Thank you Jesus for being a covenant keeper.
Thank you Jesus for helping us to receive everything
that you have for us. You are an awesome God.
You are. You may be seated for just a moment.
And I want to say how much I am so grateful to
greet each one of you in the name of Jesus. So
many of you that are part of this church family,
some that are visiting family, and we're glad
that you've included being in church today as
part of your family time. And then to our guests
from this community, if you don't have a church
home and you're visiting today, I just want to
say welcome home. We are thrilled. Aren't we
grateful for every guest. We're so glad. I met
Daniel here. He lives here all the way from New
York. He's with his family. He's been delivered.
I remember being in New York and I got delivered
25 years ago. I've never looked back. Sometimes
when the Lord sets you free, you can't look back.
You just got to keep moving forward. I hope that's
a word for somebody today. No, no. We're just
having a good time. So I want to say as already
has been mentioned for this church family that
has worked so hard during this season. Thank
you so much for the way you love people in our
community, reach people and serve. It's hard
to list everything and every person, but you
have excelled and we say to God be the glory.
Amen. Praise God. What a great Christmas day
service. Thank you sister Rochelle for blessing
us. Everyone that came out. It's very challenging
to have a service on a holiday like Christmas,
but there are some people that to be with their
church family is that one opportunity really
to be with family. They're just not as blessed
as others that have a house full of family. And
so they said it was 138 that was here on Christmas
day for just... to be in God's house on his day.
Thank you for doing that. And I say that to say
this, if you don't have plans for New Year's
Eve, I know it sounds like a cliche cause it
is, but there ain't no party like a Holy Ghost
party. You gotta come. You gotta come. And how
many times do you come to church and they don't
serve food? We got food. This New Year's Eve,
I think it's New Year's Eve Wednesday, I keep
forgetting. I know time is just so turned upside
down with the holidays. If you are wondering,
if you are concerned, or if you're just old like
me, we don't have church from seven till midnight.
We just have church. When we're done, we eat,
and then you can head on. If you got an after
party, or if you just want to be in your pajamas
by 9 .30 or so, you can be there. If that's how
you celebrate. the new year, so don't misunderstand.
Some of us are old enough to remember. We used
to have church till midnight, and we pray the
old year out and the new year in, and we do that,
but we do it at seven, and we're able to do that
because at seven, it's already the new year in
the UK, so we've got a little bit of grace there.
God works with us. He's such a good God, so we
want you to be here, and then thank you as well.
I don't know how you feel, and I wouldn't want
you to respond, but I love seeing everybody together.
This is awesome. And next Sunday, we're gonna
miss it. We're gonna miss it. I don't know one
preacher that doesn't prefer to preach to a building
that's full. I don't know one preacher, but I'll
tell you right now, this community deserves room
in our parking lot and in our sanctuary to come
be a part of what God is doing. And that is.
The only reason why we have two services next
Sunday and the Sunday's following, because if
you look around, for us, it's comfortable, we're
all family, but if you're brand new, your first
time here, you're trying to find a place to sit
with your family, there's only a few spots left.
Well, I don't think that's fair to our neighbors.
I don't think that's fair to our, I mean, we're
handing out door hangers, inviting people to
church. We got a family here today because of
a door hanger. I'd hate for them to come and
say, you invited me to your house. But you ain't
got no room. How many of you felt that way with
your relatives this week? No, no, we're just,
I better get back to the word of God today. But
that is the only reason why we have a service
at 9 .30 and at noon. Tell your friends, your
neighbors, your family members, we're only doing
that so there's room for you and your family.
And I'm thankful for a church that has that kind
of vision and that kind of willingness. to reach
beyond yourself. Would you give yourself a hand
if that's how you feel about it? That doesn't
mean you have to like it. You just have to love
reaching others. Praise God. Turn your neighbor
and say, you know, pastor don't even like two
services. I don't, and I go to three on Sunday.
I'm only going to two today. It feels like a
vacation. In fact, I do want to say those of
you serving in King today, thank you so much.
Those of you serving in Taylorsville today, thank
you so much. We've got a ministry family in Rayford,
North Carolina today. I think Brother Hippolyte
is in Statesville, North Carolina today. Brother
Marcus and Sister Talia is in Wilkesboro today
serving in church. I think that's awesome that
we can reach beyond ourselves. We're blessed
and we might as well be a blessing, amen. Why
don't you stand? I'm gonna look to the word of
the Lord for a little bit. I encourage you to
bring your Bibles as we get into the new year.
