Growing Together in Faith, Generosity, and Engagement

Jan 03, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Plan Wisely, Walk Softly with God

A new year can feel like a road trip: you set a destination and map the stops, but surprises come. God values intentionality—he’s a planner who prepared what humans would need before placing them on the earth. So make wise plans for your discipleship in 2026—rhythms of Scripture, community, rest, and generosity. Yet hold those plans loosely, trusting the Lord to set the steps, pace, and turns. Planning is stewardship; surrender is worship; together they make a healthy journey. [24:25]

Proverbs 16:9 — People design their course in their hearts, but the Lord arranges how the journey actually unfolds.

Reflection: Which part of your 2026 plan do you need to hold with an open hand before God this week, and how will you practice that surrender?

Day 2: Planning that Models Courageous Faith

Planning does not compete with faith; it can be a bold expression of it. Noah measured wood and hammered beams not because the skies were dark, but because God spoke. When you prayerfully build, others may not understand, but obedience becomes your testimony. Make the plan God has placed on your heart, then walk it out step by step, ready to pivot when he directs. In that union of blueprints and trust, courage grows and God’s faithfulness is seen. [26:47]

Hebrews 11:7 — Warned by God about what he could not yet see, Noah responded with reverent obedience and built the ark; his trust preserved his household and showed that right standing comes through faith.

Reflection: What faith-filled project or habit needs a simple written plan from you this week, and what is day one of that plan?

Day 3: Live the Yes: Belong, Serve, Give, Go

Many have said yes to believing in Jesus, but the invitation is to live a fuller yes—belonging with him, serving, and living on mission. This year, shift from merely showing up to showing up with your whole life. Join a group, take a serving role, and begin giving consistently; engagement is where roots go deep and joy multiplies. As you engage, you will find you’re not just attending church—you are becoming the church. [37:46]

Acts 2:42-47 — They committed themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to life together, sharing meals and prayers; generosity met needs, joy marked their days, and the Lord kept adding people to the community.

Reflection: Which of these—group community, serving, or giving—do you sense Jesus inviting you to lean into first, and what concrete step will you take this week?

Day 4: Stronger in the Storms with Jesus

Storms will come, but God never wastes them. In tempests, he reveals who is in charge, trains our trust, and shows he has not forgotten us. Your role is not to control the wind, but to keep your eyes on Jesus and obey his voice. Let every squall become a classroom for deeper reliance and a stage for God’s power. Even when the waves feel taller than you, his presence is nearer than the spray on your face. [40:36]

Mark 4:39-41 — Jesus stood and spoke to the wind and waves, commanding them to settle, and a deep calm followed; the disciples, stunned and reverent, asked who he must be if even the storm answers him.

Reflection: Name one present storm; what is a small, practical way you will look for and respond to Jesus’ presence in it this week?

Day 5: Together at the Table, Together on Mission

You’ve been recruited to four teams—Jesus, family, community, and church—and at the table of communion we remember why and how we play together. As we commit the year to the Lord, we also commit to one another, trusting God to order our steps and redirect us when needed. Make space for others’ voices, cheer for your teammates, and bring your whole heart to the mission. At the table and in the week ahead, offer Jesus your yes again and align your life with his body. [49:49]

1 Corinthians 11:26 — Every time you eat the bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the significance of the Lord’s death, and you keep proclaiming it until he returns.

Reflection: Which of the four teams needs more of your presence and encouragement this month, and what is one specific action you will take to strengthen that team?

Sermon Summary

A new year begins with a clear map and open hands. The journey ahead is intentionally planned, yet fully yielded to the Spirit’s leading. Scripture commends good planning and hard work for fruitful living, while also insisting that the Lord ultimately directs the steps. The destination is spiritual abundance, not a rigid itinerary. The aim is to nurture disciples who don’t just believe, but actually live the way of Jesus—together—through a yearlong path of Scripture-rich series, practical challenges, and community rhythms.

The year launches with The Generous Life, four weeks exploring eight biblical principles that frame generosity as worship, trust, love for neighbor, and eternal investment. That season includes a 90-Day Tithe Challenge, backed with a full refund guarantee, to help hesitant hearts take a concrete step of trust. Jersey Sunday follows as an evangelism-friendly moment centered on four teams everyone is called to play on: Team Jesus, Team Family, Team Community, and Team Church.

Stronger then walks slowly through Philippians, forming durable maturity that thinks and lives like Christ even when life doesn’t go as planned. Easter marks the start of Live the Yes, calling believers beyond belief alone into full engagement—belonging, serving, and living on mission. Engagement becomes a defining measure, because those who connect in groups, serve, and give are far more likely to remain, grow, and become disciples who make disciples.

