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“As you get older, however, you become more seasoned and experienced, more careful and cautious. You’re less willing to take risks. That can be good, because you’ve learned from experience. But that also can be bad, because you’re not willing to let the Lord do something fresh and new in your life.” – Greg Laurie

As we step into 2026, it is easy to focus on resolutions, plans, and the things we hope to accomplish. Yet, the turning of the calendar offers more than a fresh start for our goals—it is an invitation to deepen our relationship with God and rely on His faithfulness for the year ahead.

Lamentations 3:22-23 reminds us, “The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”  Just as each day brings new mercies, so does a new year. 2026 holds uncertainties, joys, challenges, and unexpected turns—but God’s love and faithfulness remain constant. As we reflect on the past year, it is natural to remember moments of difficulty, regret, or loss. Yet, God invites us to release those burdens and step forward in trust, knowing that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

New Year’s Day can be both exhilarating and intimidating. The blank pages of a new calendar seem full of possibility, yet the unknown can stir anxiety. How do we navigate this balance? As we set goals for health, relationships, finances, or personal growth, our priority must be to align our hearts with God’s kingdom purposes. When God is first, He orders our steps, illuminates the path ahead, and equips us with wisdom and strength.

Prayer is a vital part of starting a new year well. Take time to ask God to guide your decisions, guard your heart, and open doors according to His will. Prayer doesn’t require eloquence—just a heart turned toward Him. Consider praying for wisdom, courage, and a greater capacity to love others as Christ loves us. Reflect on the past year with gratitude, acknowledging God’s provision, protection, and guidance, and ask Him to continue shaping you into the person He has called you to be.

Ask the Holy Spirit to cultivate virtues such as patience, kindness, humility, and perseverance in 2026. When challenges arise—and they inevitably will—remember that God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Each obstacle becomes an opportunity to lean on Him and grow spiritually.

Finally, embrace hope. The dawn of a new year is a reminder that God makes all things new (Revelation 21:5). Past failures, disappointments, or regrets do not define you. Through Christ, every day—including every day of 2026—is a chance for renewal. Step forward with courage, anchored in the assurance that God is with you, guiding your path and shaping your story for His glory.

As you enter this new year, trust in God, walk in His ways, and embrace the new mercies that He provides daily.

Discussion Questions:

1. Reflecting and renewing: Looking back on the past year, what lessons or experiences do you feel God wants you to carry forward into the new year, and what might He be calling you to leave behind?
2. Faith and purpose for the year ahead: How can you intentionally seek God’s guidance in setting spiritual priorities and goals for this new year, rather than just making resolutions based on personal desires?

“God’s love is like an ocean. You can see its beginning, but not its end.” – Rick Warren.

Advent begins not with our search for God, but with God’s movement toward us. At the heart of this sacred season is a simple yet staggering truth: love comes down. Before we ever looked up in hope, heaven looked down in love. Advent reminds us that the story of salvation is not humanity climbing its way to God, but God descending into our world, our mess, and our need.

We often associate love with effort—something earned, proven, or reciprocated. Yet Advent tells a different story. God’s love does not wait for improvement or readiness. It comes uninvited, unexpected, and undeserved. In the birth of Jesus, love takes on flesh. The infinite becomes intimate. Eternity steps into time. Love does not shout from the heavens; it cries in a manger.

This is the heart of Advent: God drawing near, not to the powerful, polished, or prepared—but to shepherds keeping watch, to a young couple with more questions than answers, to a world weary from waiting. Love comes down into the ordinary and overlooked places of life, reminding us that nothing is too small or too broken to be touched by grace.

Advent also confronts our tendency to believe love must be earned. We strive, perform, and exhaust ourselves trying to be worthy—worthy of approval, forgiveness, or belonging. But the coming of Christ dismantles that illusion. Jesus arrives before we are cleaned up, before we have it figured out. Love comes down first. Grace always precedes effort.

Love coming down also reshapes how we live. When we receive a love that stoops so low for us, we are freed to love others the same way. Advent love moves outward—toward the lonely, the forgotten, the difficult, and the hurting. It shows up in quiet acts of kindness, patient listening, and compassion that expects nothing in return. Just as Christ entered our world, we are sent into the lives of others as bearers of that same love.

The promise of Advent is not that life will suddenly be easy or pain-free. The world Jesus entered was still broken, and ours is too. But love coming down means we never face that brokenness alone. God’s presence does not remove the darkness instantly, but it does illuminate it with hope.

