Ambassador Bible College Farewell Sermon 2018

I can say it's wow! It's just been a wonderful, wonderful afternoon here. It's just been beautiful listening to all the music. I really enjoy my lighthouse. It's a real toe-tapper. I heard it first time at Pentecost last year, and I downloaded it from Amazon right away. I've been listening to it in the car quite often. Anyway, welcome, first of all, to faculty. Welcome to parents and friends of students who will be graduating here at ABC tomorrow. Welcome, family faculty emeritus, those who have served faithfully and still do. And also, welcome to the ABC class of 2018. Nathan, Andrew, Audra, Craig, Kayla B., Danielle, Timothy, Colleen, Emily, Charlie, Paula, Michelle, David, Matt, Katie, Julia, Hannah, Skylar, Julie, and Kayla W.

I thought that I would mention your names. Welcome. Today is baccalaureate. It's a word that is hard to find because we can't spell it, usually. But if you do find it, you can find the definition for it. It relates to a farewell, either a farewell ceremony or a farewell sermon. And this is a farewell sermon for the graduates of ABC.

I'll be talking about the past and also about the future students. And not the future students, but your future. I want to send something along with you that you can think about as the last words you heard as a sermon while you were still at ABC. Now, you know, we told you at the very beginning of the year, the year will go by just like that. And sure did. It just seems like we just got here and we said that and it was just like yesterday.

But 600 hours of instruction have been completed. And we had one of our students who received an award for being there for every single class, not missing any at all. We've had many wonderful activities, music, travel, lots of interaction with people with the home office.

It's been a year that we treasure from ABC ourselves, we treasure as those here at the home office. And I'm sure that you will treasure it as you go back to where you're at. I want to thank you once again for the charity evening fundraiser that was held a number of weeks ago, where about $5,000 was raised for scholarships, Life Net scholarships, and for solar panels. Solar panels in Malawi, which are very, very important. For Passover, people usually bring a towel, a basin, and a candle, because we have so many power failures in those areas.

And this last year, we had a Passover service, well, with great confidence. We turned the solar power on and didn't have a single disruption. We also want to thank you for the scholarships for a program that's continued now for 17 years, going back to 2001 when we started in Guatemala and El Salvador. And we've added new students as a result of your generosity in the Philippines and one in Benin in West Africa.

ABC is for the training of the whole person. It's not just a time, not only a place, to get intellectual knowledge. I like to learn about the Bible. I just want to know more about the Bible. It's far more than that. It's about becoming a person who is transformed and converted and is of value to others. And that we have reflected in the mission statement, the new mission statement that was adopted three years ago in 2015. Our expectation is that this knowledge that you have received, the 600 hours of knowledge, is then mixed with faith, with its application and its outcome, helps you become a whole person of value to others.

In our leadership training that we do for our ministry and for leaders around the country, around the world, we make it clear that we're not only teaching skills, not only teaching Biblical knowledge, but we're teaching integrity, character, morality, humility. If you take a look at the qualifications for elders and deacons in 1 Timothy 3, you'll find that most of the qualifications, most of the qualifications, have to do with character. A person who's not a brawler, not a person who's greedy, not a person who's given to wine, etc., etc.

It's interesting in the Ukrainian language, there's a word that is the equivalent of the word integrity. And that word is conscience. I remember growing up all the time with my parents teaching us, you must have a conscience. You must be a person of integrity. And that is part of what we teach, in fact, very importantly teach at ABC.

We teach character and skills, pardon me, character and integrity and skills. You can't have one without the other. Now, what is most important about ABC? As a program. And what is it composed of? Well, first of all, there are some very, very important inputs for making ABC what it is. We need facilities. We need faculty. We need a staff of people to support it. We need equipment. We need projectors.

We need PA equipment. We need housing. We need food. And we've got to have money to make the program work. But you know something? This isn't ABC. These are just the resources, the inputs, for making it start. Inputs lead to activities. After we have all these inputs, it leads to activities. Activities are as follows. We have a curriculum. We have classes that are developed. We have pistols of Paul.

