Watch this servant of God fulfill 55 years of ministry. The preacher in the video is Earl “Buddy” Duggins, former pastor of Forest Home Baptist Church in Kilgore, TX. He is preaching on Easter morning, 2020, and two months earlier, he had lost his wife. What do you do when your rib is gone? You lean more firmly upon your Staff.
What you are about to watch is Pastor Duggins’ final few minutes of his last sermon. He would die unexpectedly within the next couple hours. What you are witnessing is a faithful pastor going the distance amidst grief.
In 2 Timothy 4:5, Paul uses some of his final words to address Archippus with this warning/encouragement, “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” In the video, you saw every aspect of that verse on display.
First, pastor Duggins had been watchful. He knew his enemy was prowling around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. His enemy was not only trying get him to give up, but his flock also. There is only one message that can overcome those dangers, and that is Gospel. It is easy to wander off into all kinds of topics that tickle the ear, and entertainment is what many people desire to hear, but Pastor Duggins preached the word.
He was also sober-minded. He did not let the condition of his broken heart pull him away from his calling. To answer his pain, he did not resort to worldly stimulants; he went to his Savior, who fortified him with the strength he needed.
He endured the suffering. Even amid grief, he did not lose faith in his Heavenly Father, and he did the work of an Evangelist. Through constant and faithful teaching, He pointed them to Jesus Christ, the resurrection and the life.
In all of that, he fulfilled his ministry. The idea of the word “fulfill” carries with it two thoughts. The first and most common is never to give up; preach the scriptures until the day you die, and this is what Pastor Duggins has done. However, there is a second idea in the word as well, and that is the idea of proving. It is only by patiently enduring afflictions, continually preaching the word, and never drifting away that a ministry is validated. All these characteristics show pastor Duggins to be a good and faithful minister in Christ.
There is now no question about his faithfulness. He has run his course; he has finished the race. Shortly after he preached these words, he kneeled before Jesus, who said, “Well done good and faithful servant, enter into joy today.”
What about us? We never know when a gospel presentation will be our last. There is so much in this world working to pull us away, and, internally, we are prone to wander. Whatever your profession, our Lord has called all believers to be fishers of men. Be watchful of your enemy, be sober and diligent, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry. The only way this will happen is by staying close to our Savior. Jesus, keep us near the cross.
Pastor Duggins, who was kept by the power of God through faith, has now entered that great cloud of witnesses. Since they surround us, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.
Well done Pastor Duggins. Your ministry continues to bear fruit even while you are present with the Lord. We cannot wait to join you and your beautiful wife and praise Jesus who accomplished it all, but for now, your example of faithfulness will encourage us all to stay the course and finish the race.
Well done good and faithful servant.
-D Eaton.
The Fight of Faith 
Touching. What a beautiful way to go home. we will see him over there.
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Very encouraging the Lord has helped us on our grief journey after losing our youngest son age 34 5 years ago.God is faithful praise the Lord
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Thank God for the blessed hope we have in our Savior Jesus Christ.!! By faith in the Gospel message of His Cross and His own Blood that He was willing to give for our redemption and His death and burial and resurrection from the dead, Victorious over death, Hell and the grave.!! Amen
What a great testimony of his love for his wife and his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.!! Declaring the Gospel message up until his last few hours on this earth and in a flash I believe that his escorting Angel’s took him home to be with the Lord and all those who have gone on before him.!! Amen
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Amen. Amen. Amen. And Amen. THAT is a martyr. Great loss and pain, yet turns in faith to STAND and say, “Worthy is the Lamb.”
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Wow!!!
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Whooooh! Jesus is beautiful, precious, loving of His saints. This is soooo sweet!
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God is SO good to His children. Bless His Holy Name. Thank You Jesus for dying for our sins. This pastor is a wonderful example of God’s goodness to us. I’m so happy for his promotion to be with the Lord and his wife.
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The measurement of faith provided to all is a blessing. May the Lord continue to work in your lives.
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This last sermon and first to hear this particular man. Our soul returns to the Father that created us. Very touching when you have been with several at the time of their leaving the flesh body we are loaned for a few years here on Earth and me in Kentucky,USA.
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Thank You Jesus for calling Your servant home to glory. It’s a privilege to be called by You, LORD. We all one day reign with Christ here on earth, once the judgment is complete. May the name of the LORD be praised both now and forevermore. Amen.
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Wish i had known him. I am Married and been there 50 years
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This popped up in my Youtube feed. Wow, just wow.
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My husband of 40 yrs passed away 4 months ago. I feel this man’s pain. I loved and adored my sweet man. God was faithful to His word that me and my household would be saved. My sweet man confessed and held on to Jesus while they murdered him in the hospital with their evil protocols. They took his earthly life way to soon but they could not rob him of his heavenly home. He is with the Lord that prepared him a place in heaven – the true reality. Praise be to God!
