We’re so excited that you’re joining us for today’s service! Before we dive into the message, Bella and I have a special announcement to share. This week, our brand-new book, A Cup of Love: Relationship Goals for Kids, is being released! This book is designed as a resource for the entire family, and it will be available everywhere books are sold starting this Tuesday. We want to give you a sneak peek with a brief promo, and then the next voice you’ll hear will be me delivering the Word of the Year. God bless!

Hi, I’m Michael, and this is my beautiful wife, [name]. We’ve been married for 13 years, and our love has blessed us with four amazing kids: Bella, MJ, AA, and Ray. Needless to say, we need time for ourselves, so we make date night a priority every Tuesday. It’s something we take very seriously, and we even wrote a book about it to help people thrive in their relationships. That book went on to become a New York Times bestseller, and people really embraced the concept—except for my princess, Bella. Every time we left for date night, this was her reaction until I explained it to her.

I told her, “This is how God works: He pours into Mommy and Daddy. Then, when we spend time together, His love overflows and we can love on each other. As Daddy pours into Mommy, we’re able to pour into you—Bella, MJ, AA.” Once Bella understood this, she asked, “Can I go on date night too?” I jokingly replied, “What’s your name? How old are you?” But Bella thought it was so important that we let kids know just how essential date night is. So, we wrote A Cup of Love: Relationship Goals for Kids to help families nurture relationships, and we’re excited to share it with you! The book is available for pre-order right now!

Now, let’s dive into the Word of the Year. We’ve been in a series called Sharpen—has anyone been blessed by this series? This year, I’m doing something a bit different. Normally, I’d share the Word of the Year right at the beginning, but the Holy Spirit guided me to take a different approach. Before I gave you the word, I needed to teach for a month on how to start sharp. Today, I’m going to reveal the Word of the Year, but I need you to understand something: This is not just a marketing strategy. The Word of the Year at Transformation Church isn’t some catchy phrase to engage people at the start of the year. This is a biblical pattern—a message from God that we believe is meant for our church. It’s a word that has been tested and proven, and we trust that it will transform lives.

Throughout the years, when God has given us a word, it’s always come to pass. Even during the pandemic, we received the word “stronger,” and though it seemed odd at first, by the end of the year, we were indeed stronger. Today, I’m releasing the Word of the Year, and I’ve been carrying it like a treasure, knowing it will transform your life. I’ve almost shared it with you countless times, but I’m holding onto it until just the right moment. Thank you for being here, for traveling from far and wide to be with us. I’m truly honored that you allow us to speak into your life.