We have Daniel revelation. We have Old Testament survey. We have a whole curriculum that is developed. We have a choir that is assembled. And by the way, the choir is just absolutely amazing. People that had not seen each other or hardly knew each other before ABC could sing so beautifully. I was enjoying it just tremendously as I'm sure you were, too.

These activities are also activities dealing to outreach. Some of you have helped in the community. And also activities of socializing and social activities, one with another. But you know, this isn't ABC. This leads and activities lead to outputs of things that are produced. What do we have as outputs of the program? You'll be surprised that this still isn't ABC. We have 600 hours of classes. Many speeches are given. And many songs are learned and performed.

But this still isn't ABC. So what are we looking for? What is the point of ABC? What is its purpose? There are people outside of us that have asked us about our program. One person in particular who was interested, that was a guest speaker here from the outside, he said, what is this group? What are they doing? Why have they taken a year out of their lives to come here, to be together, and to study this particular course?

What is it about it that is so important? What we're interested in are outcomes. Interested in the purpose of ABC. And the purpose of ABC has led to new knowledge that you have not had before about the Word of God. You've had your aha moments. You've had your moments where you have learned things. I didn't know that. Not only do I know it now, but I can explain it to somebody else.

And you can feel excited about it. You have increased skills in being able to explain yourself, be able to answer a question, be able to put together a speech, be able to make a point in table topics. Other outcomes, even more important, are changed attitudes and values.

Changed attitudes towards the great purpose of life, of the calling that we have received. A new optimism called faith in what a higher power has brought into your life, in the closeness of God. It has led to modified behavior, where at your age you may have had thoughts, you may have had experiences. You may have even taken directions that weren't all that healthy. But ABC has brought on modified behavior, improved behavior, and an improved condition. It has brought on ABC an altered status in your life, where you should be different.

And if I can say also, a transformation spiritually and a repentance. We have ABC students who are baptized, who come to that point, those who are not baptized yet. And others would be certainly thinking about it. The difference between output of the stuff that you do versus what you become is very, very different. The difference between outputs and outcomes are different.

In Numbers 14, verse 20, there is this exclamation made by God about one of the spies that went into the Promised Land. There were 12 spies that went in. Ten brought back a very, very negative report. And two of them brought back a very positive report. A real can-do spirit. In Numbers 14, verse 20, the Lord answered, I have forgiven them, as you ask, but as surely as I live, and as surely as my glory fills the whole earth, I make this promise.

All these men saw my glory in the miracles I did in Egypt, talking about the 10 spies who were negative. But they disobeyed me and tested me ten times. So not one of them will see the land I promised to their ancestors. No one who rejected me will see that land. But, verse 24, my servant Caleb, and I read this from the New Century version, because it really hits the nail on the head of what is being said, of what is being meant. My servant Caleb thinks differently and follows me completely.

You know, we want you, when you come to ABC, to think differently from the way you had thought before. We want you to think with faith, with the knowledge that you have received, mixed with an ambition to do right, to be faithful and to be prepared for godly service, as the mission statement states. So I will bring him, talking about Caleb, into the land he has already seen, and his children will own that land.

And the others would not. They would be rejected because of their attitude. We are asking you to help this world go into a new zone, a new area, with a new attitude, but you have learned at ABC what's been inspired and where you have been motivated. We have the plaque, which always struck me when I first saw it as being, wow, that's pretty strong.

ABC, Ambassador Bible College, Teaching the Truth. You know, people say, that's kind of pretentious. You have the truth, you betcha. We have the truth. We take it for granted. We take it for granted, really, the purpose of life and who god is and who we are. And even me, in my particular role as president, I have to ask myself, really, I sit on top of the truth, and I'm responsible for the dissemination of it through media, through the churches, and so forth. And I say, God, please help me appreciate and love the truth and be thankful that we do have the truth.

