Vision 2026
January 11, 2026
I’ve always thought I’ve been pretty open and honest with you about myself. And this year, I’d like to up that a bit. I want you to know more about my thoughts, longings, desires and whatever I sense God placing on my heart. That’s why every week, as long as I’m able, there will be a short video about what I’m reading, listening to, or sensing from God.
I want to be really, really open and vulnerable. Of course, within reason.
With that in mind, I want to answer a question that’s been asked a lot over the past year or so. Lots of people have asked me when am I going to retire.
I thought I would answer that question and lead us forward as we look at a vision for who I believe God’s calling us to be in 2026.
Realistically, I always thought I would retire when Zachary graduated college. My college debt days were now over. But, it’s been almost 4 years since he graduated. And I’m still here.
But 3 years ago, I was ready to retire. Frankly, I was spent, frustrated and done! I told God my plans . . . yes, I told God my plans. I got no comments back from God telling me I’m wrong. I really was feeling at peace with my decision. Somewhere along the way, I had a conversation with God and the Holy Spirit led me to re-examine what I was doing. And ultimately, I realized what I was thinking and planning was all wrong. God was waiting for me to be open to His leading and not my leading.
I’ve had people tell me I need to slow down and enjoy life. That’s great wisdom, seriously, it is. Yet, last week when I was sick, I couldn’t just sit and do nothing. I had to do stuff in the house. I was enjoying what I was doing, ripping wallpaper off of a wall.
At the same time, I believe my spiritual life has not been better in so many years. I feel a greater closeness to God and a greater longing to be in His presence and to truly honor and glorify Him in all I do.
I see God doing great things in and around us and have this amazing hope of what is going to happen this year at First Baptist Church . . . and in our community.
Solomon tells us - - - -
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. — Proverbs 13:12
Have you ever been discouraged? I’ve been there on and off over the past years. It’s interesting that in the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, when the angel Clarence is assigned to be George’s guardian angel. Clarence responds, “oh heavens, is he sick?” The supervising angel says, “no, it’s worse, he’s discouraged.”
It’s easy to get there. And for a long time, I was there. But, God is great and faithful, and I’ve done some of the hard work, and God has never left me. Never abandoned me. He didn’t fail me or forsake me. God has always held true to His promises.
But I’m no longer there. I’m excited! And this is what I’ve got to say before we move on about my retirement. I do not believe God has called me to retire . . . . yet! And if it so happens that I take my final breaths while I’m still the pastor at FBC, then I was right where God wanted me to be.
That’s a long winded way of saying I’m here until God tells me I’m done! I could have said it that way, but I also wanted you to know a bit about my journey and most especially the excitement I have about God’s presence right now in my life.
So, let’s keep this thought about God moving forward. I started talking about this last week for our communion worship . . . and want to continue this train of thought.
You see, going back to that scripture on the screen, when we’re discouraged, we start to lose hope. And when we’re in this state of despair, we start to hear the whispers of lies . . . I was there . . . .
I didn’t want to go on, I wondered if I even mattered, I allowed past hurts and even my upbringing to derail me. Does my presence here even matter. Not just to you, but to my family and closest friends. Would anyone really miss me. You know, life goes on.
We can ask God a lot of questions about where is He in the midst of our storms. Scripture knows this condition well: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick…"
Scripture doesn’t just call us to endure, it calls us to remember. To rehearse what God has done. To anchor ourselves in truth when feelings start rewriting the story. To realign our loves, our desires.
George Bailey didn’t need a new life. He needed eyes to see the life he already had. And so did I.
As last year was coming to a close, I was asking God for a vision for this year. I was looking at who we are and who I believe we need to become. I wrote this in my newsletter article - - - -
First Baptist Church will awaken to deeper faith and stronger unity — coming alive together in Christ in order to accomplish His mission.
That’s my vision for us as a church.
Have you ever tried to use something that you knew was not working properly? You know, we kind of MacGyver it so that it will work one last time, but because we do that, we put it away . . . so we can do it again. And then again.
You know, we do that with crayons. Some people will actually melt them so they can get back to their original size. How about a rechargeable toothbrush which dies. You still use it as a toothbrush.
Some of the most dangerous moments in life are not when something is obviously broken —
but when it’s still functioning, just without life. I mean, we wouldn’t use a ladder which is obviously broken, but we might jerry rig it to make it work.
