A New Year in God’s Story (Not My Own)
From the Fall… to the Promise… to the King… to Us
As one year ends and another begins, many of us start asking familiar questions:
“What should I change?”
“What goals should I set?”
“God, what’s my purpose this year?”
I want to be honest with you.
I’ve asked those same questions for years — and more than once, I’ve failed.
I’ve made New Year plans that sounded spiritual:
- I’m going to read my Bible more.
- I’m going to get in better shape.
- I’m going to grow closer to God.
All good things. Important things.
But looking back, I can see now that something was off.
I was trying to build my own plan and asking God to bless it — instead of stepping into what God was already doing.
🎥 Watch the Video: A New Year in God’s Mission
(The message below expands on what I share in the video.)
When the Right Desire Is Paired with the Wrong Question
A few years ago, someone asked me a question that really stuck with me:
“What’s your purpose when you go to Mexico? Why do you go to other countries?”
I answered by listing everything I was doing:
- Planting churches
- Sharing the gospel
- Helping the poor
- Feeding programs
- Give-A-Chick projects
And we still do all of those things.
But over time, God helped me see something important:
I was centering everything on my purpose, instead of God’s purpose.
That realization led me to see three ways I had it wrong — and how Scripture invites us to see it differently.
1. I Made My Purpose the Main Thing
For a long time, I thought the most important New Year question was:
“God, what’s my purpose?”
That’s not a bad question — but it’s not the best one.
Scripture invites us to ask something deeper:
“God, what is Your purpose — and how can I be part of it?”
The Bible makes it clear that God already has a mission:
“God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ…”
(2 Corinthians 5:19)
God’s mission didn’t begin with me — and it doesn’t revolve around me.
My purpose is found inside His mission, not alongside it.
2. I Thought It Was Just About One Year
Another mistake I made was thinking too small.
I treated the New Year like a one-year project:
“This is what I’m going to do this year.”
But Scripture reminds us that we are part of something much bigger.
We just celebrated Christmas — the incarnation.
God stepping into human history through Jesus Christ to restore what was broken.
Jesus lived, died, rose again, ascended to heaven, and promised the Holy Spirit.
And the story didn’t stop there.
It’s still going.
Even our calendars reflect this reality:
- Before Christ
- After Christ
History itself is centered on Jesus.
This year — and every year — is just one small moment in an eternal story.
God’s Story Has a Timeline
The Bible tells one unified story:
Genesis → Isaiah → Luke → 1 Peter → Today
Or simply:
Fall → Promise → Incarnation → Participation
Understanding where we are in this story changes how we live.
The Fall — When God’s Reign Was Rejected (Genesis 3)
Humanity’s problem didn’t start with confusion about purpose.
It started with rejection of God’s rule.
In Genesis 3, humanity chose autonomy over obedience — self-rule over God’s reign. And everything fractured as a result.
The core human problem is not a lack of purpose —
it is rejection of God’s kingship.
But even in judgment, God made a promise.
Genesis 3:15 is the first whisper of redemption — God declaring that He would restore what was broken.
The Promise — God Announces His Plan (Isaiah 9)
Centuries later, God’s people are still living in darkness. Into that brokenness, Isaiah speaks hope:
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light…”
(Isaiah 9:2)
Then comes the promise of a King:
“For to us a child is born… and the government shall be upon His shoulder.”
(Isaiah 9:6)
This is not a sentimental verse — it’s a Kingdom announcement.
The Incarnation — History Turns (Luke 1)
Then Luke’s Gospel opens, and everything changes.
“The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David… and His kingdom will never end.”
(Luke 1:32–33)
Jesus didn’t come simply to improve our lives.
He came to restore God’s reign.
As Jesus Himself proclaimed:
“The Kingdom of God is at hand.”
(Mark 1:15)
Jesus didn’t come to fit into our plans — He came to reclaim our lives.
3. I Thought It Was My Mission
The third thing I had wrong was this:
I thought it was my mission.
But it’s not.
It’s God’s mission.
The question is not only:
“How can I be part of God’s mission?”
But also:
“How can I live faithfully inside God’s story?”
Participation — Where We Live Now (1 Peter 2:9)
The King has come.
The Kingdom has begun.
And Scripture tells us who we are now:
“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession…”
(1 Peter 2:9)
This identity is not about status — it’s about mission.
A King ruling through a people for the sake of the world.
We are not spectators.
We are participants.
A New Year Invitation
So as we step into a new year, the prayer is no longer:
“God, bless my plans.”
It becomes:
“Father, Your Kingdom come.
Your will be done.
On earth as it is in heaven.”
When we get that right:
- The temporary things fall into place
- The daily disciplines gain meaning
- Our lives take on eternal weight
Because we are no longer living for a small story —
we’re living inside God’s story.
So Where Are You in the Story?
We are not living in the Fall.
We are not waiting with the prophets.
We are not anticipating Christ’s arrival.
We live after the King has come.
That means:
You can make a difference.
I can make a difference.
And together, by God’s grace, we can make an eternal impact.
Join God’s Mission
If this message resonates with you, I invite you to take the next step:
- Pray — for God’s Kingdom to advance
- Give — to help take the gospel where Christ is not yet known
- Live on mission — right where God has placed you
At God on Mission, we believe fulfillment doesn’t come from discovering your purpose.
It comes from joining God’s mission.