A new year brings mixed emotions. Relief. Gratitude. Exhaustion. Hope. As we stepped into this season, Pastor Nicole offers a simpler invitation: one more year.
And with that invitation, we will push back against hustle culture and spiritual performance. It resists the idea that January 1st demands perfection. One more year reminds us that survival counts. Showing up counts. Grace counts.
Goals Not Resolutions
In this message, Pastor Nicole shares that she sets, and does not make, resolutions. Because it often feels like resolutions leave little room for failure. Therefore, they often frame growth as willpower rather than grace.
By comparison, goals feel different because they leave space to try again. Additionally, goals allow learning when things don’t go as planned.
Grace matters because it is where the Gospel begins. In fact, God already loves us before we fix anything.
For this reason, instead of demanding more from myself, I choose one more step.
Jesus and the One More
In Luke 15, Jesus tells two stories. A shepherd leaves ninety-nine sheep to search for one. A woman turns her house upside down to find one coin. Jesus doesn’t argue theology. He tells stories about ordinary people doing persistent, faithful work.
Those stories reveal God’s heart. God does not abandon the ninety-nine. God refuses to forget the one. Every misfit matters. As a result, heaven celebrates when one more finds belonging.
Grace Looks Like Persistence
The shepherd keeps searching. The woman keeps sweeping. Neither gives up or rushes. They don’t treat loss as acceptable. Their faithfulness doesn’t show up in dramatic moments. It shows up in daily care.
That reframes how we view the year ahead. This isn’t one big test. It’s 365 chances to choose again. Even so, show up for one more day. Stay present for another week of connection. Finally, give healing another month to do its work. Step into one more year of becoming who God has already been shaping.
One More as a Spiritual Practice
One more year isn’t about transformation through pressure. It’s about faithful attention and about noticing who is missing. One more year is about loving people out loud and being present
Small acts matter. Saying “I love you” matters. Returning the cart matters. Sending the text matters. Showing up matters. Nothing is insignificant in the kingdom of God.
A Table for the One More
Ultimately, Refuge exists because someone needed one more safe place. That hasn’t changed. We choose to rejoice, not grumble, and we choose to celebrate.
This year isn’t about becoming someone else. It’s about taking one more step into who God already says you are.
Begin with one more week.
Then one more month.
Get to one more year.
One more invitation to be found and loved.
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