Prayer: God of Change: As we enter a new year and a new season, we pray that you would be with us by the power of your Holy Spirit. Give us the wisdom to discern where you want us to go next and who you want us to be. Perhaps more importantly, give us the power of your Spirit so that we can be the people you call us to be. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Life has a wonderful way of sparking our curiosity about what’s coming next. Remember those high school or college days when you wondered about your future—whether heading to college, graduate school, joining the military, or jumping into your career? Many young folks, after finishing their military service, ask similar questions: “Should I reenlist or return to civilian life?” As we move forward in our careers, it’s natural to wonder what’s ahead—”Will I get that promotion?” “Should I stay in my current role?” “Should I consider new opportunities?” On a personal level, dreams of marriage, starting a family, or reaching those big life milestones often cross our minds. In one way or another, almost everyone regularly asks themselves, “What’s next?”

I am a big believer in New Year’s resolutions. New Year’s is a time to ask, “What comes next?” The idea behind New Year’s resolutions is that each year we should try to make our lives better. To change, we have to ask, “What comes next?” or, perhaps more importantly, “What do I want to come next?”

Over the years, I’ve realized that writing things down helps me complete them. For instance, in the coming weeks, I plan to publish Leviathan and the Lambs, the final book in the Arthur Stone series I’ve been working on since 2019. My hope is that it reaches Christians, non-Christians, and lapsed Christians. Though the novels are murder mysteries involving financial crime, they also emphasize the importance of faith, hope, and love in human relationships. The novels also serve as a gentle reminder of what can happen when we set aside eternal values for purely material pursuits. I resolved to finish this in 2025—and I almost did. (I am a really terrible proofreader and find final proofs both depressing and intimidating!)

In 2026, I hope to write a draft of a book, completing a long project on political theology. One of our daughters is expecting a baby any day, and it is already on my list of New Year’s resolutions to be available to her, her family, and the new baby. We also hope to see all of our growing family more than once in 2026.

Next week, as we welcome in a new year, I look forward to returning to the series of blog posts I’ve been writing about the Constitution. Throughout 2025, I plan to continue exploring this important topic. I’m genuinely concerned about the state of our country, especially the lack of understanding of the core principles of our constitutional republic.

It is worrying how many elites seem less committed to stewarding and thoughtfully improving the government structure our founders and past generations dedicated so much to building—generations that worked, fought, and sacrificed so that we could enjoy our freedoms today. Before 2026 ends, I hope to complete this series of blogs, which is already several years old.

The Great Commission

If life often fills us with uncertainty about what lies ahead in our daily lives, it’s easy to imagine how uncertain the disciples must have felt as the Gospels came to an end. For three years, they followed Jesus. Then, suddenly, Jesus was arrested, tried, crucified, died, and then rose from the dead—all in quick succession. We can imagine the shock they experienced; everything happened so fast. They could not believe their eyes; they had to adjust to this unbelievable new reality.

The disciples, in some mysterious way, understood that Jesus had conquered death. They also realized His work was not finished. He appeared to them and continued teaching. Not all the disciples fully understood or believed right away (Matthew 28:16); some even doubted. Then Jesus told them to meet Him in Galilee (28:10). As Matthew recounts the story, they gather there and receive a clear sense of the next steps.

Here is how Matthew puts it in his Gospel:

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him, though some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:16-20).

How in the World Did I Get Here?

I suppose most of us remember Judy Garland in her most famous role as Dorothy, a little Kansas girl blown by a tornado over the rainbow to the Land of Oz, where she meets a wicked witch and a strange, silly wizard. As the movie opens, Judy is having problems with her family and a mean neighbor. She dreams of a better world and sings the most famous song of her career, “Over the Rainbow,” which goes, in part, like this:

Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
There’s a land that you dreamed of once in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly
And the dreams that you dreamed of really do come true.

Someday I’ll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
Away above the chimney top—that’s where you’ll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly
Oh why, oh why, can’t I? [1]

Dorothy runs away from home, is caught in a tornado, and ends up in Oz. After her adventures with the Wicked Witch, she decides she wants to be home in Kansas. We are sometimes like Dorothy. We dream of a new world, a better family life, a different career, and a life without troubles. We get our wish, but when that new world beckons, we wonder how we ended up where we are. We wish we could find a way home.

Cultural analysts tell us we are in a period of rapid cultural change. Those of us born before about 1960 can often look around at the world we inhabit and wonder, “How did we get here?” The disciples felt the same. After the resurrection, they entered a new and scary world. Their world would never be the same. They can be forgiven for doubting Jesus. Who would imagine a resurrection?

