WEBVTT 00:00:11.090 --> 00:00:14.210 Today on Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. 00:00:14.269 --> 00:00:18.469 What could make this year different than all 00:00:18.469 --> 00:00:21.649 those other years where you set goals, tried 00:00:21.649 --> 00:00:26.219 really hard, but little or nothing changed? Well, 00:00:26.280 --> 00:00:28.079 that's today on Living on the Edge, and I've 00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:31.559 got some good news, some practical news. And 00:00:31.559 --> 00:00:33.380 if you want to see some change this year, I'm 00:00:33.380 --> 00:00:35.840 going to tell you. I think the Lord has given 00:00:35.840 --> 00:00:38.140 me some help that will really help you. Stay 00:00:38.140 --> 00:00:42.840 with me. We're just days into a brand new year, 00:00:42.920 --> 00:00:45.700 and already the gym memberships are signed, the 00:00:45.700 --> 00:00:48.659 diets have started, and the ambitious goals are 00:00:48.659 --> 00:00:51.820 written down. But here's the hard truth. Most 00:00:51.820 --> 00:00:54.740 of those resolutions will be abandoned by February. 00:00:55.549 --> 00:00:58.850 So what will make 2026 different? What will make 00:00:58.850 --> 00:01:01.469 this year stand out from all the rest? Today 00:01:01.469 --> 00:01:04.409 on Living on the Edge Weekend Edition, Chip Ingram 00:01:04.409 --> 00:01:06.790 reveals it's not about trying harder or having 00:01:06.790 --> 00:01:09.450 more willpower. It's about applying biblical 00:01:09.450 --> 00:01:12.590 principles that actually work. Principles that 00:01:12.590 --> 00:01:15.170 set the stage for God to do His best work in 00:01:15.170 --> 00:01:18.310 us, transforming our hearts from the inside out. 00:01:18.530 --> 00:01:20.930 Chip titled today's message, How to Make This 00:01:20.930 --> 00:01:23.659 Year Different. Well, as we open the program, 00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:26.879 I ask that question, what will make this year 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:30.379 different than last year? Or for some of you, 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:33.599 maybe the last few years. Because what we all 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:36.040 know is that people are going to sign up for 00:01:36.040 --> 00:01:38.579 the gym. I'm going to lose 5 pounds, 20 pounds, 00:01:38.739 --> 00:01:41.680 30 pounds. I'm going to get in the Bible every 00:01:41.680 --> 00:01:44.739 day. I'm going to join a small group. You know 00:01:44.739 --> 00:01:46.599 what? I'm going to set goals and I'm really going 00:01:46.599 --> 00:01:48.560 to work. I'm going to make partner this year. 00:01:48.640 --> 00:01:50.719 Or you know what? I'm going to get my license. 00:01:50.939 --> 00:01:52.439 You know, I'm finally going to go back to school. 00:01:52.739 --> 00:01:56.900 And it goes on and on and on. And in about two 00:01:56.900 --> 00:01:59.780 weeks, there'll be less people in the gym. There'll 00:01:59.780 --> 00:02:02.840 be a lot of diets that started that have fizzled 00:02:02.840 --> 00:02:06.439 out. In about a month or six weeks, the gym will 00:02:06.439 --> 00:02:08.759 be back to normal of those people that get up 00:02:08.759 --> 00:02:11.240 really early and do it or hit it right after 00:02:11.240 --> 00:02:13.699 work and it's a part of their life they almost 00:02:13.699 --> 00:02:17.580 never miss. And what I want to talk to you today 00:02:17.580 --> 00:02:22.219 about is how life change can happen in your life, 00:02:22.280 --> 00:02:26.280 but maybe it doesn't happen the way you think 00:02:26.280 --> 00:02:29.379 it does. And maybe you've been kind of running 00:02:29.379 --> 00:02:33.560 the wrong software or trying to execute a game 00:02:33.560 --> 00:02:37.139 plan that doesn't work. What I know is that if 00:02:37.139 --> 00:02:40.740 any man or any woman is in Christ, we become 00:02:40.740 --> 00:02:44.719 new creations. The old things pass away. Behold, 00:02:44.759 --> 00:02:49.520 all things become new. And so I'm going to share 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:53.080 maybe some mistakes that I've made that you don't 00:02:53.080 --> 00:02:56.300 need to make. Don't need to keep making. I have 00:02:56.300 --> 00:02:59.800 a little practice I've done. This sounds crazy, 00:02:59.819 --> 00:03:04.219 but maybe for three decades at least. My practice 00:03:04.219 --> 00:03:06.900 has been threefold, and I'm going to focus on 00:03:06.900 --> 00:03:11.259 the first two. The first is I look back. Second, 00:03:11.520 --> 00:03:15.360 I look up. And then third, I look forward. And 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:17.319 here's what I mean by that. There was a quote 00:03:17.319 --> 00:03:19.599 that I read many, many years ago about Socrates. 00:03:20.349 --> 00:03:22.789 And not that he's on the same level of the Bible, 00:03:22.870 --> 00:03:26.289 but, you know, a philosopher, Plato, others, 00:03:26.409 --> 00:03:30.909 greatly respected. And Socrates said the unexamined 00:03:30.909 --> 00:03:36.110 life is not worth living. And I think that we 00:03:36.110 --> 00:03:40.449 often jump into what needs to change without 00:03:40.449 --> 00:03:43.229 doing something that every business does, right? 00:03:43.469 --> 00:03:46.009 If things aren't going very well or good businesses, 00:03:46.229 --> 00:03:48.330 if things are going really well, what do they 00:03:48.330 --> 00:03:53.389 do? They pause. They evaluate. Maybe it's a very 00:03:53.389 --> 00:03:57.669 specific SWOT analysis or they look at, you know, 00:03:57.669 --> 00:04:00.289 the last quarter, the last year, the last three 00:04:00.289 --> 00:04:03.810 years, year over year. What are our KPIs? In 00:04:03.810 --> 00:04:06.009 other words, what are those key performance indicators? 00:04:06.750 --> 00:04:10.389 But I find that even people in business, even 00:04:10.389 --> 00:04:14.069 executives often who will do that in their business 00:04:14.069 --> 00:04:17.819 life don't do it in their personal life. And 00:04:17.819 --> 00:04:19.920 so one of the things I've learned over the years, 00:04:20.019 --> 00:04:22.860 it says the fear of the Lord is the beginning 00:04:22.860 --> 00:04:25.180 of knowledge. And then later in Proverbs, Solomon, 00:04:25.379 --> 00:04:28.399 the wisest man in the world, will say the fear 00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:30.240 of the Lord is also the beginning of wisdom. 00:04:30.759 --> 00:04:34.100 And in Hebrew, the word wisdom isn't like being 00:04:34.100 --> 00:04:36.079 smart. There's a difference between being smart 00:04:36.079 --> 00:04:40.199 and being wise. Wisdom is understanding how God 00:04:40.199 --> 00:04:45.040 has arranged or orchestrated life to work. how 00:04:45.040 --> 00:04:48.079 relationships work, how money works, how goals 00:04:48.079 --> 00:04:51.339 work, how people work, how he's designed life 00:04:51.339 --> 00:04:55.339 to work. And wisdom is lining your life up with 00:04:55.339 --> 00:04:58.980 the way that God has lined life to work. And 00:04:58.980 --> 00:05:02.819 so you know what's the right thing to do in each 00:05:02.819 --> 00:05:05.519 season, the right reason that you're going to 00:05:05.519 --> 00:05:08.139 do it, and then how to actually do it. All that 00:05:08.139 --> 00:05:12.720 is involved in wisdom. And so the first thing 00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:17.029 you need to do is push the pause button. And 00:05:17.029 --> 00:05:19.790 before you get all focused and, you know, write 00:05:19.790 --> 00:05:23.610 out a new set of goals for 2026 and sign up for 00:05:23.610 --> 00:05:26.129 the gym and, you know, you're checking and scrolling 00:05:26.129 --> 00:05:28.170 about, okay, am I going to go with the keto diet 00:05:28.170 --> 00:05:30.149 or I'm going to go with this diet or that diet? 00:05:30.269 --> 00:05:32.350 Am I going to go the intermittent fasting route? 00:05:32.529 --> 00:05:35.189 And, you know, we just want to hack to change 00:05:35.189 --> 00:05:39.310 things overnight. Please pause and evaluate. 00:05:41.050 --> 00:05:45.029 You may not keep a journal. I keep one. I've 00:05:45.029 --> 00:05:48.410 done it actually since college. I'm not so much 00:05:48.410 --> 00:05:50.529 writing down what happened yesterday, the day, 00:05:50.569 --> 00:05:53.410 the day before, but I'm writing much more about 00:05:53.410 --> 00:05:56.430 this is what I'm sensing. This is what I'm praying. 00:05:56.670 --> 00:05:59.829 This is where God is leading. Here's the top 00:05:59.829 --> 00:06:01.870 three or four challenges that I'm facing. And 00:06:01.870 --> 00:06:04.189 I might write a little box and turn those into 00:06:04.189 --> 00:06:07.759 a prayer request. And so when I read back over 00:06:07.759 --> 00:06:11.100 the whole year, and I do that, kind of that time 00:06:11.100 --> 00:06:13.379 between Christmas and the new year or the first 00:06:13.379 --> 00:06:16.879 few days of the new year, I find a corner and 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:21.899 I will slowly, just without judgment, read back 00:06:21.899 --> 00:06:25.839 over the year. There's something about pausing 00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:30.100 and looking back over the year that gives you 00:06:30.100 --> 00:06:34.980 perspective. We too, too often start acting about 00:06:34.980 --> 00:06:38.079 what we're going to do next without really trying 00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:41.459 to get a sense of where are we. And so I would 00:06:41.459 --> 00:06:45.040 encourage you as you look back that you, yes, 00:06:45.240 --> 00:06:49.199 Lord, is there some things I need to address? 00:06:49.579 --> 00:06:52.480 But also that you list some things, this went 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:56.100 well. I really made improvements. Wow, you know 00:06:56.100 --> 00:06:59.319 something? I did work out more regularly than 00:06:59.319 --> 00:07:02.220 in the last several years. Or, you know something? 00:07:02.420 --> 00:07:05.720 You know, I had a troubling or a difficult or 00:07:05.720 --> 00:07:08.579 a concerning relationship at work. Or, you know, 00:07:08.600 --> 00:07:10.019 if you're married, maybe it was with one of your 00:07:10.019 --> 00:07:13.220 children or with an in -law. And you kind of 00:07:13.220 --> 00:07:14.459 look at that and you say, you know something? 00:07:14.939 --> 00:07:18.500 Great progress was made. Because see, once you 00:07:18.500 --> 00:07:22.160 look back, you want to evaluate and then what 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:25.680 I call looking up, you want to take what you 00:07:25.680 --> 00:07:28.019 think and then kind of look up and say, Lord, 00:07:29.279 --> 00:07:31.879 you know, whether it's in your mind's eye or 00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:33.920 if you don't keep a journal, maybe you go through 00:07:33.920 --> 00:07:36.620 the calendar and you just look at your calendar 00:07:36.620 --> 00:07:40.220 or scroll back over maybe some key texts and 00:07:40.220 --> 00:07:44.300 just say, wow, what went well? Where did I see 00:07:44.300 --> 00:07:46.959 God show up? What would I give thanks for? And 00:07:46.959 --> 00:07:49.660 what were some areas that seemed to be some themes? 00:07:49.939 --> 00:07:54.360 And can I say, don't overthink it. The Lord really 00:07:54.360 --> 00:07:58.379 longs to help you more than you and I often want 00:07:58.379 --> 00:08:00.819 help. And if you're not quite sure, Lord, would 00:08:00.819 --> 00:08:04.060 you bring to my mind? And so you evaluate. That's 00:08:04.060 --> 00:08:07.579 step one. And when I do that, I do have a list. 00:08:07.720 --> 00:08:12.000 And so I'll ask myself, you know, in 2025, did 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:15.860 I have a growing, vital, fruitful relationship 00:08:15.860 --> 00:08:21.339 with the Lord? Would I say my marriage is like... 00:08:22.320 --> 00:08:25.339 On a scale of 1 to 10, was it a 4? You know, 00:08:25.360 --> 00:08:27.939 we made it through, but was it a 7? You know, 00:08:27.959 --> 00:08:29.759 are we flourishing? Have we had one of those 00:08:29.759 --> 00:08:34.379 like, wow, wee, it was a 9. However you want 00:08:34.379 --> 00:08:37.120 to do it, but I think it's important to not get 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:40.600 too narrowly focused. Obviously, we know from 00:08:40.600 --> 00:08:42.919 all the research that people are a little over 00:08:42.919 --> 00:08:45.700 the top on their weight and on getting in shape. 00:08:45.720 --> 00:08:47.720 And if you're a follower of Jesus, it's, you 00:08:47.720 --> 00:08:50.690 know, time in the Bible and prayer time. And 00:08:50.690 --> 00:08:53.549 those are all really, really important. But I 00:08:53.549 --> 00:08:55.789 would encourage you to say, okay, where am I 00:08:55.789 --> 00:08:58.750 at in my relationship with the Lord? Where am 00:08:58.750 --> 00:09:01.210 I at in those most important relationships? If 00:09:01.210 --> 00:09:03.970 you're married, obviously your mate. If you have 00:09:03.970 --> 00:09:07.110 children, obviously your children. Then you may 00:09:07.110 --> 00:09:10.190 ask yourself physically, I mean, if my body's 00:09:10.190 --> 00:09:13.220 the temple of God, You know, let's be honest, 00:09:13.419 --> 00:09:16.480 you know, if it's been sort of a lot on the couch 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:18.580 and a lot of potato chips and a lot of pizza 00:09:18.580 --> 00:09:22.159 and a lot of like you've been planning on changing 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:25.600 or maybe you're on the other end where, I mean, 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:28.639 you're just so self -focused because your body 00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:30.759 has to be just perfect and, you know, you've 00:09:30.759 --> 00:09:33.539 got to work out at this nth degree and it's taken 00:09:33.539 --> 00:09:36.279 over your life. You know, part of evaluation 00:09:36.279 --> 00:09:39.460 is realizing, you know, there's some good things 00:09:39.460 --> 00:09:43.490 that can become idols as well. The big lie is 00:09:43.490 --> 00:09:48.690 we think we can do far more than we can. And 00:09:48.690 --> 00:09:51.730 then I would be remiss if I didn't ask you to 00:09:51.730 --> 00:09:55.250 evaluate your personal ministry. I don't mean 00:09:55.250 --> 00:09:57.309 just you go to church. I mean, that would be 00:09:57.309 --> 00:10:00.070 a good one to look at. When we survey people, 00:10:00.250 --> 00:10:02.470 you know, we have Barna or others do some surveys 00:10:02.470 --> 00:10:05.860 for us at Living on the Edge. You maybe you wouldn't 00:10:05.860 --> 00:10:08.259 be shocked. I'm shocked that what people report, 00:10:08.440 --> 00:10:10.779 how often they go to church or how often they 00:10:10.779 --> 00:10:13.220 read the Bible or how they're doing spiritually 00:10:13.220 --> 00:10:18.639 is is like 25 to 50 percent better than reality. 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:20.820 And I don't think they're consciously lying. 00:10:21.019 --> 00:10:23.759 I think it's just like, well, yeah, you know, 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:26.899 we yeah, we're regular. Well, except for during 00:10:26.899 --> 00:10:30.899 the traveling. team season. And we're regular 00:10:30.899 --> 00:10:33.580 except for in the summer where we've got a place 00:10:33.580 --> 00:10:37.679 at the lake. And pretty soon you start adding 00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:39.639 the holidays. Well, when people come in town, 00:10:39.740 --> 00:10:42.600 it's not really so good to go to church. My whole 00:10:42.600 --> 00:10:45.120 point is not whether you do or whether you don't 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:49.139 at this point. It's being honest with where are 00:10:49.139 --> 00:10:53.720 you really at. And I think the final one that 00:10:53.720 --> 00:10:56.220 is really important is ask yourself to evaluate. 00:10:56.919 --> 00:11:01.000 Where am I at emotionally? I mean, am I an anxious 00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:06.259 person? Am I someone who worries? If I sort of 00:11:06.259 --> 00:11:08.419 tried to evaluate, what's my joy level? What's 00:11:08.419 --> 00:11:12.259 my peace level? What's my love level? And so 00:11:12.259 --> 00:11:14.179 you might be saying, Chip, you're spending a 00:11:14.179 --> 00:11:19.279 lot of time on evaluation. That's because knowing 00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:24.440 where you are is the prerequisite to moving from 00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:28.049 where you are. to where you and God want you 00:11:28.049 --> 00:11:31.629 to be. You can get in the car and say, man, I'll 00:11:31.629 --> 00:11:33.870 tell you what, we're going to Philadelphia. But 00:11:33.870 --> 00:11:37.750 if you don't know you're in LA instead of Las 00:11:37.750 --> 00:11:41.210 Vegas, or you don't know you're in LA instead 00:11:41.210 --> 00:11:44.690 of New Orleans, it's a very different road to 00:11:44.690 --> 00:11:48.759 get there. I have some great news to share. So 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:51.299 many of you responded to our year -end match, 00:11:51.500 --> 00:11:54.179 sending your gift before the December 31st deadline. 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:57.220 Your investment is already at work, reaching 00:11:57.220 --> 00:12:00.139 the next generation, supporting pastors who feel 00:12:00.139 --> 00:12:02.840 alone and helping believers grow deeper in their 00:12:02.840 --> 00:12:06.340 faith. Because you gave, 2026 will be a year 00:12:06.340 --> 00:12:09.779 of expanded ministry impact. On behalf of Chip 00:12:09.779 --> 00:12:12.460 and the entire Living on the Edge team, thank 00:12:12.460 --> 00:12:15.309 you. We'll now back to today's message called 00:12:15.309 --> 00:12:17.850 How to Make This Year Different. Again, our Bible 00:12:17.850 --> 00:12:21.490 teacher, Chip Ingram. And now let me give you, 00:12:21.509 --> 00:12:25.529 if you will, some real practical ways that I 00:12:25.529 --> 00:12:29.490 think will kind of help. Once you get that list 00:12:29.490 --> 00:12:32.370 and you're looking at it, if you don't feel overwhelmed, 00:12:32.490 --> 00:12:34.789 you probably haven't done a great job. So you 00:12:34.789 --> 00:12:38.210 want to summarize and prioritize. This is where 00:12:38.210 --> 00:12:41.190 I'm doing well. This is what needs to change. 