FC 25th Anniversary: Transcript

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25

“Keep on Running”

By Ed Young

March 1, 2015

For the past 25 years, Fellowship Church has pursued our passion of reaching people and helping them experience the power of a relationship with Jesus Christ. Over that time countless marriages have been restored, families strengthened, and lives empowered to live boldly and successfully.

In this special 25th Anniversary Celebration, Pastor Ed Young looks back at the impact God has allowed Fellowship Church to have. And we look forward to the next 25 years, we realize that what has happened is just a glimpse of what is ahead!

Transcripts

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“God, you brought every person here for a reason, that you would give me the words to say.  Because God you know I have nothing to say but you have everything to say.  And I pray that you would take these words, use me as an instrument, and may we hear these words and apply them to where we live in every area of our lives.  For we voice this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, our living Lord, and for his sake alone.  Amen.”

About a year ago today I received a telephone call in my office and a man said,

“Ed, my name is Wayne Long and I work for the Houston Tenneco Marathon.  And I was wondering if you could come and bring a sermon to all the marathon runners before they actually run the race.” 

I said, “Wayne, that’d be no problem.  I’d love to do that.”  But he said,

“One thing… not only do I want you to preach to the marathon runners but I want you to run the marathon.”  And I said,

“Wayne, you’re talking about 26.2 miles.  Did I hear you correctly?” He said,

Description

25

“Keep on Running”

By Ed Young

March 1, 2015

For the past 25 years, Fellowship Church has pursued our passion of reaching people and helping them experience the power of a relationship with Jesus Christ. Over that time countless marriages have been restored, families strengthened, and lives empowered to live boldly and successfully.

In this special 25th Anniversary Celebration, Pastor Ed Young looks back at the impact God has allowed Fellowship Church to have. And we look forward to the next 25 years, we realize that what has happened is just a glimpse of what is ahead!

Transcripts

<video>

“God, you brought every person here for a reason, that you would give me the words to say.  Because God you know I have nothing to say but you have everything to say.  And I pray that you would take these words, use me as an instrument, and may we hear these words and apply them to where we live in every area of our lives.  For we voice this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, our living Lord, and for his sake alone.  Amen.”

About a year ago today I received a telephone call in my office and a man said,

“Ed, my name is Wayne Long and I work for the Houston Tenneco Marathon.  And I was wondering if you could come and bring a sermon to all the marathon runners before they actually run the race.” 

I said, “Wayne, that’d be no problem.  I’d love to do that.”  But he said,

“One thing… not only do I want you to preach to the marathon runners but I want you to run the marathon.”  And I said,

“Wayne, you’re talking about 26.2 miles.  Did I hear you correctly?” He said,

“Yes, Ed.  I want you to run the marathon.” I said,

“Wayne, I’m not a runner!  I played a little bit of basketball, that’s about it.”  He said,

“Don’t worry.  I’ve run many marathons.  They’re no problem.  I’ll train you.  I’ll give you the strategy so you can run a marathon and it’ll be easy.”  I said,

“Wayne, let me think about it.”  So I called him back and said, “OK, I’m game.”  He gave me a training schedule and I began to train, and the day before the race Wayne Long walks up to me and says,

“Ed, come here.  This is the strategy.  Ed, do not begin the race very quickly.  Your adrenaline will be flowing.  You’ll want to run.  Start slow.  Get in a good pace and be sure to drink a lot of water.  Every time water’s offered to you, drink the water.  Also, don’t move to the right or to the left because that will expel energy.  Don’t talk.  Keep your eyes focused ahead and run the race.  Run inside yourself.  Then the last six miles, three miles, if you feel some extra measure of strength you can go ahead and kick it in and run the race.”  I said,

“Wayne, I’ll try.”  So I ran the race and along the way I saw people being taken off in ambulances.  I saw other people with blisters on their feet, some crying, some literally falling over, and I was saying to myself, their strategy did not work.  And I’m thinking my strategy – Wayne’s strategy – worked!  So as I finally struggle and crawl across the finish line, my wife is there, my daughter, LeeBeth, some of my friends.  I’m feeling so good and they inform me. 

“Ed, guess what?  A young girl pushing a baby carriage with a 3-year-old child finished five minutes before you did.”  Well that definitely took the wind out of my sail. 

