For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Holding On Through Transition: Faith, Calling, and Courage in Life’s Uncertain Seasons
About this episode
Evangelist, pastor, and corporate pilot Derek Draughon joins Philip Cameron for a raw, honest conversation about navigating life's most disorienting seasons of transition. Drawing from 2 Kings 2, Derek unpacks the moment Elisha picked up Elijah's fallen cloak — and why that single act of commitment is a picture of every believer who refuses to go back to the plow. "When you slaughter the oxen and burn the plows," Derek says, "then you hang on until God opens the next door." Derek shares openly about his own year-long transition — resigning his pastorate, stepping into evangelism, and pursuing his calling as a corporate pilot — and the spiritual discipline of clinging to the promises of God when the path ahead is invisible. He anchors the conversation in Romans 11:29, reminding viewers that "God's gifts and His calls are irrevocable," and that calling extends far beyond the pulpit to welders, nurses, soldiers, and pilots alike. Two spontaneous hangar-side prayers illustrate the point powerfully. Whether you are between seasons, facing fear, or tempted to return to what is familiar, this episode delivers a timely word: eliminate distractions, run the race marked out for you (Hebrews 12), and trust that God is cheering you on. Learn more about Derek's men's ministry show at FuelCastTV.com.
Part of our Faith collection of conversations.
Quotes worth sharing
“Many people are hit by the mantle. Many people are smitten by the mantle, and they'll pause for a moment. They may even follow for a while, but eventually, they go back to the plow. And the danger point in your life, if you're watching us today and you're in a transition area, the danger point between first base and second base, if the devil can get you out so far, you can't go back, and then you can't go forward. That's the danger point. Because you got to understand this: once you've committed to run, it's time to get into the race and run.”
“The sin isn't in the lying down. The sin is in the staying down. And in your transition season, the Bible said He's changing us. He's transitioning us from glory to glory. I am not what I was a year ago. I'm a better man than I was three weeks ago. Because experience and things you've gone through add to who you are in your life.”
“We don't know what your race is, but if God has marked it out for you, get rid of the hindrances, get your focus. Run it. Don't give up on the callings and the gifts that God's given you, because me and Philip sitting here right today, we're rooting for you to fulfill the call on your life. And so is all of heaven.”
What's Discussed
Evangelist and corporate pilot Derek Draughon delivers a timely message on navigating seasons of transition, anchored in 2 Kings 2 and Romans 11:29. He traces Elisha's refusal to leave Elijah's side, his picking up the fallen mantle, and his striking of the Jordan — arguing that every believer faces a similar moment of irreversible commitment. Derek draws from his own year-long journey out of pastoral ministry into evangelism and aviation, emphasizing that God's gifts and callings are irrevocable and extend to every vocation. Hebrews 12's call to shed hindrances and run with perseverance closes the conversation.
- Derek Draughon Introduced to the Show
- Elijah and Elisha: Seasons of Transition
- Picking Up the Mantle at the Jordan
- Burning the Plows — No Going Back
- Romans 11:29 — Irrevocable Gifts and Callings
- Calling Beyond the Pulpit: Hangars and Hospitals
- Hebrews 12 — Eliminating Distractions to Run Your Race
Scripture in this episode
Episode Transcript
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Intro
Philip:Hey, welcome to Daily Faith. My name is Phil Cameron, and I am delighted to have you with us. My dear friend Derek Gaughan is with me today, and he has a rhema word for you. I believe that you watching this program today is destiny. I am amazed how God can move us into the position where He wants to talk to us. One of my favorite choruses, "He works in ways we cannot see. He will make a way for me." And He is constantly pulling and pushing and teasing and moving things around in our lives to get us where He wants us to be.
Philip:35 years ago, my father had been watching on television these kids in Romania, and he called me. He says, "There are babies dying in Romania." And I said, "Look, why are you telling me? What's the big deal?" And he kept calling me. Every night, he called me. And one night, he says, "Well, if you won't go, I'll go by myself." Now, he had been recovering from cancer surgery, and he said, "If I die on the way, it's your fault." And that's how I got to my destiny. God moves you and works you to where He wants you to be.
