Hey church, I hope you and your family truly experienced the joy, peace, and hope that only Jesus brings in the Christmas season.

As we wrap up the year, Jill and I just want to say how grateful we are for you.

We are so excited and looking forward with so much faith and expectation for all God is going to do in 2026.

We cannot wait to step into the new year together as a church family.

During our Christmas services, we shared our focus for the year ahead. And it's simple. We seek

God first. Jesus tells us in Matthew 633 that when we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,

everything else in our life finds its proper place.

And that's not just a verse to memorize, it's a promise we're stepping into together.

That's why we're continuing to invite every person at Highlands to take the one-year challenge.

For all of us to give God one year of our life, attend church, be a part of 21 days of prayer,

be at our conferences, be in small

groups, discover our purpose, and of course serve others so we can make a difference.

I truly believe that when we seek God first, he will do more in all of our lives than we

could ever imagine, and that's going to be our journey in 2026.

Now today I'm especially excited because you're going to hear from some of my favorite

people on the planet, your campus pastors. Of course you know them and you already love them. They

carry the heart of this church. They shepherd our campuses and communities so well and faithfully

serve the people of Highlands week in and week out. I'm incredibly grateful for each of them,

the teams they lead, and all that

God is doing across church of the Highlands. So as they preach God's word today, lean in and open up

your heart. It's going to be a powerful day. Now before we get into the message, let's take a

moment to reflect on and celebrate the goodness of God and how powerfully he moved over this past year.

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