A New Year Filled with Hope
By Ryan Dawson
Another year is upon us and as we embark on this journey we need to remember the promises that we have in Jesus Christ. Psalm 103 was written over 3000 years ago, but it is as true for us today as when King David penned these words…
1 Let all that I am praise the LORD;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the LORD;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
As we worship our great and Holy God we are blessed with benefit after benefit, which flow from God’s heart of love. God forgives us, heals us, redeems us, crowns us, satisfies us, and renews us in Christ so we can soar like eagles! Understanding who we are and what we have in Christ, establishes the foundation for all that we do in this life. When we recognize the grace gifts, God has given us, which flow from His character, it changes our perspective, and we are filled with thanksgiving and hope.
As you enter this new year remember to take time to “count your blessings”. I took time this past week to do this and it was amazing to write down in my journal over 50 things I’m thankful for from 2024. It wasn’t that hard to do, and it has fueled my heart with hope as I step into 2025. Taking time for an exercise like this also sets the tone for us as a church as we prepare for an important few weeks and the great adventure of trusting God in the year ahead.
We kick things off this Sunday with a message entitled “Remember, to Renew & Refuel your Faith” from 1 Samuel 7, where we will learn about the principle of “Ebenezers”, stones of remembrance. This message will help you reflect on God’s faithfulness in the past to fuel your faith for what lies ahead. And then on January 12th we start our series entitled “Marks of a Great Church”, where we will explore God’s heart for the Church and what makes a faithful and fruitful Church. This series will take us right up to March 2, which is Vision Sunday and our Annual General Meeting, where we will highlight our vision and strategy for 2025 as we seek to help thousands of people experience and live out the Kingdom of Jesus together, wherever we live, work, play, and go. We also have our first All Church Prayer Summit scheduled for January 19 as we join other churches in the National Capital Region for City on our Knees – a week of dedicated prayer for our region. It’s going to be a great start to the year, and we invite you to be fully present with us as we look to God for all that He has for us.
I am convinced that God wants you, and by extension our church family, to soar in 2025 like the eagle, so that together we can experience the fullness of God’s grace in every way that is ours in Christ Jesus. Are you ready to soar?
It’s going to be a great year!
Blessings, Ryan
Another year is upon us and as we embark on this journey we need to remember the promises that we have in Jesus Christ. Psalm 103 was written over 3000 years ago, but it is as true for us today as when King David penned these words…
1 Let all that I am praise the LORD;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the LORD;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
As we worship our great and Holy God we are blessed with benefit after benefit, which flow from God’s heart of love. God forgives us, heals us, redeems us, crowns us, satisfies us, and renews us in Christ so we can soar like eagles! Understanding who we are and what we have in Christ, establishes the foundation for all that we do in this life. When we recognize the grace gifts, God has given us, which flow from His character, it changes our perspective, and we are filled with thanksgiving and hope.
As you enter this new year remember to take time to “count your blessings”. I took time this past week to do this and it was amazing to write down in my journal over 50 things I’m thankful for from 2024. It wasn’t that hard to do, and it has fueled my heart with hope as I step into 2025. Taking time for an exercise like this also sets the tone for us as a church as we prepare for an important few weeks and the great adventure of trusting God in the year ahead.
We kick things off this Sunday with a message entitled “Remember, to Renew & Refuel your Faith” from 1 Samuel 7, where we will learn about the principle of “Ebenezers”, stones of remembrance. This message will help you reflect on God’s faithfulness in the past to fuel your faith for what lies ahead. And then on January 12th we start our series entitled “Marks of a Great Church”, where we will explore God’s heart for the Church and what makes a faithful and fruitful Church. This series will take us right up to March 2, which is Vision Sunday and our Annual General Meeting, where we will highlight our vision and strategy for 2025 as we seek to help thousands of people experience and live out the Kingdom of Jesus together, wherever we live, work, play, and go. We also have our first All Church Prayer Summit scheduled for January 19 as we join other churches in the National Capital Region for City on our Knees – a week of dedicated prayer for our region. It’s going to be a great start to the year, and we invite you to be fully present with us as we look to God for all that He has for us.
I am convinced that God wants you, and by extension our church family, to soar in 2025 like the eagle, so that together we can experience the fullness of God’s grace in every way that is ours in Christ Jesus. Are you ready to soar?
It’s going to be a great year!
Blessings, Ryan