Philip:I had no idea when I flew home to Scotland, and our whole town had given hundreds of tons of clothes and food, and I drove in this convoy of trucks to Romania. I had no idea that God was repositioning my whole world. Walked into an orphanage, there was 200 screaming kids, saw a wee boy, and the Lord said, "That's your son," as clearly as I'm talking to you. We were known on television as the Dancing Heart Camerons. We sang, "Oh, the Holy Ghost will set your feet a-dancing." I'd written a book that had sold 300,000 copies on household salvation.
Philip:All of that was training grounds to get me to where I'm at today. And we've got the most amazing work in Romania and Moldova and Ukraine. And we have a couple of kids that we found in the most dire circumstance, and they both are now part of the ministry team of our work in Moldova. And here's Tudor and Ana's story. Watch this.
Two children, a brother and a sister, once walked barefoot through a forgotten village in Moldova. They searched for clothes in garbage and wondered if there would be food tomorrow. Survival was their only plan, until one day, they found hope. At The Orphan's Hands, they found more than help. They found a future. They studied. They grew. They dreamed again. Today, she's a mother building a life filled with love. He is a social worker giving others the care he once needed. And now, they returned, not as victims of poverty, but as carriers of hope. Together with The Orphan's Hands, they brought clothes, shoes, food, and something even greater, dignity, back to the same village where their story once began. Because sometimes, those who were once rescued become the ones who rescue others.
Philip:Two amazing kids. Ana and her husband, Daniel, are now house parents in our village. We've got the most amazing village called Vatra Village. It's a village of six homes right on the edge of the largest lake, the most beautiful lake in all of Moldova. And right in those houses there, Ana and her husband, Daniel, are the house parents, and they are now loving and caring and ministering to young folk like they were when they first came to be with us.
Philip:We are growing every day, and God's been faithful to us beyond our wildest dreams, and we're looking for people that will stand with us and support what we're doing as we enlarge our ministry. Right this minute, we are building two homes for little kids. A terrible thing happened a few months ago. A young girl was brought to us by the mayor of a town, and she came from horrendous circumstances, terrible circumstances. And he brought her and dropped her off. The only problem was we're allowed to take kids that are 16 years and older, and Maria was 14. And we were made by another organization in the government to put her back to the village. In the village, she was gang raped by 10 men and lost her mind. And one of our team leaders, Nadia, drove her back to the village and said, "I'll never, ever do that again."
Philip:And we found a place, the most amazing place with two homes on about 15 acres of land. And we're going to open this place up for young kids between the age of 4 and 16. There's enough space in that area to have a camp, a youth camp. And our plan is to have young folk come from all over Moldova. And this house here is being totally rebuilt. It was made for summer homes, and it needed a whole bunch of work done in it. But we're working on it right this minute, and it'll be open, we're hoping, by the end of this year.
Philip:And we're looking for someone like you that will say, "I'll make a place for these kids." A dollar a day. Everything we do in Moldova is done by someone giving $1 a day. And I'm asking if you'd like to help us be part of that miracle. A dollar a day will not change your world. A dollar a day changed Tudor and Ana's world completely. They came from no hope to he being a social worker that works with us and her being a house parent in one of our homes. Someone like you, a number of years ago, decided to give a dollar a day to make a place for Tudor and Ana, and their whole lives, who they married, their children, everything has been transformed by $1 a day.
Philip:And if you could help us, it would be a great blessing. I mean this sincerely. It's great soil to sow a seed into, and you can get in contact with us real easy. Just get in contact with The Orphan's Hands, P.O. Box 25, Clinton, Tennessee 37716. Or you can also go to dailyfaith.tv. That's our home base, and there's a giving page there. And you can also go to theorphanshands.org, and that is the information place. If you want to watch videos and see all the stuff that's going on, we invite you to go there.
Philip:I believe there are some folk watching, there's a businessman, a businesswoman watching just now, and God has blessed you for this exact reason, to be God's hand extended. The Bible said He's the father of the fatherless. Amazing scripture. He's the father of the fatherless. Can you imagine how you make God's heart feel when you care for the fatherless? We also have an 800 number you can call right now and a real live person will talk to you, 833-DAILYFAITH. 833, and you just dial DAILYFAITH, and you will have someone. And let's do this together in the name of Jesus, because the best days are still to come, and we are moving from glory to glory.
