Remembering What God Has Done

Devotional

Day 1: Stacking Stones: Remembering God’s Faithfulness in 2025

Take time to mark what God has done this year. Like Israel stacking stones from the riverbed, set a simple marker so you will not forget the way He made for you. Write it down, share it with someone, and let your gratitude become a testimony that strengthens others. What you remember today will become courage for tomorrow’s trials. Ask the Spirit to bring to mind even the quiet mercies you might have missed. [54:58]

Joshua 4:4-7 — Joshua chose twelve men, one from each tribe, and told them to lift twelve stones out of the Jordan where the priests had stood. They were to set them up as a memorial, so that when children asked, “What do these stones mean?” the people could say, “The Lord stopped the river for us until we crossed.” These stones would be a lasting sign that God made a way.

Reflection: What is one concrete “stone of remembrance” you will create this week (a note in your Bible, a photo, a calendar reminder), and where will you place it so you’ll see it when future challenges come?

Day 2: Leave the Grave Clothes; Walk in New Life

This year included stories of deep despair turning into living hope. Jesus still calls people by name, bringing them out of darkness and into a brand-new life. He not only raises; He also invites us to remove the old wrappings—habits, shame, and lies that no longer belong. You can step forward, breathe freely, and learn to live as the beloved one He has made you to be. Take hold of His new life today. [36:07]

John 11:43-44 — Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The man who had died came out, still wrapped head to foot. Jesus then told those around him, “Unbind him and let him go,” so the one raised could walk free.

Reflection: What “grave cloth” (a habit, a script of shame, a secret) do you sense Jesus asking you to release, and what is one gentle first step you could take this week to remove it?

Day 3: Rooted in Community; Serving with Growing Joy

Many stepped from watching at a distance into life-giving relationships and meaningful service. God designed you to grow with others, to be encouraged, and to use your gifts so people meet Jesus through your life. Community steadies you in hard weeks and multiplies joy in good ones. Serving stretches your faith and makes room for God to bless others through you. Take a step closer to people and purpose. [33:05]

Hebrews 10:24-25 — Let’s think carefully about how to spark one another toward love and good works. Don’t pull away from gathering, as some do, but lean in to meet together. Keep encouraging each other, and do it all the more as the Day draws near.

Reflection: If you were to join one group or serve on one team this month, which specific one would it be, and who will you text today to help you take that step?

Day 4: Choosing Jesus at the Fork in the Road

Setbacks and crossroads came, and yet grace met you there. When the path split, choosing to trust the Lord—sometimes with trembling—opened a way you could not see. God’s guidance is steady, even when your understanding is limited. As you look back, notice how He directed your steps when you acknowledged Him. Let that memory shape the choice you face right now. [41:52]

Proverbs 3:5-6 — Rely on the Lord with your whole heart; don’t lean on your own limited insight. In every path, recognize Him as Lord, and He will clear the way ahead and make your steps straight.

Reflection: Name one current decision where you feel torn; how will you acknowledge God practically (prayer, counsel, Scripture) before you choose, and what is the next faithful step you can take this week?

Day 5: Stretching into Generosity; Trusting God’s Provision

Some were stretched this year to give beyond comfort, and God proved faithful. Generosity is not about pressure; it is about trust in the One who supplies seed and bread. As you open your hands, He enlarges your capacity to bless and meets real needs through you. Your giving becomes part of stories of rescue, renewal, and hope. Ask Him what generous step looks like for you in this season. [41:15]

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 — Whoever sows sparingly gathers little, and whoever sows generously reaps with abundance. Each person should give what they have decided in their heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God delights in a cheerful giver. And God is able to flood you with grace so that, having all you need at all times, you will overflow in every good work.

Reflection: What is one specific, prayerful step of generosity you could take this week (setting up a recurring gift, blessing a person in need, supporting a mission project), and what plan will help you follow through?

Sermon Summary

A reflective, hope-filled look back at 2025 calls the church to remember God’s faithfulness with specificity and gratitude. Through stories from multiple campuses, the thread is unmistakable: God met people through simple invitations, ordinary obedience, and desperate prayers. A coworker’s invite led to first steps, a global outreach trip, and baptism. Online engagement became a bridge to in-person community, life groups forged deep friendships, and serving unlocked God-given gifts. A traveler at rock bottom found welcome, heard the call to “take off grave clothes,” surrendered to Jesus, and walked out with a new life. Others returned to faith after wandering, discovered the joy and stretch of Kingdom Builders generosity, and experienced God’s provision where fear once dominated.

