The year has finished, and the 10K Challenge has come to an end. I've been reflecting on the past year, and here are five things I learned from the 10K Challenge:

1. Challenge can be a really good thing.
We sometimes view a challenge as, well, a challenge (and a bad thing). Challenges can be helpful, though, and I think the challenge that God put before The Ridge helped to focus us on loving other people in our everyday lives well. Challenge is healthy, and God has used it in a big way.

2. It's not about the hours, it's about the people.
We hit 10,000 hours in May. Nine months into a 12-month challenge. But it wasn't really about the numbers at all. It was about what those numbers represent. People. People who served generously. People who were impacted by the serving. We have a value here at The Ridge: "Nothing matters if people don't matter." The 10K Challenge was primarily about loving people in all sorts of ways to honor God and share his love.

3. Serving others can look different.
I think it represents how diverse God's community is when I see how many different ways people choose to serve. From delivering groceries, playing the piano at a retirement home, math tutoring, and mission trips, and that's just the surface. Serving others can look different, but the thing in common is the motivation - to do whatever it takes to reach our community for Christ - with love.

4. God provides.
The 10K Challenge isn't a thing without God. We don't want it to be, either. Serving others is a good thing, but I believe God really provided in ways during this last year. It challenged us to grow in loving others, in looking at how we interact with our neighbors and friends, and ultimately it's an amazing way to show our love for Jesus. But make no mistake - God provided big time, and that's what we are celebrating!

5. The 10K Challenge isn't over.
Well, tracking hours is over and all that. But the spirit behind the 10K Challenge is still going strong. We are still called to love our neighbors and do whatever it takes to reach our community for Christ. This past weekend we talked about what it might look like for the spirit of the 10K Challenge to continue, both in you and at The Ridge. You can check out that talk here. 

I'm so thrilled at what God has done and what he is continuing to do.
What did you learn during the 10K Challenge?

Whatever it takes, 

Adam