October 11, 2022
Something else on my heart is you, MLBC as a church and as individuals. You are walking through a time of uncertainty and sadness as a church, in addition to the uncertainties and challenges of most of your life stages as you age and as your community continues to be unfamiliar to you – and now looking for a new church. You are on my heart as I realize some of you may not have anyone checking on you anymore, and that grieves me because I love you. You are on my heart as I hope you will continue to dig down into Christ and walk well with Him in the days ahead – the same thing that has been my burden every week for almost 15 years.
Another thing on my heart is gratitude. I am thankful to the Lord for allowing me to serve here, shaping me and growing me, for sustaining me and refining me. I am thankful for a whole list of accomplishments and areas of personal and professional development I cannot enumerate here. I enumerated these in my own prayer time a few weeks back. I am thankful for relationships built and time with you. I am thankful for the opportunities you and MLBC overall have given me to live here and serve, to walk with you through a challenging season, and to further my own education and do some outside ministry that I pray will further the Kingdom for years to come. Thank you for your love and for a long season of walking together.
My deepest desire for the years here at MLBC is that God’s Kingdom has been furthered in your lives, in my life, and in our community. My heartbeat is that, hopefully, you and I are more conformed to the likeness of Jesus and those we interact with get more fully pointed to Jesus through our lives. Hunger for the Word, devote yourselves to prayer, surrender to Jesus.