Be more hopeful and less cynical

by Sunday Ready
on December 29, 2025
in stat, quote, story

January was always one of my favorite times to preach and pastor because people are hopeful and hungry to grow.

It’s easy to be cynical and talk about how the gyms are full for a few weeks, or to make jokes about people who buy planners, but let me encourage you to be hopeful not cynical.

Encourage people to dream and change. They have enough self-doubt, they don’t need you to help them doubt themselves.

Pastors usually kick off the year with one of two themes:

A life improvement series focused on habits and change
A prayer and fasting series focused on starting the year spiritually strong.

This month, I’ll provide resources for both.

Today I’m giving you 1 stat, 1 quote, and 1 story to help you preach on the New Year and the power of change.

Stat

The number 1 resolution in 2025 across all age groups was to save more money. Number 2, across all age groups, was improving physical health.

Takeaway: I think it’s safe to say a large portion of your congregation feels overweight and financially strained.

Source: https://today.yougov.com/society/articles/51144-what-are-americans-new-years-resolutions-for-2025

Quote

“What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” – Vern McLellan

Source: Quote Unquote by Lloyd Cory, Victor Books, 1977.

Story

In 1952, long-distance swimmer Florence May Chadwick set out to become the first woman to swim the 26 miles from Catalina Island to the California coast.

Chadwick was already a world-class swimmer. She was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions, but the Catalina swim presented a new challenge.

On July 4, 1952, after 15 hours and 55 minutes in the water, a thick, cold fog rolled in. Chadwick could barely see the boats escorting her, let alone the coastline.

Her mother and trainers followed beside her, urging her not to quit. But the fog was blinding. Exhausted and unable to see, she finally asked to be pulled from the water.

When she climbed aboard the boat, she learned that she was less than one mile from shore.

At the press conference afterward, she said: “All I could see was the fog… I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.”

Takeaway: I know you’re frustrated change has happened as fast as you want, but you’re probably closer than you think. Fog isn’t failure. Don’t give up.

Source: New York Times Archives, July 1952

Interesting Links

The Challenges of Preaching Every Week
I shared this article last week, but as you start the new year, I cannot encourage you enough to try and get some preaching rest this year. In this article I give the startling science that explains the physical toll weekly preaching has on you.

What are Americans’ New Year’s resolutions ?
This is where I got the stat for today’s email. Younger adults far more likely to set goals—and the top resolutions are saving more money, improving physical health, exercising more and being happier.

5 Reasons Your New Year’s Resolutions Usually Fail
Carey Nieuwhof gives reasons we never seem to follow through on the change we want. I thought you might be able to use some of this in January.

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