New Year

Putting Jesus Back in the Box

[232 words] The Christmas holiday has come and gone. Time to take down those decorations, Christmas trees, blow-up yard ornaments, and lights, including those religious scenes and figurines. Along with the tinsel and multicolored lights, the little statues of the baby Jesus will be placed in boxes and storage bins and stored away till next…

How to Have a Happy New Year

[166 words] What phrases are you tired of hearing? I asked this question once in a class and was surprised by the number of statements that came from the students. Among those mentioned was the simple wish: “Happy New Year!” I must confess that I love to hear the phrase because it reminds me of…

During the New Year May You Have…

[68 words] …Enough happiness to keep you sweet….Enough trials to keep you strong….Enough sorrow to keep you human….Enough hope to keep you happy….Enough failure to keep you humble….Enough success to keep you eager….Enough friends to give you comfort….Enough wealth to meet your needs….Enough enthusiasm to make you look forward to tomorrow….Enough determination to make each…

Last Chance for Lifetime Membership!

December 29, 2023 — Only two more days to sign up for a Lifetime Membership! After December 31, the Lifetime Membership will no longer be available for sale. We are offering this final chance at a discounted price for all of our loyal supporters! As the name implies, the Lifetime Membership will never expire, and…

Three Biblical New Year’s Resolutions

[440 words] It is time again to make New Year’s resolutions. Our lives will be blessed in the coming year as we keep these three biblical resolutions. Lose weight. After eating all those holiday season meals, many people resolve to start the New Year off by losing a few pounds. While losing weight may improve…

What is Your Focus?

[164 words] A New Year is before us. What your heart is focused on is eternally important. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). Are you passionate to have a heart like Jesus, and to focus on what He was focused on? A heart like Jesus is…

How Shall We Enter the New Year?

[271 words] The year 2023 is upon us. How shall we approach it? No two people enter into the new year with exactly the same emotions. Some enter with fear and reluctance while others enter with optimism and enthusiasm. None of us can look into the future, for God in his great mercy and wisdom…

A Spiritually Productive New Year

[213 words] The following is a biblical formula for having a spiritually productive New Year in 2023: “H”old fast to the faith (1 Corinthians 16:13; cf. 2 Timothy 1:13; Titus 1:9) “A”ssemble for worship (Hebrews 10:25; cf. Acts 2:42) “P”ray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17; cf. Acts 12:5 KJV; Romans 1:9) “P”urify our heart (James…

The Greatest Treasure

[280 words] The famous newspaper publisher, William Randolph Hearst, invested a literal fortune collecting art treasures from around the world. One day Mr. Hearst found a description of a painting that he was interested in. So he sent an agent to trace the history of the painting and contact its current owner so that he…

New Year Reminder

[101 words] The New Year always brings to mind new goals, new expectations, new plans, and fresh starts. As we enter into this year, remember the greatest of these never change! Our greatest goal is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:29-30). Our greatest expectation is…

Just One Request

[93 words] Dear Master, for this coming yearJust one request I bring:I do not pray for happiness,Or any earthy thing…I do not ask to understandThe way Thou leadest me,But this I ask: Teach me to doThe thing that pleaseth Thee.I want to know Thy guiding voiceTo walk with Thee each day.Dear Master, make me swift…

A New Year: Time to Take Inventory

[294 words] As we begin a new year, may we “take inventory” of our spiritual lives. Most businesses or organizations (the ones that are successful) will ask three questions in terms of their direction: “Where have we been? Where are we? Where are we going?” Our spiritual lives are of far greater importance than any…

The Year Ahead

[544 words] “For who can tell a man what shall be after him under the sun?” (Ecclesiastes 6:12). An issue of Time magazine almost thirty years ago gave examples of men who tried to do what man cannot do—predict the future. Here are some of these predictions made in the 1900’s as listed in Time,…

All Things New

[298 words] Happy New Year!  How many times have you heard that phrase in the last few days? Most likely, the person saying it to you sincerely desires for you to have a great 2022.  Of course, it could also mean that they are just thankful 2021 is gone and a fresh new year has…

The Road of Resolution

[348 words] It is this time of year many like to make New Year’s Resolutions. A resolution is defined as, “a firm decision to do or not to do something.” It is good to make godly resolutions or firm decisions. Maybe the following can help you to keep on the right road with God throughout…

Accomplishing Your New Year’s Resolutions

[408 words] What New Year’s resolutions have you made? Most will have made ones that were designed to make their lives or the lives around them better. Such resolutions may include: losing weight, stopping a bad habit, exercising more, becoming more organized, or having a better attitude. Now, I’m not going to be sarcastic like…

The End of the Matter

[290 words] Stephen Covey famously suggested that one of the habits of highly effective people is that they “begin with the end in mind.” I was thinking of that phrase recently while studying the book of Ecclesiastes at the very time that we have started a brand new year.  Seeing that this is January of…

2021: Do You Have Room for Jesus?

