Sermon Central
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Happy New Year?
Contributed by Spencer Homan on Jan 4, 2010 (message contributor)
Summary: We are happy to see the old year come to a close and a new year come with all of its hope and promise. But as we look to the new year, are we thinking and wishing for our own prosperity... or others?
Happy New Year 2010
The first African American President takes office.
Congress approves a 789 billion dollar economic recovery package.
H1N1 becomes the buzz word that still lingers today.
Health Care Reform
Michael Jackson passes away
John and Kate Plus 8 headaches
Bernie Madoff
Still 2 Wars
Town Hall Meetings
Captain Sully landing in the Hudson
Going Rogue!
David Letterman Scandal
Cash for Clunkers!
Octomom
Brett Favre comes out of retirement AGAIN to become a Viking!
The Balloon Boy
Tiger Woods
Who would like to join me in saying GOODBYE to 2009 and HELLO to 2010. I think that 2009 was a hard year for just about everybody. I’ve yet to meet anyone who thinks 2009 was a good year. It was a year marked by financial crisis… a year marked by fear and hand sanitizer everywhere… a year marked by loss, as our church personally lost so many friends and family members.
At the end of the year we just want to close the door on all the bad, and open a new door to the possibilities that lay ahead of us. Even during the good years, we do this. We hope that the next year will always be better than the last. We hope… that WE will be better. We make New Year’s resolutions to try and do just that. How many of you have made some kind of New Year’s resolution this year?
I vow to loose 10 pounds.
I vow to pay down debt or to save more.
I vow to be better about going to church.
I vow to be better husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters.
I vow to be nicer.
I vow to spend less time at work and more time on the “important things.”
I vow… I vow… I vow…
Are you seeing any kind of pattern yet? If not… maybe this will help.
PLAY VIDEO - “Get Service” from SermonSpice
This new year, while we are taking time to self reflect on all the things that happened to us, how we could do better… let us also remember to look outward to everyone around us. For every hurt we’ve felt, for every problem we’ve had, for every upset, for every downturn, for every setback… there is someone standing next to us who has felt it too… maybe even worse.
It is easy for us to become self absorbed. It is easy for us to dwell on what has happened to us. It is easy for us to focus on all the wrong and bad things that have happened, but scripture… time and time again… reminds us that our main job as Christians… our main purpose as followers of Christ… is to look beyond ourselves… look to our community… look to our world… see its hurt… its pain… and work to reconcile it as Christ’s ambassadors.
Paul writes as much in his letter to his friend Titus, giving him instruction for his church:
Titus 3:1-2 NIV
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.
As we look to the start of the new year, as we make plans for 2010… I hope we all take time to challenge ourselves to not just make personal goals, but goals as Christians… and goals as a church… to reach out more… to do more good for others… to make a difference in the world… so when 2010 comes to an end… if it HAS been a better year, perhaps it has been better… because of the good we have done.
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
