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Hey everybody, time for a quick coffee break in the Bible and this is actually going to

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be a quick New Year's message of sorts.

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In the New Year I'd like to direct you to the book of Haggai chapter 1 verse 5 which

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says consider your ways.

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Another way of saying this is to give careful thought to your ways.

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Careful thought to what you do.

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How you do things.

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See New Year's resolutions are typically the first commitments and the first failures that

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many of us make year after year.

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We've all fallen into this trap at some point.

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Even if it's not a New Year's resolution we've all fallen into it though.

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It's a sincere promise that we forget or we find excuses to dismiss.

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Oh I'll get to it.

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Under any other name it still becomes a lie and a lie to yourself is still a lie.

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And what is a lie?

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It's a sin.

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As we look to the New Year I'll tell you of a principle I've carried with me since my

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time serving on active duty in the Marine Corps.

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It's a leadership principle that simply says know yourself and seek self-improvement.

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This is something all of us should know and apply to our lives.

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Why?

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Because it forces each of us to be honest about our past failures and identify where

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and what we need to effect change in our lives.

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You should renew your resolution to God and to yourself to become better than you were

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and to lean on His strength.

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As we start the New Year let's take time to let go of our past sins, our past failures

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and our past mistakes and strengthen your relationship with God.

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Start moving forward in a new direction with Him.

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In the book of Philippians chapter 3 verses 12-14 Paul put it like this, forgetting those

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things that are behind me, I move towards the high calling of God to become a new creature

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in Jesus Christ.

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Saying it's time to stop clinging to the past and to move forward with Jesus.

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When you became a Christian the old you died and a new you was born with Christ so that

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you could do His work in the world.

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So you could do the work that you were called to do in the kingdom.

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You can't serve two masters.

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You either serve Christ or the world.

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Philippians 4 verse 13 the Bible says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens

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me.

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Let me tell you, you have this.

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You can do this.

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Keep marching forward and showing His light to the world.

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Happy New Year everybody.