Seek First: 21 Days Preparing Our Hearts for 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Seek First the Kingdom Before Natural Solutions

Our default is to rush to fix problems—call someone, research, take on more work. Jesus invites you to stop first, turn to Him, and let His wisdom set the pace. Seeking Him first doesn’t ignore food, clothes, or plans; it orders them under His care. This is “work smarter” for the soul—pray, listen, and then move where He leads. As you do, anxiety loosens its grip and provision stops feeling like a grind. [44:40]

Matthew 6:31-33: Don’t be consumed with questions like what you’ll eat, drink, or wear. Your Father already knows your needs. Put His kingdom and His ways first, and the rest will be provided in its time.

Reflection: Before you act on a pressing issue this week, what would it look like to pause and actually seek Jesus first—what specific moment of prayer or listening could you schedule before you send the email or make the call?

Day 2: Be Present Today, Release Tomorrow’s Worries

Seeking God first trains the heart to live in today. It is not careless about the future; it simply refuses to let tomorrow’s unknowns steal today’s attention. Being present with the Lord clears the fog so decisions flow from His voice rather than fear. Give Him your calendar, but give Him your now. Let today’s grace be enough for today’s trouble. [46:36]

Matthew 6:34: Don’t borrow trouble from tomorrow; each day has enough to carry. Trust God with what’s ahead and walk faithfully with Him in what’s right in front of you today.

Reflection: What is one worry about next year that keeps interrupting your attention today, and how could you entrust that single concern to Jesus in prayer each morning this week?

Day 3: Clarify Purpose and Align Daily Practices

Purpose brings focus, and focus requires honest evaluation. Ask why you exist in this season, and then ask whether your current habits actually move that mission forward. Where are you manufacturing energy—acting passionate while your heart is empty? Jesus can help you lay down what no longer carries grace and choose the one change that would impact everything. Alignment beats busyness, and obedience carries joy. [36:37]

Ephesians 2:10: We are God’s workmanship, remade in Christ Jesus to live out the good works He prepared beforehand, so that our everyday steps walk into what He’s already set in place.

Reflection: Identify one activity you keep pushing through without real grace or passion—what gentle step could you take this week to stop or simplify it so your energy can serve your true calling?

Day 4: Fast and Pray Together for Breakthrough

Set aside the first 21 days to honor the Lord through prayer and fasting. Ask the Holy Spirit what to fast and invite one trusted friend to walk with you. Fasting is not punishment; it is clearing space to hear, to hunger for His presence, and to receive direction. As you seek Him in unity, expect clarity, deeper intimacy, and timely answers. Let these days be a tithe of your time and a gift of your attention to Jesus. [45:19]

Isaiah 58:6-9: This is the fast God chooses: loosen injustice, lift heavy burdens, and set people free. Share your bread, welcome the needy, and stop hiding from your own family. Then light breaks like sunrise, healing grows quickly, and when you call, the Lord answers.

Reflection: What specific fast (food, media, or schedule) would most meaningfully create space for God’s voice in your life, and who could you invite to check in with you twice a week during these 21 days?

Day 5: Leave What’s Past; Receive God’s Word Forward

A new season invites you to set down what doesn’t belong in the next one—old weights, stale habits, and yesterday’s discouragements. Ask the Lord for a word for your life, family, work, and ministry, and let that word aim your steps. Don’t carry what He has released; don’t rush ahead without His voice. Press on, but only after lingering with Him. The fruit of these days will stretch across the whole year. [51:04]

Philippians 3:13-14: Forget what is behind and reach toward what lies ahead; press on toward the goal to receive the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus.

Reflection: Name one specific attitude, habit, or regret from 2025 you sense Jesus asking you to leave behind; what single practice will help you release it and move toward the word He gives you for 2026?

Sermon Summary

After a warm, at-home gathering, the community paused to remember God’s faithfulness in 2025 and to prepare hearts for what’s ahead. The year was marked by salvation, formation, and mission: 28 people were baptized, $130,000 was given to global missions, and a new roof was provided for a ministry school in Africa through Hope and Grace. Locally, momentum accelerated—surpassing $900,000 in the Making Room for the Harvest campaign, moving toward a sanctuary expansion with 160 new seats, new bathrooms, kids’ classrooms, and a coffee bar. Renovated kids’ spaces, two Sunday services with 25% attendance growth, 93 new members, and 335 people serving (65% of the church) pointed to a body engaged in the gospel. Discipleship deepened through 30 new small groups, a one-to-one mentoring track, a flourishing young adult community (RL Collective), a 20‑month journey through the Gospel of John, and the dedication of an outdoor park space for shared life.

