This is Redemption Church of Plano, Texas. We worship together on Sunday evening and we are seeing God do great things. My name is Chris Fluitt We are so glad you are here!

Follow along with us: https://tinyurl.com/33vpxvrk

Next week, we’re starting a brand-new series called Start Here.

A lot of people head into a new year with good intentions…but no real plan.

They want change, growth, clarity, peace – but they don’t know where to begin.

So instead of saying, “Try harder,”
we’re asking a better question:
Where do I actually start?

This series is about learning how to take one small, intentional step at a time and build a life that lasts – spiritually, relationally, and practically – with Jesus at the center.

Get out your phones and check out these two resources!

To help with that, we’ve created a Start Here eBook that goes along with the series.
It’s simple. It’s practical. And it’s designed to help you apply what we’re talking about week by week, not just hear it and forget it.

We’ve also created a Start Here Facebook group where people can walk through this together – encouragement, accountability, prayer, and real-life stories. Because growth happens better together than alone.

If you want to:

No pressure.
No guilt.
Just an opportunity.

Alright – let’s jump into today.

Far scarier than “The Upside down” from Netfix’s Stranger Things… is your Calendar’s “The In-Between”

The In-Between

Christmas is over.
The New Year hasn’t started yet.

And most people drift in the in-between.

During Christmas to New Year, people slept  24 minutes more per day and sedentary time increased by 12 minutes per day.
(https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10928835/)

On New Year’s Eve, TV viewers watched 105 billion minutes of programming. The second-most viewed day of the year behind the Super Bowl.
(https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2024/tv-usage-rises-in-december-video-gaming-drives-big-gains/)

Christmas holidays are a high-risk period for physical inactivity and weight gain, and research shows that people gain about 1 to 2 pounds over the holiday season.
(https://www.lboro.ac.uk/news-events/news/2022/december/active-advent-bmj/)

Most people drift in the in-between.

But Jesus never invited people to drift.
He invited people to follow.

Jesus didn’t leave us guessing about what matters most.
He gave us a playbook for life.

We are calling today’s message

The Jesus Playbook: 3 Keys to a Great Year

Not complicated.
Not overwhelming.

Simple. Clear. Life-shaping.

Three great priorities that lead to a great year.

Why do we need a playbook?

Every year, people want the same things.

More peace.
More purpose.
Better relationships.
A stronger faith.

The problem is not desire.
The problem is direction.

If you don’t decide what matters most, everything competes.

Jesus shows us what to build around.

When you read the Gospels, Jesus doesn’t overwhelm people with hundreds of priorities.
He keeps bringing them back to what really matters.

There are moments where Jesus Himself uses the word great.
And there are moments where believers throughout history, looking back, recognized the greatness of what Jesus said and did.

So today, we’re going to look at three things Jesus revealed as foundational – things that shape the heart, the mission, and the daily walk of every believer.

GREAT #1 – THE GREAT COMMANDMENT(Matthew 22:37-40) 

In Matthew 22, an expert in the law tried to test Jesus. He asked, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law.”

There are 613 laws in your Old Testament…
Ceremonial laws…
Civil governing laws…
Moral laws…
Laws that say DO THIS…
Laws that say DO NOT DO THIS…
It is complicated… and the question is which is greatest.

Jesus doesn’t flinch. Jesus isn’t caught off guard. He says this…

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
“And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
“All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:37–40 NIV

Jesus calls this the greatest commandment.

Not two competing commands.
One great commandment with two inseparable directions.

Love God fully.
Love people genuinely.

You cannot separate them.

You don’t love God deeply while avoiding people.
And you don’t truly love people without God shaping your heart.

This is why faith was never meant to be lived alone.

Growth doesn’t happen best in rows.
It happens in circles.

You don’t need to know everyone.
But you do need to know someone.

This is why community matters.

When love is real, it moves us outward.

GREAT #2 – THE GREAT COMMISSION  (Matthew 28:19-20)

Jesus had been crucified and buried.
Jesus rose from the dead.
And now moments before He ascends to Heaven in Matthew 28 he says these great words…

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…
Matthew 28:19-20 NIV

Jesus doesn’t say, “Sit and observe.”
He says, “Go.”

Faith that stays private eventually grows weak.
Faith that moves outward grows strong – it is fruitful and it multiplies.

God did not give you gifts and talents by accident.
He gave them on purpose.

Not just so you could attend church.
But so you could build it.

This is where purpose wakes up and faith comes to life!

Before Jesus sent people out, He invited them in.

GREAT #3 – THE GREAT INVITATION(Matthew 4:19)

What does it look like for Jesus to invite you in? Is it complicated or simple?

“Come, follow me.” -Matthew 4:19 NIV

Not follow rules.
Not follow religion.

Follow me.

Christianity is not behavior modification.
It is relationship transformation.

Following Jesus is daily.
Ordinary.
Faithful.

Not perfect.
Consistent.

Prayer.
Scripture.
Obedience.

One step at a time.

3 Greats – Commands to love, to Go serve and share, to follow… 

As you look toward next year, don’t ask,
“What do I want to change?”
Ask, “What do I want to commit to?”

Because what you commit to shapes who you become.

Jesus gives us clarity.

This is the Jesus Playbook.

Notice how simple it is?
Let’s stop making things so difficult…

Notice that if Jesus calls us to these greats… shouldn’t we do them?

What if we build 2026 on what Jesus calls great? (Call to Action)

What if this in-between season doesn’t end the way it usually does?

What if we don’t drift into the new year?
What if we don’t just sit, wait, and hope something changes?

What if we decide?

Because a great year doesn’t happen by accident.
It’s built on decisions.

And the number one decision that will shape your faith this year
is whether you do it alone or in community.

CONNECT GROUPS – THIS IS THE MOMENT

If you want a stronger faith this year,
you need people around you.

Jesus didn’t form an audience.
He formed a group.

This semester – January through April – we’re launching Connect Groups with a clear beginning and a clear end.

Not forever.
Not for life.
Just for a semester.

And today, we need three kinds of yes:

All three matter. 

The Great Commandment, the Great Commission, and the Great Invitation are lived out best in community.

What’s One Way You’re Deciding Not to Drift?

• Join a Connect Group
• Lead a Connect Group
• Host a Connect Group
• Join the Dream Team
• Take My Next Step with Jesus
• Share My Faith
• Give My Gifts to Make a Difference

HOW WE’RE RESPONDING TODAY

I’m inviting you to move.

In the prayer space, there are tables with notecards and pens.

When you come forward grab a card & pray. 

Write:

I’m done talking.

It’s time to move.

It’s time to decide.

It’s time to stop drifting and take up the Jesus Playbook.

Come.