Dear ministry partners and blog readers,

We have arrived at the end of another year, and as we christen in 2026, I’d like to encourage you with one thought: What is your “mission” in 2026? I believe it will be very helpful for you to be able to state your mission, the focus for your life, in one simple sentence. Companies do this all the time, developing a tagline or slogan that defines their brand and describes their company. So what is your “tagline” for 2026, the statement that defines you and describes your calling? As I share in the sermon I just preached at our home church a couple days ago, based on Acts 20:17-27, Paul offers a general tagline for his life that is also applicable for all Christians: Serve the Lord biblically and missionally. Although he didn’t use those exact words, that captures the point of his message to the Ephesian elders in that passage. But beyond that general statement which is good for all followers of Jesus Christ, what is your specific mission – your biblical and missional calling from God based on the unique way God has shaped and molded you, with your spiritual gifts, your personality, your passions and interests, your abilities and experiences? Have you spent time considering this? Have you developed one simple, memorable sentence that captures your specific mission? How are you doing at fulfilling that mission?

I invite you to watch this message and consider those questions as we welcome in 2026. You won’t regret the investment of time and energy as you think through these important issues.

NOTE: Due to technical difficulties, the beginning of the message was not captured and the picture is frozen for the first ten minutes.