A Well-Watered Garden for 2026
A Well-Watered Garden for 2026
Welcome to 2026. Whether you are stepping into something new or continuing the goals God placed on your heart long ago, we pray blessing and encouragement over you, your family, and all those you touch. Here at New Life, current ministries will continue by the wonderful grace of God and the faithful commitment of people who serve together well. At the same time, we believe there are new things waiting to be discovered as we deepen our relationship with God and with one another.
As a pastor, I’m sometimes asked surprising questions. One that recently made me smile was, “How do you think up the things you preach and teach about?” My first response was simple: it comes from God. But as the conversation continued, I shared that preaching is never meant to just pass along information. God desires it to encourage all of us to grow in deeper dependence on Him.
There is a verse on our refrigerator that continually speaks to my heart:
“And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.”
Isaiah 58:11
A well-watered garden—what a promise. Yet any farmer knows that water alone does not produce fruit. Growing up on a dairy farm taught me that a healthy crop requires prepared soil, good seed, fertilizer, and the removal of weeds. Jesus spoke about these very things when He taught about the condition of our hearts.
I like to gather all of this under what I call the vulnerability value. Simply put, it is the recognition that I can do nothing on my own. I am fully dependent on God. I cannot even guarantee my next breath. Scripture tells us that Adam and Eve were unaware of their nakedness until sin entered the picture—an indication that their focus was not on themselves, but on God. Their value and security were entirely found in Him.
Fast-forward to today. A 2025 survey reported that six out of seven people do not hold a biblical view of sin. While there isn’t space here to fully unpack that, Scripture teaches us that the Holy Spirit lovingly reveals areas in our lives that need repentance—not to condemn us, but to draw us closer to God and bring real transformation. True repentance replaces selfish desires and compromised beliefs with God’s absolute truth.
As we accept and live by God’s Word, our vulnerability value increases. We begin to see God’s worth, not our own, as central. The soil of our hearts becomes rich and ready. God’s truth takes root. The Holy Spirit nurtures it, and the rain of God’s mercy and grace brings growth. The result is a visible transformation—one that produces resilience, perseverance, and a desire to serve not for recognition, but out of love and compassion for others.
As Scripture reminds us:
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.”
Proverbs 11:30
May your life in 2026 be a well-watered garden—rooted in truth, nourished by grace, and overflowing with the fruit of God’s love.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Dan
Welcome to 2026. Whether you are stepping into something new or continuing the goals God placed on your heart long ago, we pray blessing and encouragement over you, your family, and all those you touch. Here at New Life, current ministries will continue by the wonderful grace of God and the faithful commitment of people who serve together well. At the same time, we believe there are new things waiting to be discovered as we deepen our relationship with God and with one another.
As a pastor, I’m sometimes asked surprising questions. One that recently made me smile was, “How do you think up the things you preach and teach about?” My first response was simple: it comes from God. But as the conversation continued, I shared that preaching is never meant to just pass along information. God desires it to encourage all of us to grow in deeper dependence on Him.
There is a verse on our refrigerator that continually speaks to my heart:
“And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.”
Isaiah 58:11
A well-watered garden—what a promise. Yet any farmer knows that water alone does not produce fruit. Growing up on a dairy farm taught me that a healthy crop requires prepared soil, good seed, fertilizer, and the removal of weeds. Jesus spoke about these very things when He taught about the condition of our hearts.
I like to gather all of this under what I call the vulnerability value. Simply put, it is the recognition that I can do nothing on my own. I am fully dependent on God. I cannot even guarantee my next breath. Scripture tells us that Adam and Eve were unaware of their nakedness until sin entered the picture—an indication that their focus was not on themselves, but on God. Their value and security were entirely found in Him.
Fast-forward to today. A 2025 survey reported that six out of seven people do not hold a biblical view of sin. While there isn’t space here to fully unpack that, Scripture teaches us that the Holy Spirit lovingly reveals areas in our lives that need repentance—not to condemn us, but to draw us closer to God and bring real transformation. True repentance replaces selfish desires and compromised beliefs with God’s absolute truth.
As we accept and live by God’s Word, our vulnerability value increases. We begin to see God’s worth, not our own, as central. The soil of our hearts becomes rich and ready. God’s truth takes root. The Holy Spirit nurtures it, and the rain of God’s mercy and grace brings growth. The result is a visible transformation—one that produces resilience, perseverance, and a desire to serve not for recognition, but out of love and compassion for others.
As Scripture reminds us:
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.”
Proverbs 11:30
May your life in 2026 be a well-watered garden—rooted in truth, nourished by grace, and overflowing with the fruit of God’s love.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Dan
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