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May 21, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Family & Kids Ministry Update
Spring has sprung 🌸 Spring Carnival is this Saturday and we could not be more excited! We still need about 10 volunteers to help run game booths and assist with face painting from 9:30AM setup onward.Sign Up Here Many hands make light work, and honestly, it's one of the most fun mornings of the year. Bring sunscreen. Our Sunday Kids Church curriculum this month is walking through the story of David. We’re talking about courage, failure, grace, and restoration. Big themes, told in ways that actually land for a 6-year-old. Parents, ask your kids about it on the drive home! This week's lesson focuses on 1 Samuel 16:7, "The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." We're teaching our kids early that they are seen and valued for exactly who they are. We also want to spotlight one of our incredible volunteers, Rosa Mendez, who has served in the 4-year-old classroom every single Sunday for the past three years. Rosa, you are the definition of faithful. Our kids light up when they see you walk through that door. Thank you. Is God calling you to take your next step? Join Rosa’s team and start volunteering today. Coming up: Easter Sunday kids programming registration opens April 1. Spots fill fast – mark your calendar.
May 21, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Women's Ministry Update
Will we be found faithful? We are in the heart of our spring Bible study series, "Rooted," and week 6 through the book of Ruth does not disappoint. This Tuesday, we're sitting with Ruth 2 – the moment Boaz notices Ruth gleaning in the fields and says, "I've been told all about what you have done." Her faithfulness was seen, even when she thought no one was watching. There is so much in that for us. New faces are always welcome. Bring your friend or family member. Printed study guides are available at the door, and you can jump in at any point in the series. Many women have joined mid-series and said they wished they'd come sooner. If you've been on the fence, Tuesday is your week.Sign Up Here We're thrilled to spotlight Dr. Kezia Addo, one of our Women's Ministry small group leaders, who just successfully defended her doctoral dissertation in public health last week. Kezia, you have juggled leadership, study, family, and faith with extraordinary grace. We celebrate you. Volunteer need: We're looking for women with hospitality gifts to help coordinate light refreshments for our Tuesday evenings. It's a small role with a big impact. You’re suited to do this. 📅 Women's Bible Study – Tuesday, March 24, 6:30 PM in Room 104 Upcoming: Women's Spring Brunch – Saturday, April 19, 10:00 AM in the Fellowship Hall. Tickets available at lifeabundant.la/women.
May 21, 2026 • 7 Minute Read
Devotional
Weekly Devotional – March 19, 2026 "Words For The Valley: A Journey Through Psalm 23" Before You Begin Find a quiet place if you can. Put your phone face down. Take three slow breaths. This devotional is not meant to be rushed – it's meant to be inhabited. Read it the way you'd walk a familiar path you haven't taken in a while: slowly, noticing what's changed in you since the last time you were here. Psalm 23 is probably the most recognized passage in all of Scripture. Most of us have heard it at funerals. Many of us learned it as children. And precisely because it is so familiar, it can slide past us without landing. Our goal this week is to read it slowly enough that it surprises us again. Read the Psalm Aloud The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil.