Jesus Christ told his disciples, sanctify them by your truth. This is the well-known John 17, 17th passage. Sanctify them by the truth. Thy word is truth. The Word of God, Ambassador Bible College. Ambassador Truth College. We are learning the truth about who God is, what man is that were made in his image, what God is doing with mankind overall, and what he's doing with every single one of us in a very, very personal way. And what this is all about. You've had classes on prophecy, you've had classes about the Kingdom of God, the return of Jesus Christ, and also about how to live. In John 8, verse 31, this is what you have been asked to be here at Ambassador Bible College. John 8, John 8, and verse 31. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed him, If you abide in me, that is an output, you know, that's an action, that's an activity. If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. The outcome of abiding in God's word is to become disciples of Jesus Christ. In verse 32, And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. We should never be ashamed of what we have learned, or the fact that it's kind of just one thing among several different philosophies or disciplines of knowledge. No, it's the truth, and not be ashamed of it whatsoever. Second Timothy chapter 3, verse 16. Second Timothy chapter 3, verse 16. Talking about the authority of Scripture, which is defined by Scripture itself. Second Timothy chapter 3. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, is given to explain and to elucidate God's truth, but also to change and to correct, and to instruct in what's right. Verse 17, That the man of God may be complete, not just have head knowledge about the Scriptures, or I know how, what this means, or I know the chronology of such and such, period in the Old Testament. No, the Scriptures have been given more so that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. And that's what we're asking you to become. We're planting that this year. Now, you may not go to your area right away and be a dynamo of doing all these great things. We planted a tree. When you plant a tree and you plant a fruit tree, you don't always get the fruit right away. But we've planted that tree. Titus 3, verse 14, once again, talking about the planting process and being fruitful, and what is instruction for all of us. Titus 3, verse 14, Let our people also learn to maintain good works. This is Paul giving instruction to a minister, to a leader. Learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs. You've got to be aware of what those needs are so that you can meet those urgent needs. And that you may not be unfruitful, but to do things that reflect the things that you have learned.

Matthew 13, verse 23, the parable of the sower and the seed, but I like this particular phrase, Matthew 13, about the seed that was sown on good soil, because it describes a little bit more about what it was to become. In Matthew chapter 13, verse 23, And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word, that's you, that's all of us, and understands it. I get it. I totally get it. Who indeed bears fruit and brings forth. So it's not just understanding it, not only getting it, but it's also bearing fruit results, doing something that tastes good for others.

Here's the tree, Psalm 1, and we can find analogies floating throughout the Scriptures. If you take a look at the Scriptures about bearing good fruit, you'll find dozens of Scriptures. But Psalm 1, which I really like, because this is the way the whole book of Psalms begins, it sets the theme. Psalm 1, verse 1, Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night, and hopefully you will take the material that you have seen here and heard and have explained to you from the faculty that has put their whole heart and being into teaching this last year, and you will meditate on it.

You'll give thought to things that were stated by Mr. Myers, by Mr. McNeely, by others, Mr. Dunkel. He shall be like a tree, that's you, planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season. We've planted you.

And you'll bring forth fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper. Now, some trees don't bear fruit for three years, some seven years, some ten years or more, after they're planted. Hopefully we've grafted some of you into the trees here, where we can get some more immediate results. But nonetheless, it doesn't happen right away. I want to tell you a few success stories, which I want to run through very, very quickly, because these are trees that have been planted, starting with ABC, now that it's gone through one 19-year time cycle, starting in the class of 2000.

One of our first graduates, you know who? Ken Shoemaker. He was instrumental in establishing the ABC chorale. Isn't that great fruit? I loved hearing what he did today and what he's done every year. He also serves and speaks in the Portsmouth, Ohio, church. The first year also, Paul and Corinne Wasselkopf. They were already married students. Paul was employed here at the home office in the IT department, but he's currently working in Toronto as an elder, serving in the Canadian churches.