So many of us are grateful for what we have with
the technology, but it's kind of cool to have
your Bible and write in it, underline it, just
kind of make it more personal. And I encourage
you to do that as we look towards the new year
that begins next week. I say next Sunday, it
begins Thursday, right? Wednesday. So when's
New Year's Eve? So it actually begins Thursday.
Wednesday after midnight. You know what? You're
dismissed. I don't think I'm ready to pull this
off today. Is there any more food anywhere we
could eat? That's what happens when your brain
is overcome by what you've done to your stomach
for 10 days. So someone, I hope you get something
out of this. If you don't, I want to apologize.
Nobody else's fault but my own. And it's certainly
not his fault. I do want to say while you're
standing that we will end this time in church
around this altar. And if you need something
from the Lord, why not put your faith in him
today? You might say, well, I'm not even a part
of this church. Yeah, but you've got the same
God and you've got faith in him. And if you call
on his name, if you'll just say, Jesus, I need
you today. What a great way to get ready for
a new year. Amen. Psalm one. Do you want to give
a shout out? I've got five nephews, and this
is one of my favorite five. He made the top five.
His name is Aaron Caretchi. He turned 20 this
week. Happy birthday. He's the only one of the
five that turned 20 this week. And the only one
of the five that said, hey, give me a shout -out
on Sunday. And I did. I'm pretty easy that way.
You ought to give it a try. I do what I can.
I was talking to him about his plans. for the
new year, you know, we all make reservations.
He said, you know, my goal for 2026 is to accomplish
all my goals for 2025. He said, because I was
supposed to do them in 2024, because I promised
myself I'd do them in 2023, but this is the year.
So I commend you for that. Happy birthday. Psalm
one, let's read this out loud together. It's
from the new King James version, but whatever
version you have, let's read it together. Blessed
is the man. who walks not in the counsel of the
ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor
sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight
is in the law of the Lord, and in his law does
he meditate day and night. He shall be like a
tree planted by the rivers of water that bring
forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also
shall not wither, and whatsoever he does shall
prosper last. Last Sunday, I talked about being
a ministry. One of my relatives said, I'd rather
be a pace tree. That's in time for Christmas,
so sweet. But we all need to be like a tree planted
by the rivers of water that bring forth his fruit
in his season. We already read that verse. Okay,
verse four, the ungodly are not so, but are like
the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore
the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knows the ways of the righteous,
but the way of the ungodly shall perish. There's
nothing like the word of the Lord, amen? Today
and then next Sunday in both services, I'll preach
two different messages, but they will have the
same theme, same title. They'll be different
in theme than today, but it's still a word that
I feel like the Lord has given us as a church
and any individual that wants to latch a hold
of it. I am preaching over these next three services,
not New Year's Eve, we have a guest, but I'll
be preaching Happy Now Year. I'm glad it's a
new year, but there's some things God has for
you now. And you need to grab ahold of those
things, man. Praise God. So many of you that
resonates with you because you don't just wait
for church to read your Bible and pray and you
know That God is already positioning you for
something now Would you close your eyes raise
your hands and say Jesus speak to me by your
word? Help that preacher Lord. He's just a human
being He can't do anything if you don't annoy
him. He can't be a blessing to anybody Unless
you help him. So Jesus I'm asking you to help
right now in Jesus' name. I wanna be a blessing,
God, to my brothers and sisters, our neighbors
and friends, loved ones and family that have
traveled from out of town, have had a great holiday,
but Lord, we're all gearing up for a new year,
and we're asking you, Lord, to help us grab ahold
of a faith that is for now. In the name of the
Lord Jesus, let's one more time thank the Lord,
believe him for answering prayer. helping us.
Hallelujah. Praise the name of the Lord. You
may be seated. When that Psalm begins, and of
course it sets the tone for the entire book of
Psalms, it begins with those words, blessed is
the man. Obviously, I think you would understand
really blessed are the people or blessed is the
individual. It's not gender exclusive as though
men and women are somehow in different classes
in the kingdom of God. There's neither male nor
female. There's neither bond nor free. We're
all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ.