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So sorry for your loss, but thanking God you will see him again some day.
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This just blesses my heart….I too, want to be faithful until the end.
Thank you for sharing this video
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This was my Pastor!! Brother Buddy was an amazing man! It touches my heart to see that his message is making an impact even after his passing! He would be so happy! ❤️
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What a humble minister and truly blessed my heart ! It brought tears in my eyes and I do want to be more faithful to God more ! Thank you for sharing this video !
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WOW! PRAISE OUR DIVINE CREATOR. WE NEED TO HEAR THIS IN TIMES OF THE STRAYING AWAY! THANK YOU HOLY SPIRIT FOR ALLOWING ME AND OTHERS THAT ARE CALLED AND CHOSEN TO HAVE THE GLORY HELP US TO STAY STRONG FOR THE KINDOM!
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I was worth the listening too. it was some thing I needed to hear.
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I had the honor of meeting Buddy in March of 2019. We hit it off; he loved W.A. Criswell and I grew up at FBC Dallas. Had always intended to return and visit. Reading this knocked the breath out of me, yet it also reminded me of just how great and loving our Lord is to us. Now Buddy and WA are together, just two country preacher boys, praising the God they served faithfully for all eternity. Amen.
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With tears in my eyes, “Thank You!” for sharing this short yet power-full message. I’d seen the YouTube thumbnail, but never watched it…until today. It has uplifted and encouraged me at one of the darkest moments in my life, the passing of my oldest sister who was like my mom, after my mom passed away while I was taking her to a dialysis session. God is SO good and SO worthy of ALL praise, blessing, glory, honor, majesty and thanksgiving. My mom pointed all six of us to the Lord Jesus Christ and we all know, we’ll meet with here again in the presence of our Glorious Savior! Mom, our oldest brother who passed in 2019, and our dad who passed when we were all children (I, the youngest of the six was 14mo old). I’m so grateful to this pastor and look forward to thanking him for such a legacy of strength, faith, trust in adversity, and peace! Shalom!
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Incredible. 2 years later and God’s power is working. Amazing to think that he was gone just 2 hours after.
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Amen, great preaching you just have to be ready at all times, you never know your final breath!
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This man was a dichotomy, I mean this in a good way, as he was very humble, yet also, simultaneously powerful. This country of ours is full of weak men who call themselves preachers of the word, but do not preach the word, and are more interested in worldly, pleasure and other worldly pursuits that are not biblically sound in the least. This true man of God is now with his savior Jesus Christ. I originally thought that I stumbled upon this youtube by accident, but no – I truly believe that our Heavenly Father intended that I see this marvelous video about a true saint. Bless the name of our God, and Praise Him in His Holiness. AMEN.
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This sermon touched my soul. Moreover, God gave the pastor the desires of his ❤️ heart. Although he did not want to live in the physical; he recognized his assignment in the spirit and made a public declaration to do the will of the Lord. Therefore, our God, in his most compassionate way gave him the desires of his heart. Who wouldn’t serve a God whose compassion does not fail his people. Even in our darkest hour he is still God and worthy to be praised!!
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I saw this video by accident and was deeply moved. I am Roman Catholic, but I would like to state that, beyond our theological differences, this marvelous Protestant pastor was indeed a man of God and that I have the greatest possible admiration for him. Dear Pastor Duggins, pray for all of us.
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I just saw this beautiful message by a blessed man of our God. It brought tears of JOY to me. God is REAL. May you Rest in Joyous Peace, AMEN.
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This showed up on my YouTube feed this morning and touched me to the core! It is TRULY the heart of a man of God and a man who IS STILL in love with his wife, the one the Lord gave him.
It especially touched me because I have been fighting cancer since January 2021. In fact, this morning, I had to schedule my Sunday message via the internet because of the side effects of ten doses of chemo and five radiation treatments this week. Sometimes it isn’t easy to keep preaching the gospel, yet the Calling and the Spirit of the Lord keeps you moving forward in spite of the battles we may face in the physical.
Truly, this man of God “finished his course” by refusing to allow the greatest loss of his life to stop him from following the calling on his life. THIS is the kind of preachers I have always loved associating with and having as friends because they are mentors of the faith, not hirelings!!!
By media, his ministry continues and death did not silence him. May his media ministry continue to reach souls until Jesus comes!!
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What a blessing to hear this! There are a lot of things I have done in my life that I can look back and wish that I had NOT done, but becoming a Christian is not one of them! Got saved on March 12, 1970 at the First Baptist Church of Dell City Oklahoma when I was stationed at Tinker AFB.
Jimmy Draper was the pastor then.
No regrets about becoming a Christian!
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