Pastor Rick’s Corner

We are excited about our new web sight! We are still in the construction phase and are working hard to get it all up and going. I think you will all be pleased with it.

You will be able to listen to the latest sermons preached from the pulpit at Abundant Life, submit your prayer requests, as well a keep up with all the upcoming events.

We still have some work to do so keep coming back!

God Bless,

Pastor Rick

 As a part of an assignment for a doctoral thesis, a college student spent a year with a group of Navajo Indians on a reservation in the Southwest.

As he did his research he lived with one family, sleeping in their hut, eating their food, working with them, and generally living the life of a twentieth-century Indian.
The old grandmother of the family spoke no English at all, yet a very close friendship formed between the two.
They spent a great deal of time sharing a friendship that was meaningful to each, yet unexplainable to anyone else.

In spite of the language difference, they shared the common language of love and understood each other.
Over the months he learned a few phrases of Navajo, and she picked up a little of the English language.

When it was time for him to return to the campus and write his thesis, the tribe held a going-away celebration. It was marked by sadness since the young man had become close to the whole village and all would miss him.
As he prepared to get up into the pickup truck and leave, the old grandmother came to tell him good-bye. With tears streaming from her eyes, she placed her hands on either side of his face, looked directly into his eyes and said, “I like me best when I’m with you.”

Isn’t that the way we feel in the presence of Jesus? He brings out the best in us. We learn to see ourselves as worthy and
valuable when we are in His presence. The hurts, the cares, the disappointments of our lives are behind us when we look in His eyes and realize the depth of His love. Our self-esteem no longer depends on what we have done or failed to do; it depends only on the value that He places on us.

To be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ is to generate in other people the Indian grandmother’s simple statement: “I like me best when I’m with you.

–James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale
House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 228.
See you in church on Sunday!
Pastor Rick

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the minister decided to visit him.

It was a chilly evening. The minister found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for the minister’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited.

The minister made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the minister took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent.

The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then it’s fire was no more. Soon it was cold and dead.

Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The minister glanced at his watch and chose this time to leave; he slowly stood up, picked up the
cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals
around it.

As the minister reached the door to leave, his host said, with a tear running down his cheek, “Thank you so much for your fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.”
This illustrates a great truth, and that is that we can’t survive without each other. I have heard people say that they don’t need to go to church, that they can live for the Lord just as good on their own.

The truth is the fellowship with those of like precious faith is of the utmost importance.

Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but to come together more as we approach the coming of the Lord.
See you in Church Sunday!

Pastor Rick

Good morning!

It was a great day at Abundant Life Family Church on Sunday.

It was Super Bowl Sunday, and we had a SUPER Service Sunday Morning. The Lord was there in a special way.

I preached a message on What it is to be a Real Jesus Fan! With so much hype today about the Super Bowl and all the enthusiasm that is expressed by sports fans today, I wanted the church to know what it means to be a real “Fan” or “Fanatic” about Jesus!

After all that Jesus has done in our lives, we owe Him all of our Praise! When I begin to think about all the Lord has done in my life, I can’t help but get a little excited.

Sunday night service was great as well. We had our largest Sunday evening attendance to date for a regualar service, and we didn’t even watch the Super Bowl at church!

We did go to a Super Bowl bash after church that was held for the Youth Group at Ronnie & Kathy’s home. Good Food & a lot of Fun!

Have a great week in the Lord!

See you in Church Sunday.

Pastor Rick

Today is Valentine’s Day and romantics everywhere are trying to find clever ways to express their love to their sweetheart with candy,hearts,cards and roses.

The only poem that I know by heart is “Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you!”  I think my wife is tired of that one, thank the Lord for Hallmark.

When it comes to love, the Bible does a better job than Hallmark could ever do because it tells of about the love of God.

Perhaps one of the best known verses in all the Bible is John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotton Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

We all know that God loves us; but the question is do we love God as we should? Jesus said in John 14:15 “If you love me keep my commandments.” That’s how we express our love back to God the Father.

But aside from that the Bible helps us to understand the real nature of this thing called LOVE.  In 1 Cor. 13 Paul shows us the qualities that will be displayed in the Christian life when they are filled with God’s Love.
The Scripture tells us in Galatians 5 that the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, and all the rest of the fruit of the Spirit flows from LOVE!

Donald Grey Barnhouse put it this way:

Love is the Key. Joy is Love singing. Peace is Love resting. Longsuffering is Love enduring. Kindness is Love’s touch. Goodness is Loves character. Faithfulness is Love’s habit. Gentleness is Love’s self forgetfulness. Self Control is Love holding the reins. 

