Building a Stronger Foundation for the New Year | Inside Out Week 1 | RVCC Parkland

Описание: Many people begin a new year trying to improve their health, routines, and habits — but still end up feeling the same on the inside. We can become more productive, successful, or financially stable and yet still feel restless, unfulfilled, or unchanged at a deeper level.

This message from RVCC Parkland explores a different question for the start of a new year: What kind of person are we becoming?

Rather than focusing only on external goals or achievements, this message invites us to consider the foundation we are building our lives upon — our character, integrity, and inner life — and how those choices affect not only us, but the people around us.

Using the historical account of the South Fork Dam and the Johnstown Flood as an illustration, we look at what happens when something is built on a weak or neglected foundation. In the same way, our lives can drift toward burnout, resentment, self-centeredness, or spiritual stagnation when we avoid examining who we are becoming on the inside.

From there, we explore the difference between:
salvation (what Jesus has done for us), and
sanctification (who we are becoming because of Him)

This message walks through Paul’s teaching in Galatians, where he reminds followers of Jesus that faith is not something we “earn,” but it is also not something we simply store away and never use. Instead, the freedom Jesus gives is meant to transform our character and shape the kind of people we are becoming over time.

Rather than settling for surface-level change, we’re invited to pursue a life shaped by qualities such as love, patience, peace, kindness, and self-control — not as religious performance, but as a response to the new life Jesus has given.

This message is for anyone who has ever wondered:

Why do achievements and success still leave me feeling empty?

Does my character matter as much as my goals or accomplishments?

What does it really mean to “grow spiritually”?

How does faith shape the person I am becoming?

Key Themes in This Message:
Why “who we are becoming” matters more than what we achieve
The difference between salvation and spiritual formation
How our inner life shapes our relationships and communities
Why character is essential for those who follow Jesus
Building a stronger foundation for the new year

Scripture References
Galatians 2:15–16
Galatians 5:13–14

Reflection Challenge for This Week
Memorize Galatians 5:13–14 during the “Inside Out” series

Ask yourself:
Who do I want to be at the end of this year?
What areas of my character need less bitterness, fear, or resentment — and more peace, patience, and love?

If you are exploring faith, returning to church, or simply asking deeper questions about life and identity, we hope this message offers clarity, challenge, and hope as you consider the kind of person you are becoming in the year ahead.

YouTube Chapters

0:00 — Welcome and Introduction
1:20 — The Story of the Johnstown Flood
4:45 — Why Foundations Matter
7:30 — New Year Resolutions and External Change
10:15 — The Question We Miss: Who Are We Becoming?
13:40 — Character, Culture, and Formation
17:20 — Salvation and Sanctification Explained
21:10 — Galatians 2 and the Gift of Grace
24:00 — What We Do With the Life Jesus Gives Us
27:45 — Freedom, Formation, and Galatians 5:13–14
31:30 — Less “Hell” in Us, More of Heaven’s Character
34:50 — What We Truly Need in the New Year
37:10 — The Fruit of the Spirit and Transformation
39:20 — Two Challenges for This Week
41:00 — Closing Reflection and Prayer