But it is significant to me that many times,
in the Psalms, and I'll refer to several today,
that when you read the word blessed, it literally
can mean that happiness comes when you have a
right relationship with God. So we say happy
new year, or I'm saying happy now year, and yet
the scriptures give us a pathway to happiness
or blessing, and that is having a right relationship
with God. I think some of you have lived long
enough for the Lord or just been on the planet
living life long enough to know that as you age,
you start to discover hopefully that really happiness
is your choice. You can literally choose, I will
be blessed. I will be happy, not based on things
around me or even people around me. But even
in Psalm, we get the first indicator in verse
one of chapter one. Oh, the joys of those who
do not follow the advice of the wicked or stand
around with sinners or join in with the mockers.
a delight in the law of the Lord meditating on
it day and night. A new year is upon us, 2026,
and we can decide today and every day of that
new year, I will be happy now. And I will be
happy now. by making a decision, I'm not gonna
take advice from people that don't trust the
Lord. I'm not just gonna spend my life doing
the things that are promoted by sinners, watching
the things that are promoted by sinners, engaging
in the things that are promoted by sinners. And
I'm not gonna waste time with the mockers, with
those that are cynical, with those that are negative.
I wanna be happy now. And I'm just gonna be happy
by meditating on the word of the Lord. My happiness
in 2026 will not be delayed until my circumstances
improve. Sometimes we waste a whole year thinking,
well, if this happens on the job, if this happens
in the family, if that happens in the church,
well, I might get happy. You know what? You can
make a decision today and you can carry it through
the new year. I will be happy now. My choice
to be happy is based on a decision I've made
to meditate on the word of the Lord. Verse two,
my delight. is in the law of the Lord, and in
his law will I meditate day and night. Can I
say that your relationship with God and his word
is the key to being happy now? That don't sound
like a great revelation, but it's still true
if you will give yourself to God and his word.
I say that because some people feel like they
have a pretty good relationship with God, but
they ignore his word. Jesus said, if you love
me, keep my commandments. You can't keep his
commandments if you don't get in your Bible and
study it and love it and live it. But if you'll
just give yourself to meditating on the word
of God, it will be a key for a happy life now.
for a happy now year, but really for a happy
now life. Every day, Lord, I wanna know what
you're doing, what you're saying, how you're
leading me. Can you say amen? I understand in
2026, your happiness can be impacted by your
job, your job matters, a lack of job matters,
a bad job matters. improvement or progress on
the job matters. So I'm not trying to be naive
about other things. Your relationships matter.
They absolutely do with your family, with your
friends, with your neighbors. You can speak in
tongues every day, but if you don't have a healthy
relationship with your spouse, you're not gonna
be real happy. It's not in the Bible, but a happy
wife is a happy life. Can I get amen from a man
in here? Oh yeah, I got somebody standing. He
gonna have a happy new year. and a happy now
year, I might throw that one out again to see
if anybody else wants to get happy. So I understand
there are other factors that impact our happiness
like for instance our finances You know if you're
not doing the right thing as it relates to ordering
your Finances you might face a lot of things
in this life that can rob you of even peace of
mind It matters all of these factors matter in
fact I would throw this out that we don't always
think about your purpose in life matters If you
want a little Bible study, pick up the message
from last Sunday. You can watch it online for
free. But the reality is this, if your purpose
is yourself, you're not gonna be very happy.
If your purpose is just what satisfies you, you're
not gonna be very happy. In fact, you're gonna
make a lot of people around you unhappy because
your world just revolves around what you think
and what you want. And if you ain't happy, ain't
nobody happy. My God, that's no way to live.
You can be happy now by saying I have a purpose
that's bigger than me. I have a purpose that's
bigger than my own happiness. I have a purpose
and that is to want. Talk with God. Praise the
name of the Lord. And so I understand, all of
these factors matter. We reap what we sow. If
we sow into all of these areas, we'll reap and
we'll be blessed. But the reality is this, and
when I put this in my notes, I knew it would
be controversial, but I really don't mean to
be controversial. I just mean to be helpful.
Your decision to delight. in the word of God
matters more than any other decision you can
make in 2026. If you wanna be happy now, your
choice to meditate on the word of God matters
most. I know that's controversial because you
might say, I read the Bible all the time. I don't
get anything out of it. Or I've read the Bible
before, I don't even understand it. I was just
a youngster when my mother started putting it
in me and even the Sunday School teachers at
church, you need to read through your Bible every
year, just a little bit every day and every year.