Be sure to show the Love of Jesus to others, not just on Valentine’s day, but every day of the year.

God Bless You. Have a Great week and See you in Church Sunday!

Pastor Rick

This past Sunday was a great day at Abundant Life Family Church!

There was such a wonderful presence of the Lord that it was hard to leave when the service was dismissed.

God is doing great things! Those who are suffering from Satanic oppression are finding freedom through the Lord Jesus Christ.  There are also testimonies of physical healings for which we give the glory to Jesus!

 Continue to pray for the Church and the services. Continue to expect great things!God is sending Revival!

He is truly pouring out His Spirit on all who are thirsty and have a desire for His blessing. Just about the time we think God’s blessings couldn’t get any better He opens up the windows of Heaven and pours it out upon us again. This is what the Church needs in 2007, A grassroots Revival of Pentecost!  God is still the same, He has not changed, and He is showing Himself strong to all who will turn to Him in prayer, faith, and sincere repentence.

We are truly experiencing “Blessings from Heaven in 2007″

Have a great week!

 See you in Church Sunday!

Pastor Rick

Good Morning!

What a blessing it is to be a child of God! What a blessing it is to be filled with His Holy Spirit! I don’t know how we could survive without the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in our life and the help and comfort that He provides.

Many times people will ask “What is the benefit of speaking in other tongues?” Well, the benefits of receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues are many, but two of the benefits of speaking in tounges is found in the Old Testement book of Isaiah.

In Isaiah 28:11-12 the scripture says,

“For with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people. To whom He said, This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.”

These verses tell us of two of the greatest benefits of speaking in tounges, a Rest and Refreshing for the weary. Time spent with the Lord in your private devotions praying and worshipping God in other tongues provides a rest from the tiredness of the journey of life. Speaking with other tongues also brings about a refreshing to your spirit man that will rejuvenate you when the problems of life seem to weigh heavy on you. These are only two blessings of MANY that are available to the Spirit Filled Believer as you spend time fellowshipping with the Father in your heavenly prayer language.

Many have been the times that I have been tired and weary and spiritually exhuasted, but as I would go to the Lord in prayer, and begin to worship the Lord in other tounges I would experience a refreshing from the Lord.  It is in those times when I leave that place of prayer, I feel like a new person. Praise God for the Baptism in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues!  This is the Rest and Refreshing!

Are you tired and weary? God has provided a Rest and Refreshing! The Baptism in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues!

Have a great week in the Lord and see you in Church Sunday!

Pastor Rick

It seems that our lives can be so busy these days. How many would agree that it is hard to find the time to do everything that one needs to in a day’s time. We have our jobs, families, recreation; and church activities. We live in a fast paced soceity. With much anticipation we look for the weekend.

The problem that we face today is that when life gets too busy and their is too much to get done in the week, we tend to forget the Lord’s Day.

Sunday is the first day of the week. It is this day that was set apart by the New Testement Church for the Lord. It was their custom to assemble on the first day of the week to have a time of worship, take communion, pray, and listen to the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2)

 The Bible teaches us that we are give the Lord First place in our lives. I believe there are three main areas that He should have first place.

1) In our Love & Affection.

2) In our Financial arrangments.

3) In our management of TIME.

If Jesus is First in our lives, and our management of time, shouldn’t we give Him the First day of the week? I believe we need a day to rest, and refresh our bodies and our spirits. I am not advocating the keeping of the Jewish Sabbath, however I am advocating giving God His time! Putting Him first!

It cannot be done as a ritual or a legalistic bondage.  To reduce this to hard and cold legalism would be to return to the empty laws of dead religion.  It’s life and joy when we celebrate His Resurrection in the liberty of His finished work.  We must turn away from our own natural delight and labor to worship and renew His life in us at the begining of every week. 

Notice some important facts:

Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday. Believers should come together to commemorate the resurrection and the finished work of Christ in His victory over death, hell, and the grave.(Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:9; John 20:1)

It was on Sunday that the Lord’s appearances to His disciples occured. (John 20:19 & 26)

The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit came on Sunday. Pentecost was the first day after seven Jewish sabbaths. (Acts 2:1)

John on the island of Patmos “Was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.” Jesus appeared to him and gave him the book of Revelation on Sunday. (Rev. 1:10)

Sunday is not just another day, it is the Lord’s day! Let’s do our best to give HIM some time on His day!

I wonder if what one person said is not true: “The church with the largest Sunday Morning congregation is called, St. Mattress.”

See You in Church Sunday!

Pastor Rick