January 01, 2023
A NEW START
January 01, 2023
Pastor Jonathan Falwell
A new year! Like the birth of a baby, a new year seems to have an abundance of hope attached to it. Hope for the future, hope for a new beginning, hope for life to be better. So many people make plans—resolutions—to start fresh January 1st. Are you one of those? As the pastor points out today, doing things with the same actions we’ve always used will only achieve the same results we’ve always had. In order to get different results, get closer to God, or make new resolutions actually work, we need to use different actions that will achieve different results. Join as we start this new year with new actions that will cause us to be victorious in our results.
Focal Passages: Acts 22:3-10; Philippians 3:7-21.
Paul started just like all of us
· Read Acts 22:3. What were some of Paul’s qualities before salvation? Can one be sincere in their actions but be sincerely wrong and therefore lost for eternity? How?
· Read Acts 22:6-8. As Paul hears a voice speaking to him, why does he address the speaker as “Lord”? How does Jesus respond? Why would Paul have known the name of Jesus of Nazareth? How could he have ignored what he heard?
· What did God do with Paul’s sins up till that time? What happened when Paul acknowledged Jesus as Lord? Read 2 Cor. 5:17. Is this how it was for Paul? For you?
· Read Phil. 3:7-8. What were some of the things that he would have considered loss? What does it mean to say that Paul suddenly realized he needed a “course correction”? Are there ministries, works, or actions that you realized were of no value in your life after salvation? Can you share?
· Read Phil. 3:10. How did Paul’s goals change? Read verse 13b. Why is it so important to let the past die, as you know that God has forgiven it for all eternity? How can Satan use your past if you carry the weight of it with you?
· Did your goals change when God saved you? Have your plans to know God better achieved good results? If not, is it possible you need a “course correction” as well?
He recognized what was really important
· Read Phil. 3:13-14 again, and verse 17. What part of the Damascus Road experience was the catalyst that changed Paul’s direction? When you got saved, was there a particular event that caused it? Can you share? What became Paul’s goal as soon as he was saved?
· Read Matt. 5:6 and Luke 10:27. What do these two verses encapsulate? Are there any verses of scripture that contain any goals more important than these two?
· Now, Paul has grown so much that he exhorts others to follow him. How can a man say, “Imitate me”? What do you see when you look in a mirror? What is there in your life that would keep you from saying to a new believer, “Follow my example”?
· Have you tried to get rid of anything that would hinder you from saying “Follow my example” but it hasn’t worked? What do you need to do (what will produce different results)? Are you training your heart to listen for the voice of God? How?
He knew the rest of the story
· Read 2 Timothy 4:8. What encouragement and hope does this verse give you? What is your focus each morning when you get out of bed? Are you excited to see what the Lord is going to bring into your life each day or are you ready to quit? What will it take to give you new goals if your present ones aren’t working?
· “Who is in your life that you can take under your wing and mentor this year? Who is there you can encourage on a regular basis? How can you forget your past?” Why are these important questions to ask yourself?
Take away:
· Get off to a great start: Today! Forget the past (God has!)!
· Don’t give way to distraction: Don’t allow Satan to keep you from God’s agenda!
· Go deeper than ever before: Make the commitment to pursue holiness!
· Don’t go alone: We were created for fellowship—not to do life alone!
Close:
It is hard to speak a word on the first day of January that will impact your life the rest of the year. Yet if you made New Year’s Resolutions that were the same as in years past, perhaps it’s time for you to come up with new actions, for obviously the old ways aren’t working. Remember the eight-word dynamic that we’re going to put into our lives: Same Actions—Same Results; Different Actions—Different Results!
What have been your goals? Health, weight, control temper, no yelling? Perhaps it’s time you made your walk with Christ the top priority. Have you ever considered that if you hunger and thirst after righteousness, the others will probably fall into line? Try it. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Today has begun a new year. If you were in church, strive to attend every Sunday. You’re not going in order to get a star. You’re going to worship the King of Kings, to have fellowship with the saints of the Lord, to draw strength from being with like-minded brethren, to contribute encouragement to those going through trials—and so much more. You’re going because you love God, and you love His people. Don’t let Satan distract you with things that are of no value. Keep your focus on Christ.
By Sandy Day January 1, 2023