20 Years

Twenty years ago this month I started my preaching ministry at the Alameda Church of Christ.

I’ve seen a lot, been through a lot, and grown a lot during that time.

When I became a preacher, I never had any illusions that I would be the best or have the biggest congregation.

Those things weren’t important to me.

I simply wanted to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and faithfully serve His church.

And that is what I have done.

I have been faithful.

I have been dutiful.

I have done my job – and I have done it with integrity.

In this moment, I am mindful of the words that the apostle Paul passed on to his protege’ Timothy:

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:2-5).

This is the standard that I have built my preaching ministry upon, and I have done my best to stay true to that standard.

I have not always done it perfectly – for I am not perfect.

But I have never lost sight of this standard.

I am not motivated by the praises of the crowd.

I do not seek popularity or fame.

I have never sought to make a name for myself.

Instead…

I am motivated by duty.

I seek first the Kingdom of God.

I point others to Jesus.

And, after 20 years, I hope this is what Alameda has seen in me.

I pray that I have been, and continue to be, a model of faithfulness.

Eugene Peterson once described the life of faith in Christ as “a long obedience in the same direction.”

I am grateful that I have been able to live this life of faith in the same place.

And I look forward to many more years of faithful ministry to King Jesus.