In the same way, I want you to consider this - - - -
You can attend church.
You can know the songs.
You can serve in a ministry.
You can look great on the outside.
And yet… something inside can quietly be numb.
Not rebellious. Not angry. Just asleep.
And here’s the danger of spiritual sleep — — you don’t stop believing in God — you just stop expecting Him to do anything. And that’s really dangerous.
That’s why I’m starting here. For some this might be a heretical comment - - - - I’m not really worried if you serve in the church or not! Oh, I know! I want you to serve, we need everyone to serve and be involved, but, I want your spirit to be excited about serving Jesus. Not doing it numbly.
Isn’t that how many people go to work each day? We go and do our job, go home, then do it again the next day. But that’s not how it should be if we’re really passionate about it. I truly believe that’s why I’m still here. I love doing what I do. Are there bad moments, or days, or seasons? Absolutely, but I still wouldn’t change what I do.
So, as we get started, I’m not looking at asking you to get more involved, even though I’d love it. I want your spirit to be touched by God. I’m not even concerned right now with the church growing, which of course is always great, but if we’re doing what we need to be doing as a church and our spirit is right with God, then that will happen. It’s organic, not manufactured.
Last year as I was reading through the Bible, a question struck me and kept gnawing at me. It’s part of the basis of this message. It’s a question that refuses to stay polite. As typical from Paul, it’s kind of in your face.
In the book of Ephesians, in his letter to the church, Paul is telling the people not to be deceived by those who are evil. Don’t be deceived with empty words, instead he says in 5:8, walk as children of light.
As he continues, he then kind of smacks us and says - - - -
14 “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” — Ephesians 5:14
I honestly don’t ever remember seeing that verse in the Bible. It took me back, it made me pause and consider if this is me. Am I sleeping! Am I kind of sleep walking through my spirit life? Am I giving it all when I play pickleball, but when it comes to God, I’m giving a half-hearted effort?
You see, this is not a suggestion from Paul. It’s a command. And we need to grasp this about what Paul’s saying . . . it’s not written to unbelievers — it’s written to the church.
It’s written to people who know the truth . . . but may be living as though they’ve grown comfortable without its power.
Paul doesn’t say, “Try harder.” He doesn’t say, “Be better.” He says, Wake up.
Because sometimes what’s wrong with us spiritually isn’t rebellion — it’s drifting.
And drift is subtle. You don’t notice it happening — you only notice when you’re far from where you started.
We do that with our jobs, with our spouses, with our kids, with what we would say were our first loves. They can slowly become assumed parts of our lives.
We can do that with God as well. We just assume He’s always with us. He tells us that, so we put God in our pocket like we do our wallets. And when we’re doing this, we are moving further away from the power of the Spirit of God. And then we wonder why God seems distant.
Yet, He’s never been distant. He’s always been right with us. We’re the ones who have become distant. We’ve slowly drifted. We see stories about people on rafts or small boats and they’re enjoying a day on the ocean, and suddenly they notice they’ve drifted. They’ve moved further and further from the shore, from safety, and now they need to be rescued.
Is that where you are right now in your life? Have you fallen asleep on God? Have you drifted? Assumed He’s always there and will come at our beck and call.
That’s kind of where I see David, King David. A man after God’s own heart. He drifted. When kings go to war, he didn’t. He ended up in a wrong relationship. He got a woman pregnant, to cover it up, then he had her husband killed.
After understanding the gravity of his sin, he wrote Psalm 51. One of the great psalms. A psalm of repentance.
What I love about it is that David wrote this — not when he’s new to faith, but after years of walking with God.
David didn’t lose his belief. I would say, David lost his purpose, he lost sight of God’s grace and glory and power in his life. So, David took control and it was disaterous.
Listen to part of his prayer in Psalm 51 - - - -
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. - Psalm 51:10-12
David prayed that his heart could be restored, he could have a renewed spirit, the joy of his salvation would be restored and he would have a willing spirit.
Is that where we’re at? We need what David prayed for. Maybe we’re not where David was, but we’ve drifted, we’re sleep walking through our faith journey.
We can keep up with our regular habits, but we can lose the hunger and desire. It’s doing what we’ve always done and just being satisfied with what we get.
You can keep the structure and lose the joy and purpose.
When joy and purpose are missing, our faith often becomes a burden of a performance.