This morning I want to talk to you about strategy.  Because every person here is involved in a race.  Not the Houston Tenneco Marathon, not the White Rock Marathon, not even Boston, not in New York, not the Las Colinas Fun Run, but a marathon called the Christian life.

I tell you, a lot has changed since then, my accent, and our great church, because we had no idea Fellowship Church would turn into the church it is today.  And isn’t it absolutely awesome?  Only God, only God, could have done what has been done.  Only God.  It’s a God thing, when you think about Fellowship Church.

And you know, 25 years ago we kicked it off with 25 or 30 families, who were totally committed.  They were like, all right.  We’re ready to run the marathon, and some of them are here.  Would you stand?  Some of the original members of Fellowship Church!  I love each and every one of you!  Thank you for being a part of the marathon, thank you for being a part of the race.  Thank you for running the race.  That’s a good place for a standing ovation, right there.  All right, please be seated.

You know, as you heard me say I did run a marathon.  I did.  And I had a lot of good coaching.  Basically a guy gave me the strategy.  He told me what to do and he said, you know, take water.  As you just heard me say 25 years ago, at every water station.  He also said something else.  He said, “Ed, just keep on running.”

That’s what he said.  He said, “Don’t worry about your pace.  Don’t get caught up in people running faster than you or slower than you, just keep on running.”

And that is so true, isn’t it?  We all have a race to run.  And this race is unique to your life and mine.  I want to read you a text.  Philippians 3:13, which is all about a race.  You might be going, “wait a minute.  A race?  Why is the Bible talking about a race?”

One of the most used metaphors describing the Christian life is that of an athlete.  It’s that of someone running.  And you’re going to hear the context, because the context would be the ancient Greek games.  You couldn’t run in the race unless you were a citizen. I’ll say it again.  You couldn’t run in these games unless you were a citizen, unless you had your birth certificate that showed you were a part of this culture.

So notice in this text the writer is talking to Christ followers, those who are believers.  Those who have their citizenship in Heaven.  So it’s not like we’re trying to be a Christian, it’s not like we’re running and we’re like, “if I finish in the top 10% maybe I’ll be a citizen of Heaven.”  No.  We know the race is all about grace.  It is a race of grace, and the race of grace determines the pace of which we run.  So this race – and I’m going to read to you – this race I’m going to describe to you is all about what happens after we become followers of Christ.

Again, if we could see the race God has for us individually and collectively we wouldn’t believe it.  If you had told me 25 years ago, “Ed, here’s how fast we’re going to run.  Here’s what Fellowship Church will do here and around the world.”  I’d be like, “you’ve got to be smoking something!  No way!  You’ve got to be kidding me!”  That’s how amazing it’s been for our church.

Now think about your life.  Think about the race that God wants you to run in your marriage.  Think about the race God wants you to run with your friendships, in your business.  Think about the race that God wants you to run in the way you handle your finances.  Think about the race God wants you to run as you use your unique abilities.  If we could go to Heaven right now we would be like, God!  It’s that amazing.

So if you have your Bibles turn to the book of Philippians.  Philippians 3:13.  And the first thing I want you to notice is feel the strategy of this verse.  Here’s St. Paul writing this.  We’re talking about one of the great Christians to ever walk on planet Earth, the apostle Paul.  One minute he’s persecuting Christians.  He has this ridiculous transformation as his soul is ambushed by God.  Now he becomes one of the great believers.  Here’s what Paul says:  “I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet.”

Here’s Paul saying, “You know, I’ve not arrived.  I’m not the man.  No, no, no.  I still have a long way to go.”  I love that in Scripture.  That’s what I love about Fellowship Church, because the tone and the tenor of Fellowship for 25 years has never been “Oh, we got this.  Oh, we’re dialed on.  Oh, this is the only way to do it.”  No, we’ve never said that.  We’ve always said it’s a God thing.  We’re under the authority of the  Bible, and because of that, as long as they’re biblically driven, is unique.  Each church has their own lane to run in.  So the moment I say, “Oh, look how fast I’m running…”

And you know when I was running that race – and the first thing I want you to write down is we have to accept God’s strategy.  Accept God’s strategy.  I mean, his strategy is the best.  After all he’s the author, he’s the finisher.  He created us, he knows what’s best.  So accept God’s strategy and we have a freedom of choice.  We can either accept God’s strategy or we can say, “God, I’m going to do my own thing.  I know better than you, God.  I know how to run my life.  Stay out of my business!  I’m going to do what I’m going to do, and then I’ll ask you to bless it.”