00:12:41.549 --> 00:12:44.139 And then list them. You know, just get them out 00:12:44.139 --> 00:12:45.679 of your head because they're going to mess with 00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:48.120 your brain and with your emotions. Just list. 00:12:48.179 --> 00:12:49.899 Here's all the things I'm doing well. Here's 00:12:49.899 --> 00:12:51.799 all the things I think I need to change. And 00:12:51.799 --> 00:12:54.279 right. Once you get past about two or three, 00:12:54.340 --> 00:12:56.279 it's like, oh, my gosh, I need to change, change, 00:12:56.379 --> 00:12:58.080 change. Just write them down to get them out 00:12:58.080 --> 00:13:00.580 of your head. And then you take those lists and 00:13:00.580 --> 00:13:02.460 you look up and you bring them before the Lord 00:13:02.460 --> 00:13:06.539 and you say, God. You know, there's no way I 00:13:06.539 --> 00:13:09.440 can address all those issues. And I need to strengthen 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:12.120 the things that I'm doing well. Would you give 00:13:12.120 --> 00:13:16.139 me real wisdom from you, Holy Spirit -led, of 00:13:16.139 --> 00:13:19.039 where do I need to stay focused in my strengths? 00:13:19.220 --> 00:13:22.700 And then what one or two things? It's just January, 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:25.899 right? There's 12 months in this year. What one 00:13:25.899 --> 00:13:28.779 or two things do you want me to begin to address? 00:13:29.700 --> 00:13:34.159 Please, please. refused to tackle all of them. 00:13:34.779 --> 00:13:38.919 I was talking to someone close to me. We, you 00:13:38.919 --> 00:13:41.860 know, got a, not a huge organization, but a number 00:13:41.860 --> 00:13:44.600 of different people in it. And I was looking 00:13:44.600 --> 00:13:47.120 at someone's goals. And I mean, it was like. 00:13:47.879 --> 00:13:49.879 You know, I'm going to read the Bible every day. 00:13:49.960 --> 00:13:51.639 I'm going to lead a Bible study. I'm going to 00:13:51.639 --> 00:13:53.519 memorize so many scriptures. I'm going to, I 00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:55.879 mean, it was like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. 00:13:56.320 --> 00:13:59.720 I told this particular person, I said, you really 00:13:59.720 --> 00:14:01.580 don't want to go there. No, no, no, no, no, I 00:14:01.580 --> 00:14:04.539 think I can do it. And then we do, rather than 00:14:04.539 --> 00:14:07.200 yearly, three times a year we do evaluations 00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:10.120 at Living on the Edge. And so the evaluation 00:14:10.120 --> 00:14:13.820 time came and this person came to me and said, 00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:18.120 oh my. I really, I bit off way too much and then 00:14:18.120 --> 00:14:20.159 I could chew. Then I felt defeated a lot of the 00:14:20.159 --> 00:14:22.860 time. It was so overwhelming. Then I realized 00:14:22.860 --> 00:14:26.259 halfway in, I can't do all this. I actually made 00:14:26.259 --> 00:14:28.360 some good progress, but because I tried to do 00:14:28.360 --> 00:14:31.399 everything, it was overwhelming. It was negative. 00:14:31.700 --> 00:14:35.240 I've got to scale back and just come up with 00:14:35.240 --> 00:14:39.509 what's realistic. And here's what all the research 00:14:39.509 --> 00:14:42.009 tells you. And whether you read a book like Atomic 00:14:42.009 --> 00:14:46.889 Habits or others, consistency is much more important 00:14:46.889 --> 00:14:50.309 than setting a big goal and keeping a big goal. 00:14:50.570 --> 00:14:52.509 If you say, you know, I really want to get into 00:14:52.509 --> 00:14:55.929 God's Word and I want to develop that habit or 00:14:55.929 --> 00:14:59.019 I want to work out, I want to tell you. That 00:14:59.019 --> 00:15:01.220 if you would do it every day and if the day you 00:15:01.220 --> 00:15:02.960 don't want to do it, it feels terrible. There's 00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:04.720 no way I'm going to open the Bible. You say, 00:15:04.740 --> 00:15:07.059 I can open it for five minutes. Set your watch 00:15:07.059 --> 00:15:09.559 even. Open it for five minutes and read for five 00:15:09.559 --> 00:15:13.299 minutes and then shut it and go on. most times 00:15:13.299 --> 00:15:15.419 you'll end up doing it a bit more than five minutes, 00:15:15.460 --> 00:15:18.200 but the habit of doing it five minutes will lead 00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:21.860 