There’s something powerful about looking back—and even more powerful about looking forward.
As a church, we’ve always believed it’s important to pause and give thanks for what God has done in the past while also fixing our eyes on where He is leading us next. Every year, we choose a single word to help focus our hearts and vision. That word becomes a reminder of what we’re praying toward and preparing for.
This year, that word is Future.
Looking Back With Gratitude
Years ago, a simple motto was placed on the front wall of a small church building:
“Reaching new heights, one life at a time.”
That phrase still tells the story of who we are.
From the early days in a modest building on Massachusetts Avenue to becoming a church that reaches across communities, states, and even nations, the mission has never changed. God has consistently used this church to transform lives—helping families, strengthening marriages, leading people to Christ, planting ministries, and training leaders who are now serving around the world.
Missionaries, pastors, church planters, and faithful servants have been sent out from this body—men and women who were discipled here and now carry the same mission wherever God has called them. That is something to celebrate.
God has blessed us.
A Bright Future—for the Church and for You
But this isn’t just about what God has done.
It’s about what He is going to do.
God has blessed us as a church, and because of that, our future is bright. But just as importantly, your future is bright—especially if you are in Christ.
When you trust Jesus as your Savior, something incredible happens. You are placed in Christ, and the Holy Spirit of God comes to live within you. You are sealed—not temporarily, not conditionally, but permanently.
You don’t hold onto God.
God holds onto you.
Just as a parent never stops being a parent, God never stops being your Father. Once you become His child, you belong to Him forever. Your salvation isn’t fragile; it’s secure—kept by His power and His promise.
That truth alone makes the future bright.
A Future Anchored in a Promise
The future becomes even brighter when we remember this:
Jesus is coming back.
In John 14:1–3, Jesus gave one of the clearest promises in all of Scripture:
“Let not your heart be troubled… I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
Jesus didn’t offer speculation. He made a promise.
And God always keeps His promises.
Throughout Scripture—Old Testament and New—God proves that when He speaks, He acts. He fulfilled His word in creation. He fulfilled His word in the flood. He fulfilled His word in redemption through Christ. And He will fulfill His word concerning Christ’s return.
Some question whether it will really happen. Scripture anticipated that skepticism:
“Where is the promise of His coming?” (2 Peter 3:4)
But the same God who judged the world by water has promised that one day He will bring final judgment—and renewal—by fire. His timing is not slow; it is merciful. He is patient so that more people might come to know Him.
What’s Coming Next?
Scripture outlines God’s future plan clearly:
- The Church Age – the present time, when God works through His church to share the gospel with the world.The Rapture – when believers are caught up to meet Christ in the air.
- The Tribulation – a seven-year period of judgment and upheaval on earth.
- The Return of Christ – when Jesus visibly returns to reign on earth.
- The Millennial Kingdom – Christ’s thousand-year reign of peace.
- Final Judgment & Eternal State – eternal life with God for the redeemed and eternal separation for those who reject Him.
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The key truth is this:
The rapture could happen at any moment.
There are no remaining signs to wait for. We are not looking for events—we are looking for a Savior.
Be Ready
Because Jesus is coming, Scripture gives a simple but urgent instruction:
“Therefore be ye also ready…” (Matthew 24:44)
Readiness isn’t about fear. It’s about confidence.
1 John 2:28 reminds us that believers can either meet Christ with confidence—or with regret. Salvation is secure, but how we live still matters.
That’s why Scripture urges us not to wait until the “last minute.” We don’t know when that minute is.
People prepare carefully for vacations, careers, celebrations, and goals. How much more should we prepare for the greatest moment in history—the return of Christ?
So What Should We Do?
If you’ve never trusted Jesus, do it now.
If you’ve drifted, come back.
If obedience has been delayed, take the next step.
If service has been avoided, get involved.
The future is not something to fear.
For those in Christ, the future is something to anticipate.
God has been faithful in the past.
God is active in the present.
And God is already at work in the future.
So live ready.
Live faithfully.
Live with confidence.
Because the best is not behind us—it’s ahead.
