From Pastor Todd

Happy New Year…

As we step into a new year, many see it as a fresh start. Resolutions are made, goals are set, and people do their best to put their best foot forward. There’s nothing wrong with that—we should desire to grow and improve. It reminds me of the old U.S. Army slogan from when I enlisted: “Be all you can be.”

But the truth is, as humans, we can only rise as high as our own abilities can lift us. God offers something far better—a new life, a new beginning, and a new way.

Scripture tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17,
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

What a powerful reminder of what God is doing through His Son, the Lord Jesus. As we’ve just celebrated His birth, this verse shows us exactly why He came to the world He created. With Jesus, everything is about newness.

The “newness” humanity longs for can only be found in Christ. Everything on this earth wears down with time. We work constantly to maintain what we have—homes, vehicles, possessions, even our own bodies. Yet in this verse, Paul gives us truths worth pausing to consider.

First, Paul says “in Christ.” We come to Christ by faith, believing that what He accomplished on the Cross is just as real and powerful today as it was 2,000 years ago. When we trust Him for salvation, we are placed in Him by faith.

Second, we become a new creation. This is the very longing of mankind—to be made new. But we cannot achieve this on our own. New cars break down, new homes have flaws, food expires, and our bodies age. Everything fades. Yet Paul declares that in Christ we are made new. That is truly good news.

Finally, Paul reminds us that we all have a past. Maybe your past troubles you—something done to you or something you’ve done that you can’t seem to move beyond. God knows. And He loves you still.

Take this verse to heart as you enter this New Year: “Old things have passed away… all things have become new.”

When we receive Christ as Savior, He knows our past, present, and future—and He washes us clean. As Isaiah 1:18 says, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”
What a promise. And this is exactly what Paul is pointing to in 2 Corinthians 5:17.

So, in 2026, my prayer is that you experience true newness in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is far more than a New Year’s resolution—He offers newness day by day.

So instead of simply saying “Happy New Year,”
I say to you:

“Happy New Life in Christ.”

Pastor Todd Lint