Changes planned for the New Year?

As the year comes to a conclusion, I think it would be good to remind ourselves of the words of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” As we reflect on the past year, we can certainly all agree that God has moved us forward by his grace. 

"Allow the Holy Spirit to empower you to become all that He intends in this New Year."

And as we look forward to a new year, it important to keep in mind that everything we will become is a product of God’s love in our hearts. We grow just as children grow, by imitating their parents. Because of sin we did not have the ability to grow, all of us were slaves to the ways of sin and death. But because Christ has come we can now become everything that he intends for us to be. If we are the children of God then eventually we will come to look more like him. As we embark on a new year, let me ask you, what do you want the grace of God to do in your life in 2014? In what significant ways do you desire to grow and flourish in the good things of God? I want to challenge you to turn your attention upon the growth that God desires to give us as individuals, families and as a church body. It is God’s intention that we grow in the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

"What distractions do you need to remove from your life in 2014 to better fulfill the mission Christ has given you?"

I believe that 2014 is going to be a great year for the church of Jesus Christ. And the good news is that we get to be involved with all God is doing! Paul writes to Timothy and speaks these words “No soldier get entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him” (2 Timothy 2:4) We have been enlisted into God’s army by the means of God’s grace. As soldiers, our lives are not our own. We belong to Jesus! Soldiers are known for their commitment to the cause and the orders handed down to them. They serve a singular purpose: to execute the mission as given by the commanding officers. In this case our commander is Christ and our mission is carried out through the power of the Holy Spirit.  

Understand that God has given us a mission to execute for his glory. If we allow ourselves to become distracted by anything other than what Christ has called us to do than we are not living a life that “aims to please the one who has enlisted us”. What distractions do you need to remove from your life in 2014 to better fulfill the mission Christ has given you? It is my prayer that God through his word will give us all the desire and the ability to “fight the good fight of faith”.

 As Paul instructed Timothy “Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” (2 Timothy 2:7) Allow the Holy Spirit to empower you to become all that he intends in this New Year. 

For more listen to my message entitled "Confronting the Challenges of Change"