Celebrate the Harvest, Prepare for the Next

There’s a holy rhythm God teaches His people again and again: remember what He has done—then move forward with faith for what He will do next. The end of a year is the perfect time to practice that rhythm.

Because celebration isn’t just emotional—it’s spiritual. It’s a way of saying, “God, we see You. We honor what You’ve done. We’re grateful.” And gratitude doesn’t just look backward—it becomes fuel that pushes you forward.

At the same time, we have to be careful: you can’t drive toward your future while staring in the rearview mirror.

Don’t Live in the Rearview Mirror
Looking back has a purpose. It’s how you mark God’s faithfulness. It’s how you build confidence that He can do it again. But if you stare too long, you’ll miss what’s ahead.
The rearview mirror is smaller than the windshield for a reason.

Remembering is powerful—but vision is what moves you. Celebration is a checkpoint—not the destination. It’s a place to refuel, not a place to settle.
God never invites you to worship yesterday. He invites you to trust Him for tomorrow.

Why Celebration Matters
When you celebrate what God has done, you’re not just recalling memories—you’re collecting evidence.

Evidence that:

• God answers prayer.
• God provides.
• God saves.
• God heals.
• God opens doors.
• God strengthens weary people.
• God produces harvest when we don’t quit.

Scripture says it plainly:
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Galatians 6:9, NLT)

That verse tells the truth: you can be tired and still faithful. You can be weary and still winning. And when you look back on what God has done, you realize something: you’re still here because God has been holding you.

Hope City’s 2025 Harvest Worth Celebrating
(These aren’t just numbers—these are names.)
As a church family, we’re grateful for what God has done through Hope City in 2025. Every number represents a story, a home, a person touched by the Gospel.

Here are a few faith markers from this year:

• 126 Salvations (Sunday morning services alone)
• 13 Baptisms (people going public with their faith)
• 30,000+ pounds of food purchased and given away through the food pantry
• 3,000+ people served at the Columbia Community Easter Egg Hunt
• Valor Christian College Cohort launched at Hope City
• Around 328 sermons/teachings released from this house
• Pioneer Television Network expanded to 237 million homes (including Samsung TV distribution)
• Good Morning Live built a weekday discipleship rhythm with 1,000+ daily viewers watching the program

That’s harvest. That’s impact. That’s the fruit of consistent “yes.”

But here’s where the teaching gets personal:
If the Church Has Numbers… You Have Numbers Too
When we ask, “What can we celebrate?” it’s not only about what happened on a stage or in a service. Heaven keeps record of what happened in your life too.

So take a moment and ask yourself:

• How many prayers did God answer in 2025?
• How many times did He protect you without you even realizing it?
• How many times did He provide right on time?
• How many times did you choose faith when fear was loud?
• How many times did you get back up when you wanted to quit?
• How many seeds did you sow—inviting, serving, giving, forgiving, encouraging?

Sometimes the “numbers” that matter most aren’t public. They’re private victories:

• a healed relationship
• a renewed mind
• a moment of obedience
• a habit broken
• a boundary set
• a season survived
• a heart softened again

f you’re still here, still breathing, still believing—God has been faithful. That’s worth celebrating.

Expectation: Faith That Prepares
Celebration honors what God has done. Expectation prepares for what God is about to do.
This is where many believers get stuck: they pray, but they don’t prepare. They hope, but they don’t make room. They want harvest, but they don’t get barns ready.
Jesus described prayer like this:
“Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:24, NKJV)

That order matters:

1. Pray
2. Believe
3. Receive

Believing is the bridge. And believing shows up as expectation.
Here’s a question that will expose what you truly believe about your future:

What are you preparing for?
Because you only prepare for what you really expect.

• If you believe God is restoring your family, you start making room for restoration—humility, forgiveness, healthy conversation.
• If you believe God is growing your faith, you build new spiritual rhythms—prayer, Word, church, community.
• If you believe God is opening doors, you sharpen your character and your discipline so you’re ready when they open.
• If you believe God is sending harvest, you get your heart—and your hands—ready to steward it.

Gratitude Is Fuel—Vision Is Direction
You don’t move forward by remembering alone. You move forward by seeing what’s ahead and stepping into it.
Gratitude keeps your heart soft.
Vision keeps your feet moving.
Expectation keeps your spirit engaged.
That’s why we celebrate the harvest—but we don’t camp there.
Because the same God who helped you in 2025 is the same God who is already in your 2026.

Prepare for the Next
Here’s what expectation looks like in real life:

• Pray again.
• Invite again.
• Serve again.
• Give again.
• Believe again.
• Show up again.

Not because you’re striving—but because you’re aligned.
This isn’t the season to retreat. This is the season to lean in with fresh faith and let God do what only God can do.

A Prayer as We Step Forward
Father, thank You for the harvest of 2025—every life changed, every need met, every moment of grace, every seed that produced fruit. And thank You for what You’re preparing ahead. Teach us to celebrate without getting stuck. Help us to remember with gratitude but move forward with vision. Awaken expectation in us again. Give us fresh oil, fresh strength, and fresh faith for what’s next. In Jesus’ name, amen.