How many times have I been guilty of this?  “I’m going to act, I’m going to do what I’m going to do, I’m going to run the way I want to run.  Now God, you bless it.”

So be very, very careful when you compare yourself to other people.  While I was running that race years ago I remember thinking, “Haha!  I’m a lot faster than him.  I’m in better shape than her.  She’s really struggling.”

And then all of a sudden the baby carriage passed me with the woman.  Gave me wind burn she was going so fast.  And it messed with me!  And I saw people, I saw people in this marathon stopping, getting sick, paramedics.  It began to mess with my mind, accept God’s strategy.  I just said to myself, “OK, this guy has taught me how to run.  I’ve trained.  I accepted his strategy.  I’m just going to keep on running one foot in front of the other.”

There have been many times in the history of this church that I’ve wanted to quit.  Too much pressure, too much drama, too many hurdles.  “How can we ever get a tract of land, God?  How can we ever build a building?  How can we ever have a staff to pull off what we thought that God wanted us to do?  How, God?  I’m not sure.  I quit!”

It’s OK to say you’re going to quit if you know you’re not going to quit.  And I understand in marriage, even especially as a parent, maybe in this job that’s driving you Betsy-bug crazy.  You might be going, man, I want to quit.  I want to quit school.  I want to quit.  I want to mail it in.  I understand that.  It’s OK to say that if you know you’re not going to do that.  Keep on running.

I discovered sometimes some of the best advice is just show up.  Just show up.  Just keep on running.  I don’t want to go to church this weekend!  Keep on running.  I don’t feel like it!  It’s snowing, freezing rain.  The roads are dicey.  Keep on running.

So notice this strategy – and this is what is so, so brilliant.  “I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet.”  Don’t compare yourself to others, because the moment you compare yourself to others you lose your uniqueness.  You lose your uniqueness.  You lose your uniqueness.  “… but this one thing I do.”

Now this is Paul talking.  One thing.  Not these 47 things I dabble in.  This one thing I do.  And so often, if I’m the enemy (which I’m not), but if I’m the enemy I want to get up inside your grill, up inside you and whisper lies to you.  I want to get you so involved in good races that you miss the best race.  I want to get you so involved in doing so many good things that you miss the best.

Isn’t that true?  That happens.  It’s so easy because there are so many different opportunities we all have, especially in this world of options.

Well Paul, St. Paul, has boiled it down.  This one thing I do.  What is that?  It’s to keep our “eyes focused on the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus.”

That’s it!  So our priorities have already been settled.  There’s no use arguing or debating over them.  I’m not sure about this.  I’m not sure about that.  Some of us, though, need to go “You know what?  I’ve been doing 47 things.  I’ve been dabbling.”  And then you look back at your life and go, “Dang!  I’ve burned up a lot of fuel running in circles here, there, and yonder, I didn’t keep the main thing the main thing.”

I heard a great person say one time years ago.  “I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet but this one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.”  I love those strong words.  Forgetting, reaching.  If I’m an athlete I’m forgetting those things behind.  I’m reaching.

Now some go, “OK, are you talking about having spiritual amnesia?  Are you talking about once you become a believer you forget you messed up?  You forget that hurtful habit?  You forget the carnage?”  No, no, no, no, no, no.  This is from God’s perspective.  He’s telling us, he’s showing us what it’s like as he sees the race.

More often than not we see time as past, present, and future.  Yeah, past, present, future, that’s it.  Past, present, future, that’s it.  No, no.  Let’s see it from God’s perspective.  The future, flowing into the present, and the present flowing into the past.

Owen Goff told me this, brilliant statement.  This is the Tweet of the day.  Owen Goff, right there, lift your hand, Owen.  An original member of Fellowship Church.  O to the G!  He’s always said, “Invest in your future because one day your future… let me start again.  <rewind sound effect>”  You know, my kids have forbidden me from doing my favorite sound effect, the rewind sound effect.  They won’t let me do it anymore. But you know what, it’s the 25th anniversary and I’m going to do it!  <rewind sound effect>  <rewind sound effect>  <rewind sound effect>

Invest in your future,” Owen says, “because one day your future will be your past.”  Now that’s the Tweet of the day.  So I’m thinking about the future.  So once I’ve been messed up by God’s mercy, once I’ve been gutted by his grace, power-washed by his blood, what happens in my life?  Now the past takes on a totally different perspective.  It’s like, whoa!

