A Word for 2026

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Title:  A Word for 2026: Perseverance

Focus Statement:  

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Redemptive Closure (point to Jesus):  

Benediction:  

WELCOME

Good morning!!! My name is Ryan Hanson, and I have the honor of serving here at The Light KC as the lead pastor. I’m so glad you’re here with us.

‌Welcome to those joining us online. We hope you're doing well and hope to see you in person in the coming weeks.

And a special welcome to those joining us for the first time. We’re so glad you chose to be here.

ME/INTRO - Tension

So I want to end this year with a realization I have had.

It has come to light over the last few weeks that I am the stereotypical clueless man.

Here is an example. A few weeks ago, I had just finished putting the kids to bed. Typically after the kids are in bed, Andrea and I stay up, talk about the day, talk about what needs to happen the next day, maybe watch a TV show, if we can stay awake that long. Most 1 hour TV shows take 3 tries to get through.

Well this particular night, we had gone through the routine. I put the the kids to bed. Andrea and I were talking. At some point in the conversation, Andrea was sitting on the couch, leaned over, laid down, and it looked to me like she was going to go to sleep. When this happens, I typically pull out my cell phone and watch something on my cell phone because it is quieter than the TV and let her sleep until were ready to migrate to the bedroom to actually sleep. Yes, we’re old enough to have a pre-sleep, before the real sleep.

Well, when I pulled out my cell phone, I put on a video from the YouTube channel Vertassium, one of my favorite science channels. I had clearly read the situation incorrectly, Andrea was not ready to fall asleep, the conversation was apparently not over. I knew this because she very quickly asked me what I was watching.

I answered, “a video on probability distributions”, which was 100% true, but did not help my case. I cluelessly cut off our conversation to watch a video on probability distributions. I tried to save the situation by saying, “it’s really quite fascinating”, but I don’t think that helped.

But by then, the damage was done, the conversation was over, so in typical clueless male fashion, I just continued watching the video.

Since that day, I have not gotten any better at reading situations, but I can’t get that video out of my mind. Within the context of the year coming to a close and the tradition of many people who pray for a “word” for the next year. I personally have never done this, but I really feel, as strange as it sounds, that God has given me a word for 2026 through this YouTube video on probability distributions, and today I want to share what God has been showing me the last few weeks.

To set the stage, the video was making the point that what we generally think about probability doesn’t apply to most aspects of our lives.

We are conditioned to think that life works based on normal distributions based on the assumption that everyone has a fixed average.

[Picture: Normal Distribution]

Based on a normal distribution, we can use our past experience to predict the future outcomes we’ll get if we keep doing the same thing. This is true if there is only one variable that we need to contend with. For instance, if we measure everyone’s height and put it on a graph, we’ll get this normal distribution; where there is a clear average and there is a limit to how big the outliers can be. There aren’t any 10’ tall people. Or any people shorter than 0 inches. We can predict, moving forward, the percentages of people who fall within these heights based on the past measurements we make (as long as we keep other variables, like race, nationality, etc. constant). Here is one for the heights of people in north America, Europe and Australia.

[Picture: Normal Distribution - height]

The video got interesting when they started talking about systems where multiple variables affect the outcomes. The video used the example forest fires. They were trying to figure out why the past number and size of forest fires per year in Yellowstone National Park was not consistent and why periodically there were mega fires that were far larger than the predictions showed. What they found out was that multiple variable systems often operate by power laws distributions. Here’s what a power law distribution looks like.

[Picture: Power Law - Percentages]

These are systems where there is no clear average and the the chance of getting a ridiculously large outlier is real. A fun example of this is income. If you graph the income of everyone in the USA, it is not normally distributed because there are those people who make crazy money that heavily skew the data.

[Picture: Power Law - Income]

Where God started making me think was when the video started talking about how this applied to forest fires.

As I am not smart enough to describe this as well as it deserves, so let’s watch a short clip from the video.

[Video: Power Laws - Vertassium - 23:30 - 24:39]

What stood out to me was that the same input started every fire. There was nothing unique about any given lightning strike.

It struck randomly.

It struck at relatively normal / predictable intervals.

It started fires at relatively normal / predictable rates.

Lightning strikes could be graphed on a normal distribution.

But, the size of the fire changed dramatically depending on the density of the forest where the lightning struck. They said:

most often there was no fire

relatively frequently there was a fire of 10 trees or less

less frequently there was a fire of 100 trees or less

very infrequently there was a mega fire like the fire in Yellowstone in 1988, which was the size of Delaware, burning 1.4 million acres

Through this video, God reminded me of the importance of PERSEVERENCE. That we need to be consistent in doing what He calls us to do, even if the results are not as we expect or hope for, because when the time is right, God can and (I believe) will act in ways far beyond what we can imagine.

God calls us to obediently follow Him (the lightning strikes), and God is responsible for the outcome (size of the fire). We need to keep acting, no matter how large God decides to result should be.

Ephesians 3:20 NIV

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

It’s easy to get discouraged when you keep doing what you believe to be the right thing, but don’t see any results from all your efforts.

