START HERE!
Fresh Start #2
Pastor Dennis Clanton
Woodland Church
Sunday, April 7, 2024
(Romans 12:2, NLT) “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
“Working with the Holy Spirit, which Jesus likened to the wind in John 3, means we have a part in discerning the winds, in knowing the direction we need to go, and in training our sails to catch the breezes that God provides.” – John Ortberg
1. A FRESH START REQUIRES NEW GOALS.
(Philippians 3:12–15, CEV) “I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. My friends, I don’t feel that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. All of us who are mature should think in this same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you.”
a. Step out in faith.
(Romans 15:1, Message) “Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us.”
(Hebrews 11:1, Message) “The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.”
b. Focus on where you want your goal to take you.
(1 Corinthians 9:26, NCV) “I do not run without a goal.
(Job 6:11, GW) “What goal do I have that I would want to prolong my life?”
c. Respect is earned by good goals.
(Proverbs 11:27, GN) “If your goals are good, you will be respected…”
2. Ask yourself, “Will this glorify God?”
(1 Corinthians 10:31, NLT) “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
3. Ask yourself, “Am I motivated by love?”
(1 Corinthians 14:1, NLT) “Let love be your highest goal!”
4. Ask yourself, “Will this require faith in God?”
(Proverbs 16:9, Message) “We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it.”
Growthwork
a. Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit.
(Zechariah 4:6, CEV) “Don’t depend on your own power or strength, but on my Spirit.”
b. Read aloud daily the Bible.
(Joshua 1:8, NAB) “Keep this book of the law on your lips. Recite it by day and by night, that you may … carefully all that is written in it; then you will successfully attain your goal.”
c. Become a fully participating member of the body of Christ.
“Hope fosters optimism, and faith is, by definition, hope for the future. And the churchgoing form of faith can be a built-in social support network. This is not to say that atheists can’t be happy, but it helps explain why so many do find happiness in faith, and why researchers continue to find connections between faith, optimism, and physical health.” – Holly J. Morris, Happiness Explained, U.S. News & World Report
(Hebrews 10:24–25, NLT) “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”