Think about Joseph. Joseph, he is a guy of moving from the pit to the pinnacle, because pit happens, right?  You’re going to be pushed into the pit.  You’re going to be betrayed.  You’re going to be messed around.  His brothers – because only those who are close to you can betray you.  <rewind sound effect>  Because only those who are close to you can betray you, they pushed him into the pit.  He was sold off into slavery.

And here’s Joe, decades later, I mean he is the man!  A major player!  A power hitter!  He hadn’t seen his brothers in a long, long time and they come crawling back to him.  They didn’t know, they didn’t recognize him.  He had totally taken on a new look.  He had every opportunity to stick it to them, to make them pay.  You know what happened, though?  Because of God’s love he looked back on his past, back on being shoved into the pit, back on being sold into slavery, back on that huge negative social media campaign against him.  He looked back to that and he’s seeing it from God’s perspective and he’s like, “God, you didn’t cause it but you have used it to make me into the man I am.”  And he forgave his brothers!  He said, “You meant it for evil, guys.  God has used it for good.”

It doesn’t mean that everything is good.  Some things are horrible, some things are tragic.  Some things we’ll never, every understand.  But God causes all things to work together for good.  So we remember what we should forget and forget what we should remember.

Let’s have that divine memory.  Let’s see our past, right, the way God sees it.  “This one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.”

How ridiculous would I look if I’m running a race and I’m looking behind me the whole way?  I’m going to trip, I’m going to fall, I’m going to mess up.  And sometimes you’ll meet people who are so locked into the past that they don’t live in the present and they’re not thinking about the future.

I met a guy the other day, and God bless him.  Bless his heart.  He’s still bringing up JV football.  This guy’s like 38 years old!  I’m like, “dude, give it up!  I know you were a star running back on the JV team.  I knew you blew your knee out.  Yes you’d be starting for the Cowboys, I know all that, if you hadn’t hurt your knee, but give it up!”

Because if we talk about the past all the time we want to go to the past and we want to live in the past, yet we keep God, because of our simpleness, from doing what he wants to do in the present and the future.

It’s great to celebrate!  I mean I’m all about 25 years!  Let’s take a look back.  Look at the grace of God.  Look at Fellowship Church.  Look what God has done.  I’m all about that!  We need to celebrate and party.  Christians need to show the world how to party.  We need to show the world how to celebrate.  That’s why I love all of this we’ve done.  But, we’ve got to look to the future.  Because the next 25 are going to be better than the last 25.  Accept God’s strategy.  That’s all Paul is saying, accept God’s strategy.

Now I believe that God loves coffee.  I believe that coffee is a holy and sanctified drink.  I really do.  And this next verse is caffeinated.  It’s in the book of He-brews.  He brews.  God’s not brewing any decaf, I’ll tell you that.  That’s of the devil.  The devil came, the Bible says somewhere I think, to brew decaf.  I think that’s…

But Hebrews 12:1, Paul is continuing with this race vibe, this strategy.  But now he moves into synergy.  Connect with his synergy.

Years ago that word was so popular.  You know, words are popular sometimes.  Synergy, synergy, synergy, synergy.  Everyone!  Remember that back in the day?  Synergy.  The words they’re saying now that are so popular, one of the words if you don’t listen to different news commentators and political pundits.  They like to say ‘look.’  Look…blah-blah-blah.  Look… blah-blah-blah.  I just like to pick up on idiosyncrasies.  Anyway, synergy, going back. I’ve had too much caffeine, that’s the problem.

Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses…”  Think about the witnesses who are watching us, I believe, from the heavenlies, run this race.  “Since we have a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us…”

What does the word synergy mean?  What’s that about?  Here’s the definition: joint work toward a common goal.  That’s synergy.  Joint work toward a common goal.  That’s the story of Fellowship.  That’s the story.