The focus then turned to reflection and realignment. Five simple but searching questions invited households to name their God-given purpose, measure current practices against that mission, identify activities where they’re “manufacturing energy,” and choose the one next step that would have the greatest impact. The call was not to do more, but to do the right things for the right reasons.

Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:31–34 framed the invitation: seek first the kingdom, then live today without borrowing tomorrow’s anxieties. Instead of rushing to natural solutions and costly striving, the charge was to stop, pray, and let the Spirit’s leading set the agenda. That posture will shape the church’s start to 2026 with 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting—a “tithe of time” to pursue intimacy, clarity, breakthrough, and unity. Participants were encouraged to ask the Holy Spirit what to fast, practice accountability with one person, and join daily text prompts (text RL Praise to 94,000) alongside a one-year Bible plan and several worship and prayer nights. For those wanting to go deeper, a 21-Day Challenge group will combine a one-week water fast, two weeks of Daniel fast, and reading the entire New Testament. The final appeal was simple and searching: what needs to be left in 2025 so that 2026 can be entered with clean hands, clear focus, and first love?

Key Takeaways

1. Seek first, then everything else. Seeking God before pursuing solutions reorders both desires and decisions. It doesn’t deny real needs; it puts them under the rule of a real King. When prayer sets the pace, provision and direction come without the frantic cost of control. Start with presence, then move with peace. [44:40]
2. Be present; stop borrowing tomorrow’s worry. Jesus frees disciples from the tyranny of “what if” by anchoring them in “what now.” Faith plans with open hands, letting the Spirit veto or redirect as needed. Attentiveness today often reveals that yesterday’s plans were misaligned, and God’s path is lighter than expected. [46:36]
3. Clarify purpose and prune activities. Purpose is not vague inspiration; it is a plumb line for what gets time, energy, and money. Naming where you are “manufacturing energy” exposes activity that looks passionate but drains the soul. Prune bravely, then choose the one next step that will make the greatest impact. [35:11]
4. Fast together for focused breakthrough. Fasting is a concrete way to enthrone Jesus over appetites, schedules, and aims. Shared practices shape shared desire; unity makes perseverance possible. With daily prompts, a common reading plan, and corporate worship nights, the whole body can seek God with one heart for 21 days. [45:19]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[27:04] - Year-in-review and Christmas greeting
[28:12] - Salvations, baptisms, and missions generosity
[28:44] - Making Room campaign and expansion plans
[29:45] - Two services and kids space upgrades
[30:33] - New members and serving engagement
[30:52] - Small groups, discipleship, young adults
[31:40] - John study completed and new park
[32:27] - Family reflection: five key questions
[42:54] - Scripture reading: Matthew 6:31–34
[44:40] - Seek Him first, not striving
[45:19] - 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting vision
[48:45] - How to participate: RL Praise texts
[50:35] - Deep 21-Day Challenge group
[51:04] - Leave 2025 behind; prayer and blessing

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading

- Matthew 6:31–34

So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Observation questions

In Matthew 6:31–34, what are the specific things Jesus tells disciples not to worry about, and what one thing does He command them to seek first?
What simple, practical tools are being offered to help everyone seek God together for 21 days (texts, plan, gatherings, challenge)? [49:11]
What is meant by the phrase “manufacturing energy,” and what kinds of activities might fit that description? [35:11]
How is the beginning of 2026 being framed—as a “tithe of time,” with focus on intimacy, clarity, breakthrough, and unity? [45:19]

Interpretation questions

If the Father already knows every need (Matthew 6:32), how should “seek first” reshape the way someone handles pressure to fix money, work, or family problems right now? [43:48]
What does it mean to “be present” and stop borrowing tomorrow’s worry? How might the Spirit veto or redirect pre-made plans when someone actually seeks Him? [46:36]
When a person notices they’re “manufacturing energy,” what might that reveal about purpose, calling, and trust? How could pruning those activities make room for what truly matters? [35:11]
In what ways can a shared fast enthrone Jesus over appetites and calendars? How does unity help people persevere when fasting gets hard? [45:19]

