For our New Year's message, Troy discusses new beginnings and our need to stick with it and never give up. As we strive to achieve our goals, God has a part to play and so do we. Oftentimes, God chooses not to supernaturally remove or resolve a problem; instead, He gives His ongoing, miraculous strength to enable us to persevere through the problem. Then we can finish what we started and arrive at a better place than we were before.

Along with our children's Christmas program, Troy brings a message from Mark that centers around Jesus in the garden, right before His arrest and crucifixion. We discover that on a human level, Jesus did not want to go through the punishment and suffering He was about to endure, but we also see that He submitted to God's will, no matter what His own desires were. And that’s the best way for each one of us to live our lives as well.

As Albert Schweitzer found out, despite his many talents and personal accomplishments, "Every person I know who has been truly happy has learned how to serve others." What Schweitzer discovered was something Jesus taught a long time before that. Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. He also instructed us to do the same, which leads us to a much greater joy and fulfillment than we could ever have by serving ourselves first.

In this week's message from our Gospel of Mark series, Troy reminds us that we are never alone because God is always there; He works in our lives and through our lives. He uses His people to help each other and to do His work on earth.