New Year's Foundation

Here’s the only resolution you need this year—the one that becomes the foundation for everything else.

Growth and increase come from God, and this message is a reminder to anchor your plans, hopes, and expectations in Him.
When God becomes your starting point, every area of life finds its proper order.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

- Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭6‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Chapters

• 0:13 New Year And True Foundations
• 2:17 Paul, Apollos, And God’s Growth
• 4:26 Increase Comes From The Lord
• 6:00 What Do We Do Then
• 7:27 Daniel’s Discipline And Deliverance
• 9:30 Joshua Lingers And Commands Daylight
• 12:03 Peter Steps Onto The Water
• 14:10 Seek His Face, Not His Hand
• 16:05 Morning Habits And Real Relationship
• 18:13 Power To Create Wealth And Covenant
• 20:16 No Strange Gods Before You
• 22:12 Honor The Giver, Not The Gifts
• 24:00 Decide To Diligently Seek Him
• 27:23 Closing Prayer And Blessing

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:13

Today is the start of a new year, it's 2026. It's the first Sunday, of course. It's uh not the first of the year, but it is the first Sunday of the year, and that's significant enough. And um I want to tell you that um, you know, in the beginning of most years, people actually make resolutions, you know, they make goals, they set personal and professional things that they want to achieve through the year. And that's all good because there's nothing wrong with it. It's always nice to have a goal or something to work towards, or something that you want to change for yourself, or something that you want to better about the previous year than into than going into the next year. But today I want to start with something and leave you with that, for it to linger, as it's the beginning, as I said, of the beginning of the year, and it's important to have the right foundation. And for most of you who know that for every good structure, for a building, the most important thing is for it to have a strong foundation. Most of you know that for a good understanding of any matter, it's important for the foundation of that matter to be strong. Like for your basics to be clear. Only then can you excel in that matter or be an expert in that matter. So the basics actually are very critical. The foundation is critical. And today I want to start with giving each of you a foundation for 2026. You know it's important to forget what happened in 2025. The year is over, it's gone. Everyone might have had ups and downs of their own. But that year is over and it's a new year year, and 2026 has new things in store. And since I've started with the key word being foundation, I want to tell you and share something with you from the from the New Testament this morning. And I want to tell you that Paul had set up a church in Corinth, and it was called the church at the church in Corinthians. Uh, in Corinth, I'm sorry. And he's setting a benchmark for them. He wrote letters to them, and he set a benchmark for them. And this is the important foundation for each of each of you this beautiful morning. I'm reading to you from the book of Corinthians, the third chapter, 1 Corinthians, the third chapter, the sixth and seventh verse. And he's talking to the church and he's saying, I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. Hallelujah. So that neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who causes the growth. Hallelujah. So you see, Paul had set up the church in Corinth, and of course, he had left Apollos there, who's you know, more like a mentor to the church, or what you'd like to call as somebody who's to preach at the church or be a guide for them. And he's assuring to the and he's assuring the church by writing this to them, saying that I planted, which means he put the seed. Apollos watered, which means he was the one feeding them the word, but God is the one causing the growth. Hallelujah. And then he goes on to say that neither the one who plants, neither the one who waters is anything, because it's God who causes the growth. He calls out that Paul is nothing, Apollos is nothing, but God only is the one who brings growth. Hallelujah. I think it's an important one to know. I told you it's a foundation, and this beautiful day, the first Sunday of the year, I want to give you the right foundation to the word of God, and that foundation is it's God who brings growth. Psalm 115, 14 says, The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children. Amen. Hallelujah. Psalm 115, 14. The Lord shall increase you more and more. You and your children. Amen. So I want to tell you that this beautiful day, here's the foundation for you. The first Sunday of 2026, growth and increase comes from the Lord. Don't have any other thought in your mind. Don't think it comes through your smartphone. Don't think it comes through your wonderful educational degrees that you have, which praise God that you even have it. Or your wonderful experience in your, you know, your let's call it your areas of expertise. But growth and increase comes from the Lord. And this is the foundation I want to leave you with in the beginning of this year. And don't forget it because it's the word of God. And you'll say this beautiful day, you'll ask yourself, I understood the foundation. Okay, I get it. I get everything. Everything comes from the Lord. Growth comes from the Lord, increase comes from the Lord. So, what am I supposed to do then? If all of this comes from the Lord, then what am I supposed to do? I'll tell you what you're supposed to do. I'm reading to you from the book of Hebrews, the 11th chapter, the sixth verse, it says, But without faith, it is impossible to please him. For he who comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them who diligently seek him. Hallelujah. I'll read it to you again. It's Hebrews, the 11th chapter, the sixth verse