The wonderful hope of a new year is not in our resolutions, but in our God who is eternal, righteous, merciful, and faithful!  He continues to be our refuge, day by day, in all circumstances. Let’s hear His words afresh this month, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one.” (Rev. 1:17-18) How can we think and pray about following Jesus our Lord in 2025?  Here are two areas to consider: 

1. Core Values— Our core values at Trinity Community Church are:

Connecting with God- We are called to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.  We seek out personal and gathered times of prayer, worship, and devotion. (Matt. 22:37-38)

Welcoming God’s Word- We come to God’s word (The Old and New Testaments) with humility.  We recognize His word is inerrant, trustworthy, and sufficient. (1 Tim. 3:16-17)

Investing in Others- We share common life in Christ (fellowship) by loving one another, praying for one another, and meeting one another’s needs in practical ways. (1 Pet. 4:10)

Sharing Christ’s Message- We seek to share Christ’s message of repentance, faith, and new life.  We ask the Holy Spirit to make us aware of the needs and opportunities around us. (John 20:21)

Let’s ask Jesus to center our hearts, our thoughts, and our rhythm of life around Him in 2025.

2.     Common Challenges— It is also helpful at the start of the new year to recognize the challenges we all face in following Jesus.

 The call to deny ourselves and take up our cross (Mark 8:34-36). 

Jesus’ call for a man to “deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” is not a blanket call to deprive ourselves of pastries, good books, or a night out at a concert.  BUT IT IS a call to deny our focus on SELF, because focusing only on ourselves has eternal consequences (vs. 35-36).  Consider praying, “Lord, which of my desires, attitudes, or goals are unhealthy?  What is a difficult area in my life where you are asking me to continue in obedience?” We turn away from “self”, and we turn to Christ in faith, trust, and obedience. We do so not only in salvation, but also daily by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 The call to serve, instead of expecting to be served (Mark 9:33-37)

The disciples were asking, “Which one of us is greatest in comparison to the others?” But Jesus redefines greatness by using the example of a little child.  He tells them that in order to be great, they need to be willing to serve others without craving recognition.  Are we willing to serve Christ by serving others if Jesus is the only one who sees our service?  Where might Christ be asking you to serve others in 2025?

Trusting in worldly wealth, compared to trusting Christ alone. (Mark 10:17-31). 

After hearing Jesus’ words about the difficulty of the wealthy entering the kingdom, Peter wonders who will be saved, since the disciples already left everything to follow him.  Jesus responds that following him far outweighs any riches they forego-though they face persecution- and they also gain eternal life!  Having riches in this life is not wrong, but Jesus says elsewhere that “You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:13) This way of thinking is a reversal of the world’s values.  Including money, what are the different priorities in our lives which creep into first place, when they really need to be in last place?

I pray these thoughts will help you as you are follow Jesus Christ our Lord in 2025.