And then I was just a youngster when they started
telling me, you need to memorize that Bible.
Take some of those verses and you start quoting
those verses. over and over again till you could
speak them without even reading them. I can tell
you, as I look back over the last 48, 58 years,
I didn't start when I was zero, but somewhere
about nine or 10 or 11 or 12, somewhere in there,
the word of God started to matter. I gotta tell
you, there's been many times from the time I
was 12 to even this past week that I read something
and I wonder what does that mean? But let me
tell you, it's still. has blessed me and enriched
me and strengthened me and encouraged me. Is
there anybody that would be a testimony that
heaven and earth may pass away, but thy word,
thy word is forever. Anybody want to say with
me today, hey, the grass withers, the flower
flades, but the word of God stands forever. Praise
the name of the Lord. I'm gonna just tell you
right now, because there's young people here,
and I'd like to throw this out as a public service
announcement. And some of you already do this,
but if you'll read a little bit of the Word of
God every day, and if you miss a day, if you'll
pick up the next day, if you're sitting here
and you haven't even read the Bible at all, if
you'll start with this new year, you will have
a better life than you've ever had before. It's
really true. You say that's crazy. I'm telling
you this word of God is alive and powerful It's
so sharp. It's like a sword that when you read
it It cuts right into your heart and where there's
fear the word of God gives you faith and where
there's confusion the word of God I'm telling
you you don't even have to be a card carrying
member of this church But get yourself in the
word of God a little bit every day if you miss
a day ask the Lord to help you the next day,
but I promise you the word of God will give you
a happy now year. It don't matter. I know job
situations and family situations, but oh, the
word of God will make a difference. Praise God.
Galatians 6, one translation says, don't be misled.
You cannot mock the justice of God or the plan
of God. You will always harvest what you plant.
Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful
nature will harvest decay and death from that
sinful nature. I do wanna pause and just throw
this out here. Everything, we heard it this morning
as we were starting church for this afternoon.
Everything about your life is corruptible. I
know that doesn't sound like a happy now or happy
new or happy anything. Everything about your
life is mortal. So when it says you will reap
decay because of your sinful nature, don't just
think, well, that just means if I sin real bad,
it ain't gonna work out. No, no, no, no, you've
got a sinful nature even when you're trying to
be a good person. You've got a sinful nature
even when you're being nice to your spouse. You've
got a sinful nature even when you obey your parents.
We were born in sin, and the minute we live,
we start to die. The only way to escape that
process is to get ready for another life by being
born again. I'm trying to tell you, every single
one of us has a sinful nature, and listen very
closely to what I say now. Every time you sow
into this flesh, it don't have to be sin, it'll
still decay. But if you sow into the Spirit,
it will last forever. I'm trying to tell you,
the Word of God will not be mocked. Those who
live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting
life from that Spirit. So let's not get tired
of doing what is good. At just the right time,
we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't
give up. Work as hard as you can to get every
promotion that you can and manage your finances
as well as you can and get all the education
you can. But my brothers and sisters, while you're
sowing to the flesh, get in the Word of God and
sow to the Spirit. That is the only key to an
everlasting life. Oh, would you thank the Lord
for His Word. Heaven and earth will pass away.
Jobs will pass away, houses will pass away, but
the word of our God. Praise God. I'm a little
bit fired up. God help me not to scare nobody.
The Bible says, Psalm one, I won't read it again,
but you'll remember, in his law, in his word,
does he meditate? That guy's gonna be happy.
That gal's gonna be happy. That young person's
gonna be happy. That old person's gonna be happy.
Oh my Lord, have mercy. So that meditates a big
deal. And I don't want to get all out there somewhere.
I just want to make it as simple as possible.
And we've just come through a week that ought
to make it so simple. Anybody, let's throw this,
anybody have anything for Christmas dinner that
tasted real good? Only seven hands. Look at that.
I'm raising my hands twice because my Christmas
dinner was unbelievable It was unbelievable So
when I took the first bite and I don't want to
say what it is because I'm not trying to throw
shade on what you had But when I took the first
bite I was tempted to even swallow it before
I tasted it But there was something about that
first bite that when I stuck it in my mouth Ooh,
I just savor the flavor for a little bit. Anybody
have a Christmas dinner like that, then you're
not ashamed. You're not ashamed. Some of y 'all
need to eat somewhere else next year for Christmas
dinner, because you, I think it must have been
a happy meal from McDonald's ain't even open.
