Embracing New Beginnings: Faith and Community in 2025

 

Summary

As we stand on the threshold of a new year, it's crucial to understand that how we end one season sets the tone for the next. Reflecting on 2024, we celebrate the incredible work God has done through our community at Lights Church. We've witnessed 47 first-time salvations, 16 baptisms worldwide, and 15 people baptized in the Holy Spirit. Our community care initiatives have reached widows, single mothers, and the elderly, while our media outreach has expanded globally, touching millions. This year, our small groups have flourished, fostering unity and deeper relationships among 94 participants across 11 groups. As we move into 2025, our focus will intensify on these small groups, media outreach, community center development, and youth engagement, aligning with our vision to shine light in every dark corner of our community.

The Great Commission calls us to be the church, not just attend it. Our mission is to take the gospel beyond the church walls, reaching people where they are. This involves building a community center as a tool for outreach, offering marriage classes, youth hangouts, and family events. Our strategy is not about building a mega-church but about impacting lives between Monday and Saturday. As we prepare for 2025, we are called to steward what we have with excellence, trusting God for a debt-free community center and embracing His plan, even when it seems beyond our understanding.

In this season, we must shift our focus from the "pool" of our problems to the person of Jesus, the source of our wholeness. The story of the man at the pool of Bethesda teaches us that our healing and breakthrough come not from the methods we expect but from the Word of God. As we enter 2025, let's embrace a posture of faith, aligning our actions with God's promises. This is a season of harvest, where we expect financial overflow, peace, and wisdom to abound. Let us be distribution centers for God's kingdom, overflowing with His blessings to impact every good work.

Key Takeaways:

- Ending and Beginning Seasons: How we conclude one season influences the start of the next. As we end 2024, let's celebrate the lives changed and the growth experienced, setting a positive tone for 2025. Our focus should be on unity and community, ensuring we are not just associates but family, ready to step into the new year with purpose and vision. [06:57]

- Vision Beyond the Church Walls: The Great Commission calls us to be the church, taking the gospel into every area of life. Our strategies, including small groups, media outreach, and community engagement, are designed to reach people where they are, emphasizing that the church is not a building but the people of God in action. [22:33]

- The Pool Won't Fix It: The story of the man at the pool of Bethesda reminds us that our solutions are not found in the methods we expect but in the person of Jesus. We must shift our focus from our problems to the promises of God, recognizing that His Word is the catalyst for change and breakthrough in our lives. [33:16]

- Faith in Action: True faith requires action. As we receive God's Word, our posture must change to align with His promises. This involves stepping out in faith, even when circumstances seem unchanged, trusting that God's Word will bring the miraculous into our lives. [45:13]

- A Season of Multiplication and Harvest: As we enter 2025, we anticipate a season of financial overflow, peace, and wisdom. This is a time to expand our faith, becoming distribution centers for God's kingdom. By aligning our actions with His Word, we position ourselves for increase and promotion, impacting lives for His glory. [55:07]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [06:57] - Celebrating 2024 Achievements
- [12:46] - Vision Beyond Church Walls
- [22:33] - The Great Commission
- [26:41] - The Pool Won't Fix It
- [33:16] - Faith in Action
- [37:39] - The Power of God's Word
- [45:13] - Being Made Whole
- [49:41] - Aligning with God's Promises
- [55:07] - A Season of Multiplication
- [01:01:26] - Taking Action in Faith
- [01:05:05] - Following God's Word
- [01:09:44] - Communion and Reflection

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. John 5:1-9
2. Deuteronomy 2:14
3. 2 Corinthians 9:8

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Observation Questions:

1. In John 5:1-9, what was the significance of the Sheep Gate and the Pool of Bethesda in the context of the story? How does this setting contribute to the narrative of the man's healing?

2. According to the sermon, what were some of the achievements of Lights Church in 2024, and how do these accomplishments set the tone for 2025? [06:57]

3. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between faith and action, particularly in the context of the man at the pool of Bethesda? [55:07]

4. How does the sermon describe the role of small groups in fulfilling the Great Commission and the vision of Lights Church? [22:33]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the story of the man at the pool of Bethesda illustrate the concept of shifting focus from problems to the promises of God? What does this shift imply for believers today? [33:16]

2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the church's mission extends beyond the physical building, and how does this align with the Great Commission? [22:33]

3. How does the sermon interpret the concept of being made "whole" versus being made "well," and what implications does this have for understanding spiritual and physical healing? [45:13]

4. What does the sermon imply about the importance of stewardship and how it relates to receiving God's blessings and promotion? [01:05:05]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on the past year. How have you seen God work in your life or community, and how can you carry that momentum into the new year? [06:57]

2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of small groups. Are you currently involved in a small group, and if not, what steps can you take to join one or start one? [22:33]

3. Consider the areas in your life where you might be focusing on the "pool" rather than the person of Jesus. What practical steps can you take to shift your focus to Jesus and His promises? [37:39]

4. The sermon discusses the importance of faith in action. Identify a specific area in your life where you need to take a step of faith. What action can you take this week to align with God's promises? [55:07]

5. How can you contribute to the church's vision of reaching beyond its walls? Identify one way you can engage with your community or workplace to share the gospel.

