Hey everybody, time for a quick coffee break in the Bible and this is actually going to
be a quick New Year's message of sorts.
In the New Year I'd like to direct you to the book of Haggai chapter 1 verse 5 which
says consider your ways.
Another way of saying this is to give careful thought to your ways.
Careful thought to what you do.
How you do things.
See New Year's resolutions are typically the first commitments and the first failures that
many of us make year after year.
We've all fallen into this trap at some point.
Even if it's not a New Year's resolution we've all fallen into it though.
It's a sincere promise that we forget or we find excuses to dismiss.
Oh I'll get to it.
Under any other name it still becomes a lie and a lie to yourself is still a lie.
And what is a lie?
It's a sin.
As we look to the New Year I'll tell you of a principle I've carried with me since my
time serving on active duty in the Marine Corps.
It's a leadership principle that simply says know yourself and seek self-improvement.
This is something all of us should know and apply to our lives.
Why?
Because it forces each of us to be honest about our past failures and identify where
and what we need to effect change in our lives.
You should renew your resolution to God and to yourself to become better than you were
and to lean on His strength.
As we start the New Year let's take time to let go of our past sins, our past failures
and our past mistakes and strengthen your relationship with God.
Start moving forward in a new direction with Him.
In the book of Philippians chapter 3 verses 12-14 Paul put it like this, forgetting those
things that are behind me, I move towards the high calling of God to become a new creature
in Jesus Christ.
Saying it's time to stop clinging to the past and to move forward with Jesus.
When you became a Christian the old you died and a new you was born with Christ so that
you could do His work in the world.
So you could do the work that you were called to do in the kingdom.
You can't serve two masters.
You either serve Christ or the world.
Philippians 4 verse 13 the Bible says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens
me.
Let me tell you, you have this.
You can do this.
Keep marching forward and showing His light to the world.
Happy New Year everybody.