ILLUS: I remember 25 years ago, Owen Goff asked me a question.  One of the 30 families, Owen said, “Ed, your father pastors the largest church in America.  We’ve got 30 families.  You’re our only staff member.  What are you going to do?”  That’s a brilliant question.  “You’ve come from a staff of nearly 1,000 people to Irving, Texas, 30 families, you’re the only staff member.  What are you going to do?”  That’s a good question.  And in my ignorance, in my stupidity… you know sometimes in your stupidity you say things that are brilliant and you know it’s from God.  It’s like, how am I saying that?  That’s God, because I’m not that smart.

So I just said, “Well, Owen, I tell you what I’m going to do.  I’m going to treat most of the church as staff members.  Now we can’t pay anybody anything but we’re going to treat you like staff members.”  Like, wow!  That’s brilliant!  I know it’s not from me, that’s from God.

There’s no doubt.  So we started this servant culture 25 years ago. We began to, and it’s amazing to think about the one-anothers in the Bible.  The serve one another, encourage one another, pray for one another, help one another.  And we had all these one-anothers join up.  I think about little Doris Scoggins right here.  Doris lift your hand.  Doris, you’re wearing my favorite color today!  Purple!  Doris just, she was in the corporate world.  She goes, “I’ll volunteer!”  Doris, man, she’s sweet as honey but also don’t make her mad.  She’s a lioness.  Don’t get on her bad side, now.  No, no.  Her family, Prentice… isn’t that a great name?  Prentice.  Their kids.  I can look at Dean and Caroline West and the Nashes, and some of the others.  I shouldn’t have named names because I’m going to start naming more names.  But you feel me!  We started that one-another culture, that one-another culture, and we fed off the synergy.  It’s like, whoa!  We’re doing this together!

Now go back to the race.  I’m feeding off the synergy.  I’m running in my own lane, yeah.  No doubt about that.  I’m not comparing myself with others, but I am having people with me to cheer me on and to encourage me.  And how many times have I felt like I’ve been beaten up?  Broke, busted, and disgusted, depressed, despondent, debilitated.  I’ve come into church.  I’ve said to myself, “you know, I’m going into church.”  Keep on running.  And someone has encouraged me.  Someone has said, “Way to go!”  Someone has said, “how are you doing?”  Someone helped me.  That is the church.  A hunk of people, a hunk of sinners, who are in love with the Savior.  A colossal collection of moral foul-ups.

ILLUS: I went to Asia years ago on a mission trip.  I went with four professional baseball players.  I’m not a baseball player.  I like basketball but baseball’s not my gig.  And we found ourselves in Korea in the demilitarized zone, talking to these Marines.  And these Marines, man, pretty bad dudes.  So they’re looking at us.  They’re like,

“We have an all-star softball team,” they said.  “And we want to challenge you guys, you pro athletes, to a game of softball.”  I’m thinking to myself, oh no.  I’m not a part of this.  So sure enough we start this game.  Four pro baseball players and me against these Marines.

So the pro players go, “Hey Ed, you’re leading off.”  Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.  So they’re at the backstop.  One of the guys at the time was the home run leader for the American League looking at me.  I mean I’m talking about Skoal-dipping, home-run ripping, uniform-wearing pro baseball player.  Here I am.  And here is Mike Marine pitching.  All-star Mike Marine.  So I’m like, “oh Lord, give me the strength!  Lord, help me!”  And I’m telling you, I looked back – I’ll never forget this – and I looked at those guys, their intensity, and I don’t know if it was fear or what.  I fed off their synergy.  The first pitch <knocking sound>  … they were like, “Wow!”  I played like A-rod on steroids!  It was ridiculous!  Out of my mind!  It’s the last time I ever played softball.  That’s what I’m saying.

So as we’re running the race we have all these people who have gone before us.  Think about it.  You’re feeling down, Abraham is saying take the step of faith.  You feel like you’re fighting a giant, and this giant is insurmountable, can’t you hear David saying, “Take on Goliath!  It’s God’s battle!”  Daniel is saying, “Hey, you feel like you’re in the lion’s den in this situation?  God will take you through the lion’s den.”

Maybe you’re like, “You don’t realize what I’ve done.  You don’t’ realize how far away I am from you, God.  I’ve gone off the track.”  Samson is saying, “I’m telling you, there’s a second chance for you.”

