Joyous New Year! As we step into 2026, it’s worth acknowledging something we all already know: some hard things will happen this year. There will be disappointments, interruptions, and moments that test our patience and faith. Circumstances will not always make us “happy.” But Scripture never calls us to chase happiness—it calls us to choose joy. And the joy of the Lord is not fragile; it is steady, resilient, and available regardless of what unfolds around us.
From the beginning, The Living Truth Fellowship has carried a clear and deliberate aim: not merely to know God’s Word, but to live it. In His grace and mercy, God has opened the Scriptures to us with clarity and depth. Yet knowledge alone is never the goal. Truth is meant to be embodied—walked out day by day—until it bears fruit in real lives, real relationships, and real-world pressure.
Scripture is unambiguous: hearing the Word without doing it eventually deceives us. The Word God plants within us is alive and powerful, but it bears fruit only as we respond to it with humility and obedience. Living truth is not theoretical; it shows up in how we speak, how we forgive, how we endure, and how we love when it would be easier not to.
That brings us to a searching question: what fruit does our Father desire to see in our lives? Scripture answers plainly—the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are not abstract virtues. They were lived perfectly by Jesus, who embodied each quality in a fallen world, under constant pressure, and in the face of misunderstanding, opposition, and betrayal.
Here is a truth worth anchoring our hearts to as this new year begins: God has equipped us with the potential to become like Christ. Not through willpower or pretense, but through yielding to the work He has already begun within us. That calls for honest self-examination—not condemnation, but clarity. How do these qualities show up in us, especially with those closest to us? That kind of reflection can sting, but it is also where genuine growth begins.
Our adversary remains skilled at distraction. He would love nothing more than to keep believers busy, entertained, and insulated—anything but engaged with the true purpose of life: knowing God, loving Him, and serving Him by reflecting His Son. In a world expertly designed to numb and amuse, it is easy to drift into spiritual shallowness while convincing ourselves we are doing just fine.
Isolation only accelerates that drift. Real growth happens in real relationship, where love costs something and service gets messy. When we work alongside other believers—each of us carrying the same fallen human nature—we are confronted not only with their weaknesses, but with our own. That friction, uncomfortable as it is, often becomes the very place where God does His most meaningful work.
David understood this long before he ever faced Goliath. Before he stood against a giant, he endured the scorn of his own brothers. Yet his question still echoes through history: “Is there not a cause?” By that question, David exposed the reality everyone else was avoiding: God’s honor was being openly challenged, and faith demanded action. While Israel saw only a giant and measured the risk, David saw God’s cause being mocked and understood that obedience required a response. David was not sinless, but his heart was decisively aligned with God’s purpose. At the core of his being was a settled resolve to stand for what honored God and to advance God’s cause, regardless of personal cost. When David failed, he did not excuse his sin or retreat from God; he humbled himself, repented fully, and returned to faithful obedience. Scripture remembers him not for flawless conduct, but for a heart that consistently submitted itself to God’s will.
We need that same clarity now. The world of 2026 is no calmer, no saner, and no more hopeful than in years past. Confusion is celebrated, truth is resisted, and despair is widespread. Many attempt to numb the pain of existence rather than confront its source. Yet history reminds us that God often moves most powerfully in seasons of upheaval.
Some of us remember earlier decades marked by unrest, fear, and moral confusion. And yet, in the midst of that chaos, God was anything but idle. He reached hearts, transformed lives, and drew countless people to His Son. Many of us are here today because God met us in a world that had lost its bearings.
So perhaps the question before us this New Year is not what will happen in the world, but how will we respond? Will we shrink back, or will we quietly, faithfully take our stand? Will we allow God to shape Christlike fruit in us, or will we blend into the noise?
God still works through willing hearts. He still opens doors. He still creates moments—those timely opportunities—to speak truth, extend grace, and live differently. As this year unfolds, ask Jesus what he desires to cultivate in you. Then, like David, step forward—not in your own strength, but trusting that the battle belongs to God.
As we walk into 2026, let us do so with eyes open, hearts anchored, and hope firmly set—not in circumstances, but in God’s faithfulness. The joy of the Lord remains our strength, and His purposes are far from finished.
May God bless you richly as we move forward together into this New Year.