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. A Word to Open David wrote this psalm. The same David who killed a giant, committed adultery, ordered a man's death, and wept so hard over his son that the Bible says the ground was wet. David was not a man who wrote about God from a comfortable distance. He wrote from inside the mess of a full human life. That matters for how we read this. Psalm 23 is not a greeting card. It is a battle-tested testimony from a man who had learned - slowly, painfully, joyfully - that God could be trusted. Every line is earned. Moving Through the Psalm "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Notice that David doesn’t say "The Lord is a shepherd" or "The Lord is the shepherd." He says my shepherd. This is personal. This is a claim. Sheep don't belong to shepherds in the abstract, they belong to a specific one who knows their name, knows their tendencies, knows which ones wander. Pause and ask yourself: Do I relate to God as my shepherd, or as a shepherd in general – present for everyone but perhaps not particularly attentive to me? The promise that follows - I shall not want - is not a promise of abundance in the way we sometimes read it. It is a promise of sufficiency. The sheep under a good shepherd's care lack nothing they truly need. Not nothing they want. Nothing they need. That is a different and deeper promise. "He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters." A shepherd has to make sheep lie down. Sheep are anxious animals. They will graze past the point of exhaustion if not guided to rest. The green pastures and still waters are not accidental. They are chosen by someone who knows that rest is not weakness. Rest is part of the plan. How often do we resist the places God leads us to rest? How often do we mistake stillness for inactivity, or quietness for being left behind? Spend a moment in this image. Where are your green pastures right now? Where is God trying to lead you to still water, and are you following, or are you still grazing? "He restores my soul." The Hebrew word here - nephesh - is sometimes translated as soul, but it means something closer to the whole self. Your inner life. Your sense of self. Your aliveness. He restores my aliveness. This is a pastoral word for exhausted people. And if you are here in this prayer group on a Thursday morning, there is a reasonable chance that life has taken something from you recently. Grief, disappointment, overwork, worry, loss. The promise of this line is not that God will prevent the depletion. It is that he is in the business of restoration. He gives back what life takes. Pray this line over yourself today: Lord, restore my soul. Say it slowly. Say it more than once. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." This is the hinge of the psalm. Everything before it is pastoral and gentle. Here, the landscape changes. The valley is real. The shadow is real. David does not pretend it isn't. But notice the grammar: I will fear no evil. Not I do not feel afraid. Not the valley isn't dark. The commitment to not fear is an act of the will, grounded not in circumstances but in presence. For you are with me. That's the whole reason. Not because the valley is safe. Because he is there. This is the verse for whoever in our prayer group is in a hard place right now. You don't have to pretend the valley isn't dark. You only have to remember you are not walking through it alone. "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." This image has always struck me as almost defiant. God does not remove the enemies before sitting David down to eat. He sets the table anyway. In the middle of opposition, in the middle of threat, there is a feast. There is provision and dignity that the enemies cannot touch. Whatever is pressing in on you right now - fear, opposition, uncertainty, a relationship that's causing pain - God is not waiting for it to resolve before he feeds you. The table is already set. What would it look like to receive God's provision today, even in the middle of what's hard? "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." The word translated follow here is closer in the Hebrew to pursue – even chase. Goodness and mercy are not timidly trailing behind us. They are in pursuit. All the days of my life. Not just the good ones. Not just the ones where I feel worthy of being followed. This is grace at its most relentless. We do not have to earn God's goodness chasing us down. We only have to stop running from it. Closing Prayer Father, you are our shepherd. We confess that we often act like sheep who think they know better – wandering past the green pastures, resisting the still water, grazing until we are empty. Restore our souls today. Lead us through whatever valley we are walking through and remind us that your presence is the point, not the absence of the valley itself. Set a table for us in the middle of our hard places. And let us feel, even today, the goodness and mercy that is chasing us down. We are yours. Amen. For Further Reflection This Week Read Psalm 23 once each morning this week – slowly, one verse at a time. Journal on this question: Which line of this psalm do I need most right now, and why? Pray the psalm over someone in your life who is in a dark valley, and speak their name into each verse. Our Thursday Morning Prayer Group meets weekly at 7:00 AM in The Prayer Room, Building B. All are welcome.Share Your Prayer Request
May 21, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Student Ministry Update
It’s been a week. Middle schoolers, high schoolers – we SEE you. This has been a heavy week for a lot of our students, and Youth Group on Friday is going to be a safe, low-pressure space to breathe, laugh, and talk about real stuff. We'll have food, we'll have some genuinely terrible icebreaker games, and we'll have real conversation. Want to talk to someone before we meet? We’re here. This week's topic is "What do I do when God feels far away?" We're spending time in Psalm 22 – a psalm that opens with "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" – and sitting with the honest, uncomfortable truth that doubt and faith can coexist. No easy answers. Just honest conversation. We also want to celebrate Jaylen Morris, a 10th grader who just got accepted into a competitive summer engineering program at UCLA. Jaylen, we've watched you work for this and we are so proud of you. This community is in your corner. 📅 Friday, March 21, 6:30 PM
📍 The Warehouse (Youth Wing, Side Entrance) Parents – our spring parent info night is Tuesday, April 8. We'll share what we've been teaching, where we're headed, and how you can stay connected to your teenager's spiritual life without losing your mind. We'll also have a counselor on hand to talk through what's showing up emotionally and socially for teens in LA right now. Details coming soon.
