New Year's Resolutions

I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year...and, since this is the time of year in which folks meditate upon (and embark upon) resolutions for the new year, I thought I would share my latest newsletter article for those of you who haven't been able to read it. It outlines several possible New Year's resolutions that we, as Christians, could adopt as our own in 2007. Here goes:

2007 Christian Resolutions
1. Resolve to know your Bible better. Commit yourself to a daily reading plan that will allow you to read the Bible through in a year (1 Tim. 4:7-8); to studying a portion of the Bible in greater depth; and to memorizing key Bible passages (Ps. 119:11). How can His Word be a light unto our path and a lamp unto our feet if we don’t even know it?

2. Resolve to approach the world each day Biblically, that is, to think through the issues of each day one by one according to what the Bible says and teaches rather than just accepting what the world says and does (Rom. 12:2). Take time to examine everything you do and say, and hold it up to the light of Scripture.

3. Resolve to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness rather than running after material things like food, clothing, and the accumulation of possessions (Matt. 6:25-34).

4. Resolve to lead your family in worshiping the Lord each day (Josh. 24:15b). One of the biggest reasons why the church is so insignificant in Europe is because of a failure here. Children have grown up and have rejected the God of their fathers, because their fathers chose not to teach them about Him.

5. Resolve not to be like the priest or the Levite but, rather, like the Samaritan, in Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Reach out to those whom God places in your path.

6. Resolve to be Christ-like in your behavior. Instead of claiming your rights and prerogatives, choose to lay them down and serve others in humility (Phil. 2:5-8).

7. Resolve to grow in your prayer life. Set aside a certain time each day to be by yourself in prayer. Besides your own needs and those of your family, you can also pray for the church; for the members of the church (by praying through the membership roll); or for one non-Christian friend or family member each month to become a Christian (Eph. 6:18-19).

8. Resolve to grow in your understanding of the Christian faith. One way to do this is to become more regular in attending Sunday school, church, and Sunday night Bible studies (Heb. 5:12-6:2).

9. Resolve to put feet to your faith. One way to do this is to get involved in our Camp Hope ministry by coming out on Wednesday evenings and/or by volunteering one day a week or a month to work alongside our out-of-town volunteers in rebuilding people’s homes and lives (Phil. 2:12-13).

10. Resolve to disciple at least one other person either within the congregation or outside of it, with the goal of investing in that person’s life so that he/she grows spiritually (Heb. 10:24-5).

11. Resolve to use your gifts by serving in one of the many ministries of the church (Eph. 4:8-16): Camp Hope, youth ministry, music ministry, media ministry, men’s ministry, women’s ministry, LAMBs (Limited Activity MemBers) ministry, 3M’s ministry (More Mature Members), children’s ministry; or by serving as an elder or deacon.

Well, that should be enough to get us started. If anyone would like more information on anything mentioned above, please call or email my office.

Let me end with a quote from the late James Montgomery Boice that may give us some motivation in our pursuit of godliness: "I believe that if America could produce a generation of Christians who genuinely affirm and live by these teachings [i.e., Jesus' teachings that we must deny ourselves and take up our crosses and follow Him (Luke 9:23) and that our righteousness must surpass that of the Pharisees (Matthew 5:20)], that generation by the power of God could transform the world."

May we strive to be just this generation in the new year!