Pastor John’s Blog

We are now officially past “quitter’s day,” so you no longer need to worry about quitting on your New Year’s  resolutions for 2026. According to Arnold Schwarzenegger, January 17th is considered the day when over 50% of people have already said sayonara to the new you.

It is a little discouraging, but it also reminds me of one of my favorite Bible verses, Hebrews 10:39, “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” We are not those of the quitter ilk, rather we “Walk by Faith” in 2026! In fact, not only do we not quit, I think we have an exciting year ahead of us as a church.

One of the hardest words for me to learn to pronounce was (and some might say still is) the word “wrong.” It’s even more difficult to enunciate when combined with the words “I” and “was.” I’ve met a few others in life (mostly men) who struggle with the same genetic malfunction of the tongue. We probably need to form a support group or find a way to get a medical diagnosis. 

…in the video, I recommend Tim Keller’s excellent book on Jonah, called Rediscovering Jonah. I try to recommend a commentary on each book of the Bible I’m preaching through for those who would like additional study resources. This week we continue in the book of Jonah and study Jonah’s prayer from the belly of the whale (or, “great fish”) in chapter two. There’s much for us to learn from this prayer, as we focus on prayer and walking by faith in 2026, to help us reach the South End of Louisville with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! 

As promised in last week’s Midweek Update, here are some recommendations from my readings in 2025. Many of these books can be accessed at a library as well, some even as audio books through the Libby app. Choose one and use it to fuel your growth in 2026!

Once again another year is winding down. Christmas Eve is a great day for both reflection and anticipation, thinking back over the last year and beginning to dream about what God might do in your life in the coming year. Next week I will list my top books of 2025, but this week I want to make a case for why you should read more in 2026. 

That’s why we shouldn’t have been surprised Sunday when the fire alarm went off near the end of the service. Fires happen every day,  everywhere. That’s why there are fire stations nearby, and why we gladly pay tax money to provide for fire fighters to help us in time of need. Thank you to everyone who quickly found the source of the problem: Jim Stewart, Joe Hillerich, Mark Sweetman, Chad Greathouse and others acted quickly to determine that there was not a fire in the building. The problem was a newly installed HVAC unit that had not been properly sealed and was leaking hot air into the closet where it was located. Thus, that small room became much hotter than it should, triggering a fire sensor. The HVAC company has already been out to do the repair, and everything is now working properly.

I’ve been reading Tim Keller’s book on Prayer and he highlights the role the Word of God plays in building our resilience. One example is the way Psalm 1 speaks about a person who is rooted in God’s Word: They are “like a tree rooted so that the wind cannot blow it away… planted by streams of water… an image of someone who can keep going in hard, dry times.” He also notes how this person who meditates on God’s Word has a substance of character. They have “thought things out and have deep convictions, can explain difficult concepts in simple language, and have good reasons behind everything they do.

It was years later that I really started working on my 3-point shot and learned that if you put in the work, through practice (sorry Mr. Iverson, it is important), you actually can develop a skill. I wasn’t playing on any official team, and the NBA still wasn’t calling, but my shot for pick-up games improved significantly. I also used to be terrified of public speaking, but over time became comfortable in front of people. The point is, you can grow! I’ve since heard this called a ‘growth’ mindset (I can change and improve), versus a ‘fixed’ mindset (I guess this is just the way I am).

Sunday we looked at Philippians 4:6-7, opening with the phrase, “Do not be anxious about anything.” Anxiety is crippling so many people today, but Paul offers a clear antidote to anxiety: Prayer. I challenged us to do two things this week (a homework assignment?).

This is partly why our memory verses for November are Philippians 4:6-7. It starts with the command, “Do not be anxious about anything.” That word “anything” is a hard word for us. Really? Anything? Surely there is something worth being anxious about? Paul was likely writing from prison in Rome. When he first came to them, he had been beaten and jailed in Philippi. He knew the Philippian church was under attack both from without and within. If he can say “anything,” it at least covers the things most of us face day to day.