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Editors’ note: 

TGC’s Ordinary Pastors Project seeks to find wisdom and honor in faithfulness, demonstrated in varied contexts. Learn more from the introduction by Matt B. Redmond. If you’d like to honor and encourage the ordinary pastor who shaped you, tell us about him in about 500 words and include a photo, or record a video testimonial of five minutes or less and send the link to [email protected]. This submission comes from Steve Inskeep.

In 2007, my family and I moved from Texas to Northern California in order to attend seminary. Since coming to Christ, I have attended large churches, listened to popular podcasts, and read the bestsellers. In my book, bigger was better. However, since being here in California, my paradigm has changed dramatically.

When I first met Pastor Daniel Fusco, I could clearly see his passion and love for Jesus and the church. With his gifts, I could see him pastoring a megachurch somewhere. Yet here he was in a town just north of San Francisco, pastoring a small church in one of the most expensive, least-reached areas in the country. In February 2008, my family and I began to attend Calvary North Bay.

I wanted to serve in any capacity I could. In sharing prayer requests with the church, he said they were looking for a worship leader. I told him about my limited experience in leading worship but said I was open to it. Soon after, I started to lead. He met with me regularly to pray, share advice, mentor, and give encouragement. Despite struggles with social anxiety and bouts of discouragement, Daniel was there to give support through the trials. His love for people is so evident.

Coming to California after planting a church in New Jersey, he has shown how much he can adapt. With Jersey directness, he has adapted his messages to his California hearers. He still proclaims the truth of the gospel, yet does so in a tone and manner more fit for the area. He works like an ox with the energy of a cheetah. He plays jazz around the Bay Area to be out in the community. He answers emails for prayer requests. He uses social networking as a way to point to Jesus. He wants others to succeed.

Pastor Daniel is a father, husband, pastor, church planter, coach, jazz musician, author, and child of God. He is a friend, and I am glad that this “ordinary” pastor took the time to invest in this “ordinary” worship leader so we can together as a church sing to our extraordinary God. Daniel signs off on his e-mails with “Traveling the path with you.” To me, this perfectly shows his heart as a pastor, and it is a delight to travel the narrow path with him and the rest of Christ’s church.

Is there enough evidence for us to believe the Gospels?

In an age of faith deconstruction and skepticism about the Bible’s authority, it’s common to hear claims that the Gospels are unreliable propaganda. And if the Gospels are shown to be historically unreliable, the whole foundation of Christianity begins to crumble.
But the Gospels are historically reliable. And the evidence for this is vast.
To learn about the evidence for the historical reliability of the four Gospels, click below to access a FREE eBook of Can We Trust the Gospels? written by New Testament scholar Peter J. Williams.

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