Here are some random thoughts from this weekend's 20-year celebration and the past 20 years . . .
- Thank you God for your faithfulness . . . You are good! For every good thing that has been accomplished through Abundant Life Church, You deserve all the praise!
- It's sooooo cool that many of the original pioneers of ALC are still with us today . . . what a testimony to commitment . . . to flexibility . . . to adaptability . . . to change . . . to faithfulness
- My favorite definition of commitment . . . the ability to stay with a decision long after the emotion in which the decision was made is gone
- The emotion that came with starting Abundant Life wore off a long time ago and it quickly turned into hard word and endless hours of ministry . . . so thanks again to all of you who have stuck it out . . . you're amazing and to be commended
- Did you catch the common tread throughout each of our Elder's comments . . . committed to the vision of reaching the lost . . . the best is yet to come . . . get involved because there is a place and a job for everyone
- There are enough churches in Portland for the "already convinced" . . . Abundant Life needs to stay committed to reaching the "unconvinced"
- And speaking of that, I had someone tell me yesterday that they had a relative to join us this weekend that just doesn't do the church thing . . . who made this comment . . . this is a church I think I could come to! Yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about
- The cross was covered to the max with red hearts . . . absolutely awesome . . . we're not content to settle with what we've done in the past or where we are today . . . there is so much yet to come . . . so much still to be done . . . so many more people to reach for Jesus
- Don't ever get fed up with all the people coming . . . many of them would possibly have gone to hell had they not found Abundant Life . . . that's worth us not knowing everyone . . . that's worth us not having church just the way we may prefer it to be . . . that's cause enough to keep inviting . . . to keep sharing . . . to keep serving . . . to keep giving
- Abundant Life's best days are ahead of us . . . we have more people to help carry out the mission . . . we have more influence in our communities . . . we have two campuses instead of one . . . and soon to add a third . . . we have God's track record to look to . . . and we know God is not done yet!
- I meant it when I said that my wife, Ann, is to be commended for much of our success . . . were it not for her, I probably would not even have launched a new church . . . she has been a rock in my life and a Pastor couldn't ask for a better wife . . . and by the way, as a Pastor you can't be married to just anyone . . . she better be committed to ministry, too . . . and mine is . . . thank you God and thank you Ann
- I meant it when I said that as I reflect over the past 20 years the two things that come to mind are the commitment of our leaders to the vision of reaching the lost and the sacrifice of our people to see the vision become a reality
To all of us I say . . . remain faithful . . . stay committed . . . and keep sacrificing . . . imagine what the next 20 years will yield for the Kingdom if we do!
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