to 10 or 15, and you'll build the rhythm and 00:15:21.860 --> 00:15:24.779 the habit in your life that's far more important 00:15:24.779 --> 00:15:27.480 than, I spent a half hour with God when you were 00:15:27.480 --> 00:15:29.980 doing nothing or little. You know, then I did 00:15:29.980 --> 00:15:32.139 this, then I did that, and then you look up and 00:15:32.139 --> 00:15:33.960 you haven't done it in a week, then you feel 00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:38.940 defeated. A consistency. Look, try to lose like 00:15:38.940 --> 00:15:43.039 one pound. a week or every two weeks. And he 00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:45.539 goes, Chip, it'll take me six months to get where 00:15:45.539 --> 00:15:48.980 I need to be. Yes, it will. And it'll stay off 00:15:48.980 --> 00:15:52.240 and you won't be binging. You know, the key, 00:15:52.360 --> 00:15:57.799 start small, develop habits, progress and consistency. 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:00.899 And so you're not going to try to do everything. 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:04.220 And here's when you think about prioritizing 00:16:04.220 --> 00:16:08.419 things. Jesus was teaching in the Sermon on the 00:16:08.419 --> 00:16:11.240 Mount. And by this time, he's talked about prayer. 00:16:11.659 --> 00:16:14.019 He's talked about fasting. He's talked about 00:16:14.019 --> 00:16:16.240 his word. He's talked about not lusting. And 00:16:16.240 --> 00:16:19.580 when he gets to the end of chapter six, and this 00:16:19.580 --> 00:16:21.580 is before there's a pretty big summary about, 00:16:21.720 --> 00:16:24.220 you know, chapter seven opens with, you know, 00:16:24.220 --> 00:16:26.940 the two kinds of people. And there's one kind 00:16:26.940 --> 00:16:29.120 that talk about and hear God's word that don't 00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:31.139 put it into practice. And then there's the kind 00:16:31.139 --> 00:16:33.899 who hear from God and put it into practice. And 00:16:33.899 --> 00:16:36.590 one is built on the rock. application, consistency, 00:16:37.169 --> 00:16:40.850 obedience. And the other is, I heard it, I intended 00:16:40.850 --> 00:16:44.669 to, I convinced myself I am doing it, and it 00:16:44.669 --> 00:16:49.669 ends like built on sand. And in chapter 6 of 00:16:49.669 --> 00:16:53.029 Matthew, verse 33, he says, but seek ye first 00:16:53.029 --> 00:16:55.809 the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and 00:16:55.809 --> 00:16:58.750 all these things will be added to you. And it 00:16:58.750 --> 00:17:02.090 was the concern about clothing and food and the 00:17:02.090 --> 00:17:05.259 necessities of life. And so what Jesus was teaching 00:17:05.259 --> 00:17:07.619 there, that there is a really clear priority. 00:17:08.599 --> 00:17:10.480 And I would say this, you may need to get in 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:12.980 shape, get in shape spiritually before you get 00:17:12.980 --> 00:17:15.640 in shape physically. It's not necessarily an 00:17:15.640 --> 00:17:18.960 either or, but what I know, if you get in shape 00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:21.640 spiritually, you'll hear from God. As you hear 00:17:21.640 --> 00:17:24.400 from God, you get grace. Grace is both the want 00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:27.700 to and the power and the ability to obey and 00:17:27.700 --> 00:17:30.539 do what he wants you to do. So that's just a 00:17:30.539 --> 00:17:32.920 priority with me. You know, there's times I don't 00:17:32.920 --> 00:17:35.670 work out as much as I want to. but I have diligently 00:17:35.670 --> 00:17:38.990 made the habit over many decades now, I meet 00:17:38.990 --> 00:17:42.150 with God every morning. I have an honest conversation. 00:17:42.490 --> 00:17:46.430 And if your soul gets healthy, the rest of you 00:17:46.430 --> 00:17:49.589 will eventually get healthy. The next thing I 00:17:49.589 --> 00:17:51.970 would say is don't go it alone. You will fail. 00:17:52.109 --> 00:17:55.109 I mean, there's a reason that whether it's AA 00:17:55.109 --> 00:17:59.210 or Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers or you name 00:17:59.210 --> 00:18:02.130 any group, Al -Anon, they all have discovered 00:18:02.130 --> 00:18:05.430 the biblical principle that a cord of three is 00:18:05.430 --> 00:18:09.349 not easily broken. Proverbs 13 .20 says, He who 00:18:09.349 --> 00:18:12.190 dwells with wise men will be wise, but the companion 00:18:12.190 --> 00:18:16.829 of a fool will suffer harm. You can't go it alone. 