Embracing a Fruitful and Prosperous New Year!

Welcome 2025 with optimism and anticipation! As we step into another year of fresh starts, may we continually remain in the Lord. In John 15:5 (NKJV), Jesus declared, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV) reminds us that “the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

As you leave 2024, you might find yourself with a quarter cup of love, a third a cup of joy, no cup of peace, an eighth a cup of perseverance, two-thirds a cup of kindness, nearly a full cup of goodness, a half a cup of faithfulness, less than half a cup of gentleness, and barely half a cup of self-control. You might feel you didn't measure up.

Shift your perspective and welcome a fruitful and prosperous New Year! Looking forward to 2025, we can confidently approach the Lord and seek assistance to “bear much fruit” – asking Him to fill our cups until they overflow with the Fruit of the Spirit. It may not happen immediately, but like filling a large cup with water, it's a gradual process.

Notice how I emphasized, “He who abides in Me, and I in Him.” To bear much fruit, you not only abide in Jesus, but Jesus also dwells in you! Are you abiding in Jesus, and more importantly, is Jesus dwelling in you? You might wonder, "How do you abide in the Lord and He in you?" By submitting to God and accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. That is how you bear much fruit. Enjoy and embrace the journey as He fills your cup this year.

As we bid farewell to the year of completion (2024 numbers add up to eight) and welcome the year of the Fruit of the Spirit (2025 adds up to nine, representing the fruit of the spirit), maintain hope and faith in what God can and will accomplish.

I believe the word for 2025 is hope, and Jeremiah 29:11 illustrates what hope entails:

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Wishing you a New Year filled with joy, good health, success, and hope!

God Bless!

HOPE 2025," representing optimism and celebration for the year ahead.