It’s easy to get discouraged when you pray for and work for change, but that change you’re seeking hasn’t come yet.

WE - Tension

Does this resonate with anyone?

Have you found yourself working toward something, but not seeing any progress?

Have you been praying for something, or someone, but God hasn’t moved as you’ve hoped He would?

As 2025 comes to a close, do you find yourself discouraged and strongly considering giving up on a few things you hoped you would have accomplished before the end of the year?

This week, as we end 2025 and start 2026, I want to take a few minutes and talk about my Word for 2026: PERSEVERANCE.

I really feel that God is doing a lot within this community, and if we STAY FAITHFUL, and PERSEVERE when things get tough, collectively we can see God move in amazing ways in and through this church in 2026.

But...we have to PERSEVERE.

To frame our conversation, I’d like to look at a character in the bible we have talked about before, but focus in on an aspect of his life that we haven’t spent much time on.

I’d like to look at the start of Paul’s ministry.

I think we can learn a lot about PERSEVERANCE from how Paul dealt with his first missionary journey and the challenges he faced.

Please turn with me to [Acts 9: Sanctuary Bible Page # XXX]

We’ll have the scripture on the screen, but if you have a Bible with you, or Bible app on your phone, I’d encourage you to turn to the passage and follow along. There is nothing that replaces having God’s word in your hand.

AND... if you don’t have a Bible, we have Bibles under the seats. If you don’t have a bible and would like one, please come see me after the service and I’ll get you one you can keep.

Let's dive in.

GOD - Text

To set the stage, Paul was originally named Saul. He was born in Tarsus, a Roman town, which made him a Roman Citizen. He was a Pharisee and adamite defender of the Jewish faith. He made a career out of persecuting those who put their faith in Jesus. On one such trip to Damascus to round up the Christians, he was met by Jesus in the form of a blinding light on the road into the city. He was struck blind for three days, and healed by a Christian when he got to town. He was commissioned by Jesus to be the Apostle to the Gentiles (non-Jewish people).

With his background and conversion story, you’d think his path would be smooth and his mission to preach to the Gentiles would be trouble free.

But… that is not how it worked out.

Damascus

Right after Saul’s conversion he started preaching right there in Damascus, at the Synagogues to Jews and Gentiles alike. People were confused by his abrupt change in belief, but the text says that he grew powerful in his ability to prove that Jesus was the Messiah (savior of the world).

Until...

Acts 9:23–25 NIV

23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

Saul’s very first attempt at living out his new calling to be the Apostle to the Gentiles, ends with people wanting to kill him and having to escape by being lowered over the city wall in a basket.

I don’t know about you, but this would probably have been enough to convince me I had misunderstood Jesus’ calling on my life. When people get so mad at me that they are willing to kill me, I typically start to rethink my overall life direction.

But Saul was undeterred. Instead of quitting he

went to Jerusalem to meet with the disciples and tell them of his experience on the Damascus road, but they were scared of him because of what he’d done. Luckily a man named Barnabas stood up for Saul and reassured the disciples his story was true.

Saul then teams up with Barnabas and decides to take his message on the road in what now is called his 1st missionary journey

Cyprus

I’m not sure if this was the only reason, but their first stop was in Cyprus, which happened to be Barnabas’ home town.

Acts 13:6–8 NIV

6 They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith.

Just when it seems like Saul is getting some success in his mission, opposition comes forward and tried to undue all the work they had done.

I’d think this would have felt like a second strike on the whole Apostle to the Gentiles mission. But, filled with the Holy Spirit, Saul called on the Lord to strike the sorcerer blind. When the sorcerer went blind, the Proconsul Sergius Paulus put his faith in Jesus.

Saul had significant opposition, but had his first convert. Some historians actually believe this is where Saul officially changed his name to Paul, because before this interaction the Bible refers to him as Saul, from here forward he’s referred to as Paul.

The bible doesn’t say why Paul traveled next to Pisidian Antioch, but it does happen to be the home town of Sergius Paulus, who may have suggested they go there. Maybe even written a letter of recommendation.

Pisidian Antioch

In Pisidian Antioch Paul and Barnabas preached boldly in the Synagogue and were invited to speak more the next week. When they spoke again the Jewish leaders rose up and opposed his message.

Acts 13:49–52 NIV

49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51 So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

He was driven from the city.

Iconium

At this point, I think I would have quit.

Jews try to kill me in Damascus

Sorcerers oppose me in Cyprus

Now getting driven out of Pisidian Antioch

But, Paul continues. He walks down the road to the next town Iconium, and starts over at their Synagogue.

The bible says that they spoke effectively and many Jews and Greeks believed, until...

Acts 14:4–7 NIV

4 The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. 5 There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. 6 But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, 7 where they continued to preach the gospel.

Now Paul is driven from another town under threat of death.

So, what does Paul do, he walks down the road to the next down Lystra and then down the road to Derbe.