He was planted back then. Takes a while for these things to germinate, noticed a steady growth, and now he has responsibility there. Class of 2001, Michelle DeCampos. Michelle, the daughter of Kathy and George DeCampos, was employed as a website content editor, and she currently is helping the Portuguese work with the publications, including the laying out and in-design of the Portuguese Good News Beyond Today. She also assists in the church in New Brunswick, Canada. 2001, Rudy Rangel. Didn't realize that he had been there so long ago.

I thought he would... He works in the media department as production supervisor. He's also instrumental in developing the Jelly Videos for Children. What a wonderful fruit! Lina Reed, who I love seeing there in outgoing mail. She works part-time in the mail processing center now for 16 years. The class of 2002, Joy LeBissonnier. Now Porter. She serves in the Cincinnati East Congregation with the Sabbath School Program, and she ran the very first charity evening for ABC back then. She was absolutely wonderful to work with. Here's another old one. Class of 2003, Milan Bizik. He works at the home office as publication proofreader. I'm not saying ABC made them into these people, but I'll say it had a lot to do with what they do, and how they think, and how they perform, and the effect that they have on others.

Class of 2005, Stephen DeCampos serves in the Dallas Church, gives sermons and sermonettes. And probably a very, very famous person here, here's a celebrity, Stella Helterbrand. Stella has served overseas in Jordan for two years in the Legacy Institute Program. She has served in the Youth Corps Program in Brazil. She's been a kitchen supervisor and makes meal for ABC and the home office. I'd have applause, but please hold it. Class of 2006, Corbin Rose. Corbin attends the Cincinnati East congregation and serves everywhere.

He serves other local congregations with special music, giving sermonettes. He assists in signing for the Deaf Brethren, and he's been instrumental in putting the Portuguese and Spanish hymnals online, plus developing the app for our songbook that we have that most of you have. In fact, we weren't reading our email this morning in the front.

We were looking at Corbin's hymnal. Class of 2006, Chris Stewart, senior program. He assists with car rental and other IT needs, as well as one of our most valuable employees. We always try to catch him because we always have problems, and Chris can solve anything. Class of 2007, Louis Van Ouzdle. Lena and Louis currently serve the congregations in New York City, New Jersey.

Who would have sunk it just a few years ago? A year and a half ago, I asked if he would go to Malawi on July 4, 2016. By that evening, he said, okay, we'll go. And he has performed absolutely marvelously in bringing together a very important geography, which I don't have time to describe here, in Central Malawi and Eastern Zambia. Now, he's been transferred to New York City, where he and his wife sit on top of one-twelfth of the U.S. population, from Connecticut to the greater New York City area to New Jersey.

Heavily dense population, and he is the pastor of that area. Class of 2008, Linda Merrick is employed as associate editor of the United News and internal publications. She's a very valuable employee, really grown in that job, really understands that what work she does and the output she has is the first thing that's often read by the church and represents the church, its spirit, and news.

Not only does the United News, but does compass checks, the layout for that, feast brochures, camp brochures, and many other things. Eileen Sharkey, deaconist in the Cincinnati East congregation, assists with the Sabbath school program. I'm reading these things because I wanted to show you that people say, what happened to all these ABC folks? We see that we have young and old. We have male and female. We have people that not only have done things dealing with what I call Sabbath services, but with the life of the church, teaching children, handling music, and many other functions.

Dottie Seyford, class of 2009, she has written a few hymns for our hymnal, please accompaniment for our Sabbath services. A few weeks ago, she sent me a song that she wrote as the theme of my e-news essay for that week. She said, here's a song that I wrote, based upon what I read. I want you to learn how to play it. I did. Very beautiful song. I actually want to record it and send it to her. I don't sing it. I play the piano. I can't sing worth beans. Class of 2010, Whitney Smith, or Creech. She was a receptionist at the home office, and she married Erin Creech.

Erin and Whitney attend the pastoral development program and now serve as pastor in Bethlehem, Lewistown, and York, and Pennsylvania congregations. These are not kids now. They're our ministers. Mitch Moss, class of 2010, works in the media department. Okay, class of 2011, Chelsea Daw. Chelsea's employed as a receptionist, helps out with the Good Works program, Winter Family Weekend brochure, and other graphic and artistic needs.

