Holding Nothing Back
What Would Change If You Held Nothing Back This Year?
As we step into 2026, I want to share our focus statement for the year ahead—not a trend, not a slogan, but a conviction that will guide how we live, serve, and obey God.
I was recently on a leadership call where the host asked this question:
“What’s your word for 2026?”
His word was connection. And he made a good point—everything we do in life requires connection with someone else. Relationships matter.
But I’ve never been one to choose a “word for the year.” That’s not really my thing. Many people select words like faith, patience, hope, love, endurance, or persistence. There’s nothing wrong with that—but for us, a single word isn’t enough.
Instead, Pamela and I choose to have a focus statement.
A focus is something you place in front of you every day.
It shapes decisions.
It guides behavior.
It determines how you grow.
Because When Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes
Our focus statement last year (2025) was simple but required intentionality:
Do everything differently.
That simply meant we were committed to not doing things the same way. Because here’s the truth: if you keep doing the same thing, you are guaranteed the same results.
So in 2025, our focus was to change—daily.
And it worked.
We said yes to things we would normally say no to.
We went places we wouldn’t normally go.
We nurtured friendships we had unintentionally neglected.
We reconnected with our godchildren.
We picked up relationships that had grown quiet.
We wrote books.
We completed projects and obtained degrees and diplomas.
We achieved things that would not have happened without that focus.
Leave Everything on the Field
After much prayer and thought, God impressed something clearly on our hearts:
In 2026, we are going to leave everything on the field.
Pamela is a huge football fan—college and NFL. If you watch championship teams closely, you’ll notice something about the ones who win:
They don’t hold anything back.
They take risks.
They put their bodies on the line.
They give everything they have to accomplish the goal at hand.
The same is true for life.
So our focus statement for 2026 is this:
Holding Nothing Back
What “Holding Nothing Back” Means
This isn’t reckless living.
In 2026, we will live boldly and wisely. Boldness without wisdom is dangerous—but wisdom without boldness leads to stagnation. We will fully apply our experience, discernment, and the gifts God has given us.
Free Yourself From Fear and Self-Preservation
Fear doesn’t always mean you’re scared. Often, fear means something is keeping you from taking an action you know you should take.
We are stepping away from that.
We are also stepping away from self-preservation. We are not trying to protect an image, maintain appearances, or make ourselves look good.
Pamela reminded me of a quote I once said that now anchors us both:
“I’m not trying to be perfect. I’m just trying to live for Jesus.”
I’m not trying to get it right—I’m trying to live for Him, whatever that takes.
Leave an Eternal (Intangible) Impact
We are committed to leaving an eternal impact—something you can’t touch, but you can clearly see in transformed lives.
This shows up in three primary ways:
- Equipping Believers to Live the Church Inside Them
Too many people attend church but never see how it translates into real life—home, finances, business, education, or daily decisions.
We help people take what they hear and live it out. - Teaching Ordinary People to Achieve Extraordinary Results
If anyone is in Christ, they are not normal.
God is not normal.
Therefore, anything done with God’s stamp on it should be extraordinary—not average. - Helping People Go to the Next Level
We know this is one of our God-given strengths: helping people move from where they are to where they’re capable of being.
If you’re gifted, we ask:
What’s the next step?
What’s the improvement?
What’s the next level?
Five Anchors for 2026
This is how we will live out “holding nothing back:”
Impact – No one leaves our presence unchanged.
Wisdom – Growth that increases beyond the number of years lived.
Perspective – Living free from ego, fear, and approval.
Courage – Living as though we cannot lose.
Intensity – Full obedience, full effort, no regrets.
Most people die with regret.
Common people delay obedience.
Average people postpone calling.
We refuse to live that way.
As Bishop Jakes once said:
“Whatever needs to be done, I do it now. Whatever needs to be said, I say it.”
I’ll close the only way I know how—with Scripture. This is from The Message translation:
“Moses did everything God commanded.
He did it all.” [1]
That’s my declaration.
That’s our confession.
I want to be a Moses.
I want to stand before God and hear, “Well done. You did it all.”
That’s our goal.
That’s how we’re living in 2026.
Our focus statement for 2026: We are holding nothing back.
What will you do in 2026?
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[1] Exodus 40:16 MSG, Bible.com, accessed January 8, 2023, https://www.bible.com/bible/97/EXO.40.16.MSG
All Scripture references used by permission, see our Scripture copyrights.
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