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The Five-Fold Podcast
Five-Fold ministry for today. In this podcast we will attempt to determine biblical timelines as they correlate with current events. We will examine the offices of the Five-Fold ministry and gain biblical direction for the world today.
The Five-Fold Podcast
Unwavering Faith and Kindness: The Legacy of Jim Hollis : Guest Host Brahm French
Have you ever wondered how simple acts of kindness can leave an indelible mark on someone’s life? On this special episode of the Five Fold Podcast, an unexpected guest takes over the studio in Michael Weedman's absence, sharing a heartfelt story that does just that. Tune in to hear about Jim Hollis, a man whose immense physical strength was matched only by his boundless dedication to serving others, even as he faced personal battles and eventually succumbed to COPD. Our guest also humorously compares their looks to Michael’s and acknowledges his impressive new role as a police officer.
In this episode, we reflect on Jim's unwavering commitment to selflessly investing time in people, drawing inspiration from his life to fuel our ministry with enthusiasm and resilience. This discussion serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of the fivefold ministry in today’s church, emphasizing the need to stand strong in the face of challenges with faith in God's continual support. Join us for an engaging and inspiring conversation, and receive a heartfelt blessing as we invite you to be part of our weekly exploration of the fivefold ministry's crucial role in contemporary church life. Don't miss out on this moving tribute and insightful dialogue!
Hey, good evening and welcome to this episode of the Five Fold Podcast. I'm your host, Michael Weidman, and I would like to say thank you for taking the time and joining us tonight on the podcast. The Fivefold Podcast focuses on the fivefold ministry and the importance of that ministry in today's society. We believe that there is still a need for apostles, for prophets, for pastors, for teachers, for evangelists. They haven't ceased. There's still an operation today and necessary for the success of today's church. So join with us as we dive into this episode of the Five Fold Podcast.
Speaker 1:What is up everybody this? Well, this is not Michael Weidman. You might be able to tell by the tenor of my voice, the timbre that is there. If you're watching online. You might be able to tell by my good looks. Be able to tell by my good looks. However, you may be like Isaac and you could be saying you feel like Jacob or, excuse me, you feel like Esau, but your voice sounds like Jacob. You're right, I am not Michael.
Speaker 1:I have snuck in to his studio. At the moment he's out of area. He doesn't know. So keep an eye out. If you see him coming around, please be sure to let me know so that I can ditch out the side door before I get busted. You might not know this. He's just a slight bit bigger than I am Now that he's joined public harassers I'm sorry, police. He's got a little more muscle and a little less fat, but to each his own. If he wants to be less attractive, he's welcome to do that.
Speaker 1:It is great to be with you, to get to be with Michael Weidman's audience. He is a phenomenal guy and it is a privilege to be able to sit in with him. He is a huge part of the network that we started. Matter of fact, he was in the ground level as we got this thing kicked off and we've got some great things coming up in the future. If any of us can actually settle down and pay attention to this, the Of God and Men Network has some really cool things in the making for the future.
Speaker 1:But I didn't come to talk to you about that and I don't have a lot of time to talk because he could be just around the corner. So I better get what I got to say and I better get it out there quick. You know what I'm saying, because I'm going to hit the road and I'm going to have to hit it hard and heavy, pedal to the metal, if you know what I'm talking about. I got to get out of here before he rings my neck and if you've known him, his kids could probably ring my neck as well, and that's not counting the rest of his family. I mean talk about a family of giants, no, so I recognize right this podcast and what a cool idea it was that he would start a podcast and title it the Five-Fold Podcast, talking about the five-fold ministry. What a great idea. And I recognize he has branched out into that was the original content that he covered, but now he's branched out a little bit beyond that, talking about the things that are impacting the church and how the church is impacting the world today Very important topics and I'm thrilled that we've got as a part of the Of God and Men Network and really cool. And talking about that, I was reminded today.
Speaker 1:There was a gentleman long time ago, back before I ever started pastoring to begin with, I used to pastor in Uvalde, texas, for I don't know about three years and then we resigned and I never wanted to preach again. I mean, not only didn't want to pastor, I didn't want to preach again, I wanted nothing to do with ministry. About five years later, the Lord would begin to work on us and about five years later we actually would start another church, which eventually ended up there in here in Sagin, texas. However, before I ever passed her the first time, there was a gentleman my wife, while we were dating, she knew, and he was a big guy. He was probably about the size of Pastor Weidman before he, you know, butchered himself and lost all that weight, and before then he is about that size and he was pretty tall. Matter of fact, this guy, jim Hollis was his name, and Jim Hollis could pick up not kidding, I saw him do it with my own eyes. He could actually pick up a vehicle, saw him pick up the back of a car one time, blew me away. Strong guy, but before he got in church he used to smoke and I think even after he got into church he smoked for a while. It was hard for him to kick it and he developed COPD and that's eventually what would kill him.
