Shepherd's Corner (December 31st, 2025)
- Brian Lee
- Dec 31, 2025
- 4 min read
Happy New Year!
I hope everyone had a chance to read last week's Shepherd's Corner (you can find it here: https://www.riversidepeople.org/post/shepherd-s-corner-december-24th-2025). If you are curious about what's going on at our church, you will often find I share my thoughts through the Shepherd's Corner. And, when I do share, please be mindful that I am not announcing something after the fact. I will often let you know about challenges I do not have quick answers to. I share them in the hope of generating your concerns, wisdom, prayers, and participation (in solving the challenges together).
Today, I have some random items to share with you. Please read on (if you prefer to listen, you can find the Shepherd's Corner on our homepage under the "Word and Walk" button (https://www.riversidepeople.org/blog).
There, you will find a daily Bible reading list, Quiet Time insights, and weekly Shepherd's Corner. They are marked with dates. So, you can easily find them. Here are some random thoughts to share.
Why Come?
This is the season for many worship services, including Christmas Eve (we didn't have one this year), Christmas Day, and, of course, tonight, the New Year's Eve worship service. If you live far away or are uncomfortable with nighttime driving, please stay home and participate through our YouTube page. You will find the live streaming as well as the archive here: (https://www.youtube.com/@RiversideNewJersey)
But, if you are able, you should come because you are placing a greater worth on God than anything else in the world. Worship is worth-ship. Your making the time and the effort to build Christ's Kingdom through building up the worshipping community honors God. New Year's Eve service is a great time for us to look back at 2025 and give thanks to God. It's also the perfect time to look ahead at 2026 and cry out to God for His Amazing Grace! The 2.5-hour "investment" (1.5 hours at church and 1 hour for the round trip) will have a greater impact on 2026 and our eternity than anything this world offers.
Uncertain Future; Certainty of God
"Future" by definition is uncertain. To us, anyway, but not to our God.
Some of us get really nervous about unforeseen changes (changes in general, good or bad), unpredictability of life, and so forth. Why? Just think about it.
You are as anxious as you think you are in control of your life. In fact, to the degree you are unwilling to make Jesus the KING over your life is the degree you will be anxious about your future and life. This is reflected in our spiritual walk in a most pronounced way. Take our church, for example.
We are going through some significant transitions. None of these was planned. Could we have prevented them? Possibly. Who can we hold responsible for the uncertainty and apparent instability? The Senior Pastor, the Elders, or others? We do want accountability, and we do want our leaders to be responsible people. However, when we instinctively and reactively blame someone, we are, in effect, blaming God. Ultimately, it is God who is in charge of all things, including His Church.
The future, by definition, is always uncertain. We are not in charge. God is. We should try to put trust in God, rather than put effort into controlling the future.
Discipleship Membership
Christians are called to make disciples of all nations. This is even more true of those of us called into vocational ministry. I know my Lord will judge me on His Day for having accepted the call to be a pastor.
"Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." — James 3:1
This verse is a weight on my shoulders. It's a reminder that I am to serve the disciples of Christ and not the consumers of the Christian religion. I know I was called to Riverside Community Church, a House of Prayer for All Nations, by you, but above all by God. His Word compels me as follows:
"Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction." — 2 Timothy 4:2 (NIV)
To do this, I have been working and will continue to work on building age-distinct subcultures within the church. By "subculture," I mean children's group, youth group, college group, young adult group, and adults of all types of families (single, engaged, married, separated, and more). Culture should be age-distinct. Nurture should be age-appropriate (I will share more about this later).
Oh, there's so much to share, and there's so little time and space. So, once again, on bended knee, let us go to our Heavenly Father. In Him, may we find our future to be a certainty.
'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' — Jeremiah 29:11
In His Grace Alone,
Pastor Brian Lee
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