January 4, 2025 - "A New Horizon

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.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Remember God’s proven deliverance. Memory isn’t nostalgia; it’s courage for today. Recalling the Red Sea and other anchor moments trains the heart to trust God’s character when circumstances feel impossible. Remembered grace converts fear into expectancy. Let history with God set the pace for fresh obedience. [24:42]
• 2. Forget the junk that shackles growth. Forgetting means refusing to dwell on forgiven sin, bitterness, and narratives that keep you small. Repent, reconcile, and then release it into God’s sea of forgetfulness. Lingering on the past fractures unity and blocks renewal. Faith chooses to let the Spirit write a new chapter. [36:46]
• 3. Anticipate God’s new paths ahead. God carves roads where maps end—through deserts of despair and delay. Newness is His initiative, not our cosmetics. Watch where the Spirit is moving and shift from spectator to participant. Expectation aligns effort with His living guidance. [43:59]
• 4. Seek more of God Himself. Beneath every request lies a deeper need: His presence. Streams in wastelands flow from communion, not from improved circumstances alone. Pursue Him in prayer, work, relationships, and witness, and dry ground will soften. The best gift God gives is always Himself. [45:32]
• 5. Praise God as your life aim. Humanity was formed to declare His praise—worship is vocation, not vibe. Praise centers on God’s perfection rather than life’s perfection, reframing joy and sorrow alike. Aim to be remembered for amplifying Jesus and drawing others to Him. Let reconciled relationships and sacrificial service be your doxology. [48:28]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [20:32] - Update and encouragement
• [21:56] - New season: 2026 vision
• [23:25] - Faith is a muscle
• [23:53] - Isaiah 43: Fresh start hope
• [24:42] - Remember: God makes a way
• [30:20] - Exile context and assurance
• [36:46] - Forget former things; let go
• [41:04] - Mercy that buries our sins
• [43:59] - God makes a way in wilderness
• [45:07] - What we need is more of God
• [48:28] - Formed to declare His praise
• [50:17] - Praise as mandate; gospel focus
• [54:01] - Christ’s invitation to new life

1. In Isaiah 43:16–17, what images are used to describe God’s past deliverance, and what event in Israel’s history do they point back to?
2. In Isaiah 43:18–19, what two commands sit side by side, and how are they different: “Do not remember the past events” and “Look, I’m doing something new”?
3. Several Psalms repeatedly call God’s people to “remember.” What key word or action is emphasized in Psalm 77:11; 105:5; and 143:5, and why might that be important in hard seasons? [29:33]
4. What three practices for the new year were highlighted from Isaiah 43? Say them in order. [26:41]

1. Why would God call His people to remember His works and at the same time tell them not to dwell on the past? How do remembrance and “forgetting” work together for faith? [36:46]
2. If God “makes a way in the wilderness” and gives “streams in the wasteland,” and His best gift is Himself, what does that say about people’s deepest need in 2026? [45:07]
3. Micah 7:18–19 says God “hurls all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” What should that do to a believer’s sense of guilt, identity, and unity with others? [41:04]
4. Isaiah 43:21 says God formed a people to declare His praise. If praise is a mandate, not a mood, what is the everyday shape of worship for a Christian? [50:17]

1. Remember: What are two or three “anchor moments” in your story where God clearly carried you? How will you keep those in front of you this year (journal, testimony, family prayer, memorial verse)? If God did that then, what does it encourage you to trust Him for now? [34:46]
2. Forget: What “junk” do you need to refuse to dwell on—old sins God has forgiven, grudges, or negative scripts? What specific step will you take this week to release it (confession, counseling, peacemaking, deleting a triggering thread)? [38:34]
3. Healing and unity: Is there a relationship in the church or at home that needs repair? What is one concrete “make amends” step you will take—apology, listening meeting, inviting to a meal, praying blessing over them? [46:14]
4. Seek more of God Himself: Where do you feel like you’re in a wilderness (work, health, family, faith)? What is one simple practice you will adopt for 30 days to pursue more of God, not just better circumstances (set prayer time, Scripture plan, fasting one meal weekly, a daily walk with worship)? [45:32]
5. From spectator to participant: What is one ministry lane you sense the Spirit nudging you toward (prayer team, kids, mercy, hospitality, outreach)? What “first step” will you take this week to get involved? [43:36]
6. Proclaim with praise: Since praise is a mandate, not a mood, what daily rhythm will train your mouth to bless the Lord even when life isn’t perfect (morning thanksgiving, singing a psalm, gratitude before bed)? [50:17]