She's the first person that we meet when we come into the home office, so it depends upon how she greets us, it will depend on how our day goes. Tim and Connie Sipes, Tim and Connie, actually began ABC and were hired midway through their ABC year.

Tim was hired as building manager and shipping clerk and is currently the facilities manager, and much of the work that's being done on the new media studio is overseen directly by Tim Sipes. Class of 2012, David Browning. He works in the IT department as a junior help desk programmer. David Jones, at the time of ABC, this is the class of 2012, and was hired as a ministerial trainee, one of the very first in our ministerial trainee program before we actually even defined it.

We found him a person that was very, very caring for students. Those who had cars here always went to him when anything went wrong. I remember them with jumper cables out in the lot quite often. He was ordained and now serves with his wife, Joy, in the Sioux Falls and Watertown, South Dakota congregations. I almost consider him to be a senior type pastor. He's been there for year after year, takes care of people.

Really wonderful how he and his wife care for the area. Class of 2012, Katherine Rowland. She's employed as the librarian, but in addition serves the Cincinnati East congregation with a choir. And she also assists with administrative needs in the home office. Jaime Selec. Jaime attended ABC for the first semester of ABC in 2011 and returned to complete ABC the second semester in 2012.

He met Janet, Janet Heinz. During this time, they're married and they serve in Columbia with the Spanish work. And Janet Heinz, Selec, I remember her so very well, actually hired her for a few weeks in the summertime when I worked with Ministerial Services to help straighten out various things in Ministerial Member Services.

She works with her husband, a very fine young couple in that service. Class of 2013, Aaron Creech, Aaron is pastor serving in Bethlehem, Lewistown, and the York congregations. Class of 2014, Stephen Kuzi attends an Atlanta congregation where he gives sermonettes and is actively involved. And he hopes one day to return to Ghana to serve in his own country. Chaz Leathers, Chaz is this assistant video editor and has really grown in his job not only to do the technical part, but I consult with him about certain ways of presentation of information.

He's been very helpful with the podcasts that we have been doing. Melanie May works to update and maintain the congregation website content. Class of 2015, Brennan and Mikala Hilgin.

A couple got to know each other just slightly before or just at ABC. They met while at ABC. They saw a video at the Feast of Tabernacles about working in India. They wrote to me and said, we want to get married, but the first year of our marriage we want to go someplace and serve. How about India? I said, well, I don't know what we've got really in India for you to go to, just raw like that. But one place you could go to would be Malawi, because at that time already we had Louis and Lena then also there. And it worked out just beautifully. They went there. They gave up their down payment on their house to live the next year. To serve that particular congregation. To help Louis and Lena, not even in a ministerial way, but just whatever we can do. Whether it's to wash windows, clean up the hall, whatever they wanted to serve. Well, after several months it was becoming obvious, especially as we were winding down the time that Louis and Lena would stay there. They were very, very actively involved with that faraway church. And I asked them, would you be willing to stay on? This time we'll hire you. Sent him to the pastoral development program. And he and his wife have just done a marvelous job of not only taking their ABC knowledge, but also the pastor's development program knowledge. And at first we were a little bit cautious about having them be considered like an elder or pastor because there was nobody directly overseeing them. Except for Aaron, Dean, and myself would communicate with them on WhatsApp or Skype.

Well, at first the deacons were supposed to give the sermons, but then they wouldn't show up at services sometimes, so he'd get to give the sermon. Next week somebody else wouldn't show up. And so he finds himself speaking three out of four weeks a month. I can't help it. I'm just stuck with it.

Now he's also teaching an ABC class once a month to the congregation, and he's being looked up to very much as one who is part of the ministry. Truly, I believe it's ABC that gave the inspiration and the passion to be able to do what he's doing. My wife and I spent nearly a week with them, five days, five, six days with them, over the spring holy days. Truly impressed by their thinking. They've grown up very, very quickly. Class of 2016, Ron A.