What is wrong with these people? But when I say
I savored the flavor, I actually chewed it. A
lot of time, I don't chew my food. I just eat
to be full, and I move on to the next thing on
the list, but on Christmas dinner. And the first
bite, and the 50th bite, because I went back
three times. We had a lot of people over, and
I had to be stealth. It's hard for a big guy
to be stealth, but man, for that food, if I mentioned
it, the service would be over what I ate. Thank
you grandma you changed my life But I took let's
forget about dinner because they're not there
what about dessert All right, we're doing better
with dessert How many took a piece of the pie
or the cake? And you just let it set there on
your palate for a little bit. Oh God is good
He didn't have to do it, but he did. Oh, what
a good guy All right. Are you hear what I'm saying?
That's meditation right there. You're like, really?
Is that easy? Yeah, don't overcomplicate it.
You know what I'm saying? Chew on it a little
while. Take the Word of God every day in 2026
and don't just read it to get on to the next
thing. Chew on it a little while. Just savor
the flavor. Blessed is the man. that walketh
not in the counsel of the... Let me just think
about that for a... Let me just chew on that
for a little... I just want to meditate on that.
Oh, my goodness. Oh, but his delight is in the
law of the... Oh, let me just... Oh, I got to...
Is there any more of that anywhere in there?
Oh, I got... Why? Come on, you know why? Because
if you will meditate on the Word of the Lord,
you will be happy now. it will be a happy now
year because the word of the Lord is so delicious.
The word of the Lord is so eternal that if you
just chew on it every day. Woo! My, oh my, oh
my. Read it. Repeat it. Listen to it. Obey it.
act upon it, digest it. internalize it. Don't
read it just for information. Read it for transformation.
If it's just a few verses today and maybe a whole
chapter tomorrow, oh, please realize that you
cannot live by food alone, but by every word
that proceeds out of the mouth of God. And if
you want a happy now year, if you want to be
happy 365 days of the year, then you're not going
to rely on just your job. or other relationships,
or you're fighting, all of that has its place.
But oh, feed me with the word of God. I'm here
to tell you, it will satisfy your soul. Oh, would
you take a moment and thank the Lord for his
word. Thank the Lord. Praise God. I feel like
the Lord has just promised us as a people, 2026
is not just a new year, it's a now year. There
are principles in the Word of God that maybe
you've put off, but it's now. It's now or never.
There are promises in the Word of God. And you've
kind of thought, is that really gonna happen
for me? It's a now year. It's not just a happy
new year for somebody. It's a happy now year.
You're gonna get in the Word of God every day.
I know the new year's coming and it's gonna be
some tragedies and it's gonna be some triumphs,
but above all of that, it's gonna be meditating
on the Word of God, listening for His voice,
delighting in the Word and recognizing that God
has a now word for His church and a now word
for individuals. in particular, he's about to
unfold the blessings and the goodness. And even
if he allows you or your family to go through
some dark shadows and even the valley of the
shadow of death, if you will cling to the word
of God in this new year, you can't have happiness
now in the darkness, in the valley. Just stay
connected to the word. If that's worked for you
in the past, would you say yes, Lord? Praise
God. I'm saying to everybody in the sanctuary
and those worshiping online today, your happiness
is tethered to your relationship with Jesus and
your involvement in his kingdom. And the only
way for you to know what he has for you now.
is to make sure your word is my daily bread.
Your word is my daily food. Your word is my daily
guide. Can I just throw it out to you this way?
He is not just our savior. He is our Lord. He
is the King that reigns over our lives. We serve
at his pleasure. And what a - It's a privilege
to serve the Lord, but the only way you're gonna
know what to do next or what to do now is to
get in the Word of God. And say, leave me Lord,
I will follow. Oh, let your Word be a lamp to
my feet and a light to my path. Can I say something
crazy? in 2026, I may not know ever where I'm
going, but oh, I'm happy to know that Jesus is
gonna be leading me by his word. The psalmist
said this is my comfort in my affliction for
your word has given me life I'm not pretending
that a happy new year doesn't bring sadness or
even sorrow welcome to the real world But I can
tell you if we will hang on to the word of god
and be led by the word of god The psalmist said
it this way unless your law had been my delight.
I would have in my affliction. Oh, I went through
some sad days. I went through some hard days,
but I just got a hold of the Word of God. I loved
it. In fact, he said, oh, how I love your law.
