How to Make 2026 Your Best Year

·45 min·4 clips

A pastor explains how Paul's example in Philippians 3 can help make 2026 your best year, starting with humility.

This episode is a sermon from Topeka Baptist Church, delivered by an unnamed pastor as the final message of December before transitioning into a new year and a new series on the Gospel of Mark. The pastor opens by acknowledging the uncertainty of the future and frames the sermon around the example of the Apostle Paul in Philippians chapter 3. He reads verses 4-14, highlighting Paul's credentials and his perspective of counting all as loss for Christ. The core of the sermon is structured around four attitudes believers should cultivate to make 2026 a spiritually successful year. First, humility is emphasized, with the pastor warning against spiritual pride and sharing personal reflections on his roles as husband, father, and pastor. Second, determination is discussed using sports analogies and a detailed personal story about persevering through a difficult marathon in Tulsa, Oklahoma, linking it to not giving up in faith. Third, gratitude is presented as essential, contrasting the joy of new Christians with the complacency of older ones, and including a poem about appreciating what one has. The pastor admits his own struggles with complaining, recounting an incident where he vacuumed the church with a bad attitude before realizing it was a blessing. Fourth, dedication focuses on living purposefully for God's glory each day, addressing how to handle past regrets and future worries. The sermon closes with an invitation for personal reflection and a prayer for God's help in the new year.

As heard by us

A New Year's sermon reframes ambition as the steady work of returning to God after failure.

How to Make 2026 Your Best Year frames the turn of the calendar as a spiritual reset rather than a promise of easy improvement. Built around Philippians 3, it moves from Paul's former confidence in religious achievement toward the humbler discipline of pressing on.

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Why you'd press play

You want the new year to matter spiritually, but the first step may be getting back up on the days you miss the mark.

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