Lystra and Derbe

In Lystra Paul healed a man lame from birth, and the locals confused him for a god. Paul quickly corrected them and pointed to Jesus as the only living God. Which would have been a great witness until...

Acts 14:19–20 NIV

19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

Paul had now been stoned and left for dead.

His first missionary journey was riddled with opposition, death threats, attempted murder, and an actual stoning.

I don’t think anyone would have faulted Paul for giving up.

Yet...what he did next is beyond my comprehension.

Returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch

Paul turned around on the road and went back to every town he had previously visited, every town that had tried to kill him, and continued his work of spreading the good news of the gospel of Jesus.

Look at a map of his journey. He wasn’t that far from Antioch where he started. He could have just gone home, but he didn’t.

[Picture: Map - Paul’s 1st Missionary Journey]

After everything that happened to Paul, he doubled back and re-visited every down that rejected him.

And listen to how he describes his first missionary journey in Acts 14.

Acts 14:21–28 NIV

21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

Paul acknowledges he had to go through hardships, but leaves out quite a few details about being stoned, driven from towns, etc.

Later in a letter to the Corinthians he does outline what he went through to preach the good news to the gentiles, and it is a lot.

Details of what Paul went through

2 Corinthians 11:23–28 NIV

23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.

Preparing for this week, I kept trying to put myself in Paul’s shoes. Wondering how far I would have made it in this journey before I gave up.

I think about all the times I get frustrated, discouraged, and start to question if I’m doing the right thing.

I think about how easy it is for me to talk myself out of doing what I truly believe God wants me to do because things gets hard.

It is depressing how easily I quit because success hasn’t come as quickly as I had hoped it would.

YOU - Takeaway

What are you doing through right now?

What is God calling you to do, that is not reaping the results you hope for, in the timeframe you expect?

How many people have you stopped praying for?

How many people have you stopped witnessing to?

How many people have you stopped serving?

WE / JESUS - Redemptive Close - Call to Action

The truth of this life is that, as Christians, we need to be a people that PERSEVERE when things get tough.

As Paul writes we must be willing to go through hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.

Jesus tells a parable to encourage us in this about a persistent widow seeking justice from a judge.

Persistent Widow

Luke 18:1–8 NIV

1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

The reality is that we serve a God who is not a mean judge, but a loving father.

We serve a God that wants the best for us, but sometimes that means

we have to wait

we have to go through some tough times to learn lessons we’ll need later in our journey

we have to struggle to get the outcome God wants for us

Jesus doesn’t mix words. In John 16:33

John 16:33 NIV

33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

But we serve a faithful God

Deuteronomy 7:9 NIV

9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

And we’re encouraged to keep praying

Ephesians 6:18 NIV

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

and never tired of doing good

2 Thessalonians 3:13 NIV

13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.

As we enter 2026, as a church, let’s make this a year that we

don’t grow weary of doing good

keep praying

keep working

stay faithfully consistent, knowing that when the time is right, God will act in amazing ways

Let’s PERSEVERE through any challenges life throws our way and (like Paul) stay laser focused on the mission God has given us individually and as a church.

Who knows when the next step of faithful obedience will be the lightning strike that sets off a fire that warms hearts, awakens faith, and draws many within this church community and beyond into a deeper relationship with Jesus.

PRAYER 

Will you join me in prayer...

SONG 

As we enter into our final song, I want to open the steps up front as an altar to anyone who needs God this week. The steps are open for you to pray to the God who is with you, who loves you, you wants to give you His peace.

‌

You may feel a hand on your shoulder as I or one of the elders join you in prayer.

BENEDICTION 

Galatians 6:9 NIV

9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

This week...

Like Paul, Let’s not let our day to day challenges, discourage us from obeying God’s calling in our lives

Let’s keep praying and keep working, even if we don’t see the results as quickly as we want

Let’s be a people faithfully obey God’s call on our lives, knowing that no matter the size of the result, we are responsible for obeying, and God is responsible for the outcome.

Let’s make 2026 a year when The Light KC PERSEVERES, never giving up in following God wherever He calls us.

Quick reminder...

No Digging Deeper Bible Study (new years eve) - Wednesday at 6 PM - Programming for all ages

If you’re new, please stop by our info desk, or see me. We’d love to say “hi” and get you know you a bit better.

I hope you have a great week.

Go in peace.

You are dismissed.

DISCIPLESHIP QUESTIONS (download into APP)

How does the concept of perseverance resonate with your personal faith journey?

In what areas of your life do you feel God is calling you to persist despite challenges?

What challenges in your life are testing your perseverance right now?

What role does prayer play in your perseverance during difficult times?

How do you handle discouragement when you don't see immediate results from your efforts?

Can you think of a time when you wanted to give up but chose to keep going? What happened?

How can you support your friends in persevering through their own challenges?

What are some practical steps you can take to strengthen your persistence in faith and daily life?

Reflecting on Paul's journey, how can you find encouragement to keep going in your own struggles?

How can the example of the persistent widow in Jesus' parable inspire your daily prayers?