At the beginning of a new year, many of us feel the pressure to make resolutions. We promise ourselves that this year will be different—healthier habits, better finances, stronger discipline. And yet, if we’re honest, we know how quickly those resolutions tend to fade.
As we begin our journey through The Story—a sweeping overview of Scripture—we start where the Bible starts: in Genesis. From creation to Noah’s ark, we encounter a God who works with intention, order, and purpose. We observe through Scripture that God “created a place for everything and put everything in its place.” Creation itself unfolds with structure: God forms spaces before filling them, separating light from darkness, land from water, and sky from sea.
This same sense of order appears in the story of Noah. God does not act impulsively. He gives clear instructions—measurements, materials, decks, and rooms. And Noah responds with simple, faithful obedience: “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” That sentence appears twice, as if Scripture wants to be sure we don’t miss it.
Yet the flood story is not only about judgment; it is about renewal. Sin, described most simply as alienation from God, had fractured creation. Humanity had turned inward, placing self at the center instead of God. And so God chose, just once, to begin again—to recreate the world through water and covenant.
That makes this story especially fitting for the start of a new year. January invites reflection: What do we regret? What do we want to leave behind? What do we hope to carry forward? But instead of asking, “What will I do differently this year?” let us ask a deeper question: “What will I trust God to do?”
Rather than making a list of resolutions, consider making a list of trust. What are three things—spiritual, relational, or otherwise—that you will place in God’s hands this year? Not things you will fix, but things you will pray over, wait for, and remain faithful toward.
This shift changes everything. It moves us from self-reliance to surrender, from control to covenant. And it aligns our lives with the prayer John Wesley offered at the start of each year—a prayer that says, “
“I am no longer my own, but thine. Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt. Put me to doing, put me to suffering. Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee, exalted for thee or brought low for thee. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.”
The God who created order out of chaos is still at work. The God who brought Noah through the flood is still faithful. As we step into a new year, may we trust Him—not just with our plans, but with our lives.
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Sermon video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTli-HwKjvw
[Blog post created by Sunday Message Repurposing Assistant from original sermon content preached by Rev. Kent F. Jackson on January 4, 2026.]
Sermon Series NOTE: The Story by Max Lucado ch. 1 “Creation: The Beginning of Life As We Know It”
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