2012...What Do You Hope For?

You made a New Year's Resolution didn't you? I know I did. We all do. But the real question is not if you made a resolution, the question really is, can you keep it? Are you strong enough? Do you want change that bad? According to statistics, 8/10 will give it all up by Valentine's Day. Yikes.

So why is this? In our minds, we know where we want to change. But here is the key. Our minds are prinsoners to our wills, and our wills, are held captive to our hearts. What is wrong with that? Jeremiah 17:9 says that the "heart is deceitful above all things..." So is there no hope? Not necessarily.

So how can we do it? Here are three simple things:

1. Seek God.

Romans 8:28 says that God is in the process of working all things out for good for those of us who know Him. As we allign our lives (and our resolutions) with what God is doing and what His will is for our lives, He will give us strength to grow and mature.

2. Understand what God's will and plan is for your life.

How can we know what God desires? Romans 8:29 says that the good God is doing in our lives is making us to be more like Jesus. Does God promise us all good as well see it? Nope. But he does promise that everything that we go through in 2012 and in the years to comes, is for the purpose of making us image Jesus more and more- and that is real good!

3. Grasp Grace.

You are going to fail. Whether your resolution and goal for 2012 is reading the Bible more, sharing, your faith, praying more, or anything else, you are going to struggle, and you will fail. I know for alot of people, if they mess up their resolutions, their new year is shot and goes to waste. For those of us who seek God, yet mess up, there is grace. In 2012, ask God to absolutely wreck you everyday through His Spirit with the grace you have been given through faith in Jesus.

Happy New Year!

If you are in senior high and have nothing to do this Thursday night, come on over to Matt & Amanda's ay 7pm! We are going to talk about our plans for 2012, God's will, and then finish off by praying for one another in the coming year! Hope you can make it!