May 21, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Men's Ministry Update
We sharpen each other This Thursday, Men's Brotherhood meets for the second session of our spring series, "Present" – Being the Man You're Actually Called to Be. Last week's conversation about emotional availability in friendships and marriage hit harder than most of us expected. Several guys stayed an extra hour just to keep talking, and the conversation has continued throughout the week. That's what belonging to this group is all about. This week we're opening up Proverbs 27:17, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." We'll be asking honestly: who is sharpening you right now? And who are you sharpening? These aren't easy questions for men who've been taught to go it alone, but they're the right ones. We want to spotlight Tony Guerrero, who quietly organized a work crew of eight men last Saturday to help a widowed church member repair her fence and repaint her front door. No announcement, no social media post — just men showing up. Tony, that's the kind of leadership that changes a neighborhood. Volunteer need: We're looking for two or three men with construction or handyman skills to join our rotating Home Help crew, which serves elderly and single-parent households in our surrounding community once a month.Sign Up Here 📅 Men's Brotherhood – Thursday, March 21, 6:30 AM
Room 201 (yes, we meet at 6:30 AM. Yes, coffee is provided. Yes, it's worth it.) Upcoming: Men's overnight retreat – April 25-26 in Angeles National Forest. Registration now open at lifeabundant.la/men.
May 21, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
Weekly Update
Welcome to the weekly roundup 👋 This is your one-stop spot for everything happening in our church family. From kids to adults, small groups to special events, here's how you can get connected over the next seven days. Sunday, October 19th 9:00 & 11:00am Worship Gatherings - Join us for Sunday
service in person or online. Kids Ministry - Age-specific programming during both services Youth Small Groups - Meeting after the 11:00am service in the Youth Room Monday, October 20th Women's Bible Study - 7:00pm in Room 204 Prayer Gathering - 8:00pm online via Zoom Tuesday, October 21st Young Adults Gathering - Coffee, teaching, and discussion at 7:00pm in the Cafe Wednesday, October 22nd Midweek Worship & Prayer - 6:30 pm. in the Sanctuary. Kids Midweek Club - Games, music, and Bible stories (ages 4-11) Thursday, October 23rd Men's Breakfast & Devotion - 7:00am at the Fellowship Hall. RSVP Here so we make sure we have enough food! Choir Rehearsal - 7:30pm in the Sanctuary Friday, October 24th Community Outreach Night - Serve with us downtown at 6:00pm. If you want to ride-share, let us know. Saturday, October 25th Youth Retreat Kickoff - Meet at the church at 10:00am for departure. Upcoming Events Trunk or Treat - Sunday, October 26th a 5:00pmNew here? We'd love to connect. This Week's Message "Called by Name"
Pastor Debbie Walker | John 10:1–15 What does it mean to be truly known – not just seen, but known? This week Pastor Debbie takes us into the heart of John 10 and the radical intimacy of a God who calls each of us by name. Whether you're in a season of clarity or one of deep searching, this message is for you. Watch last week’s sermon 👇Watch OnlineSubscribe To Our Podcast Community Prayer We carry each other through the spiritual practice of prayer. Here's what our community is lifting up this week: 🙏 David & Lena Reyes – David begins chemotherapy this week. Believing for strength, peace, and full healing. 🙏 The Nguyen Family – Grieving the loss of Grandma Rose, who went home to be with the Lord on Monday. May they feel surrounded by love. 🙏 Our College Students – Spring finals season is here. Wisdom, rest, and perspective over pressure. 🙏 Our City – For the families still displaced after the January fires — continued provision, housing, and hope. Submit your own prayer request here. Giving Your generosity makes our work in this city possible. We’re so grateful for you. New to our community? No pressure. Today, just be our guest.Give Now Here Stay Connected 📩 Subscribe to this Collection to get these updates delivered directly to your inbox. 📸 Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. 💬 Pastoral care or questions? Connect with us here. Services: Saturdays at 5:00 PM · Sundays at 9:00 AM & 11:30 AM
4200 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90029 Next Week: "Even Here" – Psalm 139:7–12
See you soon ☀️
May 21, 2026 • 5 Minute Read
Weekly Prayer Update
