[vc_column width='4/5' column_padding='no-extra-padding' column_padding_tablet='inherit' column_padding_phone='inherit' column_padding_position='all' background_color_opacity='1' background_hover_color_opacity='1' column_shadow='none' column_border_radius='none' column_link_target='_self' gradient_direction='left_to_right' overlay_strength='0.3' tablet_width_inherit='default' tablet_text_alignment='default' phone_text_alignment='default' column_border_width='none' column_border_style='solid' bg_image_animation='none']DAY 1: THE GOD WHO CAN BE KNOWNby Pastor Heiden RatnerJan. 5th, 2026“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” - John 17:3[vc_video link='https://youtu.be/wKm35pr8qzE' el_width='90' align='center' css='']What is eternal life all about?Is it simply going to heaven one day—walking streets of gold or receiving a glorified body? Or is it something we experience now? Maybe even Someone we know?Before going to the cross, Jesus answered this question in a passionate prayer:“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)Eternal life is not primarily an eternal place we hope to reach—it is an eternal God we are invited to know today.This truth changed my life as a freshman in college. I had never been to church, had never read the Bible for myself, and though I believed in God, I didn’t know Him personally. During that season, I began reading Scripture and found myself captivated by Jesus’ words in Matthew 7: “Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.’” (Matthew 7:23a)That sentence gripped me. I realized it was possible to be religious—active, even impressive—and still not know God. As I wrestled with this passage, I sensed the Lord drawing me near, convicting me of sin, and graciously inviting me into a relationship with Him. By faith, I believed in Jesus and began pursuing a life of knowing Him—a journey that continues to th