00:18:17.089 --> 00:18:19.630 You have to verbalize your goals. You need someone 00:18:19.630 --> 00:18:22.640 in your corner. And if it's an area that's a 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:26.259 struggle for you, like dieting or working out, 00:18:26.420 --> 00:18:28.940 probably your mate is not going to be the best 00:18:28.940 --> 00:18:31.720 person because it feels like when we do that 00:18:31.720 --> 00:18:33.960 for the person that we're married to, that we're 00:18:33.960 --> 00:18:36.660 becoming the junior Holy Spirit. And then they 00:18:36.660 --> 00:18:39.640 feel it. Don't go there. If you're a woman, find 00:18:39.640 --> 00:18:41.920 a woman that can speak into your life. If you're 00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:44.259 a man, find a man who speaks into your life. 00:18:44.359 --> 00:18:47.500 And when it comes to devotions and physical exercise. 00:18:49.250 --> 00:18:51.910 Don't go it alone. Even if you have to say, hey, 00:18:52.009 --> 00:18:53.950 we're going to text each other at the end of 00:18:53.950 --> 00:18:56.609 each day when we do this practice or don't do 00:18:56.609 --> 00:18:59.670 this practice. Once a week, maybe it's your closest 00:18:59.670 --> 00:19:02.089 friend is across the country. Hey, can we Zoom 00:19:02.089 --> 00:19:05.809 for 15 minutes? There is plenty of ways to be 00:19:05.809 --> 00:19:09.490 successful and to connect, but don't go it alone. 00:19:10.170 --> 00:19:12.710 And then the last thought or next to the last 00:19:12.710 --> 00:19:16.730 thought maybe is John 15, 5. Jesus says, abide 00:19:16.730 --> 00:19:20.410 in me. I'm the vine, you're the branch. Apart 00:19:20.410 --> 00:19:27.630 from me, you can do nothing. Refuse, refuse to 00:19:27.630 --> 00:19:31.509 think somehow that willpower and habits and hacks, 00:19:31.710 --> 00:19:35.309 and I'm going to do it this way. The only one 00:19:35.309 --> 00:19:37.690 that can live the Christian life, are you ready, 00:19:37.829 --> 00:19:42.150 is Jesus. He's asked you to abide. The only one 00:19:42.150 --> 00:19:44.470 that can overcome every temptation is Jesus, 00:19:44.589 --> 00:19:47.940 and he lives in you. Your body is the temple 00:19:47.940 --> 00:19:51.720 of the Holy Spirit. Jesus dwells in you. His 00:19:51.720 --> 00:19:54.440 power that raised him from the dead dwells in 00:19:54.440 --> 00:19:59.460 you. It's in dependency. And as you depend on 00:19:59.460 --> 00:20:02.359 him through his word, through the community of 00:20:02.359 --> 00:20:06.740 God's people, and just say, Lord, I can't do 00:20:06.740 --> 00:20:10.380 this. You never said I could. But you can work 00:20:10.380 --> 00:20:14.299 in me and through me. And I would say the final 00:20:14.750 --> 00:20:17.269 thoughts that I think over the years of I've 00:20:17.269 --> 00:20:20.289 met with people and in my own life where I've 00:20:20.289 --> 00:20:25.690 so failed is refuse to compare yourself with 00:20:25.690 --> 00:20:28.490 other people. The Apostle Paul would say in 2 00:20:28.490 --> 00:20:31.529 Corinthians 10, verse 12, for we are not bold 00:20:31.529 --> 00:20:34.349 to class or compare ourselves with some of those 00:20:34.349 --> 00:20:36.650 who commend themselves. For when they measure 00:20:36.650 --> 00:20:39.369 themselves by themselves and compare themselves 00:20:39.369 --> 00:20:42.109 with themselves, they are without understanding. 00:20:43.009 --> 00:20:46.410 comparison always leads to carnality. You always 00:20:46.410 --> 00:20:48.809 find yourself comparing up or comparing down. 00:20:48.970 --> 00:20:51.289 If you compare up, you're a nobody, you're worthless. 00:20:51.509 --> 00:20:53.690 If you compare down, you get arrogant and you're 00:20:53.690 --> 00:20:57.170 a jerk. You are you. Don't compare yourself. 00:20:57.390 --> 00:21:01.279 The only one you compare yourself with is. God's 00:21:01.279 --> 00:21:04.319 standard before the living God who loves you 00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:07.380 and is for you? And how are you comparing with 00:21:07.380 --> 00:21:11.380 what you did before? And the last thing is, refuse, 00:21:11.880 --> 00:21:16.720 and this is my lifelong one, refuse to be a people 00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:21.460 pleaser. In Luke 16, 15, Jesus was talking to 00:21:21.460 --> 00:21:23.819 the Pharisees, and he said to them, he was speaking 00:21:23.819 --> 00:21:26.140 about money and wealth and some other areas, 00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:29.140 but the principle is true. He says, you know 00:21:29.140 --> 00:21:31.990 what, you all? That