that says, But without faith it is impossible to please him. For he who comes to God must believe that he is, and he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hallelujah. I want to tell you that this passage of scripture is as clear as day. It starts with saying first, without faith, it is impossible to please God. That anyone who goes to God must know and believe that he is real. You have to have faith when you go to God for anything. And then it goes on to say that he is the rewarder of those who diligently seek him. I told you this passage of scripture is crystal clear. You can just read it. You can read it twice, and you'll absolutely understand what it says. And let me tell you, diligently seek him. I'll give you a few examples this beautiful day on diligently seeking and what it means to believe. I'll start with Daniel. For those of you who know, some of you don't know, Daniel was a man of God. And let me tell you, the Bible says that Daniel used to pray three times a day. The Bible says he used to open his window that used to face Jerusalem, and he used to pray three times a day. And let me just tell you something. I think this is a this is a clear example of diligently seeking God. Daniel was a man who interpreted a king's dream. There was a king of the land, his name was Nebuchadnezzar Nazar, and he had a dream which made him very uncomfortable, and he couldn't understand the dream. In fact, he could not even remember the dream. And he called all the people in his land and said, I want somebody to come in front of me and interpret my dream and then explain my dream to me. If you ask me, that is absolutely insane. A person has a dream, he does not remember his dream, and then he says, I want somebody to come and tell me what is my dream, and then interpret the dream for me. But you know what? Daniel did come and interpret the dream. Tell him what the dream was to start with, and then interpret the dream for him. If that was not enough, there's a time under another king where Daniel is thrown into a den of lions. And the Bible says, an angel of the Lord came and shut the mouth of the lions. That he sat in that den a whole night, and the next morning when the den was opened and Daniel was released, the lions had not harmed him. Hallelujah. Diligently seeking him was Daniel. If that was not enough, I'll give you another example. You know, in the Old Testament, there's a time when Moses saves the Israelites, he gets them out of slavery, he pulls them out of Egypt, and he takes them to the place where God calls it as a promised land. And I won't tell you that he makes a tent. It's in fact called the tent of meeting. And the Bible says that every day Moses went to the tent of meeting. And God spoke with Moses every day. Wow, hallelujah! But the example I want to share with you is not of Moses. The example I want to share with you is that of Joshua. And let me tell you what the Bible says about Joshua that every time Moses finished speaking with God and left the tent of meeting, Joshua would crawl into the tent and stay in the presence of God. Oh, hallelujah. The Bible doesn't talk about any communication between Joshua and God, but he just stayed in that tent. The tent of meeting. Seeking the presence of God. And let me tell you, Joshua, in case you didn't know, and I'm sure some of you don't know, the Bible says there's a time when he makes the sun stand still. And just to ensure he's absolutely correct about it, he even makes the moon stand still so nothing moves. Hallelujah. It's in the Bible, it's in the book of Joshua. Sun stands still at Gibeon and Moon, you stand still at Aegelon. Because the Lord had told him that he will win a battle. And he said that the Amorites will be given, each and every Amorit will be given to Joshua. And it was so happening that if the sun would set, the Amorites would escape. And God believed so strong. Joshua believed so strong on the word of God that he spoke to God and asked him to make the sun stand still and the moon to stand still. Hallelujah. And those must believe. And the boat has 12 disciples and the spandemonium because it's the Bible says it's the third watch of the night, which means it's about 3 a.m., 4 a.m. And the Bible says that he's walking, and everyone's trembling because they see this person walking on the water towards the boat, and he tells them, Don't worry, it is I. And then Peter turns and says, Lord, if it is you, call me and I will come to you. And Jesus just said one word, he said, Come. I want to tell you there were 12 disciples on that boat, but only one stepped out of the boat onto the sea. Hallelujah. Those who come to me must believe that I exist. Peter knew the creator of heaven and earth has called him, and he stepped out of the boat and he walked on water. Hallelujah. I want to tell you this beautiful morning. I've given you enough of examples. Have faith that he exists and diligently seek him. That's the foundation I want to leave you with this beautiful morning, the first Sunday of 2026. Have faith that he exists and diligently seek him, and he will reward you. I want to tell you. You know, Jesus spoke about a 30, 60, and a hundredfold blessing. In one of his parables that he spoke to the crowds and to the disciples. And I wouldn't tell you the 30, 60, and 100fold blessing depends on the amount of faith that you go to God with. I want to ask you this morning, what would you have done if you were in the place of Daniel? Do you have faith that that could happen for you? What would you have done if you were in the place of Joshua? Do you have faith that you can make the sun stand still? What would you do if you were in the place of Peter? Do you have faith that you could walk on water? And you'll say it's impossible. The Bible says impossible is nothing with God. Hallelujah. Diligently seek the Lord in 2026. And I want to tell you, look, seek Jesus, seek his face and not his hand. At some point of time, we