Scripture: Luke 3:1–20 Three points: (1) Repentance comes in the wilderness. (2) Repentance comes with conviction of sin. (3) Repentance comes with changed direction.

In this message from Luke 2:41–52, we explore the often-overlooked “hidden years” of Jesus’ life. Apart from his birth and one childhood scene in the Temple, nearly thirty years of the Son of God’s life are summed up in a single verse: “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and all the people.” Why does Scripture give so little detail about most of his life? Because the silence itself speaks. Before miracles, before crowds, before public ministry, Jesus embraced ordinary obedience in Nazareth. In doing so, he dignified the kind of quiet, repetitive, unseen lives most of us are living. This sermon reflects on how, in our own hidden years, God is forming us, calling us to faithfulness, and preparing us for what he has not yet revealed.

Luke 2:41-52

We are to 'exegesis' God's word not 'eisegesis' it, meaning we draw out the original meaning of the text, not read into it through our bias or life experiences. My (Bryan Morgan) life's story will feature strongly in the Message.

Psalm 23 & 2 Corinthians 3: 16-18

God has broken the silence of the past 400 years and made his plans known to Zechariah and Elizabeth. In doing so he has removed the shame that society had placed on them for having no children. Now at the birth of John the Baptist, society still tries to pressure them to do what society expects of them rather than what God has told them. Society and the fears, pressures and worries within this world can make us mute to what God calls us to do. It can be like a tug of war in which we are in the middle. Zechariah and Elizabeth hold firm and are obedient to God. Will you do the same?

Luke 1:57-66

Psalm 90 reminds us that while our days are short, God is eternal. In this New Year message, we are invited to start with God rather than the calendar, to face the reality of time honestly, and to learn what true wisdom looks like when our lives are placed back into God’s hands. Moses’ prayer teaches us that numbering our days is not about fear or productivity, but about living with humility, dependence, and hope. Seen through the lens of Christ—the eternal God who entered our time, bore our judgment, and became our true dwelling place—our days are no longer a countdown toward loss, but a journey of grace toward eternity.

Psalm 90