Merry Post Christmas! And Happy New Year’s Eve!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday and enjoyed celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

On Sunday we will start a new series called Back to the Basics.  

Many of us have been Christians for a long time.  We’ve been going to church since we were kids.  We have heard these “churchy” words all our lives.  We’ve read most if not all of the Bible.  We’ve been in a few Bible studies.  We know Christianity.

Or do we?

Just being at church over and over does not necessarily tell you all you need to know about Christianity. 

Suppose you spend years watching a doctor do surgeries.  You even listen to that doctor talk about the surgery he is doing each time.  Maybe you’ve even read a medical book.  Does that teach you all there is to know about a surgery?  Could you now explain a surgical procedure to someone? 

That is what can happen to us - we are familiar with the terms, but maybe we do not fully understand them - and especially have trouble trying to explain them to someone who has never been to church. 

This series will go back to the basics.  We will talk about terms like doctrine, repentance, faith…we will discuss Heaven and Hell…we will answer questions like:

How do we know the Bible is true?  

Why are Matthew, Mark and Luke so much alike?  

What is the difference between grace & mercy?

What exactly happens after I die?

Why would a loving God send someone to hell?

Can you lose salvation?

Which form of baptism is “right”?

Are demons real?

Back to the Basics is for the seasoned Christian as well as the new Christian as well as the skeptic.  We will explore some of the familiar words used in Christian theology to clear up any misconceptions, to clarify exactly what they are and mean, and then help you be able to explain these to others. 

This will be a great opportunity to invite someone to church! 

DEVOTION

As we welcome the new year tonight, many of us might be thinking about a New Year’s Resolution.  Maybe its to lose weight, exercise more, watch less TV, read the Bible more…but these resolutions on average last 2 weeks. Yes, just 2 weeks is the average time a New Years Resolution lasts. Wow!

So today, lets talk about life change. What if you replaced that New Years Resolution with a truth from God? What if you choose to focus instead on one word to face each day with? 

Words are so powerful.  So start thinking about a word that would guide you throughout this coming year.  Spend some time in prayer asking God to reveal that word to you. 

I have done this every year and I take that word and put it as a reminder on my phone to pop up each week to make sure I am being guided by that word.  And every single year, at the end of the year, I think about that word and how it was absolutely the perfect word!  In the past I have chosen words like joy, reflect, hope, new…

Once I pick the word, or rather once I feel God has picked the word for me, I look up Scriptures that help support that word. 

This past year of 2025 my word was THRIVE.  I wanted to do more than just survive, I wanted to thrive.  The Scripture I picked to support this word was James 1:4 - 

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  James 1:4

And I believe perseverance has nearly finished its work in me!  And I feel this past year has assured me that I do not lack anything - despite challenges and struggles, the Lord has been with me and led me here to this awesome and wonderful church! I can’t imagine a better place to end the year thriving! 

As soon as I started thinking about sharing this Word of the Year thought, a word popped into my head.  And I haven’t been able to shake it - so I know this is the word God has put into my heart for the coming year. 

COURAGE

After picking this word, as I began to look for Scriptures to support it - many verses came to mind.  But then one verse stood out to me:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

What will your word be?