WALKING WITH GOD IN 2026 | A Pastoral Letter from Pastor Jon

Dear Christ Church family, the new year is stretched out before us, and we have the unspeakable privilege of walking with God. Let that sink in for a moment, dear Christian! You were created to walk with God, and by grace, you’ve been redeemed to walk with God. Christ became a righteous substitute on the cross so that you, by grace through faith, would be restored to a right relationship with God. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13a). Hallelujah! We’ve been forgiven and liberated to walk with God by faith.     

But walking with God doesn’t just happen (Eph. 5:15; Gal. 5:16). It takes Spirit-empowered effort. It takes spiritual discipline and the formation of godly habits. In other words, walking with God is not merely the consumption of biblical truth from sermons, books, devotionals, and podcasts. We are not brains on a stick. Walking with God is humbly responding (by faith) to the truth through the establishment of daily rhythms, routines, and habits that orient the heart towards God. These routines include Bible reading, prayer, family worship, and Lord’s Day observance. On the Lord’s Day at Christ Church, we have a congregational prayer meeting (8:50 a.m.), Sunday school (9:30 a.m.), morning worship (10:30 a.m.), and evening worship (5:30 p.m.). Commitment to this embodied fellowship (not disembodied fellowship through screens) of the church every Lord’s Day will, over time, reorient the affections, transform the heart, and strengthen the believer’s walk with God. The devil knows this, which is why he is always tempting us to disregard the Day that God has called holy (Ex. 20:8). The devil does not want us to establish a weekly rhythm of Lord’s Day observance. He knows the heart-transforming power of gospel-centered worship and fellowship. 

In addition to spiritual exercises, we must remember that service, outreach, and generosity are also vital components of walking with God. Cultivate a heart for others (with the love of God pulsating in your chest!) through daily routines of service. This might include an encouraging note to a struggling believer, completing a chore at home, a coffee meeting with an unbelieving co-worker, welcoming a visitor to Christ Church through hospitality, or faithful stewardship to the church. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, these habits of grace reorient the heart. James K.A. Smith writes that these routines are “pedagogies of desire, not because they are like lectures that inform us, but because they are rituals that form and direct our affections (You Are What You Love, 21). Walking with God is more than receiving information and knowing about God. Walking with God is knowing and communing with God personally— sincerely from the heart — through the daily and weekly rhythms of piety and service that He commands in His Word (Acts 2:42; Rom. 12:1-2).

Therefore, dear believer, take time today to honestly evaluate your daily routines and habits. Which of those daily, heart-orienting “rituals” need to go in 2026 (e.g., social media / Netflix / ESPN binging)? What heart-orienting routines need to be added to grow and strengthen your walk with God … and your love for Him. Saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ ALONE, we have been set free to walk with God in 2026. May we steward our lives to that end, for the glory of God and the service of others.

Preaching Schedule

I began the new year with a three part series entitled — Walking with God in 2026. If you missed some or all of the series, I would encourage you to listen to them. You can access all my sermons through Sermon Audio. In our morning services, we will jump back into my expository series on the highly-engaging and Christ-centered book of Joshua. It’s been seven months since my last sermon (#17) in Joshua. Therefore, I will reintroduce the book this Lord’s Day. In our evening services, I’ve been preaching an expositional series through the Gospel of Mark. We are coming to the end with the moving account of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Pray for God’s Spirit to work mightily through the weekly preaching of His Word. 

As an aside, I would warmly encourage you to establish a weekly rhythm of piety to attend evening worship. A double portion of the means of grace, on the Lord’s Day of grace and discipleship, will strengthen your walk with God in 2026. God’s Word will not return void.      

New Members Class

With thirty-two registered, we currently have the largest membership class in the church’s history. Praise the Lord! This is the result of God’s power and blessing alone. As we begin the class this week, pray that God would give wisdom, encouragement, understanding, and discernment to those who attend. Moreover, as you see new faces in our Lord’s Day services, please reach out to them with a warm welcome and handshake. Ask them if this is their first time visiting, where they are from, and if they have any questions. Go even further and have them in your home for lunch — stewarding your gifts, time, and resources for the glory of God. Think of how much it meant to you to be warmly welcomed when you or your family first walked through the door. Think of Paul’s words to the Romans — “Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Rom. 15:7).         

Serving at Christ Church

Every member of Christ Church is encouraged to serve in practical ways. Some of those very practical ways that help the church to function in an orderly manner would be to serve on the rotation for the sound booth, kitchen crew, security team, nursery team, and Sunday school instructor. Please reach out to Colton Dempsey, our faithful pastoral intern of outreach and administration, if you are willing to serve in one of these areas.

Weekly Bible Studies

As we begin a new year — our 13th year! — at Christ Church, let me encourage you to attend a weekly Bible study, if you are able. We have weekly studies for men, women, and children, and a weekly dinner and Bible Study fellowship in our home for MUSC students and twenty-somethings (young professionals). This year, we are also adding a monthly dinner and Bible study fellowship for young marrieds on the topic of Marriage. This study, which I have entitled Life Together in Christ, will also meet in our home (*For further details, please see this week’s announcements).

Beloved members of Christ Church, we are blessed beyond measure! God has saved us by His grace and raised us up to walk with Him. By God’s design, we don’t walk this pilgrim road alone. He has given us faithful elders and deacons to guide and serve us. He has given us one other for mutual encouragement and accountability. He has given the means of grace for growth, transformation, and spiritual maturity. Above all, in and through these means, He has given us Himself. Therefore, in gratitude, let us offer up our hearts to Him, promptly and sincerely, walking by faith in 2026.

Your pastor, servant, and friend, 

Pastor Jon