I didn’t want to shock you by putting the title in numbers (2027). But next year is just around the corner! I know we still have Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas to celebrate, but we all know that those holidays will fly by at breakneck speed, leaving us celebrating New Year’s Day wondering what happened!
So let me fill you in on where we’re going next year in Sunday school and worship. In Sunday school we’re going on a trip. For 15 weeks we will travel throughout the Holy Land with Ray Vander Laan (Yes, he’s Dutch). We’ll tag along as Ray teaches five lessons from various on-site locations around Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. We’ll learn about the Essenes, John the Baptist, Jesus in the desert, the Last Supper, and the hope represented at Gethsemane. Then in another 10 week lesson plan we will visit the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus calmed a storm; Kursi; Caesarea Philippi; the Temple; Jerusalem; the Mount of Olives; Capernaum; the garden tomb; the Southern Stairs; and Caesarea. All without packing a bag, dealing with jet lag, or worrying about drinking the water.
If you’re attending Sunday school, I hope you’re excited to see the places we’ve read about in the Bible. If you’re not currently attending Sunday school, I want you to consider joining us starting December 27 of this year. I know that’s not quite 2027, but I plan to finish this study Easter morning. The earliest Easter dates for the next 20 years are March 25 or March 28. (This year Easter is March 28. In 2285, Easter will be the earliest it could ever be, March 21, in case you want to mark your calendar).
For worship, we will also begin a new sermon series from 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians to encourage new believers in their faith, to exhort them to godly living, and to give them assurance about the eternal state of believers who had died. However, these believers still struggled to hold fast to Paul’s teaching (just like we do today). So, Paul wrote a second letter to describe what they are waiting for and encourage them not to be ‘idle’ as they await Christ’s return. This is also another great exhortation for the people of God today.
In the middle of these two books, we’re going to look at the prophecies surrounding the life of Christ. We will look at the prophecy of His birth, life, death, and resurrection. Expect more than four sermons, though. This sermon series will also culminate with the resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Why the big focus on the life of Christ? Because He is the foundation of our faith. Without Jesus, without His life and death and resurrection, we are the most to be pitied because our faith would be vain. But Jesus did live, die, and rise from the dead, and because of that, we will too! My prayer is that we will root ourselves in these old truths and grow afresh in our faith so that our lives are a testimony in 2027 of God’s faithfulness in every age.