Next comes 23 in Me, a verse-by-verse encounter with Psalm 23 that clarifies who God is, who we are, and how to live in light of both. Weathering the Storms surveys six biblical storms where God shapes people and displays authority, teaching how trials reveal what rules the heart and how faith is trained in rough seas. This Is Us unpacks six core values that paint a picture of a life that honors God.

October returns as Family Month—Together—pressing into belonging, grace, truth, and legacy. November is Kingdom Builders, a faith-stretching season of generosity and global impact. December closes with Led to Jesus, tracing how God still uses “stars,” “camels,” and gifts to shepherd hearts to Christ.

A key shift in 2026: a broadened teaching voice. Multiple communicators will be developed and heard more often, embodying biblical equipping and shared leadership. The year is finally entrusted to the Lord at the Communion table—a collective commitment to walk the plan with responsive hearts.

Key Takeaways

1. Plan diligently; surrender steps to God Planning is wise and biblical, but it is never a substitute for dependence. Hold maps in one hand and humility in the other, trusting God to re-route when needed. Real faith plans with care and pivots with obedience. The fruit is focus without presumption and movement without anxiety. [24:05]
2. Generosity forms hearts, not just budgets God’s vision for generosity is holistic—affection, trust, worship, and eternal perspective, not mere math. The 90-Day Tithe Challenge simply gives fearful hearts a trailhead to start walking trust. Money becomes discipleship when it dethrones self and enthrones Christ. Where treasure moves, the heart follows. [28:55]
3. Engagement grows disciples; attendance alone fades Belonging in community, serving with gifts, and giving with purpose anchor souls for the long haul. Engagement reorients faith from observation to participation, where truth is practiced and tested. Disciples aren’t formed by proximity but by obedience and shared mission. Presence becomes perseverance when it’s invested. [36:48]
4. God never wastes a storm Biblical storms reveal who is really in charge and what is steering the heart. Trials become training grounds for supernatural trust, not detours from God’s purposes. He knows where you are and walks you through; the wind may roar, but His grip holds. Expect formation, not futility. [40:36]
5. Shared pulpits build a stronger church Multiplying voices is not dilution but discipleship. Equipping communicators reflects the New Testament pattern and protects the church from personality-dependence. Humble leadership makes room for others to grow so the whole body matures. A chorus forms a sturdier sanctuary than a solo. [44:51]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[17:19] - Previewing the 2026 Road Trip
[22:17] - God’s Intentional Planning
[24:05] - Man Plans; God Directs
[26:18] - Planning as Active Faith
[27:35] - The Generous Life + Jersey Sunday
[33:52] - Stronger: Walking Through Philippians
[35:20] - Live the Yes: Full Engagement
[36:48] - Why Engagement Beats Attendance
[38:17] - 23 in Me: Psalm 23
[38:58] - Weathering the Storms
[41:25] - This Is Us: Core Values
[44:18] - Fall & Christmas: Together, Kingdom Builders, Led to Jesus
[44:51] - Developing Communicators: New Rhythm
[47:28] - Communion: Committing the Year

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

- Proverbs 21:5

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.

- Proverbs 16:9

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

- Ephesians 4:11–12

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.

Observation questions

According to Proverbs 21:5, what two ingredients are directly linked to prosperity/abundance, and what basic pattern do you notice in the verse?
How does Proverbs 16:9 describe the relationship between human planning and God’s direction?
In Ephesians 4:11–12, who does the equipping and who does the “work of ministry”? What does that division of roles practically look like?
The yearly map was called “not a rigid script” but “a discipleship journey” ([24:47]). What are two practical differences between a rigid script and a Spirit-led journey?

Interpretation questions

Proverbs 21:5 commends “good planning and hard work.” In what ways could “prosperity/abundance” here point to spiritual fruitfulness rather than just financial gain?
“Planning can model great faith” ([26:18]). How can planning be an expression of trust instead of a replacement for trust? What motives might distinguish faithful planning from anxious control?
Ephesians 4:11–12 pictures leaders equipping the church for ministry. How might multiplying communicators and “a broadened teaching voice” strengthen a body and safeguard it from personality-dependence ([44:51])?
“A person is 500% more likely to stay if they’re engaged” ([36:48]). Biblically and practically, why does engagement (belonging, serving, giving) tend to produce perseverance more than attendance alone?