Philip:I am delighted to have Derek Gaughan with me. He has had an amazing ministry career as a pastor. He also is an evangelist currently working just now. He's got a show called "FuelCast." If you love someone, a guy, that you're trying to reach and minister to, you need to tell them about "FuelCast" because this is a show made for guys, and you will be blessed by it. And he also makes me very jealous because he is a corporate pilot, and he is my friend. We're both old-timers. Derek, welcome to "Daily Faith." How are you, my friend?
Derek Gaughan:Oh, man, it's wonderful to be here. Listen, first I want to say happy birthday, and I hope everybody out there is sending you birthday greetings and gifts and donuts. I don't know if you can have donuts after your surgery.
Philip:No, I'm living good these days.
Derek Gaughan:Well, I hope they're sending you broccoli then for your birthday.
Derek Draughon Introduced to the Show
Philip:Yeah, send me some broccoli, why don't you? Oh, gracious me.
Derek Gaughan:Well, listen, I know we got to get into what we want to talk about, but every time I'm on, that first segment, and you showing what you guys are doing around the world. I mean, I went into agreement with you when you said there's a businessman, a businesswoman, because people need to be giving toward this next vision you've got for that camp for kids.
Philip:It's amazing. Well, what always I found in my life, Derek, over the years, now 36 years I've been doing this in Moldova. God seems to open a door, and He'll almost tease you towards the door, and then you get through the door, and then the door disappears. And there's another one on the other side of the room. And so we just keep getting deeper into the plan and purpose of God.
Derek Gaughan:And you know, that's just like what's on my heart today, about transitions. Me and my wife have been in a time of transition the past year. My dad is in a time of transition. Our district with the AG is in a transition. I know a local church in transition. All three of my boys are in times of transition right now. And it's just amazing to see it. And Elijah and Elisha comes to mind, where Elijah says to Elisha, "You stay here." And Elisha says, "I can't," because he knows what God's doing. "I will follow you no matter where you go."
Elijah and Elisha: Seasons of Transition
Derek Gaughan:And I pick it up in 2 Kings chapter 2 at verse 13. After the band of angels, the chariots of angels come and pick up Elijah, the cloak falls to the ground. And it says Elisha then picked up Elijah's cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. And some people would think that this is obnoxious or prideful, but I think it's just him knowing what God's doing. He took the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and struck the water with it. "Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?" When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over on dry ground.
Picking Up the Mantle at the Jordan
Derek Gaughan:And to me, that speaks to every transition that we can be in. That he did not leave the side of the one ahead of him, that he continued to follow him, and when the moment of transition happened, the cloak fell, and he picked it up. And the whole pivot of that story revolves around a cloak, a mantle. Something that you pass on to. You hear someone, "He's got Smith Wigglesworth's mantle. He's got Kathryn Kuhlman's mantle."
Derek Gaughan:This guy, Elisha, is out minding his own business, plowing in his dad's field, and this weird guy walks up behind him and hits him with his mantle. And the Bible says he keeps on walking. And Elisha runs after him and says, "Hold on, let me go back and say goodbye to Mom." He knew, the moment the mantle hit him, there was a transition coming. And he says, "Let me go back and talk to my mom and dad." And Elijah says, "Who am I? Go back to your plow. Leave me alone."
Philip:Let me tell you something, Derek, and this is for someone watching us today. Many people are hit by the mantle. Many people are smitten by the mantle, and they'll pause for a moment. They may even follow for a while, but eventually, they go back to the plow. And the danger point in your life, if you're watching us today and you're in a transition area, the danger point between first base and second base, if the devil can get you out so far, you can't go back, and then you can't go forward. That's the danger point. Because you got to understand this. Once you've committed to run, it's time to get into the race and run.
