This service centers on preparing spiritually for 2026 through three short, connected messages from the pastoral staff. The goal is not merely to enter a new year with motivation, but to enter it with biblical direction, honest evaluation, and a willingness to obey God beyond what feels safe or familiar. Across the messages, a clear progression forms: reflect with truth, release what holds you back, rebuild the right way, and move forward in faith rather than comfort.

The first message frames the end of the year like closing a chapter in a book. Everyone has lived a different “chapter” in 2025—some marked by success, others by deep loss or difficulty. The key instruction is to look back honestly, based on the principle of examining one’s ways and turning to the Lord. The emphasis is balanced: God does not tell believers to pretend the past did not happen, but He also does not tell them to live in it. The speaker urges the church to ask practical heart-check questions: Where did I grow spiritually this year? What habits helped me get closer to God? Where did I drift? What habits or distractions pulled me away? This reflection is not meant to produce guilt, but growth. The past becomes useful not as a prison, but as a teacher—because failing to learn from it increases the risk of repeating it.

From that honest look backward, the message turns toward the need to let go deliberately. Many people struggle entering a new year not because God is unwilling to lead them forward, but because they are still gripping something behind them—sin, bitterness, betrayal, unresolved relational tension, or unforgiveness. The speaker highlights how holding these things can quietly block spiritual progress: someone may say they want God to work in them, yet refuse to release what is poisoning the heart. The sermon stresses that in Christ, the believer is not defined by the past, and that God is actively working in a believer’s life through an ongoing process of spiritual change. That makes letting go not a sentimental idea, but a spiritual necessity—because clinging to what is behind prevents reaching toward what is ahead. The call is clear: the believer must decide whether they will remain stuck in what happened, or step forward in faith into what God is doing next.

The second message shifts the picture from reflection to construction, using Ezra as “Building 101.” The preacher explains that Ezra shows how God builds His work, and he applies that pattern to personal and spiritual goals for the coming year—building one’s home, marriage, ministry, skills, or spiritual life. The first principle is that the site gets cleared before anything is built. In Ezra, Jerusalem had been destroyed, and that destruction is tied to disobedience and judgment. The application is direct: before believers can build what God wants, they must be willing to remove what will sabotage the work—especially self, pride, sin, and avoidable mistakes. If the ground is not cleared and leveled, the building will not stand.

Next, the message emphasizes that a leader is selected. God stirred the spirit of Cyrus, using him to initiate the rebuilding work. The preacher applies this especially to the home: if someone is the father, leadership is not optional—he has already been “selected,” and he is required to build. But leadership must begin where Cyrus’s did: with a spirit stirred by the Lord, not driven by ego or personal ambition. Then, after leadership is in motion, a crew is assembled. Ezra lists the people involved because God’s work is not meant to be carried alone. The sermon urges believers to seek accountability and teammates—people who will build alongside them rather than fight their convictions. The church becomes the place where spiritual “builders” find support, unity of purpose, and shared commitment.

A major turning point in this “building” outline is that the altar is established before the foundation is laid. The preacher highlights this as God’s order: worship comes first. Any rebuilding effort that is not rooted in worship becomes self-made, and self-made discipline can easily turn into self-exaltation. The sermon draws a sharp contrast between becoming merely a “disciplined person” and becoming someone built by God—someone whose growth begins with devotion and dependence, not self-confidence. Only after the altar is established does Ezra show the foundation being laid. This becomes a practical call for 2026: don’t jump immediately to advanced plans or big spiritual ambitions; instead, return to the basics—time in Scripture, prayer, and simple faithfulness. The speaker urges manageable steps like reading and understanding even a single verse a day, and setting aside undistracted time to pray, even if it begins small.

The message also prepares the church for what happens once building begins: opposition arrives. In Ezra, adversaries offered to “help,” but their intentions were dishonest, and their presence would have distracted and weakened the work. When rejected, they tried to frustrate the builders, discourage them, and hinder progress until the work temporarily ceased. The application is sobering: if someone tries to build God’s work in their life, resistance will come—sometimes even disguised as partnership. But the preacher stresses that the work ultimately only ceases if the builder quits. The encouragement is to refuse quitting, even if progress slows or pauses. God also provides help: in Ezra, prophets strengthened and aided the builders, joining the work rather than merely criticizing from a distance. The message concludes with the reminder that God’s building has an end goal: the work gets finished, and when it is complete, worship is dedicated again. The process begins with worship and ends with worship, showing that the purpose of building is not self-improvement alone, but honoring God through a life shaped by Him.

The final message moves from building to action through Luke 5, where Jesus tells Simon Peter to launch out into the deep. The pastor connects the previous themes—letting go, building, moving forward—and argues that real progress requires a willingness to step out of comfort. He describes how comfort-driven living is especially strong in the culture, and how the “status quo” often falls far below what believers should pursue. In the passage, Jesus borrows Peter’s boat to teach, then gives Peter a directive that challenges his experience and instincts. Peter was not a novice; fishing was his lifelong trade, shaped by family and skill. Yet despite his expertise, Peter’s response reveals the tension many believers face: “We have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing.” In other words, he is tired, discouraged, and carrying disappointment—much like how many end a difficult year. The sermon identifies a common spiritual trap: past disappointment becomes a present excuse, and exhaustion becomes the reason not to obey. People allow failure, hurt, and discouragement to block future blessing, choosing what feels “safe enough” rather than trusting God for something greater.

Peter does obey, but the pastor points out that Peter half obeys. Jesus told him to let down the nets, but Peter responds by letting down a single net. The sermon uses this detail to warn that partial obedience produces unnecessary strain and loss. The catch is so large the net breaks, the boats fill to the point of danger, and the moment becomes chaotic. The pastor argues that half-submission not only endangers the believer but can also impact those around them. When Peter recognizes what has happened, he falls before Jesus, overwhelmed and aware of his own sinfulness. The pastor interprets this as proof that comfort keeps Jesus at the edges: it allows Christ access to what feels easy while protecting what feels costly. Comfort, he explains, compartmentalizes faith, prioritizes routine over obedience, and keeps a believer “near the shore” rather than moving into deeper trust.

The sermon repeatedly contrasts comfort with obedience. Comfort avoids risk, delays action until “perfect conditions,” and argues from yesterday’s failures. Christ, however, calls for obedience to His present word. The pastor warns against the mindset of postponing obedience—“I’m tired, I’ll do it tomorrow”—because no one is guaranteed tomorrow. The conclusion presses the church to decide now: will they enter 2026 staying in the comfort zone, or will they launch out in faith, trusting God enough to give Him full access and follow His direction even when it challenges experience, preference, or fear? The overall closing call ties the night together: to move forward into 2026, believers must release what is behind, build with worship and foundations, and step out of comfort into obedience so that God can lead, establish, and accomplish His work.