How to Face the New Year (Rev. Dr. E. Wayne Hanks, Senior Pastor)

Philippians 3:10-14

I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:10-14 NLT)

1) Recognize the Value of Your Time

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NLT)

Actions (vs 1-3)?
Emotions (vs 4-5)?
Spiritual conditions (vs 6-8)?

Time is a gift from God. Examples - a year (student who has to repeat a grade); a month (mother with premature birth); a second (gold medalist a who win by fractions).

By age 75, average American will spend:
3 years learning (in school)
7 years eating
14 years working
5 years riding in car
1 years recovering from illness
24 years sleeping
3 years reading
12 years amusing ourselves

2) Life is Uncertain

Psalm 39:4-5

“Lord , remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” Interlude (Psalms 39:4, 5 NLT)

Life is . . .
. . . Fleeting
. . . Not all there is
. . . In view of above, how should we live?

3) Don't Allow Yourself to be
Enslaved by your Past

Personal victories - blessings & gains
Personal failures - persecutions & losses
Spring/Summer
Autumn/Winter

God knows & is with you. Despite your sin, estrangement & failure, don't be held back, as our God is mighty to save.

Vs. 14 -"Forgetting what us behind . . . ." Move ahead, press on.

4) Establish Priorities in Your Life

". . . I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."

Anecdote - Is the jar full? Stones, pea gravel, sand, water - Lesson was, "Unless you put the big rocks in first, you'll never get the other items into the jar." Priorities.

Next Sunday,
What are the "Big Rocks" in Our Lives?
-SOAP-

1) Scripture 5 of 7 days, read with pen heart
2) Observation - what is God saying journal
3) Application - how does that apply to me?
4) Prayer

Created 5 months ago