Burning the Plows — No Going Back
Derek Gaughan:And Elisha slaughtered the oxen, burned the plows, and says, "I'm serious. I'm coming with you." That's what he said. And that's the first thing on my heart today is just the word hang on. When you slaughter the oxen and burn the plows, then you hang on until God... Like you said, you walk in there, and you think it's that door, and then that door's gone. But there's another door. And you don't give up. And when I talk about hanging on, I'm talking about hanging on to the promises of God.
Derek Gaughan:When Elijah struck him, a promise entered his heart, and he knew, if I follow. What did they say about him later? They said, "Well, there's this guy that used to pour water on the hands of Elijah." I mean, they reduced who he was, but in his spirit, he knew what God was doing. He wasn't reduced. He hung on to the promises, the callings.
Derek Gaughan:Hallelujah. Sometimes it takes a period of time. I've been working from resigning my pastorate to evangelism and corporate pilot. Next month will be a year now. But we are still hanging on, still believing, still trusting God. In everything the Lord has promised us, we're still stepping up to it. We still believe in the promises. We still believe in the callings. I had a guy call me recently and say, "Hey, could you come preach? I'm going to be out of town." He said, "When I was praying, I thought, 'Who could I trust to come in and preach my two services while I'm out of town?'" And he said, "The Spirit of God said Derek Gaughan." So he called me to come, and I thought, man, what an honor for him to think, "It's Derek that I can trust when I'm out of town." But that's because we've hung on to the promises and the callings. We're not letting go of what God has promised us.
Philip:Absolutely not. And you got to do that. You got to hang on. I know you've hung on the past few weeks. And the last three weeks since surgery, you come out of this fog. They stop your heart. They stop your lungs, and you literally lie on this table with a machine breathing and beating for your heart. It's the craziest thing. In fact, I was thinking the other day, where does your consciousness go? Because on that table, you are a dead man. There is no life, no memories. All of the stuff, all of my experience of my life, all disappears into that table when they give you that juice to put you to sleep. And what happens is there's a transition. It's the same thing what you're talking about. You've got to relearn stuff. You've got to rethink stuff. You've got to plan differently than you did before.
Romans 11:29 — Irrevocable Gifts and Callings
Philip:And I've been going through that in the last three weeks, and I'm amazed at how your body changes and your mindset changes. And I'll be honest, when I went to face it, I was in despair. I'll be honest with you. Man, I wish my dad was alive. I wish there was someone I could talk to. But what God does, and I know someone's watching, and you're in the middle of this betwixt and between. It's almost like you're at death. And the devil's there, and he's saying, "You'll never survive this. You'll never overcome this. You'll never get past this."
Philip:We are here to tell you today that me, physically, in the last three weeks, open heart surgery, five blockages, Pastor Derek, in a year, has given his church up, gone into evangelistic ministry, followed his dream of being a pilot. And there are moments when you literally step off a cliff and there's nothing underneath you. It seems like you can't see down past your belly. There's nothing there. And you've got to walk out by faith. And I'm here to tell you today, standing somewhere in the shadows, you will find Him. He's the only one that cares and understands. But it takes the leap of faith, a step of faith, to stand up and step out. And that's where you are today, and God is encouraging you.
Philip:Talking to two guys right now who have stepped off and stood out, and we've discovered something. God is there. Amen. Hallelujah.
Derek Gaughan:And that's why I love Romans 11. I love what verse 29 says. It says God's gifts and His calls are irrevocable. Irrevocable. We can't even give them back. And when I say that, let me be clear to people that are watching right now, we're not talking about just the ministry. In men's ministry, we constantly tell people your work is your ministry. That don't mean you've got to be in a pulpit. That don't mean you've got to be an evangelist.
Calling Beyond the Pulpit: Hangars and Hospitals
Derek Gaughan:In the last few weeks, two moments. At the airport, I saw a guy walking, and I've seen this guy many times at the airport, but I saw a Bible in his hand. And I've heard his language. He don't seem like the type to carry a Bible. So when I saw him walking with it, I said, "Hey, man." I said, "Is that a good book?" And he had another book that was "How to Pray for Your Wife." And he said, "Oh, it's a great book." And I said, "Well, let me get a picture of that one." I said, "But I was talking about the other one." He said, "Oh, best book in my life." He said, "Two weeks ago, a man led me to Christ in this hangar right here." He said, "This Sunday, me and my whole family got baptized down on the beach." And man, I prayed with him.
