John Markum

Month: January 2025

2024 in Review

Posted on by johnmarkum

This past year was been crazy! There is a lot for my family and I to celebrate as we look back over this year, and I’m proud of the work my family and I have collectively put into achieving a number of accomplishments. Here is what the recap of 2024 looks like for us:

  • I graduated from Mission University with my Master of Arts in Church Ministry.
  • Tiffany completed her Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education.
  • Emilee graduated high school, moved, and began her freshman year at Mission University.
  • Me, Kali, and Emilee all went on a missions trip with our church to Kenya, in partnership with REAL4Christ Ministries. Go sponsor a child here…
  • Josiah went on his first missions trip to Mexico with our church family.
  • Tiffany started a new job that she loves as a Senior Childcare Specialist.
  • Emilee and Kali both earned their drivers licenses.
  • Tiffany and I emceed for the Mobilize Impact Conference in San Leandro, CA.
  • I was invited to preach at Global Surge Worship Center, in Pasig, Manilla, Philippines, and speak at the S4 Conference hosted by Global Surge, and visionary leader, Dr. Greg Lyons.
  • Tiffany and I were able to visit Cebu as we celebrated our 20th Anniversary. There, we got to swim with whale sharks, and hiked, swam, and jumped through the canyons of Kawasan Falls.
  • We led our church family through the entire story of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation in a year.
  • I published my third, 8-week Bible study, which you can find here.
  • I read no less than 20 books, and parts of hundreds more in my studies.

And while 2024 certainly included its challenges, my family and I are looking forward to everything this year has to offer.

As we get into 2025, there have been many more challenges and opportunities we look forward to overcoming. I should finish my Master of Divinity (MDiv), Tiffany is well on her way to completing a Bachelors, Kali will graduate high school, and Elijah (our youngest) will be entering high school! In addition, our growing church family is moving to two services on March 2, and we are praying to baptize 20+ people this year. I have a few works I hope to complete including a book on building a worthwhile marriage, and a pastor’s field manual.

What are you goals for the new year? Comment below!

Blessings,
Pastor John

Sermon Recap: Don’t Look Back, week 1

Posted on by johnmarkum

As we kick off 2025 at Life Valley Church, we begin with a new series entitled, Don’t Look Back. Following Jesus demands a radical reorientation of our lives, centered on three fundamental requirements: self-denial, daily cross-bearing, and wholehearted following. This path directly challenges our culture’s emphasis on self-fulfillment and personal autonomy, calling believers instead to submit every area of life to Christ’s leadership. Just as athletes exercise strict self-control to win their prize, disciples must discipline themselves to follow Jesus faithfully. The call to take up our cross daily represents a complete dying to self, allowing Christ to live through us in every aspect of life. In first century Judaism, it was a common blessing to tell a new follower of a Rabbinical teacher, “May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi!” The idea was that disciples would follow their rabbi so closely that they would be covered in the dust from their teacher’s feet. Similarly, authentic discipleship today should be evident in how closely we walk with Jesus, with our lives clearly reflecting His character and priorities. This requires identifying areas we’re still trying to control, examining what influences are shaping us, and taking concrete steps to submit every aspect of our lives to Christ’s leadership.

Read Luke 9:23-25 for further insight from the sermon…

How do we pursue Jesus in 2025:

  1. Deny yourself.
  2. Take up your cross daily.
  3. Follow Him.

You can find the 5-Day Devotional here.

You can find the entire service on our YouTube channel here.

Blessings,
Pastor John

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