Key Themes & Highlights:

• Dedication & Celebration (Sis. Julie): Celebrating the commitment of the congregation during difficult weather, specifically honoring "Uncle Red" (97 years old) for making the effort to attend.
• Reasonable Service (Pastor Ruth): A powerful reminder from Romans 12:1. If Jesus gave His life for us, enduring a little cold or inconvenience is simply our "reasonable service."
• Trusting the Path: Encouragement that the "steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord" (Psalm 37:23). Even when the path isn't clear, we trust His direction in every season.
• The Agape Mandate: Reaffirming that we are a "triage church" sent to help the hurting. We must find our specific ministry and perform it for God's glory to receive our eternal inheritance.

Closing Encouragement: Put your hand to the gospel plow and don't look back (Luke 9:62). Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Key Themes & Highlights:

• Opening Devotional (Bro. Carl Odom): A reminder from Titus 3:4-7 that salvation is a gift of mercy, not works. We must trust God's timing, just as Jesus waited two days before raising Lazarus.
• Mission & History (Sis. Angela): Recounting the church's founding in 2000. The mandate remains: Plant the Word, Water it, and let God give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6-8).
• The "North Star" (Miss Julie): Just as the North Star guides sailors, Jesus is our fixed point. 1 Cor 15:58 calls us to be "steadfast" (secure) and "immovable" (shaken by nothing).
• 2026 Vision (Sis. Ruth): A call to resilience and repentance. If we drift, we simply realign. The harvest comes if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).
• Servant Leadership (Pastor Eric): Honoring the "Ministry of Helps." The greatest in the Kingdom is the servant. Excellence awards presented to faithful volunteers.

Closing Encouragement: The church is not just a building, but a body of believers called to serve with a "perfect heart" and remain constant in a changing world.

Key Themes & Highlights:

• The Source Matters: Human goals are based on personal ambition, but God's ways are "higher." We must check the source of our plans.
• Consult God First: Don't just ask God to bless your plans (like serving food on a "trash can lid"); ask Him for His plans first.
• The Truck Story (Bro. Carl): A powerful illustration of how God sometimes blocks our human goals (like buying a truck to chase money) to position us for His true purpose.
• Ordered Steps: God knows exactly where you need to be. If your path looks different than you expected, trust the One who orders your steps.

Closing Encouragement: Before you set your resolutions, ask: "Lord, is this what You have for me?" Let Him align your heart with His vision.

Key Themes & Highlights:

• Moving Beyond Resolutions: Pastor Eric challenges us to stop making temporary resolutions and start seeking the Kingdom first (Matthew 6:33).
• Trusting the Pilot: An analogy of a pilot flying through clouds to find the sunlight; we must trust God to navigate the "clouds" of our lives until we see His glory.
• Strength in Trials: We are encouraged to "take pleasure" in infirmities and distresses for Christ’s sake, because that is when we are truly strong.

Closing Encouragement: If you want different, do different. Stop putting the same garbage in and expecting different results. Let God change your heart to change your life in 2026.

Key Themes & Highlights:

• Relinquishing Control: The pastor encourages the congregation to "let go and let God." He warns against the "Mr. and Miss Fix-it" mentality.
• Personal Vulnerability: Pastor Eric shares his own recent struggles, including the loss of his brother, and how he had to rely on grace.
• The Power of Servanthood: Highlights the church's mission to meet physical needs—feeding the hungry and clothing the naked.
• Testimony of Provision: Celebration for Ms. Candy, who was provided a home after years of homelessness.

Closing Encouragement: Declaring a blessed New Year, Pastor Eric reminds us that God uses the "peculiar" and "simple" things to confound the wise.

Key Themes & Highlights:

• Spirit of Adoption: We can cry out "Abba, Father," signifying a close, familial relationship with God.
• Healing and Deliverance: Declaring healing over Candy, citing Isaiah 53:5 ("by his stripes we are healed").
• The Mission to Bless: Story of Princeton giving away a bike to a child who felt "Santa forgot him."
• Fullness of Time: Teaching that in the "fullness of time," God sent His Son to redeem those under the law.

Closing Encouragement: Carry the spirit of giving beyond the holidays, making it a 365-day lifestyle.

Key Themes & Highlights:

• Foot on the Gas: Encouragement to not let the enemy use "delays" to stop spiritual progress.
• Power of Prayer: Brother Marcus shares a story of a severe childhood infection healed through fervent belief.
• Testimony of Healing: Sammy shares a testimony about a thyroid cancer scare that resulted in a miracle clear report.
• God's Presence in Distance: Finding comfort that "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord."

Closing Encouragement: If you are fighting a silent battle, speak up; the church family will stand and believe with you.

Key Themes & Highlights:

• "Foot on Gas" (F.O.G.): Encouragement to keep pressing forward even when you cannot see clearly through the fog.
• The Perfect Gift: While earthly gifts are temporary, the only truly perfect gift is the one God gave in John 3:16.
• The Good Shepherd: Explaining that Jesus is the only legitimate "door" and how the sheep know His voice.
• Voluntary Sacrifice: Jesus declares that no one takes His life; He lays it down willingly.

Closing Encouragement: The greatest gift you can give anyone is an introduction to Jesus Christ.

Key Themes & Highlights:

• Defining Faith: Using Hebrews 11:1 and 11:6 to stress that without faith it is impossible to please God.
• Contentment: Citing Philippians 4:11, urging men to be content whether high or low.
• Help My Unbelief: Referencing Mark 9:24, noting it's okay to ask God for help when faith struggles.
• Running the Race: Encouragement from 1 Corinthians 9:24 to run the race with endurance.

Key Themes & Highlights:

• Mystery of Change: Reading from 1 Corinthians 15:51-52—changed in the twinkling of an eye.
• Comfort in the Promise: Citing 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 regarding those who have died in the Lord.
• Dispensations: Outlining biblical history and warning that the Age of Grace is nearing its end.
• Urgency: Referencing the parable of the ten virgins to illustrate the danger of being unprepared.

Closing Encouragement: Secure your salvation now to be on the "first boat out."

Key Themes & Highlights:

• The Anointing: Portrayal of the woman with the alabaster box symbolizing extravagant worship.
• Gethsemane: Depicting Jesus praying, "Not my will, but yours be done."
• Victory: Transitioning from the Crucifixion into a celebration of the Resurrection.
• The Gift: Identifying the Holy Spirit as the Advocate who will dwell within believers.

Closing Encouragement: "Peace I leave with you... Do not let your hearts be troubled."