Application questions

“We can make our plans, and the Lord…determines our steps” ([24:25]). Name one thoughtful plan you’re making for this year and one place you need to keep open hands. What would a God-led “pivot” look like if he re-routed you mid-journey?
A 90-Day Tithe Challenge was offered as a concrete trailhead for trust ([28:55]). What is one next step in generosity (percentage, rhythm, budgeting change, or a first gift) that would stretch your faith without shaming your heart? What fear stands in the way, and how will you address it?
Engagement was defined as participating in community, serving, and giving ([37:14]). Which lane is currently your weakest? What is one specific step you can take in the next 30 days (join a group, try a serving team, set up planned giving)?
Four teams were highlighted: Team Jesus, Team Family, Team Community, Team Church ([33:14]). Which “team” needs more attention from you right now? What is one relational action you can take this week (a text, a meal, an apology, an invite) to play that position well?
“God never wastes a storm” ([40:36]). Name a present or recent “storm.” What might God be forming in you through it (trust, patience, courage, humility)? What daily practice will help you keep your eyes on him in the waves (Scripture plan, prayer schedule, accountability)?
A diversified teaching team will be heard more often ([45:08]). How can you receive from multiple voices with expectancy? What will you do to pray for and encourage communicators you don’t know as well (notes, feedback, prayer)?
Live the Yes invites a move from belief to full engagement—belonging, serving, and mission ([35:20]). Which “Yes” do you sense God asking of you first? What will you do this week to act on it, and who will you tell for accountability?

Sermon Clips

32s

“And stronger is really just a walk through the book of Philippians. It's got four chapters, and we're gonna take seven weeks to go through it. So we're gonna kinda slow down a little and go through it. Why? Paul wrote it when he was in prison. And when he wrote this, he was writing it, and he was helping us to see what does true spiritual strength or true spiritual maturity look like. And he says to us, look, in this book, he goes, it's not about age or knowledge or comfort. It's about learning to think and to trust and to live like Christ even when life doesn't go as planned.”

22s

“And through that prayer, we've developed a plan. We've mapped out a journey of where we believe God is directing us to go and to grow over 2026. Right? Now look. We didn't do this. We didn't do this because we think that we control the future. K? I I don't control the future. We did this because we believe God values intentionality.”

24s

“K? Everybody in this room is called, and everybody at all of our campuses, you're all called to play on the same four teams. Team Jesus, team family, team community, and team church. Every single one of you has been recruited onto those four teams. And when you learn what it looks like to be a healthy participant on each of those four teams, then you are the very best version of yourself.”

25s

“And in October, it'll be family month at New Life. It'll be a four week series. We've entitled it together. What does it look like to be connected together? And we're gonna really focus on four things that help us stay connected together. Number one, we're gonna focus on week one about belonging. How belonging helps us be connected. How grace, forgiving, you know, helps us stay connected. How truth helps us stay connected.”

19s

“You know, one of the things in Ephesians that is that pastors are called to do is to equip the the saints, equip you to do the work of the ministry. And that's the same thing I have to do with our staff. And we've got incredible communicators on our team that need to be developed. And so our you're gonna hear from the teaching team more this next year.”

17s

“See, the truth that stands out through this entire series is how God never wastes a storm. He never wastes a storm in our lives, and how God always knows where you're at, and God will always walk us through the storms if we'll trust him.”

52s

“and I'm really kind of excited about it. We're just we're just we're just entitled to it very simple, led to Jesus. It's a three week series as we look through the lens of the wise men and how God used so many unique things in the wise men to lead the wise men to Jesus, and God's still using those same things to lead us to Jesus. Like, he used the star to lead them to Jesus. He's still using the star. But it just we just got to we just have to redefine what the star is. God God used camels to carry the wise men to Jesus, and guess what? He's still using camels to carry us to Jesus. You might be sitting next to one of them, by the way. And God God, he used gifts gifts to be the gateway to worship. And God is still using gifts to be the gateway to worship. So God's still using supernatural things to lead us to Jesus.”

55s

“I think people like that. So we're gonna do that on Easter. And the series that we're gonna start on Easter is for five weeks, and it's called live the yes. Live the yes. During this series, we're gonna focus in on a word called engagement. See, most Christians, as I as I've surveyed churches around America, I've discovered that most Christians have said yes to a belief in Jesus, but they haven't said a full yes to be fully devoted to belonging with Jesus, serving Jesus, or even living on mission for Jesus. So it's one thing to say, yes. I believe in Jesus. But it's another thing to say, yes. I belong to Jesus. I serve Jesus. I'm on mission for Jesus. And I just wanna help you and everyone else who's willing to go through this series with me. I just wanna help you be fully engaged with Jesus.”

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How can planning express faith rather than replace it?

What are the four teams Christians should join?

What makes believers 500% likelier to stay?