A Word Before We Pray Prayer is not a last resort at Life Abundant – it's a first response. Every week this update goes out as an invitation: to slow down, to intercede, and to remember that we are not a collection of individuals navigating life separately. We are a body. What affects one of us affects all of us. Thank you for praying with us. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." – Philippians 4:6 🙌 Follow-Up From Last Week – Giving Thanks Before we bring new requests, we stop to celebrate what God has done. These are updates from prayer requests our community lifted up last week: David & Lena Reyes – David completed his first round of chemotherapy on Friday. The medical team reported that he tolerated the treatment better than expected. David's own words: "I felt carried. I don't know how else to describe it." We keep praying for full healing, and we give thanks for every person who interceded this week. The Nguyen Family – The family wanted us to share their gratitude for the outpouring of love following Grandma Rose's passing. Meals, cards, and phone calls came from all over the congregation. Son-in-law Thomas wrote to us: "We didn't feel alone for a single moment. That's because of this church." Please continue to hold them as they move through the weeks ahead, when the initial wave of support often fades. College Students / Spring Finals – Several of our college students checked in this week. The prayers were felt. A few specific notes: Jaylen Morris aced his midterm. Sophia Tran submitted her senior thesis. Marcus Webb - who had been considering dropping a class due to anxiety - decided to stay enrolled and finish strong. Keep lifting our students up through finals season. Pico-Union Neighborhood Drive – Last week we prayed over the logistics and the volunteers. God showed up. Over 400 lbs of food collected, 180 hygiene kits assembled, and as many of you have now heard, a man named George is visiting church this Sunday for the first time in 30 years. Pray he feels at home the moment he walks through the door. 🙏 This Week's Prayer Requests For Our Congregation: 🙏 Elena Sousa – Elena was admitted to Cedars-Sinai on Tuesday following a cardiac event. She is stable and in good spirits, but facing a procedure later this week. Pray for a successful outcome, for peace that surpasses understanding, and for her husband Roberto who is by her side. 🙏 The Patterson Family – James and Nicole Patterson are walking through a painful season of marital difficulty. They have courageously asked for prayer and are committed to working through this together. Please hold them with gentleness and without judgment. Pray for healing, honesty, and hope. 🙏 Pastor Andre Williams – Andre lost his father unexpectedly on Monday morning. He is taking bereavement leave through next week. Please pray for his family as they grieve and make arrangements. Cards can be dropped at the Welcome Table and will be passed along. 🙏 Sofia Castillo – Our Women's Ministry Director is navigating an immigration matter affecting a close family member. Pray for a just resolution, for Sofia's peace of mind, and for the countless families in our congregation and city facing similar uncertainties. For Our City: 🙏 Fire Recovery – Families in Altadena and Pacific Palisades are now eight weeks out from the January fires. The news cycle has moved on, but their need has not. Pray for sustained support, for housing solutions, and for the mental health of children who are still displaced and processing trauma. 🙏 Our Unhoused Neighbors – As temperatures drop this week, pray specifically for the safety and dignity of those living on the streets of Skid Row, Pico-Union, and across our city. Pray for our outreach team as they serve on Saturday. 🙏 Local Schools – Several LA Unified schools in our neighborhood are navigating staff shortages and increased student anxiety. Pray for teachers, counselors, and administrators who are stretched thin and showing up anyway. For Our Global Partners: 🙏 Pastor Hernán & Iglesia Viva, Medellín – Rapid church growth is a blessing and a strain. Pray for wise leadership, Spirit-led delegation, and genuine rest for a team that is pouring themselves out. 🙏 Hope Community Kenya – As the new classroom block opens, pray for the 140 children who will walk through those doors. Pray for the teachers, for the families, and for the seeds of faith being planted in Mathare Valley. How to Receive Prayer Every request we receive is treated with care and confidentiality. You can receive prayer in our community both in-person and online. In-Person – after each service, there’s an open invititaion to receive prayer from a prayer leader near the front of the church. The folks that you rub shoulders with in your seats are also more than willing to pray with you right where you are. Online – we can still stay connected when we’re apart. Submit a prayer request here online at anytime. A real pastor is on the other end of the line.Share Your Prayer Request
