Happy New Year and welcome to 2026. I can assure you that I did not sit down to write out a message this morning that was tailored to fit around the first day of this new year, filled with platitudes and glowing words of affirmation, hope, and promise. In fact, yesterday’s message kind of caught me off guard with the tone and direction it took with repeated warnings of coming ‘tribulations and trials of testing’s’...if I’m being totally honest. Shortly after I posted my message yesterday, there was a particular verse that came to mind that had me questioning if I had forgot to include it, but then was impressed to share it with you here and now. It’s the words of Jesus which He shared with His disciples, and it followed shortly after His lesson on the importance of abiding in Him found in John 15:1-8. “These things I have spoken to you that in Me...you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) “in M...