| Sunday’s a Comin’ “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”Philippians 4:6 NIV It’s hard to believe another year has passed and a new one has begun.What is not hard to believe is that we are less optimistic about the future, we are more lonely than ever ( 1 in 4 people), more anxious, more depressed and happiness in general is at an all time low. So then is a happy new year even a possibility? I read a study on lifelong happiness by Harvard’s Dr. Robert Waldinger which followed thousands of humans over 85 year. He found the people who were happiest, who stayed healthiest as they grew old, and who lived the longest were the people who had the warmest connections with other people. “Good relationships were the strongest predictor of who was going to be happy and healthy as they grew old.” Now Dr. Waldinger’s research did not mention God or church but isn’t that what the church is all about? To create a community of healthy relationships that seeks to love God and love others creates great happiness. To empower us to think less about fear of the future and trust more in Gods future and His promise things will be made right again is the source of great joy. To know Jesus as Savior and Lord and to fix our eyes on Jesus and his return brightens even my darkest days. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NIV You see the future is not as frightening when you know who holds the future. We sing, “Our Hope is built on nothing les than Jesus blood and righteousness. “ So I welcome 2025 with optimistic hope, and though it is full of things that never have been, it is also holds fresh beginnings of what can be. Therefore I look forward to journeying ahead into God’s future with a church like 3 Oaks, and this causes me to enthusiastically wish each and every one of you a…… Happy New Year!!!Pastor Rob |
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