2026: Share In His Holiness
“that we may share His holiness.” (Hebrews 12:10)
When we think of Christ’s church, what is her purpose? Stop and ask yourself that question. Why has God left this church in Raymond? The answer is simple: “that we may share in His holiness.” The Westminster Confession of Faith describes this as “gathering and perfecting the elect.” Our purpose is to take unholy sinners to the cross to be cleansed by Christ’s blood and to daily return for the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. This can look like many things, so let me make it concrete.
One, we want to see men and women, boys and girls place their faith in Christ who redeems them from the bondage of sin. Two, we want to see them worship God and grow in a right knowledge of Him. Three, our aim is to worship God as God directs us in His Word. Four, the church seeks to live in a way that brings honor to God’s name, doing all things with excellence. Fifth, we want to promote and encourage a strong work ethic for six days and a sanctifying day of rest on the seventh. Sixth, we support and encourage healthy relationships between parents and children in the home and Christians in society. Seventh, we have an organized diaconate and an able and willing congregation who seeks to preserve the lives of those around us. Eighth, we long to see holy and happy marriages held in high esteem. Ninth, we promote generosity and hospitality, welcoming both friend in the pew and the stranger next door. Tenth, we boldly proclaim the truth of God’s Word and promote the truth anywhere we see it. Eleventh, we strive for contentment in whatever lot God has placed us. And finally, twelfth, we love one another. This is the pattern of holiness for which Jesus died that we may have and demonstrated that we may follow (Titus 2:11-14; Eph. 4:20-24, 5:25-27).
As a church, our purpose is to facilitate and foster a life (both individually and corporately) that follows that pattern. Over the last five years, this is exactly what we have seen happen. What does that mean for this coming year? Let me put a few things before you.
First, our monthly time of evening worship accomplishes all of these purposes. We proclaim the gospel to the lost while also growing in our own knowledge of Him. We have opportunities to worship God aright while loving on the people of God. We sanctify the Lord’s Day with our families, strengthening our own walk with Christ and the bonds of love within our families. To further cement this purpose, our worship will focus on Hebrews 11 so that we can see how faith provided a concrete path to the pursuit of holiness. Or to put it another way, the Christian life is founded on the grace of God, furthered by the grace of God, focused on the glory of God.
Second, our evening worship will feature a special time for our children. During evening worship, we will have a time for our children to learn the children’s catechism. This will be led by our own Laura Polk and our Raymond Youth Group. Not only will this accomplish all that was listed above, but it also provides an opportunity for our younger children to see and imitate the godly character of our teenagers. Not only are we producing leaders in our teenagers, but we are preparing future leaders in our younger children. We are wedding together the knowledge of God to the practice thereof (John 13:17).
Third, our FEAST group will meet on the second and fourth Sundays from 6-8p, following Youth Group. Not only will this accomplish all the aforementioned purposes listed in evening worship, but it also provides a great opportunity for church families to “love one another” and engage in holy hospitality. The concept behind our FEAST Groups is simple: read a few pages, bring a small dish, and enjoy the Lord’s Day together. This year, our theme will be The Christ of Our Weakness. In studying such, we will read three short books:
1. The Claypot Conspiracy by Dave Harvey: This book focuses on how God works through human weakness rather than despite it. Drawing on Paul’s “treasure in jars of clay” metaphor, Harvey argues that fruitfulness doesn’t come from personal strength, talent, or polish, but from the surprising strategy of God to display His power through fragile, imperfect servants. He exposes the subtle “conspiracy” many Christians fall into—believing they must project competence, control, and success—and shows how this mindset drains joy and obscures the gospel. Instead, Harvey invites us to embrace our limitations, cultivate humility, confess sin honestly, and depend on grace in community, where God forms resilient, Christ-centered leaders who boast only in the power of the crucified and risen Lord.
2. The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes: This work has been known as a wellspring of comfort. It is a warm exposition of Christ’s compassion toward weak, wounded, and struggling believers. Drawing from Isaiah 42:3, Sibbes shows that Christ does not break the bruised reed or snuff out the smoldering wick; instead, He tenderly supports and strengthens those who feel overwhelmed by sin, sorrow, or spiritual frailty. The book exposes the futility of self-reliance and legalistic religion, replacing them with the assurance that Christ delights to uphold broken souls and to bring His gracious work to completion. Throughout, Sibbes presents a Savior whose mercy is deeper than our misery, and whose gentle dealings are designed to draw bruised sinners into renewed obedience.
3. The Crook in the Lot by Thomas Boston: This is one of my favorite works. In it, Boston walks us through a meditation on God’s sovereign hand in the painful, crooked circumstances that enter a believer’s life. Expounding Ecclesiastes 7:13, Boston argues that every “crook”—every trial, limitation, disappointment, or affliction—is intentionally shaped by God for the sanctification of His people. Rather than resisting or resenting these divinely appointed hardships, Boston calls believers to humble themselves, examining what God intends to teach them and cultivate in them. With pastoral clarity, he shows that the “lot” of life is measured out by a wise and loving Father, and that the believer’s peace comes not from escape, but from embrace. God straightens the heart long before He straightens the path.
Fourth, we will have updated Prayer Guides. One of the major updates is that our prayer guide is the inclusion of our Bible Reading Plan for the year. Holiness cannot be pursued nor partaken of without a dependence upon God’s means of grace, and two of these are the Word and prayer. These guides are small enough to store in any Bible and provide us with a framework for persistent reading and powerful prayer. Our Bible Reading plan will take us through the New Testament in a year, and it will also coincide with the chapter of the Bible to be read each Sunday. The goal this year is slow and thoughtful. Our reading and prayer aren’t to be an express flight across the country; rather, we are to take the scenic route and enjoy the sites.
Fifth, our Wednesday nights will be devoted to the Westminster Confession of Faith and prayer. Each week, we will discuss a new chapter of the Westminster Confession with one driving emphasis: “How does this apply to my life?” Each week, we will ask questions such as:
1. Drawing from Chapter 2, how do we encourage someone who says, ‘I know God forgives me, but I can’t shake the sense that He’s disappointed’?
2. Drawing from Chapter 14, what would you say to a teen who asks, “What if my faith is weak?”
3. How does Chapter 26 on the Communion of the Saints encourage a widow who feels isolated?
If our goal is to share in God’s holiness, we must discuss how His holy Word shapes our lives for practical holy living.
Sixth, our morning sermon series will turn upon two topics. One, the bulk of the year will be spent in the Sermon on the Mount. In these few beloved chapters, Jesus ascends the mountain to reveal His will for our lives with royal authority, and He does so in the shadow of the cross. The Sermon on the Mount provides for us a rubric for understanding how Christ’s redeeming work shapes our everyday life. Or as Petrus van Mastricht explains, it is nothing less than “the doctrine of living for God through Christ.” During the summer, our “Summer in Systematics” series will focus on the order of salvation. The goal is to marvel at God’s grace for sinners, for everything from election to glory is fueled solely by His free, unmerited grace. By wedding the Order of Salvation to the Sermon on the Mount, our theme for 2026 will be that holiness is founded on the grace of God, furthered by the grace of God, focused on the glory of God.
Let that be our clarion call this year, my friends!
