My Childhood Pastor

Romans 4:12 “Live following and walking in the same steps of faith as our father Abraham.” (NCV)

Notice the words: Steps of Faith. Live following. Walk in.

Right now, I’m on the stage. But if I wanted to sit in the front row, it would require me to take a series of steps.

   •   I’d need to navigate the stairs.

   •   Adjust to different elevations.

   •   At times, it might even look like I was walking in the opposite direction of where I wanted to go.

To some, it could appear like I was losing ground or making wrong decisions. But that’s the very reason they’re called steps of faith.

Faith is often misunderstood in the moment. The path doesn’t always look like progress. Steps of faith rarely move in a straight, predictable line.

This truth reminds me of my childhood pastor, Cam Iverson.

When I was very young, he suffered a serious heart attack so severe that he nearly lost his life. His recovery was long and slow.

I still remember Sundays when he would be preaching and suddenly stop mid-sentence. He would grip the podium with both hands, staring straight ahead. The congregation would fall silent. Sitting with my parents, I could hear them begin praying softly.

Pastor Iverson would reach into his pocket, take out a nitroglycerin pill, and place it under his tongue. We all waited for it to dissolve. Slowly, he would take deep breaths, relief would come across his face, and then he would continue preaching.

One day, I asked my father:

“Why does he keep preaching when he could collapse or even die? He’s not completely healed.”

My father answered: “That’s called the walk of faith. He’s walking out his miracle. By faith, he is walking out of sickness and back into health.”

And he did. Pastor Iverson grew stronger, regained his health, and continued pastoring for many more years.

I’ll always be grateful for him. He had the courage not only to take private steps of faith but to take public steps of faith. His willingness to walk out his miracle in front of us left a lasting mark on a young boy named Eddie Windsor.

Luke 5:17-21 tells another unforgettable story.

Jesus was teaching in a house so crowded that no one else could get in. A paralyzed man needed healing, but there was no way through the door.

So four friends did the unthinkable. They climbed the roof, tore off the tiles, and lowered their friend right at Jesus’ feet.

That’s bold. That’s public. That’s desperate faith.

Question: When was the last time you were so committed to getting someone to Jesus that you were willing to tear the roof off?

But notice something shocking. The Pharisees were there too. They saw the paralyzed man lowered. They witnessed the miracle. They heard Jesus forgive sins.

And yet rather than moving in faith, they fell into reasoning.

The Bible says: “The power of the Lord was present to heal them” (Luke 5:17).

But not everyone was healed. Why? Because some chose to reason instead of believe.

Even today, it’s easy to slip into that same trap:

   •   The drums are too loud.

   •   The pastor isn’t wearing a tie.

   •   I don’t like the way things are done.

Those distractions keep us from pressing through the crowd, tearing off the roof, and receiving from God by faith.

Why We Must Embrace God’s Word by Faith

              1.         God’s Word equips us for life’s challenges.

It gives us strength for the hardest questions and moments.

              2.         God’s Word equips us to face fear.

Fear comes but by faith, we overcome.

              3.         God’s Word gives us vision.

Faith births hope and direction for our future.

              4.         God’s Word empowers obedience.

Even when we don’t feel like it, faith helps us do what’s right.

The Apostle Paul lived this out. Shipwrecked, beaten, imprisoned, falsely accused and yet he declared: “The Lord delivered me from them all!”

Paul endured constant attacks from Satan, but he was unmoved. Why?

Because he chose not to focus on what the enemy was doing, but on what Christ was doing within him.

   •   “When I am weak, then I am strong.”

   •   “His grace is sufficient.”

Paul walked in power because he knew: Whatever comes, we overcome.

Three Lessons From the Four Friends

              1.         They were desperate.

Willing to do whatever it took to get their friend to Jesus.

Who are you desperate to carry to His feet?

              2.         They worked as a team.

One person alone couldn’t do it but four together could.

The miracle came because of their faith, not just the man’s. (Luke 5:20)

Teamwork multiplies faith and results.

              3.         They had one focus.

Not four men with four different agendas but one unified goal: Get him to Jesus.

That’s what made the miracle possible.

Walking by faith isn’t always glamorous. It’s not always easy. Sometimes it means shaky steps when you’d rather sit. Sometimes it means tearing roofs off when doors are blocked.

But the Bible promises: “Though the righteous fall seven times, the Lord will lift them up.”

Faith doesn’t mean you never stumble. Faith means you keep stepping.