New Beginnings

September 9, 2016

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

GO FORWARD. Jesus came on the scene not to condemn or reinforce failure, but to become a sin substitute for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). Don’t let the past hold you back. If there is an area of self-inflicted misery in your life, repent and move on. When vision gets disrupted, when momentum gets crippled by challenges, it is God who is at work urging and helping us to put off the old person and keep putting on the new (Philippians 2:13; Ephesians 4:22-24).

RESET DAILY. Like the beginning of a new day, God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). God designed sunrise and sunset as a reset to help us so that we don’t carry the baggage of yesterday or even the dread of tomorrow. God has grace for each day (Matthew 6:34).

OVERCOME, DON’T SUCCUMB. This Christian life of change and moving forward is not for the elite few—it is accessible to all who seek God (James 4:8). Instead of succumbing to all the worries of the world, spend more time in the presence of God where you’ll find rest and renewal (Psalm 91:1-2 NKJV; Matthew 11:28).

WALK IN EFFECTIVENESS. All your life experiences prepare you for credibility, for contact, for incredible impact. The purpose of change is not about personal comfort but about getting ready for increase. People who have been disinterested in the things of God are becoming interested. Now we need to be ready.

Press on!
Pastor Jeff Perry

DAILY CONFESSION
God, thank You for Your mercies that are new every morning! Today I repent of any sin. As I draw near to You, You will draw near to me (James 4:8). I push the reset button and I start fresh! I love You, Jesus. Amen!

O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; Psalm 63:1a

New, adjective
Still fresh. Different from the former or the old. Changed for the better; rejuvenated.

Copyright © 2016 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. “New.” The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright © 2016 by Houghton.