Making the Links with Wally Armstrong

Episode 40 of the Church Hurts And podcast, hosted by Dr. John Bash, titled "Making the Links with Wally Armstrong" was published on January 19, 2021 and runs 31 minutes.

January 19, 2021 ·31m · Church Hurts And

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Summary

If you don’t like golf, don’t hang up. I understand. And if you don’t like golf, and you find yourself continuing to find a way to get to the golf course, really don’t hang up! Today we will be talking about golf, but we are going to make links to real-life, which could be soul-changing for you. For 25 years of my life, I was a pastor and preacher. I built churches, preached every Sunday, met with hurting people, and tried to be the real McCoy in contrast to the charlatans who seems to get news headlines I never coveted. Sometimes I would get the recordings of my sermons and listen to them. It was a horrifying experience. I could never say what I wanted to say in as clear, precise, and compelling way as I desired. In contrast, I would listen to great contemporary preachers who communicated the very things I was trying to convey. Why did they seem to be able to preach so much better than me? Was I mistaken in my sense of call to the ministry? While my churches tended to grow in numbers, spirit, and vitality, shouldn’t they be growing faster? Perhaps if I was more gifted, more holy, harder working, and wisely strategic, I would see more fruit from my labor. You know exactly what I am talking about. Maybe you weren’t a preacher or a public figure submitting to the never-ending commentary of critics around. Still, you have had the voices in your head telling you, you aren’t good enough, smart enough, talented enough, or charming enough to make the grade. Do you let it beat you down? Today we get to learn from a man who has lived much of his life in the rarified air of golf’s elites. He’s played in all four majors, even setting a course record at the Master’s for a first-time participant in 1978 when he came in 5th. This man is a “pro” in many ways, an author, dedicated family man, and has much more than a casual relationship with Jesus Christ. Welcome, Wally Armstrong, to Church Hurts And.

Episode Description

For 25 years of my life, I was a pastor and preacher. I built churches, preached every Sunday, met with hurting people, and tried to be the real McCoy in contrast to the charlatans who seems to get news headlines I never coveted. Sometimes I would get the recordings of my sermons and listen to them. It was a horrifying experience. I could never say what I wanted to say in as clear, precise, and compelling way as I desired.

In contrast, I would listen to great contemporary preachers who communicated the very things I was trying to convey. Why did they seem to be able to preach so much better than me? Was I mistaken in my sense of call to the ministry? While my churches tended to grow in numbers, spirit, and vitality, shouldn’t they be growing faster? Perhaps if I was more gifted, more holy, harder working, and wisely strategic, I would see more fruit from my labor.

You know exactly what I am talking about. Maybe you weren’t a preacher or a public figure submitting to the never-ending commentary of critics around. Still, you have had the voices in your head telling you, you aren’t good enough, smart enough, talented enough, or charming enough to make the grade. Do you let it beat you down?

Today we get to learn from a man who has lived much of his life in the rarified air of golf’s elites. He’s played in all four majors, even setting a course record at the Master’s for a first-time participant in 1978 when he came in 5th. This man is a “pro” in many ways, an author, dedicated family man, and has much more than a casual relationship with Jesus Christ.

Welcome, Wally Armstrong, to Church Hurts And.