A New Year Planted in God’s Word
Pastoral | January 8, 2026 | By: Tanner Hudson
As the New Year begins, many of us feel a strange mixture of joy, exhaustion, and anticipation. The post-Christmas tiredness is real. As a father of three small kids with a pregnant wife, our house has been as chaotic as ever. There is the pure joy of opening presents, playing with new toys, and watching the delight on their faces. And then there are the meltdowns, the sugar highs, and the emotional swings that come with the season.
But right around the corner is a fresh year. A blank page. Three hundred sixty-five days of unknown possibilities for my family and for our church.
Every year, many of us pick resolutions. Some of us choose a “word for the year” or a theme. As I have been praying about this for my own family and writing this article, I am reminded that no matter what our resolutions might be, there is one foundation that must hold them all: the Word of God.
No matter our resolutions…one foundation must hold them all.
Psalm 1 gives us this picture with unmistakable clarity.
“His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:2–3, ESV).
The back half of Psalm 1 contrasts the stability of the righteous with the instability of the wicked:
“The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish” (Psalm 1:4–6).
The imagery is powerful. Two ways to live. Two outcomes. One rooted. One blown away.
New Year’s resolutions often begin with negatives: don’t eat this, don’t do that, don’t fall into that habit again. Psalm 1 begins similarly:
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers” (Psalm 1:1).
But the heartbeat of Psalm 1 is actually positive. The psalmist invites us into something more life-giving:
Be planted.
Be rooted.
Be nourished.
Be shaped.
Be steady.
How? By anchoring our lives in God’s Word.
This year, what would it look like for Scottsdale Bible Church to be a people committed to Scripture in fresh ways? What would it look like for our families, our small groups, and our friendships to be marked by God’s voice rather than the noise of the world?
What would it look like to be a people committed to Scripture in fresh ways?
Jesus Himself said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Peter writes that the Word is like milk that causes us to grow (1 Peter 2:2). The Psalmist says it revives the soul and makes wise the simple (Psalm 19:7).
If I could pray one thing for our church family as we enter the New Year, it would be this:
Choose ten Bible verses that your family will memorize together this year. Ten simple, powerful anchor points for your soul. Ten truths your kids will carry farther than any toy they opened on Christmas morning.
There are many helpful tools for Scripture memory, including:
• The Navigators Topical Memory System
• The Bible Memory App
• Dwell and YouVersion reading plans
• VerseLocker (free app)
To help get you started, here is a list of ten excellent verses to memorize as a family.
Top 10 Family Memory Verses for the New Year (ESV)
1. Psalm 1:2–3
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”
2. Joshua 1:9
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
3. Proverbs 3:5–6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”
4. Micah 6:8
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
5. Matthew 22:37–39
“And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
6. John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
7. Romans 8:1
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
8. Romans 12:2
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
9. Philippians 4:6–7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
10. Hebrews 4:12
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Imagine a year where your family speaks these truths aloud. Imagine your kids quoting them before school. Imagine them coming to mind in moments of fear, confusion, or joy. Imagine God’s Word shaping your decisions, your priorities, your hopes, and your prayers.
That is what Psalm 1 invites us into: a life planted by streams of living water.
May this be a year where Scottsdale Bible Church finds itself rooted deeply in God’s revealed Word and wholly devoted to Him.
Tanner Hudson
SBC North Ridge Campus Pastor
Not sure where to start with the Bible, or how to get more from it? Bible Essentials is a new class that will equip you with helpful tools and guidance for reading and studying Scripture with confidence. Rooted is also a great place to experience the Bible in fresh ways and practice living it out in community.
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