Bell and Ron B. Bell. One was father and one was son. Father, of course, is A. Son is B. But they serve in various ways in the Buffalo, New York congregations. Muff Buffalo and Elmira. And then we get to the last class, 2017, Josue Lopez. He made history last year at ABC when he became the first deaf student to enroll at ABC.

He completed the year with the help of many skilled and tireless translators who translated all throughout the year. He's now engaged to Rachel Richter, who also attended ABC in 2017, and after their wedding, in July, St. Louis, Josue, and Rachel will reside in California. The last one I have is Laura Phelps, completed ABC in 2017. She's helping her husband, Michael, who also attended ABC as a ministerial trainee.

They're now serving in the ministry in Michigan. These are trees that are planted, except that this is the forest. This is the ABC forest that we are developing, that we want you to become part of that forest. You know, God is calling us. I look upon how he's called me and has worked in my life, how he's working the lives of others.

And I see that it's an invitation. It's a very direct invitation, a very personal invitation, tapping to dig in deep into your inner's and say, I want you. I want you to do something special. And as I take a look at my life, I look upon all the divine ways in which he's helped me when I look backwards.

I don't look forwards to, oh God, give me this. I've already got everything I need. I don't need anything else in life. I look back and see how he's led me through various things, through education, the planting, also the droughts that I've lived through. All of us who have been in the ministry have gone through various things. But if we could be a tree that's planted, we will be bearing fruit. In John chapter 15 and verse 16, those passages in John, where Jesus Christ has his discourse with his disciples before he's led to his crucifixion, are truly marvelous words that have to do with every single one of ours' life and how we are called to become disciples and the help that we will receive.

John chapter 15 verse 16, You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit. Is it too risky for me to say that to you? We have chosen you. You came out here for some reason. You didn't come to ABC to be a party school. That wasn't on your application. You came here to learn the Bible.

And it was more than just learning the Bible, because it's not been a casual experience. It's been from early morning to five o'clock after five o'clock in the evening, day after day after day, six hundred hours' worth. We came here to educate you so that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain. That we'd have something to show that would be there, visible, so that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. When you bear fruit, it isn't something just for you. It's for somebody else. When you're a fruit tree, you want it to be pleasant, useful, delicious, nutritious for somebody else.

Psalm 92, verse 13. Those who are planted, Psalm 92, verse 13, those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age. They shall be fresh and flourishing.

Now, if you could indulge me, I want to read a few more things, except it's not about the past, it's about the current class. I won't name your names, but we had a forum, Student Assembly, a few weeks after classes started this year, and here's what you said. Here's what you said, okay? Let's see what you said, but I won't name who it is. I grew up in the church and heard about ABC for a long time and wanted to go. I went to college and debated with myself whether or not to go. I came to ABC to have a stronger foundation and stronger faith to be able to have a stronger relationship with God. I wanted to have a fire in the belly to have that relationship. Next. I grew up in the church but spent a lot of time away from church and didn't care personally until I went through intense trials in my life last year. I love kids and helping others. I want to learn to serve and bring me to His glory and learn how to serve Him. I want to be where He wants me to be. These are public things that you have said.