The good news is we are not waiting for love to arrive—it already has. We are waiting to recognize, receive, and respond to it. The heart of Advent is not anticipation fueled by anxiety, but hope grounded in love already given.

This season, may we remember that before we ever reached up, love came down. And in that love, we find the true heart of Advent—God with us, for us, and near us still.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does it mean for your faith to believe that love comes down before we ever reach up? How does this challenge the way you think about earning God’s love or approval?
2. Where do you see God’s love entering the ordinary or overlooked places of life today? How might Advent help you become more aware of God’s nearness in everyday moments?

“That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.” – Hebrews 9:15.

Throughout Scripture, God reveals Himself as a covenant-making God—not distant or indifferent, but deeply personal and intimately involved with His people. When we hear the word covenant, we may think of legal agreements or formal contracts. But when God makes a covenant, He isn’t drafting paperwork; He is giving His heart. His covenants are not cold obligations—they are warm invitations. They are His way of saying, “I will be your God, and you will be Mine.”

From the very beginning, God showed His desire to make personal promises to individuals. He called Abraham by name. He initiated the covenant, set the terms, provided the sacrifice, and sealed the promise. Abraham didn’t chase God down—God drew near and spoke directly to Him. And the same God who sought Abraham out seeks us out today.

What’s striking is that God’s covenants are never generic. They are always personal, precise, and rooted in His perfect knowledge of the person to whom He is speaking. When God makes a covenant, He knows exactly what you fear, what you lack, what you long for, and what you can’t do on your own. His promises are tailor-fitted gifts of grace. With Noah, the covenant dealt with protection and future stability. With Abraham, it was identity, land, and blessing. With David, it was kingship and a lasting throne. And in Christ—the new covenant—we receive forgiveness, transformation, and eternal life. No covenant is repeated, recycled, or reused. God’s promises meet people right where they live.

And because the new covenant is written on our hearts, not stone tablets, God’s promises become even more personal. Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is the Mediator of this better covenant—a covenant secured not by our performance but by His perfect obedience. This means your relationship with God isn’t held together by your ability to live an upright life, but by Christ’s ability to save. His covenant with you is secure because He Himself upholds it.

When God makes a personal covenant, He is committing Himself to your future. You may feel small, overlooked, inconsistent, or unworthy—but God does not make His covenants based on your track record. He makes them based on His character. He binds Himself to you with intentional love. Even when you fail, He remains faithful. Even when you waver, He holds firm. His covenant with you doesn’t expire, weaken, or quietly dissolve due to non-performance clauses. It is as strong as the God who speaks it.

Because God makes personal covenants, you can live with settled confidence. You are not just part of a covenantal people—you are personally loved, personally known, and personally promised a future by a faithful God.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does the concept of God’s covenant, both old and new, inform your understanding of God’s plan and faithfulness?
2. In what ways is Jesus the ultimate fulfillment of God’s covenants?
3. How does God’s faithfulness to His covenants inform your trust in His presence, even in difficult circumstances?

“Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too” – Philippians 2:4.

From the opening pages of Scripture to the final scenes of Revelation, God reveals a simple, profound truth: you were never designed to walk through life in isolation. The God who exists eternally in relationship—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—made you in His image. That means relationship is not optional; it’s woven into your spiritual DNA.

When God placed Adam in the garden, Adam had meaningful work, perfect surroundings, and uninterrupted fellowship with God. Yet God still declared, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). That wasn’t simply about marriage—it was about human connection. Adam needed someone beside him, someone who would share the journey, speak truth, and reflect God’s love in daily life. If isolation wasn’t “good” in paradise, it certainly isn’t God’s plan for us today.

In moments of struggle, our instinct can be to withdraw—to carry burdens quietly, to put on a brave face, to convince ourselves we don’t want to be a bother. But the gospel exposes that lie. God repeatedly calls His people into community: a family, a body, a household of faith. Paul described believers as “members one of another” (Romans 12:5 ESV), connected so deeply that “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” (1 Corinthians 12:26).

The reality is that your faith was never meant to be a solo project. Prayer is powerful, but sometimes you need someone to pray with you. Scripture is sustaining, but often God uses another believer’s perspective to awaken parts of His Word you’ve never noticed. Fellowship is enriching, but sometimes it’s the quiet presence of a friend that reminds you God hasn’t forgotten you. Life is too heavy, too complex to carry alone.

