The talk I am posting today I gave on Sunday at The Gathering Nashville. It’s part of a series entitled, “When You’re Going Through Hell, Don’t Stop.” The idea of the series is this. Everyone goes through the fire, adversity, tragic times, problems, reverses: whatever you want to call it. But not everyone is destroyed by them. Not everyone gets burned.
One of the greatest fears that the modern American has is the fear of losing their job. And just beyond that is the fear of being fired, because it’s a public humiliation.
Could it be that millions of people tuned into “Celebrity Apprentice” just to hear Donald Trump say, “You’re fired”?
Getting fired is something anyone wants to avoid. Going to work and hearing someone say, “Your services are no longer required” is not a good thing. I remember vividly the day I read it on the official document handed to me by someone I thought was a friend. It was the unthinkable. Getting fired, as a pastor; how humiliating. What would people think? I didn’t ask what people would say. I already knew that.
It’s been almost five years and I have to say that looking back, by the grace of God and the good love of a lot of friends, I was able to turn getting fired into getting fired-up. So that’s the inspiration behind this talk. I hope you listen and will benefit from the hard lesson I’ve learned.
Pastor. Author . Speaker. The man behind the vision has proven in the process to be as multi-faceted and culturally timely as the churches he’s founded. 
Dr. Foster, you were so right on with the Five Fears of Being Fired, I still feel all of them after being eliminated from my postion of 15 1/2 years, 3 years ago. I’m still struggling to find employment and I want to get to get up and go to work every day.
I believe that sometimes you get stuck in your own way of thinking and God has to get your attention. Doors close, and yes, it feels horrible, but looking back on all those times, I am so much better off for each of them and I would not have made most of the decisions to progress on my own. I am blessed always, whether I can see it in the moment or in reflection.