David McLarry

I remember in 1976 getting a call from a college friend who said I just had to come with him that Sunday night to hear this evangelist named Ron Dunn. I remember riding to some Baptist Church in North Houston with my friend and several of his fellow FBC Houston church members. We were all playing hookie from our own services that Sunday night. I remember thinking this guy better be good. Having been a Baptist all my life, I had listened to every variety of Baptist preacher there was, including the kind that preached on sawdust for hours at a time. My friends from First Baptist Houston had my expectation level extremely high by the time we strolled into that sanctuary that evening. While Brother Ron began preaching, I remember thinking this is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Brother Ron’s message seemed so fresh and relevant, I wanted more! In the car we talked the entire way back to the FBC parking lot about how the message ministered to each of us.

Approximately two years later, Brother Ron did a revival service at our church, West Memorial Baptist, in West Houston. As I look back over 30 years of my Christian experience, if there can be one ‘watershed’ week, it was certainly that week as Brother Ron preached. He preached five of the most liberating sermons I have ever heard. I have listened to these five ‘treasures’ countless times over the last 20 plus years and have shared them with others, including pastors who have been equally blessed by them.

I recall Ron saying in one of those sermons that the coming Thanksgiving would be the anniversary of the death of his son. I’ve often contemplated that, especially after hearing Ron later talk about the depths of emotion he plunged to as a result of that event. With all my heart I believe God used that experience in Ron’s life to unlock deep scriptural truths for those of us fortunate enough to sit under his teaching. In a later sermon Ron himself said that he believed that the tears we shed in sorrow in this life one day we would find out were used to water the flowers in someone else’s garden. I know this to be true from my own experience and, after reading fourteen pages of entries in this guest book, there are many other gardens God used Ron to make beautiful!

Borrowed from Legacy.com