Fresh S.t.a.r.t.

FRESH START

Colossians 3:12 - 17

12Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Now, there should be no misunderstanding that.

Believe it or not the following announcements actually appeared in various church bulletins, or so we’re told. Regardless, they highlight misunderstanding and will undoubtedly give you a chuckle.

1. Don’t let worry kill you—let the church help.

2. Thursday night—Potluck supper. Prayer and medication to follow.

3. Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.

4. For those of you who have children and don’t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

5. The rosebud on the alter this morning is to announce the birth of David Alan Belzer, the sin of Rev. and Mrs. Julius Belzer.

6. This afternoon there will be a meeting in the South and North ends of the church. Children will be baptized at both ends.

7. This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs. Lewis to come forward and lay an egg on the alter.

8. The service will close with “Little Drops of Water.” One of the ladies will start quietly and the rest if the congregation will join in.

9. Next Sunday a special collection will be taken to defray the cost of the new carpet. All those wishing to do something on the new carpet will come forward and do so.

10. The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind. They can be seen in the church basement Saturday.

11. A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.

12. At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be “What is Hell?” Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Those are misunderstandings…..

But what did Paul mean when he said: “as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

To answer that, let me ask you this.

What happens when you put on old clothes?

They just feel the same don’t they?

“What are you wearing?”…. “Oh, just the same old clothes!”

But what happens when you put on new clothes?

You feel good….you hold your head a little higher.

People notice too…..”Oh you have new clothes, nice shirt, nice pants….”

That’s what Paul meant when he said: clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

To have a fresh start, you have to be a new person, you have to put on new clothes, you have to walk the walk and talk the talk.

If we are going to enjoy the kind of relationships Jesus wants us to experience, then we need to re-clothe ourselves with virtues that come from a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 43:18-19

18 "Forget the former things;

do not dwell on the past.

19 “See, I am doing a new thing!”

All of us have made mistakes in our lives. We have done things that should not have done.

The fact of the matter is, we can’t turn back time, we can’t go back a year, a day or even one second that has already passed.

Listen to what God is saying to you…..He says “I want you to have a fresh start in life, I want you to have a new beginning, I want to do something new in your life.”

Here’s proof John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Jesus says “I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.”

What does that mean?

A bunch…Jesus said because of me, because my father loves you so much, he wants you to have the best of the best.

He wants you to have more.

More love for one another, more kindness to you and from you.

He’s also speaking financially, more at work, more in relationships, more from your kinds, from your parents, every part of life.

Then Jesus says to watch out,…because there is someone out there who wants you to fail and will stop at nothing to make sure that happens…