A New Year, A New Start

Posted 4 months ago by praynfool

 

GICF
GICF
New Start
New Start

A New Year, A New Start

 

Introduction:

I’m Pete. God loves you!

The topic today: A New Start

More Than Meets The Eye:

  • A New Start Naturally:

    • We look forward with hopes that a new year will bring a better year. We want to leave the troubles we’ve experienced behind. We want to start over. We want to enjoy a better life in the new year. We resolve to change a habit that hurts us. Maybe we need to diet. Maybe we need exercise. Maybe we want to change the way we approach life. Sometimes we make a New Year’s “resolution” to change.

    • A quick Google search on December 20, 2025 produced this “AI Overview”: “Most New Year’s resolutions fail, with studies showing 80% to 92% don’t succeed, and many people quit within the first few weeks, with roughly 23% giving up by the first week and 43-64% by the end of January.”

    • Various reasons are given for why New Year’s resolutions fail, including unrealistic goals, lack of specificity, no plan, and motivation vs. habit. But doesn’t it seem there is also something making us do what we don’t want? A big battle within?

  • A New Start Spiritually:

    • Here’s where God supplies needed help to whoever will listen. Listen to what The Word of God (the Bible) says on that root problem:

    • For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

      So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. Romans 7:15-25 ESV

    • It says the help we need is from “God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”. But how can we plug Jesus into our lives in such a way that He can help us resist temptation? The answer has two parts:

      • First, allow Jesus to be the scapegoat for your sins. Believe it or not, He wants to be. He willingly came and died your death sentence on the cross to cover the times you used to, and sometimes still do, give in to temptation.

      • Second, let Jesus take control of your life. Knowing Jesus loves you and already paid for your sins, past and future, should help you appreciate what Jesus went through for you, and help you not want to sin so much. Your sins are covered, and you can now work on not giving into temptation, without worry. If you make an effort, no matter how well you do, with Jesus, you will end up in Paradise! This is called “Grace!” This is “Good News!”


        Action Plan:

Are you ready to tell God you’re sorry? Ready to let Jesus be your scapegoat to pay for your sins, past and future? Are you ready to let Jesus take control of your life? Are you willing to work to resist temptation through Jesus? God sees your heart. Just do it!

Enjoy a Happy New Start! Happy New Year! May God Bless You!