The Altar
Scripture: Exodus 20:24
Pastor Jason’s message calls the church to end the year with gratitude, remembrance, and surrender. Using everyday stories, he emphasizes that just as it is basic etiquette to thank a host for a meal, believers must enter God’s house with thanksgiving rather than complaints, honoring both God and the leaders He has placed over them. He then highlights the biblical practice of building altars—memorials that mark God’s faithfulness after victories, promises, or encounters—so that future generations remember what God has done. In the New Testament, these altars are no longer physical sacrifices but lives offered as “living sacrifices,” where believers themselves become testimonies of God’s goodness. Reflecting on personal history, church transitions, and the challenges of 2025, Pastor Jason urges the congregation to leave both victories and disappointments at the altar, trusting that God is still in control and has not forsaken His people. The message closes with a call to surrender the past, allow God to rewrite painful history with His love, and step into the new year free, thankful, and fully yielded to Him.
Sunday Service: December 28, 2025 • Pastor Jason Choi at HOPE Church in Clarksville, MD