Simon Peter, who said, “Jesus, I’ve got your back.  I’ll never fail you.  I’ll never turn my back on you.” Yet when Jesus needed him the most, he bolted.  Then later on after the resurrection he was forgiven.

Maybe some of you are just one prayer away from that forgiveness.  Maybe you’re a student and you’re like, “Man, people call me a fool.  I’m living for the Lord.  I’m involved here at Fellowship.”  They’re saying something’s wrong with you.  You’re not sleeping with her and smoking that or drinking that.  Man!  Maybe Noah is saying, “Hey, they can call you a fool.  They called me a fool when I was building that big old boat called an ark and look at what happened.  We have all of these people.  You’ve got Deborah.  You’ve got Ruth.  You’ve got Esther.  And finally you have Jesus, the author – I’ll say it again – and perfector of our faith.  Endurance, courage, commitment.

As he was hanging on the cross, suspended between Heaven and Earth, don’t you know every demon was saying, “Jump down.  You’re God.  It’s not worth it!”  He persevered.  He endured because he had your sins and mine on his mind.  And it’s because of Jesus that we’re in the race.  Focus on Jesus.

So connect with the synergy.  That’s why it’s so huge to be a part of the local church.  That’s why it’s so huge to gather together weekly.  Synergy!  Synergy, joint work toward a common goal.

And here’s something else.  Yeah, we can accept his strategy and connect with the synergy, but also we can tap into the energy that God has for us.  We love energy.  Four shots of espresso a day.  Red Bull, Rockstar, Full Throttle, 5-Hour Energy, Monster.  And I’m all for that.  That’s great if you want to do that.  Energy, wow!

Hebrews 12:1-2 also talks about energy.  It says, “Let us also lay aside every encumbrance…” good thing, sinful thing.  If I’m running a marathon I’m not going to wear combat boots and a trench coat.  “… and the sin which so easily entangles us.  And let us run with endurance…”  Endurance.  The race.  “… that is set before us.”  Are you running the race?  “Fixing our eyes on Jesus.”  Again, he’s the author.  He made it up.  He’s the Creator.  “… and the foundation of our faith.”

So it’s the race of grace, church, that determines the pace.  Stay in your lane and we will stay in our land collectively.  We’ll encourage one another.  We’ll help one another.

Did you see the parkers?  Facing the elements this weekend with snow and rain.  If you’ve been a part of the parking crew stand to your feet.  If you’ve ever volunteered in the parking ministry, stand to your feet.  Just the parking ministry.  Now, on the count of 3 I want you to say, keep on running.  1-2-3- Keep on running!

How about our children’s ministry?  If you’ve ever volunteered or you volunteer in the children and preschool ministry, stand.  Way up in the balcony, stand.  1-2-3, let’s say it again.  Keep on running!

How about the student ministry?  We have literally thousands that come every Wednesday night.  If you volunteer or help in the student ministry, you stand.  Keep on running!

How about the greeting and extravagant hospitality?  If you’re in that ministry, the ushers ministry, stand!  Let’s say it together.  Keep on running!

If you happen to work or volunteer at Allaso Ranch, our retreat center on 1,100 acres in East Texas, if you’ve ever done that.  If you’ve been a trainer or washed dishes, stand.  Let’s say it.  Keep on running!

If you’ve volunteered with our international conference, C3, the Creative Church Conference, if you’ve helped in any way, stand.  Keep on running!  I said keep on running!  I said keep on running!  I said keep on running!

Your marriage maybe kind of feels like it’s blasé?  Keep on running!  Your family is maybe fragmented?  Say it with me, keep on running!  Maybe your finances are out of kilter and you’re like, can we make it?  Keep on running!  Accept God’s strategy, connect with his synergy, tap into his energy.  Because God’s way works!

If you believe that stand to your feet and give God a crazy round of applause, because God’s way works!  The gates of Hell will not prevail against the church!  The church is where it happens!  The church is where we find purpose and meaning and power!  The church is the living, breathing body of Christ!  The church takes Hell by the square foot!  I love our church!  And if you love Fellowship Church give the Lord a crazy round of applause!  Keep on running!  Say it again.  Keep on running!  Church, keep on running!  Next 25 years, keep on running!

[Ed leads in closing prayer.]