As a new season dawns, take time to remember. Call to mind the anchor points where God met you, guided you, and rescued you against all odds. Israel looked back to the sea-splitting deliverance so they could look forward with courage; you can do the same with the miracles in your own story, beginning with salvation. When hope feels thin, remembrance thickens your faith and steadies your steps. Let remembering be your first act of worship in 2026. God did it then, and he will do it again. [34:46]
Isaiah 43:16–17 — The Holy One says, “I’m the One who cut a roadway through the sea, a path across raging waters. I drew out the chariots and the horses, the army and its warriors; they fell and did not rise, snuffed out like a wick.”
Reflection: Which two moments of God’s past faithfulness will you carry into this week, and how will they reshape a specific fear you are facing right now?
Remembering God’s works does not mean reliving your shame. The Lord invites you to drop what keeps you from facing the future with confidence—old labels, rehearsed failures, and resentments toward yourself or others. Forgiven sin is not meant to be your address; it’s a place you once passed through. Make amends where needed, receive mercy where offered, and refuse to camp in the ruins. This is a fresh start: learn, deal with it in grace, and then let it go. [41:44]
Micah 7:18–19 — Who is like our God? He cancels sin and passes over our rebellion. He doesn’t hold onto anger but takes joy in showing mercy. He will have compassion again, crush our sins underfoot, and throw our wrongs into the deepest sea.
Reflection: What specific memory keeps accusing you, and what gentle step—confession, a conversation, or a prayer—will you take this week to release it into God’s mercy?
God is not finished; he is already at work. He carves pathways where there are none and streams where everything feels dry. Ask for more of God himself—in your inner life, your home, your workplace—because his presence is the gift that turns wastelands into gardens. Watch, listen, and anticipate the Spirit’s movement, then step in with a willing heart. Healing and growth come as we make room for his newness and join in. Don’t dwell on what was; look for what’s springing up now. [45:32]
Isaiah 43:18–20 — Stop living in yesterday. Look, I’m launching something new—can’t you perceive it? I will cut a way through the wild places and set rivers in the desert. Even the creatures of the field will honor me when I provide water for my chosen people.
Reflection: Where do you sense a small “new thing” beginning, and what is one practical adjustment to your schedule this week that will create space to notice and join what the Spirit is doing?
Faith is a muscle; it grows as you use it. Choose one place in the life of the church or your community to step from watching to serving, trusting that God meets you in motion. Valleys and deserts are not wasted—they train your dependence and deepen your witness. As you obey in small ways, expect God to provide more of himself: wisdom, courage, and joy. The best gift he gives is always himself—enough for today’s step and tomorrow’s calling. [43:36]
Exodus 3:7–8 — The Lord said, “I have seen the misery of my people, heard their cries, and I know their pain. I have come down to rescue them from Egypt’s grip and to bring them into a good, wide land, overflowing with my provision.”
Reflection: What is one concrete, humble act of participation you will take this week—serving, calling someone, praying with a neighbor—that will stretch your faith beyond comfort?
You were formed to proclaim God’s praise; this is not a mood but a calling. Let the gospel be on your lips in 2026—in gratitude at home, in kindness at work, and in hope among friends. We do not praise because life is perfect; we praise because God is perfect. Imagine being remembered as a person whose life drew others toward Jesus—light on a hill, streams in a wasteland. Start small: thank him when you wake, bless him when you lie down, and speak his goodness in one conversation each day. This is why you’re here—to glorify God and enjoy him forever. [52:59]
Isaiah 43:21 — “The people I shaped for myself will announce my praise.”
Reflection: What simple daily rhythm—morning thanks, mealtime blessing, or a spoken word of encouragement—will help you keep God’s praise on your lips this week?
Stepping into 2026 is framed as a God‑given fresh start, a season for healing, unity, and the strengthening of faith. Isaiah 43:15–21 becomes the compass: God is the Holy One and King who “makes a way in the sea,” calls His people not to live chained to the past, and forms them to declare His praise. Three practices mark the path forward—remember, forget, and proclaim.
Remember: God’s people are urged to rehearse God’s proven track record—His grace, compassion, and mighty acts—so present faith is nourished by past faithfulness. The Red Sea stands as an anchor moment: if God did that, He can do this. The Psalms echo the charge to remember, and in seasons of exile-like discouragement, memory becomes fuel for endurance. This posture welcomes 2026 as a year to take God’s promises seriously and to let remembered mercies steady new obedience.
Forget: “Do not dwell on the past” does not cancel remembrance; it calls believers to refuse the mental clutter that suffocates hope—old sins Christ has forgiven, stale grudges, and negative scripts that stunt growth. Forgiven sin is not a home to live in; it’s a lesson to learn from and leave. God delights in mercy; He hurls iniquities into the depths, opening space for renewal, unity, and forward movement. Letting go is not denial—it’s trusting God’s verdict and choosing the freedom He gives.
Proclaim: Humanity’s purpose is worship—formed to declare God’s praise. Praise is not a mood; it’s a mandate that re-centers life around God’s perfection, not life’s perfection. Anticipating the Spirit’s movement, believers are called out of spectatorship into participation: discerning, praying, serving, and speaking the gospel. God makes a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland by giving the best gift—Himself. The church’s testimony in 2026 can be a light on a hill: lives that heal, reconcile, and point to Jesus as the only answer.
The invitation is clear: remember God’s faithfulness, forget what God has already buried, and proclaim Christ with word and life. As believers seek not just God’s help but God Himself, deserts become pathways and dry places turn to rivers. This is a year to be known for bringing praise to God and drawing people to Jesus.
You know, remember we don't praise God because everything is perfect in our life. We don't. We praise him because he is perfect. And it's what we're meant to do. If you woke up this morning, then praise him. Amen? If he's carried you through a hard week, then praise him. It's what we're meant to do. If he saved your soul, then praise him.
[00:51:33]
(36 seconds)
#PraiseBecauseHeIsPerfect
God makes a way in the wilderness, he makes streams in the wasteland by giving us himself. He gives us himself. In prayer, no matter what we may ask for, no matter what we may think we need, what we actually need is more of God. Really, that's what we need. We need more of him in our individual life.
[00:45:13]
(22 seconds)
#NeedMoreOfGod
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