I have often done this privately one on one, but today I want to declare my gratitude to the Leadership of Metro Life Church publicly for all to see!  To save space I have put them in bullet form, but if I had the time there are stories behind each bullet – stories of God’s faithfulness to me through the faithful sacrifice of these men.

I am grateful:

-  to have been a part of Metro Life Church for 25 years.
-  to Benny for teaching me how deep the Word of God is, and the Truths waiting to be discovered through study.
- to Danny for teaching me how to be honest and real.  We set out to discover New Testament reality 25 years ago and recently discovered it’s the Gospel!  Amazing!
- to Danny for the many times he has taken me with him through his teaching to discover a new way of seeing the Truth.  I love those moments when I finally “get it”.
- to Benny for teaching me about mortifying sin.  I had no idea what this looked like in daily life until he helped clarify this – it changed my life!
- to Mike for demonstrating passion for God, Prayer and the Prophetic.  His encouragement has pushed me forward in areas I would have ignored.
- to Danny for demonstrating what a God-glorifying marriage looks like and for being available to help us “go and do likewise”.
- to Benny for wisdom and discernment that has helped me identify blind spots in my heart bringing freedom and growth.
- to Benny and Danny for challenging me when I was listening to myself instead of listening to the Truth.
- to all of them – the men of our Leadership Team – for helping us raise our children, train our children and have faith for our children.
- for men who are trustworthy.
- for men who listen to God. Although not perfect, I know they are listening to God and He will continue to lead this church – His church – as a result.
- for men who are approachable.
- for men who are teachable.
- for men who are accountable – not because they have to be, but because they want to be.
- for men who love God more than the applause of men.
- for men who carry us deeply in their hearts with great affection.
- for men willing to stay the course no matter how hard the winds blow.
- for men who are faithful and willing to do the hard things when it comes to their own lives and the life of the church.
- this journey of Christianity following behind Danny, Benny, Mike, and now Jesse and Aaron.
- to God for allowing us to be a part of what He’s doing at Metro Life Church and also in Sovereign Grace Ministries worldwide.

What's your letter?

I shudder to think where I would be today without the influence of these men in my life.  I am amazed at God’s kindness to me!  I love this church – the good, the bad and the ugly!  Jesus is the head and it’s for His glory I am working hard to do my part to see it succeed.  I have learned that I am a part of the big picture – it may be a small part, but I must be faithful to do it nonetheless.  I learned this through the preaching of God’s Word.  I’ve learned about Grace, The Kingdom of God, Critical Judgments vs. Charitable Judgments, Pride and Humility, What a godly marriage looks like, what godly parenting looks like, what my responsibilities are and what responsibilities are God’s.  I’ve made friendships here that are built on so much more than common interests.  In fact most of my friends are not like me at – they think differently which helps me change in areas I wouldn’t see left to my own observations.  We have friends spread all over the country who were sent out on church plants as a result of the envisioning of Danny Jones.  He has inspired me to believe God is at work in our church spreading His Kingdom among us, which, by the way, is another man whose teaching changed my thinking and how I live as a result:  Wayne Brooks taught me the meaning of God’s kingdom coming – it’s “the rule and reign of Christ” in any particular situation.  When I pray for Sovereign Grace Ministries and the pastors who lead them, this is my prayer:

“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Any success we have is only because of Christ and His Kingdom coming and ruling among us.  Yet God uses jars of clay; thank you Danny, Benny, Mike and now, Jesse and Aaron, for your willingness to be used by God and for the way you lay your lives down for us.  The sacrifices you make are many and greatly appreciated.  I am one of those who will stand before God on that day and testify of the good works you have done in His name.  You haven’t buried your talent – you have multiplied them 100 fold, and I have been the grateful recipient of those talents.  Not only that, but you’ve taught me to go and do likewise!

May God strengthen your faith and resolve by my words.

I am your grateful friend,

Debi Walter