Saddleback Church Weekend Messages

Getting back on track does not start with fixing everything else. It starts with returning to God. Every area of our lives, our faith, health, finances, relationships, and work, flows from our relationship with Him. We looked at the story of Cain and Abel and saw the difference between giving God leftovers versus giving Him our best. Abel offered his first and best as worship, while Cain held back. God is after our whole heart. What we give our time and energy to is what grows. The appetite we feed is the appetite that shapes our lives. God responds to humility and holy hunger. As a church, we are stepping into 21 Days of Prayer and a season of fasting as we seek God together, leading toward our Return Gathering. This year, we are invited to trust God with our whole lives and give Him our best, not our leftovers.

This weekend, we were reminded that while a new year arrives on its own, an improved year begins with intention. As we prepare to step into 2026, we reflect on how Jesus invites us into a life that is being renewed from the inside out. We talked about the freedom Jesus offers from the weight of our past through forgiveness, the fulfillment He brings to our present as the true source of life and purpose, and the faith He gives us for the future that replaces fear with trust. Instead of striving for change on our own, we are invited to place our lives in His hands and allow Him to lead. As we look ahead, we are encouraged to trust Jesus more deeply and believe that as we follow Him, the new year can become a season of healing, growth, and hope.

This Christmas Day, Pastor Buddy Owens reminded us of the central truth of Christmas. God gave us His greatest gift, Himself, through Jesus. Scripture calls Him Immanuel, God with us, and His coming proves that God is not distant or disinterested. He is present, personal, and for you. We reflected on the humility of Jesus’ birth and how the King of heaven chose to meet us not in palaces, but in the mangers of life. Jesus entered our brokenness so we could experience the life God always intended for us. Through the incarnation, God made a way for us to be reconciled to Him and become His sons and daughters. Christmas reminds us that God is with you in every season, and He is for you. He sent Jesus to bring forgiveness, hope, restoration, and fullness of life.

This Christmas Eve, we gathered to celebrate Jesus and the gift of peace He came to give. We looked at a question many of us ask, is this really all there is? Scripture reminds us that God has more for you. He has a plan and a purpose, and true joy and lasting fulfillment are found as we know God, find community, pursue growth, make a difference, and impact the world. If those things stirred something in you, we invited you to start the new year with us as we begin our new message series, Back on Track. We also explored what the Bible says about peace. Jesus never promised a problem free world, but He did promise peace in Him. Peace is not the absence of chaos, it is the presence of God. As we closed with candlelight, we were reminded that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and His peace is available to us today.

When we look at the story of Mary and Joseph, we are reminded that obedience does not always come with clarity, comfort, or ease. But obedience places us right in the middle of God’s redemptive work and his plans for our lives. Their story shows us that our best response to God is often a simple yes, even when it does not make sense, even when it costs us, and even when waiting makes it harder. This past weekend, Pastor Andy invited us to see Christmas as a story still being written and to consider how our yes to God shapes who we become and the chapters God is writing in our lives today. As Christmas approaches, we are each invited to ask ourselves. What might God do if I offered him my best yes?