The invitation is practical and pastoral: remember. Name one thing God did in 2025 and write it down. Like Israel’s 12 stones, create a “stone of remembrance” that future you can point to when the river rises again. Gratitude is not denial; it’s a disciplined gaze that searches for God’s fingerprints in both celebration and hardship. The teaching reframes the hard year: don’t avoid what almost broke you—press in until you can name how God met you there, what He taught you, and whom He sent to stand with you. From there, sharing your story—digitally or with a friend—becomes ministry, multiplying courage in others who need the hope you’ve just recovered.

This is an editorial call to action: recall, record, and rehearse God’s work so trust can grow for what’s ahead. Whether 2025 brought marriage and moves, a first invitation, a life group, a baptism, a breakthrough, or a long-awaited return, the throughline is the same—God didn’t waste a single day. He pursued, rescued, formed, and sent. The year closes with a clear next step for anyone ready to surrender to Jesus, and with a posture for everyone else: stand, sing, and thank the Lord for what He has already done—and will do again.

Key Takeaways

1. Remember God’s faithfulness with markers. Memory is a spiritual discipline, not just nostalgia. Writing down one concrete work of God trains the heart to see His patterns of provision. Like Israel’s memorial stones, tangible reminders build trust for tomorrow’s trials. Intentional remembrance becomes protection against future forgetfulness. [53:59]
2. Invitation opens doors to transformation. A simple “come with me” can reshape a life—first steps lead to serving, mission, and baptism. God often uses relational proximity to awaken spiritual hunger. Don’t underestimate the spiritual power of small obedience that creates space for someone else to encounter Jesus. [29:07]
3. Community roots faith and shapes calling. Life groups provide more than friendship; they create a context for sustained growth and the discovery of gifts. Serving isn’t a task list—it’s a training ground where God refines skill, character, and courage. Over time, belonging and purpose reinforce one another. [33:05]
4. God meets us at rock bottom. Despair may feel final, but it isn’t sovereign. When a heart surrenders, Jesus doesn’t just stabilize; He resurrects, exchanging grave clothes for new life. The darkest moment can become the clearest altar of grace. [36:07]
5. Gratitude reframes trials into testimony. Avoiding pain stalls growth; naming it reveals God’s hidden work. Ask how God showed up and who He sent in the struggle—answers will surface slowly but surely. The very place of weakness can become the most credible witness to His power. [43:53]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[07:18] - New here and free gift
[08:05] - Ministry impact highlight
[10:28] - Generosity and giving
[11:00] - Review Sunday: looking back at 2025
[22:44] - Setting the goal: remember 2025
[27:18] - Holdridge story: invitation and baptism
[30:35] - Ogallala story: community and serving
[34:10] - Online story setup: Tyler’s turning point
[40:54] - North Platte: returning and Kingdom Builders
[42:42] - Core question: thank God for one thing
[43:53] - Lean into what almost broke you
[53:59] - Stones of remembrance and reflection cards
[60:33] - Prayer of surrender and next steps
[65:17] - January series: The Generous Life

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

- Joshua 4:1-9

When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.”

So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”

So the Israelites did as Joshua commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, as the Lord had told Joshua; and they carried them over with them to their camp, where they put them down. Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.

Observation questions

In Joshua 4, where did the twelve stones come from, who carried them, and what were they meant to help Israel remember?
Trace the sequence in Hannah’s story: how did a coworker’s simple invite open the door to new steps like bringing her husband, going on a GoTrip, and baptism? [27:18]
What first step did McKenna take toward faith community, and how did that lead to life-giving friendships and serving? [33:05]
What key phrase did Tyler hear that marked his turning point, and what decision did he make that day? [35:38]

Interpretation questions

Why might God want His people to build a physical memorial (Joshua 4) instead of relying only on memory? What does that say about how trust grows between crises?
How does a simple “come with me” invitation act as a means of grace? What chain reaction of growth is visible in Hannah’s journey? [29:07]
In what ways do belonging (life group) and purpose (serving) reinforce each other over time? What does that reveal about how God shapes calling? [33:05]
How can leaning into “what almost broke you” reveal God’s hidden work and turn pain into testimony? [43:53]

