This week we’re taking time to look back and thank God, and to look ahead at what He’s still doing. God has been so faithful, and He’s not done yet.

The angel once asked Hagar, “Where have you come from, and where are you going?” That’s a good question for us too. Everything behind us has helped prepare us for what’s next. Philippians 1:6 says the same God who started His work in us will finish it.

Here’s what we’re celebrating: 25 years of God’s goodness. We’ve grown from about 250 people to over 2,100 each week. 1,863 baptisms. Lives changed by Jesus. Spiritual growth. More people reading the Bible, growing in faith, and building stronger families. Faithful giving. Up 11%, showing hearts that trust God’s mission.

But we can’t stop now. The building that once worked for us can’t hold what’s coming. Just like a farmer has to plant new fields to keep growing, it’s time for us to take new ground. God’s calling us to reach beyond Choctaw.

• Our mission now is simple: To introduce people in East Central Oklahoma to Jesus and help them grow in relationship with Him.
• Our first step is this Easter, two services in McLoud.
• This isn’t just a test. It’s the start of what’s next.

Here’s how you can help: Pray. Ask God to guide us and open hearts. Give. Help make space and build what’s needed to reach more people. Go. Join the team heading to McLoud. God’s done amazing things, but He’s not finished. The best is still ahead.

Your kids won’t remember how much money you made or the stuff you owned, but they’ll never forget how you lived your faith. Isaac’s story reminds us that faith isn’t inherited by accident; it’s modeled, spoken, and trusted out loud. Abraham showed Isaac how to trust God in hard moments. Isaac learned to hear God’s voice for himself. He spoke blessing over his kids and trusted God with their future, even when life was messy. Parents, that’s our calling too. You don’t have to be perfect. Just be faithful. Your walk with God is the greatest inheritance you’ll ever leave.

Action Challenge: Live your faith in front of your kids. Let them see you trust God, hear you speak life, and feel you release control of their future into His hands.

Every man is passive in some area - marriage, parenting, faith, or finances and that’s often where he’s failing. Jacob’s life shows what happens when passivity takes over. He repeated the same broken family patterns he grew up with, stayed silent when his daughter was hurt, and allowed compromise in his home.

But even in Jacob’s failure, God was faithful. God used his broken family to bring Jesus into the world. The same God can use your story too, but only if you face your passivity, take responsibility, and start leading your family toward Him.

Main Truth: God is faithful even in your failures, but it’s time to stop being passive and start leading.

Eli looked like a great parent. He led the nation, had influence, and looked spiritual, but he failed where it mattered most: at home. His sons disrespected God, and Eli did nothing. He cared more about their comfort than their character.

God isn’t impressed by our parenting image. He wants our hearts, and our kids’ hearts too.

Eli’s story warns us that: Good parenting manages behavior. Godly parenting shapes hearts. Good parenting aims for appearances. Godly parenting aims for faithfulness. Good parenting takes kids to church. Godly parenting brings Jesus home. Good parenting goes alone. Godly parenting walks in grace and community. Parents, success isn’t raising kids who behave, it’s raising kids who believe. You can win in public and still fail at home if your kids don’t know and love Jesus.

The good news? Where Eli failed, God remains faithful. It’s not too late to start leading your family toward Him.

Call to Action Ask yourself today: – Am I raising kids who act right, or kids who walk with God? – Have I brought Jesus into my home, not just my Sundays? – Will I parent from my strength, or from God’s grace?

Parenting isn’t about producing perfect kids, it’s about faithfully sowing seeds and trusting God. Even the only perfect Parent, God Himself, watched His children rebel. Adam and Eve had the best home, the best environment, and the clearest truth, yet they chose sin. Israel had God’s love and provision, yet turned to idols. Your kids also have free will. You cannot insulate them from sin, you cannot make them obey truth, and you cannot give them enough to make them grateful. What you can do is plant God’s Word in their lives, model faithfulness, and love them even when they rebel. The outcome belongs to God. Parenting is not about control, it’s about trust.

Action:

• Stop carrying guilt for your child’s choices.

• Stay faithful to sow truth, even if you see no immediate fruit.

• Love your kids, especially the ones who break your heart.

• Trust God with the outcome.

Psalm 111 is all about celebrating God. Like fans cheering when their team wins, we should cheer for God because He never fails, never breaks a promise, and always shows up. Celebration isn’t about how we feel, it’s a choice. The psalm gives us five steps: choose to celebrate, remember what God has done, see who He really is, trust His promises, and keep praising Him every day. If we see God clearly, we won’t be able to stop praising Him. The challenge: don’t just watch others worship, join in and make praise your way of life.

Jesus shows us that the wilderness is the space between identity and ministry. At His baptism, God declared who He was: “My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Immediately after, the Spirit led Him into the wilderness where He faced testing and temptation. The wilderness revealed truth, demanded self-denial, and exposed Him to Satan’s attacks. Jesus was tested to prove His character and tempted to abandon His mission - through questions of His identity, God’s love, and His purpose. Yet He stood firm. The same is true for us: if God is preparing us for something, there will be a battle for our lives. The enemy wants to derail us before we ever step into God’s calling. But we are not alone, God sends strength and reinforcement. The wilderness shapes us into people who not only know what we believe but live it.

The Core Truth If you choose Jesus, you will face the wilderness. And it’s there, between calling and ministry, that God prepares you to live out your purpose.

Life can swing quickly from the mountaintop to the wilderness. Elijah knew this in 1 Kings 19: after bold victories, he crashed into fear, exhaustion, and despair. God used that wilderness moment to teach him, and us, four truths: (1) you can be right with God and still face hardship (2) rest and nourishment matter for spiritual clarity (3) God speaks in whispers, so quiet the noise (4) feeling alone doesn’t mean you are alone.

If burnout has broken you down, God is ready to build you back up. Rest in Him. Listen for His voice. Lean on community. Step forward in His strength.