Another one. I came to ABC. Everyone was talking about ABC. I found that life became a distraction from the church and my career was taking precedence. I wanted God's truth to take precedence above my career and I want to have more understanding. Another one. I've been thinking of coming to ABC since I was 16 and waited until after high school to come. Doors have opened for me to come and when I found out someone else was also thinking of coming, I thought that I would come. Knowledge. I wanted to get some. I wanted to serve in any capacity God has for me. Wouldn't it be nice to see this planting after a year take off two, three, four years of somebody who really is a tree that is serving with fruit? Next. I grew up in the church but for a few years I was not coming to church. I wanted to learn the foundations I had grown up with in the church. I want to strengthen my foundation and my relationship with God. So here are some people that have gone aside. Come back. Next. I want to be able to teach my future kids God's way of life. Next. I wanted to come to ABC for 10 years but it didn't work out because of money. I want to be firmly grounded with a stronger foundation in the Bible. I hope to serve in the congregation as needed. Another one. I used to attend another church of God. I've not been very involved in church activities but listened to sermons online and realized I didn't know much and needed more than just self-studies. I saw the opportunity to understand the Bible and be able to explain and defend questions asked of me and that God would use me to share the truth. I want to deepen my relationship with God and do more for the church. Next. The mission statement from 1 Corinthians 13, 4-8, the love verses, was discussed at Bible study that God is love. I want to be an example of that definition and insert I in the definition. I am kind. I suffer long and be able to more strongly say that by the end of ABC. Next. I started to serve in a local congregation but was afraid to speak. A deacon helped me. I started sign language which gave me confidence and I moved on to sermonettes. The Holy Spirit helped me to give to people. I grew up in a church and my father helped me to learn from the Bible. I want to learn the Bible from A to Z and serve God and His people. I want to be a pastor. If God opens the door, I want to be His servant.

Next. I came to ABC to learn more about the Bible. I want to know God's way, the best way to live. ABC will teach me according to Christ's teachings. I wait to see what God shows me and where to go. Next. ABC has been the desire all my life. In my area, it is only my parents and me who are in the church. I want to strengthen my relationship with God, be strong in the faith, and that relationship. Next. I grew up in a church. I learned about ABC and I wanted to go, but I wasn't sure when. I came to a crossroads after graduating from college. Now I have the opportunity to root myself in God's word and strengthen my foundation in the Bible.

Here's another one. I'm new in the church. Only for a year and a half. I read the Bible every day and saw sermons online. I had a good job, but I was getting in the way. I want to get a strong spiritual foundation and go to where God wants me to go and be where He wants me to be. I want to give glory to God and Christ and get the doctrinal foundation correct.

Another one. My pastor taught me so much and I want to learn more. Next. I thought about it and my relationship with God was on a plateau due to school. It was difficult to decide, but I want to grow and develop. I'm not here to chill. I want to learn and understand and have discussions with my dad and be able to give an answer. Next. I wanted to come to ABC. I wanted a better understanding of the Bible and strengthened my understanding above what my parents taught me. Another one. I grew up in a Sunday-keeping church but didn't like the feeling there. I want to be confident in what I know, the holy days and the whole holidays of the world. I'm not sure of plans afterward, but I felt that God was calling me to come to ABC. Two more. I wanted to attend ABC. I heard of it at camp over and over. I want to strengthen my foundation and to strengthen my relationship with God. And last one. I've known about ABC for a long time, but had excuses not to come. I realized that excuses didn't work. I want to have boldness and confidence in God's way.

I certainly hope these were so inspiring for me to read. You know, I actually had tears when I read them the first time. Kathy DeCampos, or my secretary, Diane Bailey, wrote these down. I always have her take notes of the very first forum that I do every year because I ask questions. What do you want to get out of ABC? Where are you at? Just tell us. And I'm just so inspired to read these again because I see the passion, the desire, the willingness to think differently. To think differently in whatever direction life takes you with occupation, career, marriage, location, where you live. I see you're not being alone, but being with God.

Colossians chapter 1 and verse 10. Colossians 1 verse 10. That you may walk worthy of the Lord, this is Paul's wish to the Church of Colossae, that you may walk worthy of the Lord. I hope that all of us do. Fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. I hope that we can add your bio to the list of alumni that have benefited themselves, their families, the Church, and have benefited the work of God. It's been a pleasure knowing you this past year. I wish my wife and I lament that we could have done better. We've been gone quite a bit. We're sad to see you go. You know what's really sad? After you're all gone, we don't want to come downstairs. From upstairs. It's so quiet. It is so quiet.

We enjoyed being with you, enjoyed getting to know you, and wish again that we had more time. May God bless you in where you may be going. You will remember ABC. It will be a part of you. There will be aspects of it that no one can take away from you. And I hope that we can meet up on future Church visits as I come into your different areas. May God be with you, grace to you, and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.