which is highly esteemed 00:21:31.990 --> 00:21:34.950 among men is detestable in the sight of God. 00:21:35.589 --> 00:21:39.670 Fame, likes, what you drive, the handbag, the 00:21:39.670 --> 00:21:43.349 watch, where you vacation. There is so much stuff, 00:21:43.630 --> 00:21:47.450 whether so -and -so went public, so -and -so 00:21:47.450 --> 00:21:51.009 got a promotion. It's not just comparison. It's 00:21:51.009 --> 00:21:55.250 pleasing people. And even people that are very, 00:21:55.309 --> 00:22:00.589 very close to you. You and I need to first and 00:22:00.589 --> 00:22:04.049 foremost please God. Paul would say in Galatians 00:22:04.049 --> 00:22:07.410 1 .10, if I were still seeking to please people, 00:22:07.670 --> 00:22:10.410 I wouldn't be a bondservant of Christ. And so 00:22:10.410 --> 00:22:12.529 let me encourage you, this year can be different, 00:22:12.630 --> 00:22:14.710 but it's not going to be different by trying 00:22:14.710 --> 00:22:18.930 harder, by trying to do too much. Evaluate, look 00:22:18.930 --> 00:22:22.869 back, then look up, prioritize, and then say, 00:22:22.930 --> 00:22:28.900 Lord, 633. I'm going to seek you first and your 00:22:28.900 --> 00:22:32.660 righteousness. And I'm going to abide and I'm 00:22:32.660 --> 00:22:35.279 going to do it with you in the community of a 00:22:35.279 --> 00:22:37.279 friend or two that I can really be honest with. 00:22:37.700 --> 00:22:40.960 And I'm just going to take baby steps in a couple 00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:44.920 areas. You do that in January, you'll see progress. 00:22:45.420 --> 00:22:47.619 And then maybe you want to add one in February 00:22:47.619 --> 00:22:49.799 or you may want to increase what you're doing. 00:22:50.359 --> 00:22:53.900 That's how long -term transformation happens 00:22:53.900 --> 00:22:57.460 from the inside out. I hope this is a help, and 00:22:57.460 --> 00:23:00.900 I would love to hear from you. It's chip at livingontheedge, 00:23:00.980 --> 00:23:04.440 one long word, dot org. chip at livingontheedge 00:23:04.440 --> 00:23:09.839 .org. Let me know how it's going. With a special 00:23:09.839 --> 00:23:12.779 message designed just for the new year, you're 00:23:12.779 --> 00:23:14.880 listening to the Bible teaching of Chip Ingram, 00:23:14.980 --> 00:23:18.359 and this is Living on the Edge. I'll reinforce 00:23:18.359 --> 00:23:20.859 what Chip said a moment ago. He'd love to hear 00:23:20.859 --> 00:23:23.640 your story. And you can send an email that'll 00:23:23.640 --> 00:23:27.599 reach Chip's desk by writing to chip at livingontheedge 00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:31.420 .org. To hear today's message again, or to share 00:23:31.420 --> 00:23:33.640 Chip's thoughts with a friend, you can readily 00:23:33.640 --> 00:23:36.519 access the audio file by downloading the Chip 00:23:36.519 --> 00:23:39.079 Ingram app. Then search for the message titled, 00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:42.200 How to Make This Year Different. And as we wrap 00:23:42.200 --> 00:23:44.500 up today, I want to express our profound gratitude 00:23:44.500 --> 00:23:47.299 to those who gave to our December match, where 00:23:47.299 --> 00:23:50.869 every gift was doubled in size and impact. While 00:23:50.869 --> 00:23:53.490 it's too early for a final tally with mail still 00:23:53.490 --> 00:23:56.329 arriving, I can tell you this, the response has 00:23:56.329 --> 00:23:59.329 been overwhelming. Your extraordinary generosity 00:23:59.329 --> 00:24:03.569 means we're entering 2026 with momentum and confidence, 00:24:03.849 --> 00:24:06.869 ready to expand our reach and deepen our impact. 00:24:07.450 --> 00:24:10.410 And if you intended to give but missed the December 00:24:10.410 --> 00:24:13.390 31st match deadline, there's still time to make 00:24:13.390 --> 00:24:16.109 a difference. Your gift today will help us build 00:24:16.109 --> 00:24:18.859 on this incredible foundation. Here's where to 00:24:18.859 --> 00:24:21.700 send your contribution. Living on the Edge, P 00:24:21.700 --> 00:24:27.680 .O. Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia, 30024. Our address 00:24:27.680 --> 00:24:33.880 again is P .O. Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia, 30024. 00:24:34.420 --> 00:24:40.200 You can also call 888 -333 -6003 or give online 00:24:40.200 --> 00:24:45.289 at livingontheedge .org. I'm Dave Drewy, urging 00:24:45.289 --> 00:24:47.809 you to join us to hear more practical Bible teaching 00:24:47.809 --> 00:24:50.730 from Chip Ingram next time on the Living on the 00:24:50.730 --> 00:24:51.809 Edge Weekend Edition.