A New Year Starting off in 2017…

A New Year Men look back and forward Moses and Israel—Deuteronomy Peter and the Lord John 21:15-22 Us with the New Year

A New Year What do we observe about the past year? The blessings? Personal spiritual growth? Missed opportunities?

A New Year Uncertainty Plans

A New Year Uncertainty Tomorrow is not a guarantee Plans/Future James 4:13-15 Plans/Future Luke 12:16-21 Future in God’s hands

James 4:13-15 “Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

Luke 12:15 “And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

Luke 12:19,20 “And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry. But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?”

A New Year Uncertainty Christ may return this year 1 Thessalonians 5:1,2 His return is a guarantee Time is unknown Prepare 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8

1 Thessalonians 5:1,2 “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.”

1 Thessalonians 5:4-6 “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”

1 Thessalonians 5:7,8 “For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.”

A New Year Uncertainty We may die this year Natural Accident Psalm 89:48 Natural Accident Old or young

Psalm 89:48 “What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his life from the power of the grave?”

A New Year Uncertainty We may live many more years Isaiah 38:1,5

Isaiah 38:1 “In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.”

Isaiah 38:5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years.”

A New Year Plans If the Lord wills we will see them realized James 4:15 Paul’s attitude 1 Corinthians 4;19; 16:7; Acts 18:21 Satan will seek to hinder our progress 1 Thessalonians 2:18

1 Corinthians 4:19…16:7 “But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power... For I do not wish to see you now on the way; but I hope to stay a while with you, if the Lord permits.”

1 Thessalonians 2:18 “Therefore we wanted to come to you--even I, Paul, time and again--but Satan hindered us.”

A New Year Plans We sometimes fall into routines And one needs to break out of them Actions by habit Revelation 2:4 Apathy Hebrews 2:1; 5:12

Revelation 2:4 “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

Hebrews 2:1; 5:12 “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away... For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”

A New Year Plans For the congregation Budget changes Spiritual growth Classes and meetings

A New Year Plans Each individual More Study More Prayer Psalm 119:97 1 Peter 5:7

A New Year Plans Each individual Give more in our Giving 2 Corinthians 9:6,7 Encourage our Brethren Hebrews 3:13

A New Year Plans Each individual Improve our Marriage Ephesians 5:22,25 Improve our Attendance Hebrews 10:24,25

A New Year Plans Each individual Help teach One another Acts 8:4 Overcome a Weakness Colossians 3:5-10

A New Year As we begin a new year Let us realize eternity is closer Seek a closer relationship with God Seize opportunities to serve Him Resist the adversary with greater strength Find wisdom, peace, and hope in the word Love the Lord with all that you are