Derek Gaughan:I said, "Man, you're doing great." I said, "If you ever need anything, I know you see me here all the time." Then I flew up to Laverne, Alabama, to get a paint quote on the plane, and the guy there had a special needs daughter, and his wife had walked off and left him, and he's raising the daughter by himself, and she's a non-verbal autistic. And I got to pray with him, and I thought, look at this. I'm not in an altar at a church. Both prayers happen in hangars because everywhere we go. And that's what I want people to understand. When we talk about gifts and callings, it is for everybody, not just ministers.
Philip:You never lose your calling. When I was having the surgery, two nurses prepared me for surgery, and they started lines in the back of my hands, and they were talking to me through my fears. And it's a terrifying thing. I'm not brave. And these two women were talking to me, and I stopped, and I said, "Let me tell you something." I says, "See what you're doing right now?" I said, "You are the voice and the hands of Jesus." I says, "Right now, in my need, you are caring for me. And you are being His hands."
Philip:And if you're watching this now and you think your life's come to an end and it's all over and you may have failed and made a mistake or whatever, there's always reasons. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. If God should mark righteousness, who would stand? No one would. But the sin isn't in the lying down. The sin is in the staying down. And in your transition season, the Bible said He's changing us. He's transitioning us from glory to glory. I am not what I was a year ago. I'm a better man than I was three weeks ago. Because experience and things you've gone through add to who you are in your life.
Philip:And I know, watching, we have four minutes left, Derek. Someone is in the middle of the biggest battle of their life, and the Holy Ghost has sent two preachers to come and sit and talk to you, just for a wee while, to let you know He loves you with a love that will never let you go. And He's transitioning you into the next realm and the next stage of your life.
Derek Gaughan:One thing I've learned in the past year is, and coming from a guy that grew up in the season where they didn't have ADHD classes or medicine, but I was ADHD, I've learned that focus is so important. And a big way we can focus is eradicating every distraction in our lives. Courtney got a job here in town. When she leaves for work in the morning, I turn on my worship music, and I begin to pray. I stand at the window at the condo and watch her drive away, and I pray covering over her. And then I pray over my boys, and I pray over my ministry friends, and I move distractions out of the way.
Hebrews 12 — Eliminating Distractions to Run Your Race
Derek Gaughan:And growing up hearing Hebrews 12 preached by my dad, that we're surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, so let us throw off everything that hinders. Then he says, "And the sin that so easily entangles." So sin isn't the only thing that hinders us. Sometimes it's non-sin. It's just life. And throwing all of that out so that we can run the race with perseverance that's been marked out for us. And again, that ain't just ministers. That's every one of us. If you're called to the medical field, the law field, if you're called to be a welder. I got a son taking a welding test in Texas today, and he was so nervous last night.
Derek Gaughan:He said, "Dad, I'm seven for seven." I said, "You're going to make it, son. You're going to do it." But running that race that's marked out for us. I got one that's qualifying for Special Forces right now in the Army. I mean, these are races that have been marked out for my boys, and they're running them. And I say to anybody watching right now, we don't know what your race is, but if God has marked it out for you, get rid of the hindrances, get your focus. Run it. Don't give up on the callings and the gifts that God's given you, because me and Philip sitting here right today, we're rooting for you to fulfill the call on your life. And so is all of heaven.
Philip:Listen to me. God is not your enemy. God is your friend. He isn't standing there with willful angst against you, trying to slow you down and stop you. He is cheering you on for all you're worth. My nephew's wife ran the London Marathon yesterday, 29 miles, or 27 miles. And we, as a family from America and Scotland, we cheered Donna all the way through until she won. Now, she wasn't first, but she won, and God is cheering you on the same way.
Philip:Listen, I want you to write down this. It's important. Write down FuelCast TV. FuelCast TV. Write it down. FuelCast TV. And I want you to check that program out, because Derek speaks life and love and care and direction to guys, and I can't encourage you enough to do it in the name of Jesus. Derek, I'm excited for you. I believe that God has huge horizons for you.
