Morning New Life! I cannot shake EXCITEMENT I have for the New Year. I am so PUMPED about what God has in store for my life, my family, my church, my EVERYTHING! I have decided that this year I am going to be more intentional than ever about chasing after the newness of my salvation.
I want every day to be like the first time I realized I needed Jesus.
I want every day to be like the moment I realized my eternal life begun.
I want every day to be like the moment I said YES.
You might be asking yourself, “That’s a GREAT idea, but how in the heck do you plan on actually DOING IT?” Don’t worry, I have the same questions, the same doubts, the same struggle to grasp even the remotest possibility of it happening, BUT here’s the deal, I serve a God that is BIGGER and GREATER than my doubts…I know that in Him and through Him I can and will breathe fresh air and newness of life each and every day.
This is the year I learn how to count it all joy.
Don’t get me wrong, it won’t be easy. There are going to be days that I fail to even recognize God as God. There will be moments when I’m ungrateful for the work that He is doing in my life. Knowing this, I’m devising a plan of attack to counter my inevitable struggle. Here’s my plan so far:
#1 Get in His WORD every day. This seems like a no brainer, but when it comes to actually implementing it…my actions speak otherwise. I have a tendency to start strong and falter in the end. I must constantly remember that I NEED to hear from God. Crazy right? How could I possibly need reminders for this? Easy, I’m human. I’m selfish. I’m distracted. I’m…full of EXCUSES! So, to combat this I’ve set up my YouVersion account to email me my daily reading AND send notifications to accountability reports to people who will hold me accountable. If I want to experience the BEST year of my life in 2012, I need to consume God’s word and allow Him to lead me—His plans are FAR GREATER than any I can create. Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17.
#2 Get in His FACE every day. It’s difficult to have a healthy relationship with ANYBODY without some sort of interaction, some sort of dialogue, some sort of personal engagement. If you don’t get around somebody, how can you really get to know them or them to know you? I need to pray. I cannot argue with 1 Thessalonians 5:17, no questions asked. I don’t think it’s just because I’m a man, but sometimes I convince myself that I can supply my every need. I’ll pray for OTHERS, but fail to present my hurts, my needs, my desires to God. This needs to change.
#3 Get in a LIFE GROUP. This is how the early church met…from home to home (Acts 2:41-47). They studied God’s word together. They prayed together. They ate together. They existed as a community, as a family…TOGETHER. Life Groups are the most prominent way of measuring the health of the local church. Want to go deeper? Get in a Life Group. Want accountability? Get in a Life Group. Want to grow lasting friendships? Get in a Life Group. Want to know what’s happening at New Life? Get in a Life Group. Want to grow in your relationship with Jesus? Get in a Life Group.
#4 Serve in His CHURCH every week. There’s no way you can read through the Bible and NOT see the importance God placed upon the church. Jesus DIED for the church. Jesus refers to the church as his BRIDE. Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand the church is not a building, but you and I, BUT we gather together in a building AS the church. Unified. Family. We need to become a people that stop treating the church like a buffet. Stop sampling. Stop filing your plate, making a mess, and rolling out. IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU! It’s all about Jesus. It’s all about that person who walks through the front doors for the FIRST TIME and experiences…Jesus. Wherever you’re attending, wherever you call home, don’t settle for being a member…be an OWNER. Let us be a people that are willing to give our money, our time, and our effort to see the name of Jesus be made known in an environment that can only be labeled as AWESOME! Jesus was willing to die FOR the church. We should be willing to serve IN the church.
I can’t say it enough…I’m lovin’ this New Year. I’m giddy with the anticipation of seeing God pour out His blessings on the people of New Life. Will you join us?
I want every day to be like the first time I realized I needed Jesus.
I want every day to be like the moment I realized my eternal life begun.
I want every day to be like the moment I said YES.
You might be asking yourself, “That’s a GREAT idea, but how in the heck do you plan on actually DOING IT?” Don’t worry, I have the same questions, the same doubts, the same struggle to grasp even the remotest possibility of it happening, BUT here’s the deal, I serve a God that is BIGGER and GREATER than my doubts…I know that in Him and through Him I can and will breathe fresh air and newness of life each and every day.
This is the year I learn how to count it all joy.
Don’t get me wrong, it won’t be easy. There are going to be days that I fail to even recognize God as God. There will be moments when I’m ungrateful for the work that He is doing in my life. Knowing this, I’m devising a plan of attack to counter my inevitable struggle. Here’s my plan so far:
#1 Get in His WORD every day. This seems like a no brainer, but when it comes to actually implementing it…my actions speak otherwise. I have a tendency to start strong and falter in the end. I must constantly remember that I NEED to hear from God. Crazy right? How could I possibly need reminders for this? Easy, I’m human. I’m selfish. I’m distracted. I’m…full of EXCUSES! So, to combat this I’ve set up my YouVersion account to email me my daily reading AND send notifications to accountability reports to people who will hold me accountable. If I want to experience the BEST year of my life in 2012, I need to consume God’s word and allow Him to lead me—His plans are FAR GREATER than any I can create. Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17.
#2 Get in His FACE every day. It’s difficult to have a healthy relationship with ANYBODY without some sort of interaction, some sort of dialogue, some sort of personal engagement. If you don’t get around somebody, how can you really get to know them or them to know you? I need to pray. I cannot argue with 1 Thessalonians 5:17, no questions asked. I don’t think it’s just because I’m a man, but sometimes I convince myself that I can supply my every need. I’ll pray for OTHERS, but fail to present my hurts, my needs, my desires to God. This needs to change.
#3 Get in a LIFE GROUP. This is how the early church met…from home to home (Acts 2:41-47). They studied God’s word together. They prayed together. They ate together. They existed as a community, as a family…TOGETHER. Life Groups are the most prominent way of measuring the health of the local church. Want to go deeper? Get in a Life Group. Want accountability? Get in a Life Group. Want to grow lasting friendships? Get in a Life Group. Want to know what’s happening at New Life? Get in a Life Group. Want to grow in your relationship with Jesus? Get in a Life Group.
#4 Serve in His CHURCH every week. There’s no way you can read through the Bible and NOT see the importance God placed upon the church. Jesus DIED for the church. Jesus refers to the church as his BRIDE. Don’t get me wrong, I totally understand the church is not a building, but you and I, BUT we gather together in a building AS the church. Unified. Family. We need to become a people that stop treating the church like a buffet. Stop sampling. Stop filing your plate, making a mess, and rolling out. IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU! It’s all about Jesus. It’s all about that person who walks through the front doors for the FIRST TIME and experiences…Jesus. Wherever you’re attending, wherever you call home, don’t settle for being a member…be an OWNER. Let us be a people that are willing to give our money, our time, and our effort to see the name of Jesus be made known in an environment that can only be labeled as AWESOME! Jesus was willing to die FOR the church. We should be willing to serve IN the church.
I can’t say it enough…I’m lovin’ this New Year. I’m giddy with the anticipation of seeing God pour out His blessings on the people of New Life. Will you join us?
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