have all been guilty of seeking his hand. And I will say that for myself too, earlier in life, where you know, you just you want his blessing. You just want his blessing. Lord, bless me. Everything else, you just leave to me. I'll do the rest. You just bless me, Lord. Hey, I'm not blaming you for it. I said it before. I too have been guilty of it. But you know what? Seek his face, not his hand, is my advice to you this beautiful morning. Diligently seek the Lord in 2026. You seek his face. The Bible says, seek the kingdom, and all these things will be added unto you. When he says all, you should read the previous passage. What does it actually mean? It means everything will be added to you. He knows the desires of your heart. He will give you everything that you ask, seek, imagine, think, and far beyond. But he says, seek the kingdom, which means seek his face, not his hand. And I want to tell you this beautiful morning. You'll say, How do I seek him? You know what? Get up every morning and keep your phone aside, keep your tabs aside, keep the newspaper aside. Don't bother about what Instagram has to tell you this beautiful morning. Don't go and check what your favorite blogger has posted. Just get up and say good morning, Jesus. Get up and say good morning, Hubba Father. Get up and say good morning, Holy Spirit. Have you ever done that in your entire life? Get up, speak with him in the morning, keep technology aside. As I said, the first thing we do, and hey, I'm not I'm not blaming you. I'm also, as I said, guilty of these things in the past. You get up and we tend to go straight to our phones as my boss messaged. What is that important email that has come in? There was something pending from yesterday. I'm waiting for it. Let me just check if it's come through. What's the headlines today? What decree has been passed in which country? What's happening in between borders? Leave it and get up and say good morning to God. You will see a drastic change in your life. Have a relationship with Him. Do you have a relationship with Him? You know, sometimes the best example I can give you is the relationship you have with the person you know on this planet. Your partner, your husband, your wife, your child? Do you know that your relationship is not the same as when you started out? You'll say, Oh, I know this person for 12 years. Praise God for that. And today, when you look back after 12 years, do you think your relationship is the same as what it was in the first year? No, it's not. So, how do you expect a relationship with God to be any different? If you go to him only when you need things, if you go to him twice in a year, oh today's Christmas. I think I'll I think I'll I'll go and see what the Lord is saying for me. Oh, today's Easter. Let me go check what's happening today. Twice in a year, 365 days. I'll appoint two for him. 363 I'll deal with on my own. You know, most of us look at where we are in our life and we blame God for it. Diligently seek him. I this is not an easy word, this beautiful morning, but hey, you know, I'm here to tell you the truth and to give you the secrets that are in the Bible. And I have a blessing as well. This beautiful morning for you for the year 2026. And I want to tell you that Moses was addressing the Israelites before they entered the promised land. And I told you that God pulled them out of slavery. God decided many years of them praying to God, seeking deliverance. God finally decided, I'll pick Moses and I will get my people out of slavery. And he sends Moses out there and he pulls them out of slavery and he takes them to a land that he had promised them. And let me tell you, they did certain things, which is why he made them roam the wilderness for 40 years. And in those 40 years, for those of you who don't know, he fed them every day from heaven. Yeah, it's not me, it's in the Bible. And as I said, some of these beautiful things we don't even know about the creator. But let me tell you, that's not what I'm here for. I'm here to share this beautiful passage of scripture, which is a prophecy for each and every one of you. This beautiful morning, the first Sunday of 2026. And I'll tell you, this is just before he's taking them into the promised land. So let me tell you, 40 years they were roaming. Some people didn't get to see the promised land. But here's that passage of scripture as a blessing for you, this beautiful morning from the book of Deuteronomy, the 8th chapter, the 18th verse. Deuteronomy, the 8th chapter, the 18th verse that says, But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who is giving you the power to make wealth. Amen. That he may confirm his covenant, which he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. Amen. Hallelujah. I shall read it again to you. But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the power to make wealth that he may conform his covenant which he swore to your fathers as it is this day. Amen. This day, the first Sunday of 2026. He made a covenant when he sent his son down on this planet. He made a covenant for those who put their faith in Jesus. He made a covenant and he adopted you into his bloodline. The Bible says, You are sons and daughters who are adopted into his line once you put your faith in Jesus, and that Lord, who made a covenant with his only son, is telling you this morning that he will give you the power to make wealth. Hallelujah. And why? Because he pulled them out of the out of slavery and put them into the promised land. He pulled you out of eternal destruction. And he's given you an eternal life now. And now he's giving you the power to make wealth. Hallelujah. I want to tell you a crucial reminder that the people roamed for 40 years in the wilderness. It was not by their might, it was not anything that they did, it was not any righteousness of theirs, it was not any feeding of the poor, it was not any kneeling down and praying. It was just a blessing for them who