This morning I went for a prayer walk in the desert, the desert is so peaceful and beautiful in the mornings, good time to pray. As your pastor I take serious your prayer needs and even when I don’t know them or maybe even you personally, I spend time praying for the needs of everyone who calls Alive Church home. I pray God’s blessings and presence in your lives and for His provision for all your needs. I know many of you do the same for me.
I was walking and praying in a wash near my home. Something caught my eye as I walked past a bunch of rain debris that had piled up around the base of a tree. I couldn’t believe it! It was one of our street signs for the church from when we met in Mountain View High School. It is over four years old. Our motto at the time was “changing lives on purpose.” I spent a few moments thinking and praying about all the lives that have been changed over the last few years. I thought of so many of you who have been with Alive and myself for many years being a part of the team and have had a big part of seeing lives changed. Some of those changed lives have moved from our city and now are serving and changing lives in their new homes…you are still making a difference. Some of those changed lives have gone on to be with Jesus, we will see them again someday in heaven. Some of those lives have fallen from there walk as a follower of Jesus…I pray today that God will cause someone to cross their paths to remind them.
As I carried this sign home I kept praying and couldn’t help but think about the incredible team that God has assembled for the next phase of our journey together as a church. Looking back is fun and I have so many found memories, but looking at what God is doing today and preparing us for tomorrow is life! Here’s what I know; we have only just begun. As we remain faithful as a church and humble before God, He is going to use us to change more lives over the next decade than we can even imagine.
Some years you just know that your favorite football team is a championship team. There are no super stars hogging all the glory, no one making it all about themselves, just a solid winning team who cares more about the whole than themselves. You know they have a shot at the championship.
That is how I feel about our team at Alive right now, from our Campus Pastors to all of those who are serving as team leaders to every one of you who is a volunteer on our weekend teams. This is the best team that I have ever had the privilege of working with in my 28 years of ministry! Please know that I am praying for you daily. There will be a day when I am walking and praying again somewhere and will find a piece of our history that points back toward this era of Alive Church, I believe with all my heart that we will be able to look back and say that God did miraculous things in and through us. I believe with all my heart that we will fondly look back at all the changed lives, ourselves included, with amazement at how awesome God is. I believe with all my heart that together, our best days are yet to come!
P.S. Sure glad we got past that logo!!!