Even Jesus did not choose solitude as His lifestyle. He withdrew to pray, yes—but He also walked with the twelve, spoke deeply with Peter, James, and John, and allowed others to minister to Him in times of need. If the Son of God embraced community, what makes us think we can flourish without it?

When we isolate ourselves, burdens feel heavier, lies feel louder, and hope grows thinner. However, when you allow others into your life, God often meets you through their encouragement, wisdom, and love.

Maybe you’re carrying something today that feels too big to share. Maybe you’ve convinced yourself no one would understand. But God has placed people in your life—perhaps a friend, a spouse, a pastor, a small group—because He intends to strengthen you through them. Reaching out is not a sign of weakness; it is an act of obedience to the way God designed life to work.

You are meant to love and be loved, to encourage and be encouraged, to carry burdens and have your burdens carried. Lean into the people God has given you, and trust that He will meet you in the midst of those relationships. In community, He makes us stronger than we ever could be alone.

Discussion Questions:

1. When have you most keenly felt the truth that you are not meant to do life alone? Conversely, when have you felt most isolated, and what contributed to that feeling?
2. In what ways has your church been just a place you “go to” instead of a place you “belong to?” What steps could help change that?

“They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity.” – Acts 2:46.

In the earliest days of the Church, before grand sanctuaries and sound systems, before committees and programs, there was a table. Around that table, believers gathered not just to eat bread and drink wine in remembrance of Jesus, but to share life in the most ordinary and sacred of ways—through eating and drinking. Acts 2:46-47 tells us that they “shared their meals with great joy and generosity—  all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” The table was not simply a piece of furniture; it was the heartbeat of the Christian community.

Eating and drinking together was more than nourishment—it was fellowship. It was where walls fell, where forgiveness began, and where love became visible. The early Christians understood that the gospel is best experienced not just preached, but practiced in community. When they ate together, they were saying, “You belong here.” They were declaring the radical inclusiveness of Christ’s love, a love that tore down the barriers of class, race, and status. Around the table, the slave and the master, the rich and the poor, the Jew and the Gentile found themselves equals before God.

Somewhere along the way, the modern church has lost the power of that simple table. We have replaced fellowship with formality, and community with convenience. We move quickly from service to the parking lot, from handshake to moving on to the next stage of the day. However, the early church reminds us that discipleship occurs best over a meal, where stories are shared, laughter is enjoyed, and burdens are carried together.

When we sit at the table with others, we mirror the ministry of Jesus Himself. So much of His work took place at meals—He ate with tax collectors, broke bread with sinners, and instituted communion during supper. The Lord didn’t merely teach from a pulpit; He revealed the Kingdom of God over loaves and cups. In doing so, He showed us that spiritual transformation often begins with simple hospitality.

To eat and drink together is to slow down, to look one another in the eye, and to remember that we are one body in Christ. It’s to say that faith is not just vertical (between us and God) but horizontal (between us and others). The table is where both dimensions meet.

Imagine if our churches once again became places where shared meals were as sacred as sermons—where newcomers found a seat and strangers became family. Imagine small groups that didn’t just discuss Scripture but embodied it around a casserole dish or a pot of coffee. That is what the early church looked like. That is what the modern church must recapture.

Discussion Questions:

1. When was the last time you shared a meal with someone in your church family?
2.  How might your table become a ministry space this week?
3.  What barriers keep you from practicing fellowship as the early church did?
4.  How can your church recapture the joy of eating and drinking together in Jesus’ name?

“When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” ― John 13:6.

The story of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples is a powerful act of humility, love, and servanthood that offers profound lessons for believers today. It is recorded in John 13:1-17, during the Last Supper, when Jesus, knowing that His hour had come, chose to perform a humble task typically reserved for the lowest servant.

Jesus’ act of washing the disciples’ feet was revolutionary. In that cultural context, feet were considered dirty, and it was a servant’s duty to clean them. Yet, Jesus, the Son of God, took on this role, demonstrating that true leadership is rooted in humility and service. His actions challenge us to examine our own attitudes toward serving others. Do we consider some tasks too menial? Are we willing to serve with humility, regardless of our status or position?

