Dear Friend,

One of my greatest joys in life is the privilege of being a pastor. A responsibility that I do not take lightly is walking with people through the hurts, pains, and disappointments in their lives. So many people have asked me over the years, “Is it too late for me? Is it too late for God to do something with me?” Those questions come out of a deep place where they feel they have failed too miserably and have forfeited their God-given destiny. When asked that question, I always have one response, “It is not too late. It is never too late for God.”

An important principle to remember when contemplating that question is that God frequently uses broken people to accomplish His purpose on earth. Time after time in the Scripture, we read about broken people whom God raised up in a marvelous way. He used Moses, a murderer, to deliver the Hebrew slaves. He used Jacob, a liar and a trickster, to fulfill His promise to Abraham. He even used Rahab, a harlot, in the Messianic family line. If God redeemed their lives, He can redeem your life too. Brokenness should never keep you bound. Rather, it should release you into a life of freedom. Because a truly broken person understands the reality of John 15:5, where Jesus says, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” A broken person who has learned dependence on God is a force to be reckoned with.

Yet, it is difficult to even see your future when you are staring at your past. Just like it is difficult to drive when you are looking at your rearview mirror. When you drive, you need to glance at your rearview mirror; but if you continue to look there - you will end up hurting not only yourself, but others around you as well. That is why the windshield is so much larger than the rearview mirror because the windshield shows you where you are headed.

Friend, God looks at your future while the enemy tries to keep you in your past. While the enemy says, “You can’t because of what you have done!” God says, “You can in spite of what has been done!” God will never define you by your past, but the enemy will try to confine you by it. Whether it is the good, bad, or the ugly that dominates your life up until now, it is Satan’s goal to keep you chained there. But my charge to you as we go through this new year together is to never let your yesterday keep you from your tomorrow. Learn from yesterday, just don’t live in it.

To equip you on your journey toward your own personal greatness as a child of God, we’ve put together a few helpful resources this month that we want to get in your hands. The first is a compilation of sermons taught on the all-important subject of hope. Hope is such an essential component of motivation and moving forward. This is yours for a gift of any amount to help us continue broadcasting God’s Word to a world in need. And there is also a special book, It’s Not Too Late, with your name on it, if you would like to have it as well. 

May your days ahead be greater than the days gone by.