Our world and our nation will never return to the past. History only goes in one direction. But sometimes, great human suffering results from wrong turns. We need to avoid them. Sometimes, miracles happen, and new and unforeseen opportunities suddenly come upon us.

Life is Full of Changes

Most of us, most of the time, crave a sense of stability. We recognize that history and progress involve change, yet we often hope these changes unfold in someone else’s lifetime and at someone else’s expense. I relate to this feeling. I cherish stability—old pathways, familiar homes, trusted clothes, and traditional ways of doing things. Change isn’t always easy for me, but I’ve learned that embracing it and trusting God as we move into the future are essential for growth and hope.

The disciples could not be faulted for wanting things to stay the same. Now that Jesus had been raised from the dead, why couldn’t he just stay with them, continuing to teach, heal, cast out demons, and confront authorities while they watched and cheered him on?

However, the death and resurrection marked a new era in the lives of the disciples (and us). Jesus would (and does) remain present, now by the power of the Holy Spirit. From then on, the disciples would carry out Jesus’s mission and ministry. They would teach, preach, confront authorities, cast out demons, and make new disciples. Jesus would give them the wisdom, love, and power to do this work, but they would be on the front lines.

When Jesus met his disciples on the mountain, a new era began. Now the disciples would make disciples. The disciples would now baptize new believers. The disciples would teach new believers how to live as Christians. Jesus would be with them as they went, but in a new way. He promised to be with them (and us) always—even to the end of the age. There is much in that promise! The promise is not to be with the disciples for a few years while the church gets started. The promise is not to be with the church only during good times or bad. The promise is to be with us always by the power of the Spirit.

Embracing Positive Change

Jesus began his ministry proclaiming the Kingdom of God. He proclaimed that the Kingdom of God is near, present with him, and coming in the future (Mark 1:13-14; Luke 17:20-21; Matt. 25:31-34; Rev. 22:1-5). The Kingdom of God is like a thief in the night (I Thess. 5:2), like a bridegroom delayed in coming to find his bride (Matt. 25:1), like a pearl of great price (13:45-46), and like a mustard seed (13:31). The Kingdom of God is the place where God rules and where the peace, wholeness, happiness, blessedness, and joy that God wants for the entire world and everyone in it are perfectly realized. The Kingdom of God is both within us and coming into the world around us, because God intends to share his wisdom, love, and peace with everyone.

Perhaps you’ve experienced this too, but I often realize it’s not immediately obvious that the kingdom of God resides within me. It’s encouraging to remember that for the kingdom of God to shine through in the world, I am invited to grow and transform. My heart is set on becoming more like God the Father, more like Jesus, and more filled with the Spirit—more loving, more merciful, more caring for others, more willing to make sacrifices, and less focused on myself. The kingdom of God is about growth and change, and I truly believe we should warmly welcome that transformation with open arms rather than resist it.

This does not mean that Christians should embrace change for change’s sake or changes that are contrary to God’s will. There is good and bad change. We must still be wise. We should resist bad change and facilitate good change. A proverb says that one of the characteristics of the righteous person is resisting evil (Prov. 28:4). When change is negative, we don’t need to change.

However, when healthy, moral, and wise change enters human history, we Christians should be part of accepting and facilitating it. In a new era, in a new time, in a new kind of culture, Christians should be bold in the face of evil and bold in working for the coming of the Kingdom of God. This means we need to equip ourselves to face a new world and to share God’s wisdom and love in that new world.

What Comes Next?

This week, consider the question, “What comes next?” There are some constants: We should love the Lord our God with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds, and all our strength. We should love our neighbor as ourselves—the Great Commandment (Matt. 23:36-40). We should go into our world daily and make disciples—the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16-20). However, we need additional guidance to follow Christ successfully.

Since the beginning of Christian history, believers have gathered on the first day of the week to worship God—a core part of our faith community. Just as a football player needs to attend team meetings to perform at their best, Christians benefit from gathering to worship and to build our unity in Christ.

To truly follow Jesus and make other followers, we need to commit to ongoing growth. If we want to change our world, we must first be changed. None of us has all the answers, so we’re continually shaped and strengthened through opportunities to grow in Christ within community. We do not have to grow in Christ alone—not even with our friends and fellow church members. Jesus is joining us on the journey. He promised to be with us, and he will be.

Amen

[1] There are several versions of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Most recently, the Ukulele player Israel Kamakawiwoʻole recorded a version that has become famous. The lyrics I quoted are basically those Judy Garland made famous, with a few changes. Harold Arien, Composer, E. Y. Harburg, Lyricist, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (1939).