Eyes Forward- Walking With God In 2026

Eyes Forward: Walking with God into 2026

CCCAG January 4th, 2026

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Introduction:

Last week we talked about looking back at 2025 and the lessons we learn when we take time to examine our heart and our actions.

However, we can overdo that and freeze in place instead of learning from everything that happened and moving forward.

It’s why car manufacturers give you a giant windshield, and a small rearview mirror.

They want you to focus on the road ahead instead of worrying about what is behind you. That’s basic driver safety.

I was watching a documentary on a professional football team in training camp. You’d expect them to be running all kinds of trick plays, doing advanced level passing routes, or defensive strategies.

But that is not what was occurring- the phrase being shouted by the coach’s was simple-

“Stick to the basics. Stick to the basics”

You’d expect NFL level players to be so elite they don’t need to hear that, but the coaches understood that without the basics, any advanced level play would fail before the football is snapped.

So this morning, we will review three basic principles this morning to help us with walking with God in 2026 that will keep our eyes forward.

Prayer

We talked about some basic principles a moment ago, so here is Principle number 1-

Keeping our Eyes Forward Begins with the Word of God

If we are going to walk with God into 2026 and not drift, not react, and not stumble — then we have to be honest about where walking with God actually begins.

It doesn’t begin with me riling you up in church.

It does not begin with vision statements.

It does not begin with goals or resolutions.

It does not begin with motivation.

It begins with the Word of God.

Every time Scripture records a renewal among God’s people, it starts the same way:

the Word is rediscovered, reopened, reread, and reapplied.

When Israel wandered, they drifted from the Word.

When Israel returned, they returned to the Word.

When reform came, it came through Scripture.

When revival came, it came with repentance shaped by God’s Word.

That pattern has never changed. Let’s explore that.

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The Word Is Direction, Not Decoration

Psalm 119:105 says:

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

That verse is comforting — but it’s also instructive.

A lamp does not show you the entire road.

A lamp does not explain the terrain five miles ahead.

A lamp gives you just enough light for the next step.

Faith is not about having full visibility.

Faith is about trusting God enough to take the step He illuminates.

And here’s the problem many believers face at the start of a new year:

We want a spotlight — God gives a lamp.

We want certainty — God gives direction.

We want clarity — God gives obedience.

The Word of God is not designed to satisfy our curiosity about the future.

It is designed to shape our faithfulness in the present.

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So why do we not give the Word it’s proper attention in our lives?

Why We Drift From Scripture (Without Meaning To)

Most believers don’t wake up one morning and decide,

“I’m done with the Bible.”

What happens instead is slower… quieter… more subtle.

Life gets busy.

Responsibilities pile up.

Fatigue sets in.

Scripture slowly moves from:

• daily nourishment

to

• occasional reinforcement

We still believe the Bible.

We just stop living immersed in it.

And over time, something dangerous happens:

We begin interpreting Scripture through our lives

instead of interpreting our lives through Scripture.

That’s when confusion grows.

That’s when discernment dulls.

That’s when faith becomes reactive instead of rooted. (pause)

God never intended His Word to be an accessory to our lives.

It is meant to be the framework.

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Why a Chronological Bible Matters Right Now

This year, I printed out a chronological Bible reading plan.

Chronological reading does something uniquely powerful:

It reminds us that Scripture is not random.

It is not fragmented.

It is not a collection of inspirational quotes.

It is a single unfolding narrative.

Creation.

Fall.

Promise.

Failure.

Redemption.

Restoration.

When you read chronologically, you begin to notice patterns:

• God calls people before they are ready

• God remains faithful when people are not

• God works slowly, patiently, relentlessly

• God moves history forward even when His people resist Him

That matters for us.

Because it tells us something deeply reassuring:

God is not intimidated by unfinished people.

In fact, God has always worked with unfinished people.

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Another point of being in the Word is that Scripture Shapes Us Before It Informs Us

One of the most important shifts we need to make as we move, eyes forward is this: