I have been in ministry for more than 40 years, and you can trust me when I tell you the stakes have never been higher for Jesus’ followers to live according to their faith.
We are living through one of the most turbulent times in American history. Racism, gun violence, drug addiction, sexual abuse, religious intolerance, immigration issues — you name it — abound at an alarming rate. How Christians respond to these challenges will determine whether the church in America will flourish in 2019.
I believe 2019 can be the year of the local church, because all of the issues America is facing start at the local level. Churches that are committed to on-the-ground ministry in their communities — being the hands of Jesus to migrants in need, helping people who are battling mental illness or drug addiction, building bridges of unity where there is racial division — will flourish. I predict those who truly preach and live out the gospel will be a part of a new wave of spiritual power that will sweep the country and world.
Graham is the senior pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas.