Today is the final day of 2025. It is hard to believe how quickly this year has gone by, and yet it is over. It feels like just yesterday we were stepping into January with fresh calendars and quiet hopes, and now here we are, standing at the final page.

As I look back on the year, I remember days full of you and others that were emotionally heavy. And many of the days were ordinary. The New Testament author James tells us that our lives are like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes (James 4:14). That truth isn’t meant to make us anxious, but to make us attentive. It invites us to notice God’s presence in the middle of our days, not just at the milestones.

There were moments this year when God’s faithfulness was evident, and moments when I had to lean heavily on faith. There were prayers answered quickly and others that are still waiting. Through it all, God has been kind even when life was not.

And now, as one year ends and another begins, I find myself both grateful and hopeful. Grateful for what God has done, what He has taught, and how He has carried me, my family, and my Church. Hopeful because the same God who was faithful in 2025 will be faithful in 2026.

So tonight, we close the book on the year. Tomorrow, by God’s grace, we turn the page. And whatever the new year holds, we step into it trusting the One who holds our time.

That’s a wrap. Thanks be to God.