It is my meditation all the day. I lost my job,
but I still can chew on the Word of God. I lost
my friends, but I can still chew on the Word
of God. I lost a loved one. But I can still chew,
although I lost some dreams and some hopes, but
I still got Jesus. Oh, would you clap your hands
and shout with your boys? I want to issue a charge
for this church family today you can carry into
the new year. And here it is. Be strong and very
courageous that you may observe to do according
to all the law which Moses, my servant, has commanded
you. The word of God. Do not turn from it to
the right hand or to the left. that you may prosper
wherever you go. This book of a law shall not
depart from your mouth, but you're gonna meditate
in it day and night. That's why you're gonna
observe to do according to all that is written
in it. For then you will make your way prosperous
and then you will have good success. Have I not
commanded you be strong? and of good courage.
Do not be afraid nor be dismayed for the Lord
your God is with you wherever you go. God is
promising you a prosperous now here. Prosperous
now. God is promising you a successful now. you
can be successful in God. Now, God is promising
you a happy now. Not when the situation gets
better, not when the family starts getting along,
but happy now because I'm gonna stay fed up by
the Word of the Lord. I'm not gonna go to the
left or to the right. I'm gonna chew on it every
day. I'm gonna chew on it every day. I'm gonna
meditate on the word of God every day. And he's
gonna bring me joy. He's gonna bring me joy.
The psalmist said, happy is he. Blessed is the
man. Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience
is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight. Yes,
what joy for those whose record the Lord has
cleared of guilt, whose lives are completely
honest. That sounds like a happy now year. Oh,
taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed.
Happy is the person who trusts in Him. Blessed
or happy are those who dwell in your house. They
will still be praising you. Say la, blessed or
happy is the man whose strength is in you, whose
heart is set on pilgrimage. Think about that
for a minute. If they read that psalm, I didn't
know they were gonna read it at the start of
the service. And it just proclaimed, if you're
gonna find me anywhere in 2026, they're gonna
be in the house of God. That's where you're gonna
find me, in the house of God. I know the more
we're blessed, the more we miss church, I get
that, that's the generation we're part of. Come
on, Sister Sharon, used to be, we were in church
three times a week and we thought we was faithful.
Now, two or three times a month, we feel like
we deserve a gold star. I know that's the world
we live in, because we become so blessed that
now those blessings are a curse. And some of
the most blessed people miss church the most.
But you know what the psalmist said? You want
to find me? You're going to find me in his house.
That's where I'm going to be stuck. I'm stuck
here. But it's interesting in that same passage.
He says, these people that are just stuck in
the house of God, Psalm 84 and four again, blessed
or happy are those who dwell. They live in God's
house. That's how you feel when we go back to
two services and then we go to King. I'm just
living in church. That's what your relatives
say. That's all you do is church. As if it's
a sin. As if there's something wrong. I mean,
you're cutting out on your TV time. Oh, that'll
preach a little bit, but I ain't preaching it
today. It's a happy now year. But these people
that are living in the house of God, it goes
on to say, verse five, happy is the man whose
strength is in you, whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
So I'm living in the house of God. But I'm not
living in this world. I am focused and fixed
on the house of God. But as far as everything
else, I'm on a pilgrimage. In the Old Testament,
they was headed to Jerusalem. In the New Testament,
we're headed to New Jerusalem. Yeah. That's why
we're living in the house of God, because this
world is not our home. And if we can fill the
house of God and get a bunch more people on this
journey that are coming with us and saying, this
world is not our home. The only way you're gonna
be able to do that is to get in the word of God.
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob or Israel
for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.
In a crowd this size, there's bound to be a handful
of people who say, preacher, that was nice. A
little bit long, but that was nice. But you have
no idea what I'm about to face in 2026. And you
just want to get up there and scream about the
Word of God. I get that. I get that. But if you
want to have a hope in the Lord, no matter what
you're facing in 2026, you're going to have to
chew on this a little bit more than you've been
chewing on it so far. It's just no way for you
to have a hope in that world if you are not eating
up this word and saying, oh God, I don't know
how I'm gonna make it through this circumstance.
Everybody's excited about a new year and I'm
not sure I even wanna wake up on Thursday. But
oh God, help me to stay in your Word. Help me
to stay in your Word. Help me to get in your
Word. I want you to come to church, but more
important than church really is the Word of God.
