703. Lead To Serve Podcast, Season 7, Episode 3
Episode 3 of the Lead to Serve Podcast ended up going in a different direction than we expected. Pastor Bob and I sat down to discuss ministry and leadership, but the conversation shifted toward something else. We began discussing fruitfulness in later years of life. Bob, who’s about to turn 74, shared a word the Lord gave him many years ago. He had been reading about Caleb in the book of Joshua, the man who said at 85, “Give me this mountain.” That passage stirred something in him. He began praying that his latter years would be more fruitful than his former ones. It wasn’t just a passing thought. It became a way of life.
Bob never expected what would come next. He pastored a church in Phoenix for many years, then later one in Exeter, England. After stepping away from leading a single congregation, his ministry expanded. He and his wife began traveling, serving, and helping churches worldwide. That kind of fruit didn’t come all at once. It came through years of obedience, one step at a time. As he said in this episode, fruitfulness begins with planting. That means staying faithful, even when things are uncertain.
We talked about the moment when you realize more years are behind you than ahead of you. That can be a turning point. For me, it came after a season of profound loss. For others, it might come through a health scare or a quiet shift in life. Either way, it’s a sobering moment. But it’s not the end. Bob reminded us that God doesn’t retire His people. He still calls. He still sends. Psalm 92 says that those who are planted in the house of the Lord will bear fruit in old age. That promise still stands. The world may suggest otherwise, but God’s purposes don’t expire.
One thing Bob said that stood out was how the Lord reminded him not to make age the issue. The number isn’t what matters. Faithfulness does. That’s something we need to hear. The church needs older voices. We also need younger ones. Ministry is not limited by age. It’s shaped by calling and character. If you’re older, this is a time to invest in others. If you’re younger, this is a time to receive and grow. We’re not meant to work in separate lanes. We’re meant to walk together.
We touched on how easily personal preferences can harden over time. Music changes. Culture shifts. The church looks different from what it was thirty years ago. That doesn’t mean it’s off track. It just means it’s growing. The Spirit of God is still moving in new songs, in new seasons, and in new people. If we’re not careful, we start to elevate our own taste above the leading of the Spirit. That never helps. It only divides. God is still using people, even if they don’t sound or look like we expected.
At the end of the episode, we came back to the same truth. You’re not too old. If you’re young, you’re not too inexperienced. Every season matters. There’s still fruit ahead. Don’t write yourself off. God hasn’t. Stay faithful. Stay present. Keep planting. He will bring the fruit in His time.