6. Reflect on the concept of being made "whole." Is there an area in your life where you need God's wholeness? How can you seek His presence and healing in that area? [45:13]

7. The sermon mentions a season of multiplication and harvest. What specific area in your life do you want to see growth or increase, and how can you prepare for that season? [55:07]

Devotional

Day 1: Setting the Tone for New Beginnings
Reflecting on the past year, it's evident that how we conclude one season significantly influences the start of the next. As we celebrate the lives changed and the growth experienced in 2024, we set a positive tone for 2025. This is a time to focus on unity and community, ensuring that we are not just associates but a family ready to step into the new year with purpose and vision. By acknowledging the achievements and blessings of the past year, we prepare our hearts and minds to embrace the opportunities and challenges of the coming year with faith and determination. [06:57]

"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." (Isaiah 43:18-19, ESV)

Reflection: As you look back on 2024, what specific achievements or blessings can you celebrate? How can you use these reflections to set a positive and purposeful tone for 2025?


Day 2: Living the Great Commission
The Great Commission calls us to be the church, taking the gospel into every area of life. Our strategies, including small groups, media outreach, and community engagement, are designed to reach people where they are, emphasizing that the church is not a building but the people of God in action. This involves building a community center as a tool for outreach, offering marriage classes, youth hangouts, and family events. Our mission is to impact lives between Monday and Saturday, not just on Sundays. [22:33]

"And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.'" (Mark 16:15, ESV)

Reflection: How can you personally take the gospel beyond the church walls this week? What specific action can you take to reach someone in your community with the love of Christ?


Day 3: Focusing on the Source of Wholeness
The story of the man at the pool of Bethesda reminds us that our solutions are not found in the methods we expect but in the person of Jesus. We must shift our focus from our problems to the promises of God, recognizing that His Word is the catalyst for change and breakthrough in our lives. By turning our attention to Jesus, we find the source of our wholeness and healing, trusting that His ways are higher than our own. [33:16]

"Jesus said to him, 'Get up, take up your bed, and walk.' And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked." (John 5:8-9, ESV)

Reflection: What problem or challenge are you currently facing that you need to shift your focus from? How can you actively turn your attention to Jesus and His promises today?


Day 4: Aligning Faith with Action
True faith requires action. As we receive God's Word, our posture must change to align with His promises. This involves stepping out in faith, even when circumstances seem unchanged, trusting that God's Word will bring the miraculous into our lives. By aligning our actions with His promises, we demonstrate our trust in His plan and open ourselves to the transformative power of His Word. [45:13]

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." (James 1:22, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to take a step of faith? What specific action can you take today to align your life with God's promises?


Day 5: Embracing a Season of Multiplication
As we enter 2025, we anticipate a season of financial overflow, peace, and wisdom. This is a time to expand our faith, becoming distribution centers for God's kingdom. By aligning our actions with His Word, we position ourselves for increase and promotion, impacting lives for His glory. This season of multiplication is an opportunity to trust in God's provision and to be a blessing to others, sharing His abundance with those around us. [55:07]

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." (2 Corinthians 9:8, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you become a distribution center for God's blessings this year? How can you use your resources to impact others and further His kingdom?

Quotes

"This is the last Sunday of 2024. Now, let me give you a little key, some wisdom here. How you end a season is how you begin the next season. So it's vital that at the end of this year, you don't end limping out." [00:00:04] (15 seconds)


"We've really been going into our community care and going after the vision of shining light in every dark corner of our community. And our community care team has, first of all, if you're in here and you've been a part of any outreach, any event for our community care team, would you just raise your hand so we can recognize you?" [00:01:29] (17 seconds)


"One of the things we have to make sure we're doing is that we're in unity, in one accord, in community together, in fellowship. Because if we're not united, as we go out and reach the masses, as we step into this next season, then we'll be on shaky ground. We can't just know each other. We can't just be associates, but we have to be family." [00:05:14] (19 seconds)


"So when you're asking God for more in your life, increase, promotion, come on, raise your hand if you've ever wanted to get out of the season that you're in and you prayed about it. Let's just be honest. You know, you're like, God, get me out of this place, right? It could be a job. It could be whatever in your life, a season in your life." [00:10:55] (16 seconds)


"God never talks the problem. God's word is the solution and the answer. So you're not denying facts when you're speaking God's word instead of the situation. You are calling things that are not as though they were. God's word always is released first before the manifestation occurs." [00:37:39] (25 seconds)


"Don't let the pursuit blind you from the promise. Let me say it like this. Sometimes the destination that you're going for is hidden by the journey. You're blinded by the journey, so you don't know the destination. It's easy to lose sight of the goal because of the circumstance today." [00:49:29] (20 seconds)


"Father, I just pray right now that you would reveal yourself to your people, Lord. Lord, let us just go into this next year, Lord. Let us break out of every barrier, every limitation, Lord. Lord, I pray that your Word would take precedence in our lives. Lord, whatever Word we've dropped in our life, wherever we have let go of your promises and looked at all of the problems, Lord, right now, Holy Spirit, just reveal, redirect us, refocus our hearts to what you are saying to us, Lord." [01:05:55] (26 seconds)


"Lord, we repent for being like the man at the pool of Bethesda that's magnified the pool that we've missed grace in front of us. Lord, I thank you that your grace is sufficient. It's not about our strength or our ability. Lord, you are so good. You give us what we don't deserve by your grace." [01:09:54] (17 seconds)


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Transcript
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