Another New Year...Another Broken Resolution...

Have you ever made a New Year's resolution?  Be honest.  I have.  And if you are like me and the rest of the world, you haven't kept up your side of the plan. At all.

- How is that diet coming?

- Make a resolution to read through the entire Bible...again? Got stuck on Leviticus again didn't you?

- Getting 8 hours of sleep every night?  I saw that yawn...

Let's face it...we aren't that great at keeping promises.  In fact, one website says that only about 8% of people stick with their new year's resolution.  If this is who we are, then here is the profound question...

If we aren't able to keep a few silly promises to ourselves, then why do we put so much trust in ourselves...

This past Sunday night, we finished up our "Jars of Caly: Imperfect People used by a Perfect God" study.  We focused on our FUTURE IMPERFECTIONS.  The amazing truth that Jesus won't let us go, even though He knows better than we do that our future's aren't going to be a perfect 100% when it comes to living for Him.  We will stumble, we will fall, we will turn our backs on Him...yet His Word says He still loves us. 

Amazing.
This is a truth that we should stake our lives on.  Jesus is the one who brings us to God and keeps us there, no matter what happens in our future...and believe me, if it is anything like our New Year's resolutions...it won't be pretty.  It is all about keeping our eyes on Jesus...trusting in Him.

Here is where we get off track...we tend to choose 1 of 2 ways...both wrapped around the idea of trusting ourselves...

1. Worldliness- "I trust myself when it comes to knowing what is best for me.  I am free to do whatever I want...whatever makes me feel good, b/c I know what is best..."  Call it living in sinfullness or just plain stupidity...but people on this path trust in themselves to know what life is all about...and it doesn't end very well for them...

2. Religion- "It is up to me and good deeds to earn God's love and acceptance.  If I read my Bible everyday, go to church every week, go on a mission's trip, put some money in the offering plate, erase all the devil music off my Ipod...then God will accept me."  Let's be honest...we would love to be this person...we look good on the outside and seem really "Christian."  Now again, not that all of these things are bad...but ultimately, this person is trusting in themselves to be good enough to earn God's love...

In our Christian circles...we would call one of these paths "foolishness" (worldliness) and the other...well, we often strive for it with all of our might (religion).  But to be honest...both put trust and ability to come through, in US.

And as we have seen...WE can't be trust...yeah, we can do some good stuff...but ultimately...our futures are full of brokenness, fallenness, and struggles...we can't be trusted...

This is why Jesus came...not just to save us from our sins once and for all...but to be the glue that holds up together as we live our lives everyday...

Use the questions below to help guide you deeper this week into this week's topic.  And then join us Thursday night as we talk about it as a group at Matt & Amanda's barn at 7pm!

1. Re-read Romans 7:15-25
          - Have you ever felt like Paul?
          - Why are we so prone to trust in ourselves to be good enough before God?
          - How will trusting in self turn out bad in the end...all of the time?
          - Verse 24-25a- Why is it important to come to the end of ourselves and realize we are broken and can't do it all ourselves?
          - How does realizing our PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE imperfections, point us to a perfect Jesus who we can put our faith, hope and trust in?

2. Read Hebrews 12:1-2
          - What do you think the author of Hebrews means when He says that Jesus is the "author" of our faith?
          - What does it means for Jesus to ALSO be the "perfector" of our faith?

3. Read Romans 8:1 & Hebrews 12:3-7
          - What does it mean when it says there is no more "condemnation" for those who have put their faith in Jesus?
          - Why is Romans 8:1 important to understand when reading Hebrews 12:3-7?
               * How do you respond to the fact that God doesn't discipline us because He is angry at us, but rather because He loves us like Father a Son?  How should that encourage us as we strive to become more like Jesus?