Application questions

What one next step would make the greatest impact in your life right now? Name it clearly, and decide the first two actions you’ll take this week to move on it. [36:37]
What do you need to leave in 2025 so you can enter 2026 with clean hands and clear focus? Share one thing with the group, and decide how you’ll let it go. [51:04]
How will you “seek first” each day during the 21 days—what time, what place, what plan, and what first-thing habit will help you pray before you problem-solve? [44:40]
Ask the Holy Spirit what to fast. What will you fast, for how long, and for what purpose (intimacy, clarity, breakthrough, unity)? Who will be your one accountability partner, and when will you check in? [48:13]
Will you sign up for the daily text prompt and grab the reading plan? If so, when will you do it and how will you use it each day? [48:45]
Where are you feeling pressure to “figure it out” right now? This week, try stopping to pray before taking any step—what happened when you did that? [43:48]
What simple practice will help you stop borrowing tomorrow’s worry—perhaps a morning “open hands” prayer or an evening review with God? What will you try for the next seven days? [46:36]

Sermon Clips

So the first question is, why do we exist? What is our purpose? Every person should have a purpose to their life. You know, as a mom, you have a purpose, right? What is your purpose? And the same thing as a dad and be a husband that loves my wife and shows how to do that to my kids. As a pastor, pastors, our job is to equip the church and the saints to do the work of the ministry. And so maybe if you've got a business, maybe it's to fund the kingdom of God. What is it you are uniquely called to do? [00:32:57] (38 seconds) #LiveOnPurpose

I don't know if you've ever asked yourself that question. What's kind of the thing I'm called to do? We're all called to worship God. But in the co-mission, what is your mission? The second thing is, what are you doing now to fulfill your purpose? And what are you not doing? I guess the great question, you know, is what we're doing now aligning with our purpose and our mission? You might be spending a lot of energy doing things that have no, they're not leading you towards the thing that you feel God's called you to do. [00:33:34] (33 seconds) #KnowYourMission

I want to point out just two things in this passage that I haven't pointed out yet. So number one, seek first. It's not saying that we shouldn't think about our food or clothes or clothes or plans for tomorrow. But the first thing that we should seek is God before we start thinking about these other things in life. Something I've learned about myself is a tendency to go right to the natural solution to a problem. [00:43:19] (25 seconds) #PrioritizeGod

Call that person. Research it online. Figure it out. You know, study. Whatever it is. And I've got this. And many times, maybe I might do it, but it's really hard work. Or it comes with a cost. Or it comes with a cost. A time. Finances. As a relationship is trying to get that thing done. And so I feel out of control, right? You're like, I can't control this thing. So I'm going to try to jump in with everything I can and try to control this thing and get, you know, get feeling confident. [00:43:44] (29 seconds) #CountTheCost

But, you know, maybe it's you need to make money or you need to change jobs or you need to work harder. You're like, I got to take on a second job. All those things come with a cost, right? They come with a cost. And if we could really grasp what Jesus is trying to tell us here, it'd be a game changer for us. I mean, a real game changer. It's a work smarter, not harder kind of thing, which is seek Him first. Just stop there. Seek Him first. And everything else will be taken care of. [00:44:13] (32 seconds) #SeekHimFirst

Just stop there. Seek Him first. And everything else will be taken care of. I mean, that's a big thing to think about, right? Just before you start worrying about anything else, just seek Him first. I don't have to strive. I just literally go and pray and go where He leads. [00:44:40] (21 seconds) #PrayDontStrive

So let me ask you, if you are serious about putting Jesus first, and I heard a lot of you say that that series really impacted you. If you're serious about putting Jesus first, this is an opportunity for you in this next 21 days to really say, I'm going to seek Him first before I worry about anything else in my life. I'm going to seek Him first. Take 21 days. Seek Him first. I'm going to go after God with all my heart for 21 days. I'm going to go after His presence. I'm going to read His word. I'm going to listen for His voice. With all of my attention, I'm putting it on, seeking the Lord. [00:45:51] (35 seconds) #SeekJesus21Days

Secondly, I want to encourage you. Every year, we encourage you to read through the Bible in one year. We have a Bible reading plan as a church that I love. I use it all the time. It's basically a couple chapters of the old, one chapter of the new, and a psalm or proverb. It's called Following Jesus One Year Bible Reading Plan. [00:49:29] (19 seconds) #OneYearBiblePlan

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