Happy Wednesday, friends. This is our final midweek update of 2025. This is going to conclude our Christmas season and our whole year together.

I hope that over the last month, you have been engaging with us around the names of Jesus, especially the word Emmanuel, God with us. I hope as you reflect on the last year, you recognize this, that God has been with you the entire time. In all of its highs and all of its lows, God is with you. If you’ve lost sight of God’s presence in your life, perhaps as we turn now to 2026, you would rededicate yourself to the awareness, the intentionality of seeing God with you, that you would want to be in step with the Holy Spirit, not rushing ahead or lagging behind, but journeying with him.

We’re going to step back into our series in the Gospel of John. Jumping back into John chapter 10 where Jesus is revealed to us as the good shepherd, the one who lays his life down for his sheep, the one who knows his sheep and whose sheep know him. The call in 2026 is not be a better Christian, do more, but to walk closer to the good shepherd.

And so, how can you reorganize your schedule, perhaps even reshape your days, that you would follow the shepherd most closely, that you would know him, that you would hear his voice, that he would direct your path. And so, as we close out one year and remember that God is with us, we look forward knowing that God will be with us whatever 2026 brings, and that he will be with us as the good shepherd.

We love you, Calvary, and we can’t wait to gather very soon in a new year.

Thomas Milburn, Senior Pastor

What do the names of Jesus actually tell us about who He is—and why does that matter at Christmas?

In this episode of The Weekly, Jay Ewing is joined by Thomas to reflect on Advent, Isaiah 9:6, and the powerful titles given to Jesus: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. Together, they explore how these names shape our understanding of Jesus, reframe the Christmas story, and call us to live prepared for His return.

From the surprising meaning of “Everlasting Father,” to the hope of belonging to a new family of everlasting life, this conversation invites listeners to slow down, look deeper, and allow Advent to reorient their hearts—not just toward the first coming of Christ, but toward the second as well.

Whether you’re walking through the Advent season intentionally or simply longing for hope and clarity, this episode offers rich Scripture, thoughtful theology, and pastoral encouragement.

In This Episode:

• What Advent teaches us about hope and waiting
• The meaning and significance of Isaiah 9:6
• Why “Everlasting Father” is both surprising and comforting
• How Jesus brings us into a new family of everlasting life
• Living prepared and expectant for Christ’s return