I want to encourage you to be obedient to the Lord in 2026. Nobody starts the year off and says, “Boy, I just want to be disobedient to the Lord.” But when we see the nation of Israel, who’ve set up camp in Gilgal, they’ve crossed the Jordan, they’ve got this fortified city called Jericho, and Joshua seeks the Lord for a battle plan, and God gives him a battle plan that makes no sense at all.

They’re supposed to march around the walls one day for six days, one time a day for six days, seven days, seven times. It didn’t make any sense at all. And yet they were obedient to the Word of God. You know, there are times that God commands us to do things that don’t make sense. That’s how we prove our faith. Our faith is really observed by our obedience.

And so I want to leave you with that thought of obedience today because obedience has always been and will always be the key to blessing. To obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. And so there has to be a heart in every one of us that says, “Yes, I want to take action,” and that action comes from having faith in the Lord, but it’s based on the Word of God.

And so anytime we’re taking Bible truth and Bible principles and applying them to our life, that’s obedience. Those are steps of obedience that God wants us to take. A person who trusts Christ as their Savior, that first step of obedience is baptism. A person then needs to be committed to their local church and faithful to the services: Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night. Tithing Christians, Christians who are serving, Christians who are going soul-winning and sharing the good news of the gospel message of Jesus Christ, Christians who are forgiving one another and forbearing one another and loving one another.

I just want to leave you with 2026. Whatever God says, as you read His Word, as you hear it preached, as you hear it taught, I’m going to apply it to my life and be obedient to you in 2026.

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John Evertson

John Evertson, GSBC Campus Pastor

In June 2000, after graduating from Golden State Baptist College, John Evertson answered the call to pastor West Valley Baptist Church in Woodland, California. After 19 years, God moved Pastor and Mrs. Evertson to Santa Clara. Pastor Evertson is instrumental in the church and serves as the Campus Pastor for Golden State Baptist College to help guide the future servants of God. Pastor & Mrs. Evertson have four children — Josiah, Jeremiah, Joy, and Joshua.