Now don't say, I'm saying don't come to church.
I'm just saying, if you don't stay in this book,
it don't matter how many times you come to church.
If you don't feed this Word of God in your soul,
it's all just religion. But if you can meditate
on the Word of God, it'll be your hope in 2026.
I'm happy now. Why? Did you get a raise? No.
I got the Word. I'm happy now. Why? All your
relatives getting along? Well, pretty much so.
But it's more than that. It's the Word. It's
my meditation. Would you stand? Thank you so
much for being here today. Thank you so much
for responding to the Word of God. Because we
have so many guests here today. It's important
for you to know that unlike many churches, and
some of them are good churches, the service doesn't
end when the preacher says, you're dismissed.
There's something that happens before that. After
he shared the word of God, he gives everybody
an opportunity to pray. And I beg you to take
a few moments and pray before you leave. It'll
be easier to pray here for some of you. than
anywhere else in the world. There are some of
you, you have a prayer place at home and you
have deep moves of God, but even with that, there's
something about being surrounded by other people
of like precious faith. I can tell you, when
you come down to this altar in a minute, we don't
look for the people that are the members of the
church. We just feel like if somebody's coming
down here, they must have a little bit of faith
in Jesus and you don't need a whole lot. Just
use whatever faith you've got to say Jesus. I
want to give my life to a happy now year. I want
to take what that preacher preached as though
you were speaking to me. And I want to grab ahold
of a fresh commitment to your word. And even
before I walk out this door, I want to give myself
to believe in you for something supernatural.
And you may not say it in all those words. You
might just come to the altar like they did in
the Bible. They said, Jesus, have mercy on me.
Whatever you want to do to get closer to the
Lord, you're going to get closer to him right
here than you are in your car. And I'm begging
you, I'm begging you to take a few moments. and
take this word that's like a seed that's been
planted in the soil of your soul and water it
with the presence of the Lord and with your faith
in Jesus. Please, for just these next few moments,
even to our church family, do not be distracted
by someone you haven't seen in a few days or
someone maybe you haven't even seen them in a
couple, that's so valuable to love each other
enough to check in on each other, oh wow, we
got a guest from somewhere, oh my, oh that's
wonderful, but right now it's critical. That
we focus on our response to the Word of God So
I want everybody to close their eyes for just
a moment so that nobody's looking around And
I want to tell you if you want to get on This
train that's bound for glory if you want the
Word of God to have its full effect in your life
If you are here today and you put your faith
in Jesus, but you have never repented of your
sins. And even now, as I mentioned, repentance,
you can think of something that kind of strikes
your soul. Oh my goodness. I'm sure there's areas
of my life where I'm not right with God. I'm
begging you today when we all come to the altar
for you to come and just say, Jesus, I believe
for the cross and for your blood that was shed.
I can be right with you right now just by asking
you to forgive me. And I guarantee you, he loves
you enough to forgive you in a moment. in a moment.
And with your eyes closed and your heads bowed,
I'm here to tell you, if you've lived for God
for five minutes or 50 years, that you have never
been baptized by immersion in Jesus' name. You
don't even know if you were baptized. You don't
even remember being baptized. I want you to know
we got the water ready. We got the robes ready.
You don't have to join this church to be baptized
in Jesus' name, but if you want the Word of God
to have its full effect in your life, you must
be born again of the water and of the Spirit.
You need to be baptized, calling upon the name
of Jesus. And I urge you, as we come forward,
make your way to this altar and say, preacher,
I gotta get baptized today. Would you have somebody
baptize me? If you're here today and you have
never been filled with the Spirit of God, you
love Jesus, you believe in Jesus, but you have
never let His Spirit fill you like a well of
living water flowing through your soul and the
power of the Spirit takes over your prayer and
you literally speak in other tongues, I beg you
today, I beg you today, Jesus, Jesus, fill me.
And to our church family and guests. And everything
I've just said, you've checked the box. One,
two, three. I'm there. I'm there, pastor. I'm
there, preacher. Would you start the new year
even before the new year starts with a commitment
at this altar that says, I'm gonna be happy now.
I'm gonna be in the word now. I'm gonna be living
for Jesus now. Everybody come. Everybody come.
We got a few minutes here. Everybody come. Guests
come. Come on, family members come. Church members
come. Everybody. Come on everybody!