Derek Gaughan:I get that. And the transitioning, it's the getting up, and beginning the journey. It's, "Here we go. Let's do it again."
Philip:And when we started building Vatra Village, it was the coldest, worst day, ministry-wise. You have no idea the hell we were facing. But I made a decision. I'm getting up, and I'm moving forward. We love you, Derek. Can't wait to hear what God's got for you.
Derek Gaughan:Me too. Thank you.
Philip:Thank you for watching "Daily Faith" today. Be a partner with us if you would in caring for these kids in Eastern Europe. Your gift can make a world of difference. We'll see you again. Bye-bye.
For over 25 years, the Cameron family has been changing the lives of orphans in Romania and Moldova. From providing running water, flushing toilets, and clean wells to coal for heat, new windows, as well as food and clothing, they champion the physical needs of the orphans in these broken and desolate countries. Many of Moldova's orphans are saved from the horrors of trafficking through homes founded by the Camerons, and in the process, orphans become daughters and sons. They come to know their Heavenly Father and are forever changed by the love of Jesus. God helped the Camerons lift these amazing young men and women out of darkness.
Now, no longer orphans, they want to return and invade that very same darkness with the light of Jesus Christ. The Orphan's Hands equips these daughters and sons to become missionaries. Your monthly gift of $31 will allow us to rescue and take in more girls and boys, saving them from the hell of human trafficking. Your monthly partnership will allow us to care for those in The Orphan's Hands homes in Moldova and the Ukraine. If you want to join Philip and Chrissy in taking care of these precious young people, please contact us today by calling 833-DAILYFAITH. You can also give by going online to www.dailyfaith.tv, or by writing to Post Office Box 25, Clinton, Tennessee 37716. So many lives depend on what we do. Thank you for loving the lost.
Common questions
What does Derek say is the key lesson from the story of Elijah and Elisha about going through a life transition?
Derek says the pivotal moment in that story is when the mantle falls and Elisha picks it up — he didn't leave Elijah's side, and when the transition came, he was ready. The lesson Derek draws is that you have to 'hang on' to the promises and callings God has placed in your heart, even when the door you walked through seems to disappear and there's no clear next step in sight.
Why did Derek leave his pastorate, and how has the past year gone for him?
Derek resigned his pastorate to pursue evangelism and his career as a corporate pilot — a transition that, at the time of the episode, was approaching its one-year mark. He describes it as a season of still believing and trusting God, holding on to promises even when things aren't fully resolved, and he points to moments like being personally called by a pastor to preach as confirmation that the calling hasn't been lost.
Does Derek think God's calling only applies to people in full-time ministry?
No — Derek is emphatic that gifts and callings are for everyone, not just ministers. He cites Romans 11:29 ('God's gifts and His calls are irrevocable') and shares two examples of ministry happening in airport hangars — praying with a newly baptized pilot and with a single father raising a non-verbal autistic daughter — to illustrate that your workplace is your ministry, whether you're a welder, a doctor, or a lawyer.
What practical advice does Derek give for staying focused during a difficult season of transition?
Derek says focus is critical, and the main way to protect it is to eradicate distractions — not just sin, but ordinary 'life stuff' that entangles you. He describes starting each morning with worship music and intentional prayer, covering his wife and sons before the day begins, as his personal way of clearing the noise so he can run the race God has marked out for him.
What happened to Elisha when Elijah first threw his mantle on him, and what does Derek say that moment represents?
Derek explains that Elisha was simply plowing in his father's field when Elijah walked up and struck him with the mantle, then kept walking. The instant the mantle hit him, Elisha knew a transition was coming — he ran after Elijah, asked to say goodbye to his parents, then slaughtered his oxen and burned his plows as a sign of total commitment. Derek says that act of burning the plows is the moment you stop leaving yourself an escape route and fully trust what God has called you to.
Topics
derek draughonlife transitionsgod's callingelijah elisha mantlefuelcastperseveranceirrevocable gifts