When Jesus was speaking to the 7 churches in Revelation, so much of that applies to us. To the first church, the church of Ephesus, Jesus said - - - -
2 “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil . . .
3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.
4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. - Revelation 2:2-4
It’s so fascinating when we stop and consider who these people were.
This church was: Active, enduring and persevering, working hard, theologically sound, patient . . . but they had abandoned their first love.
And Jesus says, “Something is wrong.” Not because they stopped believing — but because they stopped loving.
And here’s the uncomfortable truth: We can do the right things for God without enjoying God anymore.
We can be busy for Christ, yet feel totally distant from Christ.
And if we’re honest — church culture often rewards activity more than affection.
But Jesus doesn’t. God has impressed that upon me. That’s why I’m not overly concerned if you say I can’t serve until I make sure my spirit is right with God. Now, that’s not an excuse, it has to be your reality. You are actively pursuing that relationship with God.
Jesus doesn’t say, “Start something new.” He says: Remember. Repent. Return.
Awakening doesn’t begin with innovation — it begins with an honest look at our hearts and spirits.
Honesty about where love has cooled.
Honesty about where faith has become routine.
Honesty about where we’ve settled.
And yes — repentance is uncomfortable. And the beauty and powre of repentance is that it isn’t punishment. In fact, the beauty and power is that repentance is more about seeking permission to return home. It’s like the parable of the prodigal son who rehearsed his repentance and couldn’t even get it out before his father threw a party. Because what was lost, had now been found.
While this is Personal — it’s also corporate. Our vision this year is Awaken Together.
Yet, there is no such thing as a spiritually awakened church, made up of spiritually asleep people.
God does not revive crowds — He revives hearts. One at a time.
Now some of you may be thinking, is Pastor Michael saying we’re all asleep? No! Yet, I want us to take a good hard look at who we are and who God is calling us to be individually and as a church. It starts with each one of us. If God is going to awaken us and use us as one body, then we need to come together. But it starts with each one of us.
Before unity. Before mission. Before impact.
I want to push gently — but clearly — here.
Some of us have confused attendance with awakening. Some of us have confused busyness with life. And this morning - - - God isn’t asking for your effort. He’s asking for your heart and spirit.
So I want to invite you into a brave prayer.
Not a long one. Not a fancy one. Just an honest one.
If you’re willing, pray this — quietly, sincerely:
“Lord, wake me up.
Wherever I’ve settled,
Wherever I’ve drifted,
Awaken my heart again.”
(pause)
Father, We don’t want a faith that merely survives.
We want a faith that is living and active. We want to thrive.
Create clean hearts in us.
Restore our joy.
Wake us up to Your presence again.
And as You awaken us, let Christ shine on us.
Restore to us the joy of our salvation as we
proclaim to you, as our first love. Amen.
Commissioning Moment – “Wake Up and Walk”
(This happens immediately after the closing prayer. Don’t rush it. Let the room breathe.)
Before we close today, I want to do something intentional.
Because awakening is not just something we feel — it’s something we practice.
If God is waking our hearts, that awakening has to move with us into Monday… not stay here in the room.
Physical Invitation (Embodied Response)
I want to invite you to do something simple — but meaningful.
If you’re willing to say,
“This week, I will intentionally seek to wake up my heart to God,”
I want to ask you to stand.
Not because standing saves you.
Not because anyone’s watching.
But because sometimes our bodies need to follow where our hearts are going.
(Pause. Let people stand at their own pace.)
Commissioning Charge (Spoken Slowly, Clearly)
Hear this:
You are not being sent out to try harder.
You are being called by God to hold onto His love.
This week, your calling is simple:
When you wake up in the morning, don’t grab your phone first — acknowledge God.
When you feel distracted or numb, don’t shame yourself — pray honestly.
When joy feels distant, don’t fake it — ask for it.
Here’s your assignment - one thing to do, every day:
Before anything else, pray this sentence:
“Lord, awaken my heart to You today.”
That’s it. No pressure. No performance.
Just His presence.
If you miss a day, don’t quit.
If it feels awkward, keep going.
Awakening is rarely loud — but it is faithful.
Then go as awakened people — not perfect, but attentive to God’s call.
Not working, but listening.
Not asleep, but alive.
“Awakened by His Spirit. United in His love. Living His mission.”
