Podcast Summary: "Happy New Year 2026 from Candace!"

Podcast: The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast
Host: Candace Cameron Bure
Guest: Excerpts from Pastor Francis Chan
Release Date: January 1, 2026
Episode Focus: Encouragement, reflection, spiritual identity, and entering the new year with a renewed perspective on God’s love

Episode Overview

In this special New Year’s episode, Candace Cameron Bure reflects on the past year with gratitude and anticipation for what’s next. She shares memorable moments from 2025, teases exciting plans for 2026, and delivers heartfelt encouragement. Central to the episode are moving passages from Pastor Francis Chan's new book "Beloved," focusing on themes of spiritual rest, identity, and understanding oneself as deeply loved by God, not because of achievements but simply by being His.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Gratitude for the Podcast Community

• Candace celebrates the support and vulnerability of her podcast community throughout 2025.

  • Guest hosts shared real stories on spiritual warfare, health, and purpose.
    • "My guest hosts this year got vulnerable about spiritual warfare and issues young women face in culture, and we spent a lot of time sharing stories about our bodies and what it means to live as healthy and whole people in the bodies God gave us." — Candace (02:06)

• Personal connections built via the Together community and her first live tour.

  • "I've loved getting to know you and I also got to meet a whole bunch of you out on my very first live tour and hear how this community means a lot to you. So I'm really, really grateful." — Candace (02:35)

2. Looking Ahead to 2026

• Announcement of the new podcast season starting next week with Madison Pruitt Trout.
  • "Next week is the start of my brand New season with Madison Pruitt Trout... she has a lot to share about living life with integrity and honesty." — Candace (03:07)

3. Spiritual Encouragement via Francis Chan’s Book "Beloved"

• Candace introduces Pastor Francis Chan's new book and shares selected passages that touched her deeply.
  • Emphasis on the concept of being "Beloved" — shifting from striving for God’s approval to resting in His unconditional love.

Memorable Quotes & Insights from Francis Chan

• Identity in Being Loved, Not Performance:

  • “Five times in his Gospel, John refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved... If this was your last day on Earth, how would you be remembered? How would you like to be remembered?" — Francis Chan (03:46)
  • “Only recently did I realize the word 'Beloved' is two words combined. Be loved. It hit me because it conveys the idea that being someone's beloved is completely passive. I'm not good at passive." — Francis Chan (04:13)

• Challenges with Receiving Love:

  • "Many of us are terrible at receiving... We are God's beloved children, and he wants us to be able to simply be loved. Not striving, just believing and enjoying and resting in his perfect love." — Francis Chan (04:27)

• Letting Go of Striving:

  • “For many of us, our minds are obsessed with production. It carries over into our relationship with God... We serve until we're exhausted, hoping God notices our efforts. We battle doubts about our salvation and constantly wonder if we're doing enough." — Francis Chan (04:59-05:18)

• A Loving God’s Perspective:

  • “It's hard to imagine a God who enjoys us, enjoys watching us. Like a parent who sneaks into his toddler's room just to watch her sleep. I used to think that God created me to impact the world. I now think God created me to have another person to lavish his grace upon." — Francis Chan (05:23)

4. Candace’s Closing Encouragement

• A fresh perspective for the new year:

  • "As you wind down one year and you go into a new one, I want you to know that you are deeply loved by God just because he made you." — Francis Chan as cited by Candace (06:03)

• Letting go of failures and striving:

  • "Whatever goals you missed last year or whatever New Year's resolutions that might be right around the corner, none of it changes how much God loves you. He simply does." — Francis Chan (06:24)

• Candace’s final words to listeners:

  • "Be grateful all day, every day. Bye." — Candace (06:39)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “My guest hosts this year got vulnerable about spiritual warfare and issues young women face in culture, and we spent a lot of time sharing stories about our bodies and what it means to live as healthy and whole people in the bodies God gave us.”
  — Candace Cameron Bure (02:06)

• “Only recently did I realize the word 'Beloved' is two words combined. Be loved. It hit me because it conveys the idea that being someone's beloved is completely passive. I'm not good at passive.”
  — Francis Chan (04:13)

• “We are God's beloved children, and he wants us to be able to simply be loved. Not striving, just believing and enjoying and resting in his perfect love.”
  — Francis Chan (04:30)

• “We serve until we're exhausted, hoping God notices our efforts. We battle doubts about our salvation and constantly wonder if we're doing enough.”
  — Francis Chan (05:13-05:18)

• “As you wind down one year and you go into a new one, I want you to know that you are deeply loved by God just because he made you.”
  — Francis Chan (06:03)

• “Be grateful all day, every day.”
  — Candace Cameron Bure (06:39)

Important Timestamps

• [02:06] — Reflection on 2025: Mental, spiritual, and physical health themes
• [03:07] — Announcement of season with Madison Pruitt Trout
• [03:46] — Francis Chan’s words on ‘Beloved’ and identity
• [04:13–05:18] — Insights on receiving God’s love, striving, and rest
• [06:03] — Core encouragement for 2026: “You are deeply loved by God.”
• [06:39] — Candace’s final thankful message for the New Year

Summary & Takeaway

Candace’s New Year’s episode shines with sincerity and hope, as she reflects on the power of community and faith. Through moving selections from Francis Chan’s "Beloved," listeners are encouraged to lay down striving and accept their identity as God’s deeply loved children, independent of achievements. Candace’s tone is warm, grateful, and inspiring—setting an uplifting pace for 2026.

Ideal for listeners seeking encouragement, spiritual insight, and a gentle reminder that their worth isn’t measured by performance but by inherent belovedness.