Where are you running in 2022?

Happy new year!  I hope you had a blessed holiday break, and I’m praying that 2022 is off to a great start for you and yours.  Bethany and I enjoyed our time away with family, but I’m excited to be back and hit the ground running in this new year.  We have lots of big things on the horizon, including several items this month.  In a few weeks, we’ll welcome bestselling author and speaker Gary Thomas to ABC for our first ever marriage conference.  The Sacred Marriage Conference will be an impactful event for all ages, whether you are recently engaged or have been married 50+ years (register HERE). I’m also excited that we will soon welcome our new Senior Adult Minister, Bill McGinnis, along with his wife Anita.  They will be wonderful additions to our church family, and I’m looking forward to seeing the impact that they will make as they move here to Austin.  Our midweek ministries are coming back full force next week, and this weekend is a Lord’s Supper Sunday as I kick off our new sermon series in the book of Hebrews titled, “Jesus is Better.”

2022 is going to be a big year, so I believe it is important for our church family to keep our eyes focused on what lies ahead.  After a year like 2021, it could be natural for us to look back and become content with all that God has recently done in our church.  God blessed us with many new members, record baptisms, and several great staff additions.  Our church faithfully gave, our BFG’s continued to grow, and our children’s and youth ministries were further strengthened.  Our church ministered well to each other’s needs, but we also ministered effectively to our community through new outreach ministries and efforts from our members.  God indeed did a mighty work last year, but Paul reminds us to not become complacent: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead” (Philippians 3:12-13).

As Christians, each of us are in the business of running.  While not all of us may be in the business of jogging on a treadmill, all of us do indeed have a spiritual race to run.  It does not matter your age or stage of life, if you are in Christ Jesus and you still have breath in your lungs, that means God has more track ahead of you.  I believe 2022 will be an even more impactful year for ABC, but it will only happen if we each keep our eyes looking forward.  When you watch a track meet, occasionally a runner will make a fundamental mistake during his race.  He will be off to a great start, but then he will get comfortable and look over his shoulder to see who is behind him.  However, this is a fatal flaw that coaches will always correct in their runners.  Why is it a bad thing?  Because when you look backwards, you always slow down.

I don’t believe God wants ABC to slow down in 2022.  I believe He wants to do immeasurably more than we can ask for or think of (Ephesians 3:20).  But this will only happen if we keep our eyes forward on Him and His high calling on our lives.  Where is God calling you to run in 2022?  God may be calling you to commit to a new Bible reading plan or to get plugged into one of our BFGs.  He may be calling you to step up and serve in one of our many volunteer ministries or go on a mission trip.  Maybe He’s leading you to invest into the next generation through our children’s and youth ministries.  Perhaps He’s calling you to maximize your passion and talent through our choir, music, and AV ministries.  He could be calling you to make tithing a regular discipline for the first time in your home this year.  Maybe He’s calling you to be an encourager and to invest time into those who are hurting or homebound.  Or perhaps He’s calling you to find someone to run alongside you.  Maybe he’s put a neighbor or friend on your heart, and God is leading you to invite them to come and run with our church family here at ABC.

I do not know what God is leading you to do in 2022, but I do know He’s calling you to action.  God has purpose for my life and your life, and if we answer that high calling, I believe 2022 will indeed be a happy new year.  I look forward to worshipping with you this Sunday.  Bring a friend and bring your Bible, and I’ll see you at 9am or 11:11am.