Speaker 1:But Jim Hollis was on his deathbed and it had been a while since we had connected. Life just took us different places. He was a truck driver. He's on the road, I think he probably had even moved. And for myself, now I'm pastoring and just involved in a whole bunch of other stuff. However, Jim and I when I was young, about 17 or so we would go to nursing homes together and we would visit the elderly and those that were down. Some of them weren't so old right, but they had physical conditions and families just couldn't take care of them, and so we would go visit these folks.
Speaker 1:Jim Hollis is now on his deathbed. He's got COPD. He doesn't have long to live. We've lost contact. He doesn't have my number. I don't have his number. I can't tell you. The last time we actually connected called the church, or he may have had Shane Chance's number. Shane Chance and I have been friends since he was six and I was seven and we're still close to this day, at least that's what I'll tell you. So he calls Shane and Shane goes up to see him and Shane calls me and says hey, I just got off the phone and I've gone to see Jim Hollis. He's got the COPD, he doesn't have long to live. And he'd asked if I thought you would be able to go see him. Here's his number. And I didn't bother calling. I just got up and went to the hospital and when I got there he was asleep. He never woke up. I stayed there or never woke up while I was there. He was just out and I stayed for quite a while and he had a woman there. They weren't together except just friends and none of his family was there, nobody else, just this one woman. I went over and I sat down and I talked to her and talked a little bit to him and prayed a little bit and then came home. I lived a good while.
Speaker 1:From where the hospital was, I want to say it was probably the next day and I left my number with the woman that was there with Jim and said, hey, uh, you know, if he wakes up, give him my number, have him, give me a call. I would love to talk to him and I went home. I want to say it was probably about the next day. I got a call from Jim and the first thing that Jim is talking about is the nursing home ministry. You remember when we used to go to the nursing home and we would visit the old people? Remember when we would do this and it was all ministry related. As far as I know, jim may not have even been in church for the last little while. It's very possible that he wasn't, but his recollection went back to ministry and some of the last words he would say to me was Brom, don't quit, keep going, keep doing it, keep plugging away, keep doing it. Jim would die later on that day. That would be the last conversation I would ever have with Jim Hollis before he passed.
Speaker 1:The amazing thing is on his deathbed. His thought, first of all, was to reach out to me, who was just a teenager when we did that together, and he was several years older, but his first thought was to reach out and say don't back up, don't let up, continue to reach out, continue to live for God, continue to reach into the world and to share the gospel, share the doctrine, share the word. Jim wasn't perfect. He was far from perfect, but he was right on with that. He didn't know, but at that point in my life I was at a place where the things in the church just weren't going that great Things, were in chaos. This was not long before we would have a church split. This was not long before my life was going to be turned upside down. I wouldn't know if I was coming or going, felt like even my own family turned their backs on me. Difficult time, but God would send a man on his deathbed to tell me don't give up. Don't give up.
Speaker 1:It reminds me of what Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 4, verse number two, when he said preach the word. Be instant in season, out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. Be instant in season and out of season. It's easy to be instant in season, that's easy. It's easy to come out of a camp revival or a camp meeting, tent revival. It's easy to come out of those being all pumped.
Speaker 1:But what do you do when nobody wants to talk to you, when nobody's caring If you're a pastor or a minister, maybe you're an evangelist no church is calling you. You're a pastor and people are promising they're going to show up on Sunday, and they never do. What do you do? At those moments, jim had the right words. He reiterated in his own lingo the same thing that Paul told Timothy Be instant, keep going. What you do for Christ is the only thing that's going to last.
Speaker 1:Jim on his deathbed had most likely only that one woman. Nobody else was around. The crazy thing. You want to know what I remember about Jim. We would go out to eat besides him lifting up a car, but we'd spent a lot of time together. But what spoke the most to me was simply going to visit people. That could never pay him back for his time investing in people.
Speaker 1:The only thing that's going to last is what you do for the Lord, whatever your ministry is, do it with all your gusto, do it with everything you've got and when hell tries to take a shot at you, stand up like a former and probably future president, pump up your fist and say I'm going to fight, fight, fight. It's not over yet. God's not done yet. Difficult times come, but the same God that brought you through the ones in the past will bring you through these ones. Hold your head up, knowing you can rest assured Jesus has your back.
Speaker 1:Well, I thank you for taking the time. I know you thought you were going to get to hear Michael. I understand you were anticipating getting to hear Pastor Weidman and all of his great eloquence. You were probably convinced you'd get to see that what used to be handsome face back when he had those chubby cheeks. Unfortunately, you got me and I don't have the chubby cheeks, but I do have this manly, rugged smile. Lord bless you guys. I hope y'all have a great rest of your day. Thank you, enjoyed what you've heard.
Speaker 2:Join us every week as we release new content concerning the fivefold ministry and their place in today's church. You don't want to miss this, the fivefold podcast. God bless.