As Jesus washed each disciple’s feet, He showed that leadership in His kingdom is different from worldly notions of power and authority. Instead of asserting dominance, Jesus exemplified servant leadership—leading through love, humility, and sacrifice. This act also symbolized cleansing and renewal. Jesus later explains in verse 8, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me” indicating that spiritual cleansing and renewal come through humility and willingness to serve.

Furthermore, Jesus’ words to His disciples after washing their feet—“I have set you an example, that you should do as I have done to you”—are a direct call for believers to adopt a mindset of servanthood. Jesus did not merely set an example for them; He challenged His followers to embody that same spirit in their daily lives. Genuine love and humility are at the core of Christian service.

This story also reminds us that Jesus, fully aware of His divine authority, chose to humble Himself voluntarily. His act was not out of necessity but out of love and an example for us to follow. In our everyday lives, we might be faced with opportunities to serve those who are difficult to love, or to seek humility in roles that seem insignificant. Jesus’ example calls us to embrace these moments as opportunities to reflect His love and humility.

In conclusion, Jesus washing the feet of His disciples is a timeless illustration of how true greatness in God’s kingdom is found in service. It challenges us to abandon pride, to serve selflessly, and to lead with humility. As followers of Christ, let us remember that modeling Jesus’ servanthood is essential to living out our faith. May we be inspired by His example to serve others wholeheartedly, demonstrating love through humility and sacrifice every day.

 Discussion Questions:

1. What does Jesus’ act teach us about authentic leadership and serving others? 
2. How should we respond to Jesus’ humility and love in our own lives?
3. How does this event connect to the cleansing of sin and the new commandment to love one another? 

 “The biggest disease today is not leprosy or cancer or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling or being unwanted, uncared for, deserted by everybody. The greatest evil is the lack of love and charity, the terrible indifference towards one’s neighbor who lives at the roadside, the victim of exploitation, corruption, poverty, and disease” – Mother Teresa.

For much of human history, the word “neighbor” meant the person who lived next door. Your neighbor was the family whose house you could see from your own window, the people who borrowed your tools, whose kids played with your kids, who knocked on your door when a storm knocked out power. Proximity defined relationship. Geography created responsibility. The neighbor was the one in your path.

Yet Jesus radically expanded this idea.

When He told the parable of the Good Samaritan, He took the familiar question—“Who is my neighbor?”—and turned it inside out. The religious expert wanted boundaries. He wanted clarity—Tell me exactly who I’m obligated to love, and therefore who I’m free to ignore. But Jesus didn’t draw a circle around a select group. Instead, He revealed a heart posture: A neighbor isn’t someone you define. It’s someone you become.

Today, our concept of neighbor feels like it has both expanded and shrunk. With technology, our “next-door” has become global. We can connect instantly with someone across the world, pray for a missionary in Uganda, donate to relief efforts in the Middle East, or join online communities with people we’ve never met in person. In one sense, the whole world is our neighborhood.

But in another sense, the modern world has made neighboring harder. We drive into garages and close the door before anyone sees us. We stare at screens instead of faces. We share posts to large audiences yet avoid personal conversations. We have digital friendships, but sometimes struggle to love the actual humans in our lives. Our hearts stretch far but fail to go deep.

Jesus calls us to both.

He shows us that a neighbor is any person God places on our path—whether across the street or across the ocean. It is the refugee longing for safety. The coworker battling anxiety. The friend who has drifted into bitterness. The barista who remembers your order but goes home to loneliness. The person who holds different political convictions. Even the one who has wounded you.

Neighboring is not a convenience; it is a calling. Jesus Himself “moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14, MSG). He did not love us from a distance. He drew near—touching lepers, eating with sinners, listening to the overlooked, embracing the broken. He did not wait for us to knock on His door; He left heaven to knock on ours.

Neighbor is no longer found merely by location—but by compassion, presence, and Spirit-led interruption. The neighbor is the one God highlights today, the person whose pain you notice, the stranger you choose to serve, the friend you refuse to give up on.

Discussion Questions:

1. According to Jesus’s parable of the Good Samaritan, who is our neighbor? How does that definition challenge our typical, physical understanding of a “neighborhood?”
2. How does our modern culture or immediate community influence who we consider a “neighbor?” Where do we see social, economic, or racial boundaries influencing our perception of “neighborliness?”
3. How can we examine our own judgments about people—whether based on their appearance, background, or beliefs—and work to treat them with the same love we receive from God? 

