How To Get Going Series

How to take the initiative?

50 Days of Faith Part 3 of 8 – Mark 10:46-52

We’re continuing in this “50 Days of Faith” series. . I am receiving very encouraging feedback on how God is stretching our faith. Last week our prayer partners prayed for youth workers. At our Ignition last weekend we had 19 people including 6 youth workers. What a great start! God is really stretching my faith – is God stretching yours?

The children are memorizing a verse each week and so are we. Remember our theme verse (Hebrews 11:6). I am also sending a weekly daily devotional to help us along.

We started the Bait of Satan study this past Wednesday with _______________ participants. The Breaking Free has ______________ participants and they are encouraged. Tonight is our prayer summit at 6:30 PM. Mike Yutzy and his youth band will be leading us. This is the most important meeting of the church. These are positive days for Calvary.

But I want to be honest with you. There are times when I wished I could just start my life over? Maybe just go back and do it again. But I cannot.

So from here on in I don’t want to waste my life. The future faith of our children and grandchildren rests on our obedience and faith in God. We can all avoid lots of problems, pain and worry by stepping up to the plate in faith; by choosing to live a Christ centred life.

But still there are still days that I wish I could rewind the tape and start my life over.” Have you ever felt like that?

The problem is we can’t rewind the tape. It’s behind us. But we can have a fresh start. And God is a God of fresh starts. Psalms 145:14 says, “God gives a fresh start to those who are ready to quit.”

If you have ever thought I feel like quitting you’ve come to the right place today. We’re going to talk about the five secrets of making a fresh start – S.T.A.R.T. There are things from God’s word that will bring us victory regardless of our background, our past, or how we really messed up. You can make a fresh start.

One day Jesus was walking through the streets of the city of Jericho. A large crowd was following Him. There was a blind beggar by the side of the road named Bartimaeus. Let’s call him Bart.

Now in Jesus day if you were blind:

o You could not work

o There was no social assistance

o You had no trained seeing eye dog

So Bart was reduced to begging for survival. He would beg for money daily. It was a miserable life. His name Bartimaeus meant son of Timaeus or “son of the honorable.” But his life was not honorable.

Sometimes in life we have fantastic opportunities.

This would be Bart’s miracle day. He is thinking “This is my chance. I’ve got to go for it. This is where I can get my fresh start. I’m not going to miss this opportunity.”

He starts yelling and screaming above the noise of the crowd saying, “Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!” That is the first step to a fresh start with God.

I. SEIZE THE MOMENT

He said, “I’m not going to miss this one. Jesus may not be back this way. I will not delay nor procrastinate. I’m going to start now.” And that’s the first key to a fresh start in your life. Do today what God is calling you to. Whatever you’re going to do, do it now. Don’t say, “Next year I’m going to make a fresh start.... Next month I’m going to make a fresh start...” It’s now or never. Seize the moment!

Your thinking:

o Time to start reading the Bible – start today

o Time to become a Christian – today is the day of salvation

o Time to start praying again – pray today

o Time to get involved in worship – start today

o Time to start giving to the ministry – give today

o Time to start serving in children’s or youth ministry – start today

Are you a procrastinator? Procrastination is my sin, it only causes me sorrow. I know I need to change my ways, in fact I will, tomorrow!

God is at work all around us – let’s not miss the moment lets crucify procrastination.

Bart got up that morning to another routine day as a beggar. I am sure he never even thought that the Son of God was going to encounter Him; that Jesus would be passing by him. Same place, same begging, same miserable, lonely, pitiful lifestyle. So he had no time to prepare for Jesus, he had no time to plan for Jesus. It was just an opportunity that was dropped in his lap. He had to seize the moment.