their life today that might help them really reach out to somebody that's in that kind of a mindset today?

And this question is, um, how do we actually apply this in our lives as people that are in the church? It's part of your passion. And as pastors and with a pastoral heart, um, we hear this message as people that are sitting in the pews. But how do we do this? What is one thing that somebody can implement in their life today that might help them really reach out to somebody that's in that kind of a mindset today?

Well, I'll give you a couple of specifics. One, take out a little piece of paper and write down the names of three people that you know do not know Jesus, and start praying for those people every day. And then determine, ask the Lord to help you, uh, to become friends, to people, uh, to not just be a salesman with a sales pitch of of the basics of the gospel, but to really become involved in people's lives and start that relationship. Ask them questions about their life and about what is important to them. And in that relationship, begin to share your own testimony and begin to share the great teachings of the gospel that God loves us, sent his own son to die for us, that he rose again, and thus proved that his sacrifice was acceptable to God, and that he can forgive you of your sins. But but I guess what I'm trying to say is pursue relationships. And honestly.

Well, I'll give you a couple of specifics. One, take out a little piece of paper and write down the names of three people that you know do not know Jesus, and start praying for those people every day. And then determine, ask the Lord to help you, uh, to become friends, to people, uh, to not just be a salesman with a sales pitch of of the basics of the gospel, but to really become involved in people's lives and start that relationship. Ask them questions about their life and about what is important to them. And in that relationship, begin to share your own testimony and begin to share the great teachings of the gospel that God loves us, sent his own son to die for us, that he rose again, and thus proved that his sacrifice was acceptable to God, and that he can forgive you of your sins. But but I guess what I'm trying to say is pursue relationships. And honestly.

That's beautiful. Sometimes we have a way of overcomplicating what needs to happen, and I love that you encouraged us to pray with that foundation and then seek to build relationships moving forward.

That's beautiful. Sometimes we have a way of overcomplicating what needs to happen, and I love that you encouraged us to pray with that foundation and then seek to build relationships moving forward.

And you've been hearing from pastor Randy Nabors, he's written the book Merciful The Opportunity and Challenge of Discipling the Poor out of poverty and also insufficient pursuing grace based pastoral competence. Thanks for being with us today.

And you've been hearing from pastor Randy Nabors, he's written the book Merciful The Opportunity and Challenge of Discipling the Poor out of poverty and also insufficient pursuing grace based pastoral competence. Thanks for being with us today.