In this sermon Mr. Smith begins by asking are the signs you hear about in Pentecostal churches the true signs of God's spirit? Passages such as Mark 16:17 and Acts 2 show that tongues were a sign in the early church. But the miracle was that they spoke languages not known to them, but known to the hearers. In I Cor. 12:29-30 Paul says he wishes everyone had this ability, but the context shows that they did not, so it could not be a required sign of conversion. Speaking in tongues was given as a gift to some to spread the gospel to the Gentiles.

Gary Smith

United Church of God Pastor

Gary Smith was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, but spent most of his youth in the Pasadena, California area. He graduated from Ambassador College in 1976 and he and his wife, Liz, moved to Peoria, Illinois. For the next six years he worked as a nursing home administrator in Illinois, Ohio, and Texas.
In 1982, he and Liz began to serve in the full-time ministry. Since that time, they have served in a number of congregations in the Midwest.
Gary and Liz now pastor in Houston, Texas near their two children and grandson.