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” – Acts 20:35

In Acts 20:35, we find Paul encouraging the Ephesus elders to “And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

In God’s economy, giving is better than getting. What we provide for others is more significant than what we acquire for ourselves. The words of Jesus flip the world’s “me first” messaging on its head. When we give, we reflect God’s incredible generosity.

Every good thing comes from God (James 1:17), including the unfathomable gift of Jesus. Our God is characterized by radical, undeserving generosity. And when we are generous, we reflect His incredible generosity. And we find greater contentment. While we often regret our purchases, we rarely regret our generosity. 1 Timothy 6:19 says when we give, we “experience true life.” Matthew 6:19-20 says generosity is an eternal investment that we will one day enjoy. While the momentary allure of worldly treasures may fade and vanish, eternal treasures will endure. The pursuit and acquisition of material gain only leaves someone wanting more. The pursuit of and acquisition of eternal gain leaves someone content.

God doesn’t need our generosity to fulfill His mission. Yet, He invites us to participate in what He is doing in our community and around the world. When we give, God multiplies the gift to reach the lost, mend broken marriages, feed the hungry, and care for the poor. When we give, God allows us to be a part of life change. In a world consumed with a “me first” mentality, people take notice of biblical generosity. Biblical generosity is undeserved generosity, and it showcases the love of God to those in our community.

What is your purpose with respect to giving? Why has God given you talents and giftings to earn money? God challenges each of us to trust Him in all things. Just as God gave Himself for you, consider how giving is an act of worship, not only trusting God more deeply but also reflecting His sacrificial giving.

Jesus’ life demonstrated the heart of generous living. He sacrificed His life so that we could have life to the full. God does not need or want our money; He already owns everything. What He wants is us—our wholehearted devotion to and trust in Him. He wants us to love Him and to love others with the same kind of love that Jesus demonstrated during His earthly life. That is the kind of worship He desires—generous living in response to His generous love.

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you see generosity as a part of your apprenticeship to Jesus?
2. What fears or desires keep you from being generous? How would your life be different if you were free of the fear of not having enough?

“Each of us must rededicate ourselves to serving the common good.  We are a community.  Our individual fates are linked; our futures intertwined; and if we act in that knowledge and in that spirit together, as the Bible says: “We can move mountains.” – Jimmy Carter

In today’s world, filled with distractions and constant digital connection, relationships can easily stay on the surface. People may greet each other, exchange pleasantries, and participate in activities together, yet there are few deep and authentic connections. The reality is that no Christian runs well alone. No believer stands alone. No child of God fights alone.

Every believer desires spiritual intimacy with other believers. We may call it fellowship, community, or doing life together. God didn’t make us to be lone rangers. He saved us into the church. He called us to be part of a community.

The pursuit of deep and genuine connection can be difficult even within the church. It’s possible to feel lonely and isolated, surrounded by people. So how do we move past superficial relationships into a more authentic and transformative community? Moving beyond superficial connections requires intention and effort. It demands that people open themselves up to others, share vulnerabilities, and be willing to listen and support one another in love.

The first step is to embrace vulnerability: Authentic relationships require honesty about struggles and failures. This transparency is essential for fostering trust and allowing God’s grace to work in lives and relationships. Another step is to listen better and longer. We can deepen connections by genuinely listening to others, seeking to understand their perspectives and experiences rather than formulating a response or offering unsolicited advice.

Another component of deeper connections is engaging in shared experiences. Shared experiences — such as a concert, a meal, a ministry, or an adventure — create a bond. These memories often generate deeper, more enduring connections that can lead to mutual appreciation, unity, and trust.

Prayer is so important. Praying for one another removes our isolation. It’s a powerful way for us to bear one another’s burdens. What a powerful gesture it is to seize the moment and pray for someone, telling them you care enough to step into their struggle. Prayer makes a difference. God’s power is seen when His people join together in prayer for one another.

Lastly, it is to persevere through the inevitable difficulties. We must acknowledge that community is hard, but also come to terms with Christian community–the church–is God’s plan. Building a community can be challenging, but it’s crucial to persevere and not give up. There are real communities rooted in Christ’s love to be found.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are the potential dangers of neglecting deep, meaningful relationships in the church community? How can this hinder spiritual growth and community impact?
2. What does it mean to be intentional in building relationships within the church, and how can interactions move beyond surface level?