Holt Christian Church

02/01/2026

If you are looking for our livestream service, you can join us at holtchristian.org and click on sermons. We will be there from now on. If you were not looking for our livestream, we invite you to join us there as well!

Holt Christian Church's Holt Christian Church Campus on Church Center.

01/23/2026

The process of digging can be exhausting, and you may find yourself arguing with the difficulty of the task while the sun beats down. It is easy to become discouraged when you have been praying and working for a long time without seeing a single drop of water. However, the promise remains that if you continue to dig faithfully, God is capable of filling those spaces suddenly and overwhelmingly. He does not just want to meet your immediate thirst; He desires to provide a victory that covers your entire life. Your role is to keep the shovel in the ground and trust that the overflow is coming in His perfect timing.

The next morning, about the time of offering the sacrifice, behold, water came from the direction of Edom, till the country was filled with water. (2 Kings 3:20)

Reflection: If you knew for certain that God would "fill the ditch" tomorrow, how would that change the way you approach your "digging" (your work, your prayers, or your patience) today?

01/22/2026

The Act of Digging Ditches in Faith
Faith does not require you to deny the reality of the dry ground or the empty tanks you see in front of you. Instead, it is a decision to believe what God says over what your circumstances currently dictate. You may be asked to "dig a ditch" in a valley where there is no sign of wind or rain, which often feels foolish to the world around you. This act of preparation is a tangible expression of your trust that God will do exactly what He promised. By picking up the shovel, you are showing Him your faith so that He can demonstrate His faithfulness.

And he said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘I will make this dry stream-bed full of pools.’ For thus says the Lord, ‘You shall not see wind or rain, but that stream-bed shall be filled with water, so that you shall drink, you, your livestock, and your animals.’” (2 Kings 3:16-17)

Reflection: What is one "ditch" God might be asking you to dig right now—a small, practical step of preparation—even though you don't yet see any signs of the "rain" you’ve been praying for?

01/21/2026

Shifting Perspective Through Worship
When the kings found themselves in a dry valley without water, their natural instinct was to panic and demand immediate solutions. Yet, the path to hearing from God began not with a list of demands, but with the sound of a musician playing. Worship has a unique way of taking your eyes off the overwhelming problem and placing them firmly on the Provider. It creates the necessary heart-space to hear a word from the Lord that you might otherwise miss in the noise of your desperation. By choosing to praise Him before the answer arrives, you invite His power into your current situation.

"But now bring me a musician." And when the musician played, the hand of the Lord came upon him. (2 Kings 3:15)

Reflection: When you feel the urge to panic about a current problem, what is one song or scripture of praise you could use to intentionally shift your focus from the "dry valley" to the "Provider"?

01/20/2026

Turning Our Greatest Needs into Gifts
We often try to hide our flaws and shortcomings behind filters, hoping the world only sees our best moments. However, the areas where you feel most desperate and lacking are actually the places where God can do His most profound work. Instead of shying away from your mess or keeping it in your back pocket, you are invited to present it openly before Him. When your circumstances drive you to depend on God rather than your own strength, that struggle becomes a spiritual gift. It forces a reliance on the Father that you might never have sought if everything were going perfectly.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Reflection: Is there a specific "flaw" or "mess" in your life right now that you’ve been trying to hide? How might viewing this struggle as a "gift of dependence" change the way you talk to God about it today?

01/19/2026

Recognizing Our Universal Need for God

Regardless of the different tables we sit at or the unique struggles we face, there is a fundamental commonality that binds us all together. It is easy to focus on our differences, yet every person eventually reaches a point where their own resources are simply not enough. You might be facing a financial burden, a health crisis, or a strained relationship that feels like an uphill climb. In these moments, the realization that you cannot do it alone is not a sign of failure but an invitation to return to your Creator. Recognizing this deep-seated need is the first step toward experiencing the peace that only He can provide.

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (Psalm 63:1)

Reflection: When you look at the "table" you are currently sitting at—whether it’s a table of anxiety, debt, or transition—what is the specific need you are most tempted to try and solve entirely on your own?

01/17/2026

Last Sunday we started our Elisha series by looking at First Kings 19 and the moment Elijah walks out into a field and throws his cloak over the last man in line. Elisha was just a guy behind twelve yoke of oxen, doing the same daily work, but God chose the one at the back of the line and called him to something more. Elisha kissed his parents, burned the oxen, and followed — a reminder that the cloak was free, but following cost him everything; you can't hold the plow and the mantle at the same time.

So here's the hard, specific part: what is your plow — the thing you protect instead of risking for God? This week, write down one thing you know is holding you back, tell a trusted friend or leader about it, and bring it to God in prayer (you can send it through holtchristian.org). If you're wrestling with this call, come talk to me after servicelet's figure out how to be available, not just able.

Holt Christian Church's Holt Christian Church Campus on Church Center.

01/16/2026

When God calls, He doesn't just offer a new task; He offers a new life, a new identity. The cloak placed upon Elisha was more than just a garment; it was a prophetic symbol, declaring that who he was before was not who he was going to be. It signifies a profound shift from the familiar to the divine purpose. This new identity means stepping away from the old narratives and embracing God's vision for who you are and what you are meant to do. It's a powerful invitation to shed the past and walk into the future God has prepared.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

Reflection: What old narratives or self-perceptions about your abilities or worthiness might God be inviting you to lay aside as you embrace the new identity He offers in Christ?

01/15/2026

Elisha's act of sacrificing his oxen and burning his plows was a powerful declaration: there was no turning back. He left himself no other option, fully committing to God's call. This radical surrender illustrates that we cannot hold onto the "plow" of our old life and simultaneously embrace the "mantle" of God's calling. We cannot serve both the world and Jesus, nor can we live with one foot in faith and one in fear. To truly follow Him, we must be willing to let go of everything that holds us back, making a decisive choice to surrender our whole heart and life to Him.

Matthew 6:24 (ESV)
"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."

Reflection: What "plow" – perhaps a secret sin, a relationship, a job, or a desire – are you currently holding onto that prevents you from fully surrendering to Jesus, and what concrete step could you take this week to begin burning it?

01/14/2026

God sees and calls the overlooked.

It's easy to believe that God only calls the most gifted, the most prominent, or those at the front of the line. We might feel overlooked, undervalued, or simply not "enough" for any significant purpose. However, throughout scripture, God consistently chooses those at the back of the line, the least expected. He sees beyond our perceived limitations and our current circumstances. You are not unnoticed, unloved, or unworthy in His eyes. God's gaze is upon you, and He is calling you to something better, something different, something more than your current field.

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (ESV)
"But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God."

Reflection: In what specific ways have you recently felt overlooked or at the "back of the line," and how might God be inviting you to recognize His unique call on your life in that very place?

01/13/2026

God calls you beyond the ordinary.

Many of us find ourselves in a season where life feels like treading water. We're busy, our calendars are full, yet we sense a lack of true progress or fulfillment. Perhaps our prayers feel ineffective, or God seems distant despite our worship. This feeling of being stuck, of plowing the same ground day after day, can be disheartening. Yet, the truth is, God has a calling on your life, a purpose far grander than the field you currently stand in. He desires to lead you to something different, something more impactful and deeply satisfying.

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

Reflection: When you consider the areas of your life where you feel most like you're "treading water," what specific desires for spiritual growth or impact do you sense God stirring within you?