[176 words] Even though we have moved into the digital age, I continue to use a paper planner. I like being able to write thoughts, ideas, and make plans while turning pages. Each little block on a calendar represents 24 hours. As we write and plan on each block, do we make room for Jesus?…

Fill the Year with the Fruits of Righteousness

[207 words] In Philippians 1:11 Paul records that Christians are to be filled with the “fruits of righteousness.” Of course the fruit of the Spirit come to mind with a statement like that. The fruit of the Spirit are mentioned in two passages in the New Testament: Galatians 5:22-23, “the fruit of the Spirit is…

Use the New Year to Get Closer to God

[119 words] This world is not my home. I want to go to heaven. Use this New Year to get closer to God and closer to heaven. I want to go to heaven because it is a place of beauty and splendor. Our hope is, “Laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard…

On the Lighter Side (December 2019)

[132 words] Punny New Year A New Year’s resolution is something that does in one year and out the other. Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up for New Year Eve, middle age is when you’re forced to. My New Year’s resolution is to help all my friends gain ten pounds so I look…

I Am the New Year

  [116 words] I AM THE NEW YEAR. I am unused, unspotted, without blemish. I stretch before you three hundred and sixty-five days long. I will present each day in its turn, a new leaf in the book of life for you to place upon it your imprint. I AM THE NEW YEAR. Each hour…

Happy New Year

  [279 words] “Happy New Year” is an expression that we throw about. But do we really mean it? As you enter the new year, is your life filled with Joy?  As a Christian, you have many reasons to be joyful. May I mention a few?  All your sins have been forgiven. When you came…

What Will You Do With The New?

[336 words] Toward the end of the year, we begin to focus on the “new.” We enjoy giving and receiving “new” presents, and we look forward to the hope of a “new” year. A blank calendar page represents fresh opportunity, but what will we do with it? Hezekiah was known as a man who received…

Looking Back, Pressing Forward

[333 words] As a new year approaches, many of us are reflecting upon the past year, and looking toward the hope and promise of what lies ahead. One passage we often turn to when thinking about hope for the future is Phil. 3:13-14. Paul talks about putting to rest things of the past, and pressing…

New Year’s Resolutions

[340 words] Yes, it’s that time again. It is the time of year when we usually commit ourselves to several worthy goals. We do this because we want to make our lives and faith better. We want to improve and that is a worthy goal. I have noticed that most of our resolutions revolve around…

Do You Believe?

[478 words] A brand new calendar year is upon us! As such it is a great time to evaluate where we stand in a number of different areas. Experts tell us that nine out of every ten “New Year’s Resolutions” will fail…and most of these failures occur by February. This means that for the average…

A New Year with The Lord

[133 words] A new year is about to unfold,With new opportunities to explore.Doors will open for new experiences,New adventures with the Lord.Remember not the former things,The things of this past year.The Lord will do new things in us,Much more than we are aware.For He will make a way for us,As we put our trust in…

How to Make 2018 Better Than 2017

[455 words] The time for resolutions is here. If you are among those who like to refocus with the dawning of a new year, here are some ideas. Assess the Past Year. Self-examination is important and helpful. “Examine yourselves” is the admonition of 2 Corinthians 13:5. In the spirit of that passage, set aside some…

Be Patient

[283 words] This writer’s taste buds can almost nearly always generally distinguish instant potatoes from real mashed potatoes. The imposter can be tolerated, but the real is preferred. However, time constraints may make the real a less-real possibility for some meals. There is peeling, cutting, rinsing, boiling, mashing, adding milk, butter, salt and pepper, then…

A New Year is Like…

  [206 words] • A day yet to dawn. • A battle yet to be fought. • A mountain yet to be climbed. • A journey yet to be begun. • A chapter yet to be written. • A book yet to be read. • A blank sheet yet to be filled. • A new…

The Greatest and Foremost

  [168 words] When a lawyer asked Jesus which was the greatest commandment in the law, Jesus answered: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and foremost commandment.” The second is like it; “You shall love your…

Year ‘Round Gifts!

  [159 words] THE GIFT OF PRAISE — Appropriate mention right in front of the other fellow, of superior qualities or of jobs and deeds well done. THE GIFT OF CONSIDERATION — Putting yourself in the other’s shoes, providing genuine understanding of his side of the case. THE GIFT OF CONCESSION — Humbly saying at…
Clock

Ready or Not…2017

  [259 words] Can you believe another year is in the books? Time marches relentlessly onward without asking for either our consent or approval. 2016 isn’t even cold yet and 2017 is already relentlessly marching forward. Nothing you and I can do will ever get that time back. With each passing day we creep closer…

Review, Reflect, Reset

  [311 words] Before we plan for 2017, can we look back at 2016? We apply this strategy with most anything in our lives. It would behoove us to apply this thinking with our spiritual lives as well. Let’s Review! First Cor. 10:12-13 says, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he…

Resolutions for a New Year

  [195 words] I have heard people say that they do not like to call them “New Year Resolutions,” but a “To-Do List” for the new year. I am sure we can all agree that we are great at making resolutions, but we are horrible at following through with them. Decision-making is easy. It is…

I’ve Got to Start…

  [292 words] You may actually know someone who has begun a sentence using the above words. The words that this preacher has heard used most often to complete this sentence are “exercising” and “eating right.” It appears that most of us have a sense of what it will take to improve our health. The…

Running Out of Time

  [345 words] The clock is ticking. The calendar is winding down. I’m running out of time. I made myself some promises about some important things in my life that I would accomplish by the end of this year. It’s going to require me to buckle down, be incredibly disciplined, and live like every day…