What To Expect In 2013

What to expect for 2013?

Introduction-

Good morning everyone, I hope that you have survived the hectic time of present opening, over-eating, being sleep depraved, and sugar overload.

All under the heading of Merry Christmas!

Truth is when we do calm down, most of us are just plain exhausted and looking forward to a New Year.

These 7 days between Christmas Eve and New Years Eve causes many to try to get a grip on the old year and with much anticipation hope the New Year will be better.

Question, right up front- what do you expect to happen in 2013?

Same thing different year?

Change by someone else that will affect you?

You change, that brings some change?

Poke and hope that New Year will be better?

There is a saying – “you cannot do the same old thing, the same old way, and expect a different

Out come.”

On our webpage this week- “getting back in the groove.” Get out while you still can. You want

2013 to be better, not the same.”

For most of us- we don’t need to get in the groove, we need to get out of the groove and do something different.

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

I want life!

I want it to be more abundantly, and I want to live instead of just feeling like I am existing.

Anyone feel that way too?

This life is sometimes just over whelming- this life causes us to feel like we are in bondage instead of the freedom that is in Christ.

So I will answer my own question this morning- what can you expect out of 2013?

You can expect to get what you put into it. (repeat)

If you do the same old thing, the same old way- don’t be surprised that the outcome is the same.

If you do not learn from your mistakes that you have made and you again make them this year- guess what?

Some of us last year were right here facing these same situations and we either made bad choices or made no choice. Here we are!

Some of us said:

I am going to grow my relationship with the Lord

I am going to get grounded in God’s word and be more involved in the church.

I am going to spend quality time with my family.

Pray more, give more, correct my mistakes.

That list was endless! Here you are… How did you do with that?

Listen,

Fresh start doesn’t always mean that you have to turn your life upside down, move to japip

. It means to change the things that you know to change and be where God wants you.

God is the God of 2nd, 3rd, 4th chances- Fresh starts!

Lord says

Isaiah 43:18

“forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it?

Former things- new thing

Forget what has happened in the past- move on! Learn from it, don’t dwell on it!

You need to understand that God is more interested in your future than He is our past!

Make a fresh start! Get out of the way and let God do a new thing!

Illustration-

A boy told his father, “Dad, if three frogs were sitting on a limb that hung over a pool, and one frog decided to jump off in the pool, how many frogs would be left on the limb? The dad replied, two. No, the son replied. There is three frogs and one decides to jump, how many are left? Oh, I get it, if one decides to jump, the others would too. So there are none left. The boy said no, dad, the answer is three. The frog only DECIDED to jump.

Deciding to do something and doing something is 2 different things with 2 different outcomes.

Every year people stay up to midnight to see the old year go out and the new year come in.

Every year we promise ourselves it is going to be different.

“I’ll quit this…”

“I’ll start this,”

We make resolutions- what we need to do is make commitments. (repeat)

The text this morning is 2 Corinthians 5:11-5:17

That text is for the New Year and brings with it New Hope.

Now quickly, I want to show you 4 things that need to happen if 2013 is going to be different than 2012.

I. Expect change

II. Live Deliberately

III. Examine your life

IV. Get a fresh start

Gave them to you up front for those taking notes and we will look at them one at a time.

I. Expect change

If you do not like what is happening- expect change. At least be open to change because if you do nothing, nothing will change.