Application questions

Stone of remembrance: What is one concrete thing God did in your life in 2025 that you will write down as a marker? Where will you keep it so future-you can see it when the river rises again? [53:59]
Invitation: Who is one person you can invite with a simple “come with me” this month? What’s your plan—text, coffee, sit with them, ride together? Name the day and make it specific. [29:07]
Community: If you’re not in a life group, what single step will you take this week to get connected? If you are, what’s one way you will go deeper (show up consistently, share honestly, pray specifically for someone)? [33:05]
Serving: What gift or skill might God be asking you to offer? What one “trial run” will you try in the next 30 days to serve and see what God does? [33:49]
Grave clothes: Name one habit, lie, or shame you’re ready to leave behind. What surrender step will you take this week (confess to a trusted friend, ask for prayer, join a recovery space, delete an app)? [36:07]
Gratitude in hardship: What almost broke you in 2025? Name how God showed up, what He taught you, and whom He sent to stand with you. Write a two-sentence testimony you could share. [43:53]
Share your story: Will you post or send your “stone” image this week to encourage someone else? Who will you tag or text, and when will you do it? [55:30]

Sermon Clips

Man, I hope 2025 was a great year for you guys. And over the next couple of minutes, I want to be your guide to help you as we look back at 2025. And the win today is going to be, if you walk away from service, remembering something that God did in your life in 2025. That's what we're trying to get us to today. Remembering personally for you what God did in your life in 2025. So, what we're going to do is we're going to look at a couple of things that happened at our church this year, some things that happened in individual people's lives. And hopefully, those things will help to remind you of what God has done in your own life today. [00:22:48] (43 seconds) #RememberOneWin2025

Maybe you were invited to come to New Life for the first time in 2025. And I hope that that is something that you're thankful for, that you thank God that someone invited you. Another thing, maybe this was the year where you brought someone to church with you. You took that step to bring somebody else with you to church. That's what Hannah did. Hannah brought her husband Avery. And they've been attending church ever since. Maybe that's your story. You invited someone or someone else brought you. That'd be something to be thankful to God for. [00:28:49] (31 seconds) #ThankfulForTheInvite

Another thing, Hannah went on a global outreach trip. Man, these trips are incredible moments of God working in people's lives. You serve people, but also God works in your own life. And I bet if you asked Hannah, she could tell you so many different things that God did in her life through that GoTrip. [00:29:20] (19 seconds) #GoTripChangedMe

Also, Hannah was baptized. She chose to go public with her faith, share her testimony. Maybe that was you. This has been an incredible year of baptisms at New Life Church across all of our campuses. Over 100 people have chosen to get baptized this year in 2025. And why is that important? Because it means people's lives are being changed. Maybe that was you. That's something that we celebrate with you. [00:29:57] (29 seconds) #Over100Baptisms2025

And now, because of our online campus, he's been able to stay connected with our services from Indiana and where he travels all over for work. And we're working with him now to help him take the next step of being water baptized. And he's told me he wants to fly out to North Platte and be able to be baptized with the church where he surrendered his life to Jesus. So it's such an incredible story. [00:36:28] (23 seconds) #OnlineCampusConnection

Maybe that's you. Maybe you had a really low moment this year. Maybe God rescued you from the pit of despair. Maybe you surrendered your life to Jesus this year and you can't help but be thankful to God for what he's done in your life. If that's you, man, we celebrate with you and we for sure want you to remember that. [00:36:51] (24 seconds) #RescuedAndSurrendered

Maybe your story is similar in the sense that you were at a crossroads this year. Maybe you had a point where you experienced a setback and you were at a fork in the road where you had to choose, am I still going to follow Jesus or am I going to choose to do things my own way? Maybe your story is similar and you chose, I'm going to keep pursuing Jesus and God met you this year in that struggle. Or maybe this was the year where that thing you'd been praying for, you finally experienced some of that life change and that transformation that God has brought to your life this year. We celebrate with you if that's you. [00:41:56] (46 seconds) #ChoseToKeepPursuingJesus

I want you to take a picture of your card if you fill it out or download that image if you do the digital version and I'm going to challenge you to share it on social media or share it with a family member or a friend and here's why. The first reason is why is because if you know anything about social media there's always these reminders of do you remember this one year ago? Do you remember this picture from five years ago? [00:55:35] (26 seconds) #PostYourStoneCard

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