Remember: He WANTS your fellowship, and He has done everything possible to make it a reality. He has forgiven your sins, at the cost of His own dear Son. He has given you His Word, and the priceless privilege of prayer and worship. - Billy Graham
And Jesus answered him, “It is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” – Luke 4: 8-9
If you are unable to attend,
our service is streamed live on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/p/Wesley-Chapel-Methodist-Church-100064654933072/
From the Pastor
“The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.”
Luke 2:20
Happy New Year! As we begin 2026, be encouraged. You can live differently in the presence and the power of the Lord! As you move into the new year of 2026, do not forget the message and lesson of Christmas. Like the shepherds, let it change you, and allow it to move into the days ahead rejoicing. In 2026, remember two things from Christmas. Jesus has come, and He is God with you. Take time to pray and worship. Allow each step of life to be directed by the Lord in humble trust. You can trust God. He sent Jesus, just as He had promised and announced to the shepherds. The shepherds found Jesus just as they had been told they would. God has cared for you in the past year. Look back and remember. Let God’s faithfulness propel you forward with rejoicing. Like the shepherds, you can trust God’s Word. Rely on the Scriptures. Rest in God’s promises. Move forward in faith.
Drop the resolution list of the new year and fill your life’s list with just two items. Take time to pray. Ask God what He would have for your day today, this moment, and beyond. Focus on your relationship with Jesus, not necessarily what you resolve to do in the new year. God’s love and faithfulness will carry you to places that you could not resolve to go on your own. This was the case for the shepherds. They could not have purposed to arrive at Jesus’ manger on their own. They did not know it was happening, until God invited them through the announcement of the angels.
Make it your life’s mission to worship and surrender. The shepherds dropped everything and went to experience what God wanted for them, Jesus. They arrived and took in all God had prepared for them to experience, and they realized that God had fulfilled all that He said to them through the angel. The same can be true for us. Focus on God’s character. Spend time at Jesus’ feet, realizing that the Word was made flesh in Him. The shepherds were invited to experience the Glory of God, and we are invited to experience His Glory through His Word each day of our lives.
As we worship, we will be changed. We will see God for who He really is, and we will see ourselves for who we truly are, sinners redeemed. We are sinners, who are forgiven and made new. We are redeemed and sanctified sons and daughters in Jesus through faith. This reality will cause us to go forward rejoicing in what God has in store. In short, God is with you. Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, and we will not be the same. Take that to heart today and rejoice. We are not the same because Christmas has come. You and I, like the shepherds, can go forward into the new year rejoicing.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
january 2026