put their faith in him. Hallelujah. And there's something else I want to tell you this beautiful morning. God is a jealous God, he will not share his honor with anyone. You know, we all have colleagues at work, and sometimes we do some work and somebody else takes the credit for it. Do you know those kind of colleagues? I know those kinds, and I I used to absolutely hate those kinds. I think most of most people hate that kind. But I want to tell you this beautiful morning. When God gives you something, he would not want that credit to go to anyone else. And you should remember that. You already have a foundation for 2026. He's the only one who brings increase, he's the only one who brings growth, and you have to honor him. He's the only one who makes way for you to make wealth and prosperity and anything that you want. But I want to tell you this beautiful morning, you need to give him his honor. I have a son, and I love it when he comes and says thank you to me, because he knows that I have given him something. And similarly, he goes and says thank you to his aunts, thank you to his grandparents, thank you to his mom, thank you to his uncles, when he knows that it comes from them, and that's just basic human nature, and that's what God expects from you. And I'm sharing with you from the book of Psalm 81, 9 and 10, which says, There shall be no strange God among you, nor shall you worship a foreign God. I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Hallelujah. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. Amen. Amen. There shall be no strange God among you, nor shall you worship a foreign God. I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. Amen. It's Psalm 81, 9 and 10. I want to tell you something. Let me tell you what the word God refer to here. It means God, yes. It also means sometimes we have these other people that we depend on. You know that uncle who has a really big fortune? You know my dad who will write that home and that property to my name. You know that uncle who has that huge ranch. He's told me he'll give it to me. You know that aunt who has no family left and has tons of money. She writes stuff in my name. You know that boss. If I can just make my way with my boss, everything else will be fine. These are all gods. These are all gods. There shall be no strange God among you, nor shall you worship a foreign god. These are all gods. Anything else, what this passage of scripture is trying to tell you and me this beautiful morning, anything else that you put in front of God, anything else that you say is more important than Him, hey, your job could be your God. But you shall have none of that in front of him. And remember that he is the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, he brought you out of everything by sending a son down on this planet. And he's telling you this morning, when you put your faith in my son, and when you put my faith, when you put your faith in Jesus, what he did on that cross, he came down, he died for you, he was raised on the third day, he's seated at the right hand of God today, and he's alive. He's not a dead God. When you call him, he will come. Have you diligently sought him? Have you? That's the meaning of what it means. And then you will know that I've brought you out of slavery, I've bought you out of eternal death. Now you have eternal life, and you open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. I am your father. Hallelujah. You should know this beautiful morning that everything comes from the Lord, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. The one who is seated at the right hand of God is alive. He says, Write it down and run with it. Hallelujah. I have said it, I have decreed, and it shall be done. Hallelujah. Growth belongs to the Lord, increase belongs to the Lord. Diligently seek him, this beautiful. Make a decision this day, this first Sunday of 2026, to diligently seek him. And the word says he will reward you. It doesn't say he might reward you. It doesn't say he'll look at his schedule and see if he can reward you. He says diligently seek him and he will reward you. Get up each morning and have a relationship with the creator of heaven and earth. Remember him, honor him. He's giving you the power to make wealth. He's giving you the power to open your mouth wide that he will fill it. Hallelujah. I'd like to pray, dear Lord. I thank you for this beautiful day that you've given us. I thank you, Lord, for your word, your double-edged sword that does not go back until it has achieved what it has been set out for, Lord. I thank you, Lord, that you're watching over your word to perform it. And this beautiful day, Lord, as people have decided that they will diligently seek you, as people have decided that they will have a relationship with you and make an attempt. You will be with them. They will open that door, as your word says, and you will sup with them, you will dine with them, you will enter and be with them, and they in you. And they will open their mouth wide, Lord, and you will fill it. Amen. Thank you for this beautiful day that you've given us. Thank you for your mercies that are new every morning, as your word says. Thank you, Lord, for putting a hedge of protection around us. Thank you that our walls are continually before you. Thank you, Lord, that you are faithful, though we remain faithless. Thank you, Lord, for some hearts that are already turning toward you. And just like the prodigal son, you will put a tunic around them and a ring, and you'll have a feast for them. And they will know that it is you who is their father, their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that they will be blessed through your Lord. And you alone. They shall have no foreign gods before you. None, nothing will be important to them beside you. Hallelujah. Thank you for this beautiful time, Lord. Thank you for everything. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.