Q: I was invited to hear a sermon on Lake Allatoona at the Cove. Can you tell me about the speaker and the event?
A: You have been invited to hear Pastor Jason Watkins preach at the Recreation Cove. It is known as “Sermon on the Water.”
Acworth native Jason Watkins said God had been chasing him since he was in his 20′s. He admits to personally avoiding it and did not make the connection with a class he had been teaching to young girls.
“One day I woke up realizing that I had been teaching Awana’s for third- through fifth-grade girls for 12 years,” he said.
A friend’s request was pivotal in Watkins’ life.
He asked Watkins to marry him and his fiancé. After much consideration, Watkins decided to become ordained.
When extras were needed on Lake Allatoona for the Netflix “Ozark” series, that same individual prompted him to join in. Watkins said they had no idea of what the show was about, but when watching it there was a scene where a preacher was giving a sermon on a boat.
That “ah-ha” moment with his friend was followed up with “ ’Would you consider doing that?’ " the pastor recounted.
A lot of reasons not to played in his head, but, “One day God just told me to just show up,” he said.
On the waters off Rec Cove, Watkins’ words are voiced over a PA system reaching people who have “given up on church” for a number of reasons.