NEW YEAR WISHES, RESOLUTIONS, AND MORE

Some people at year's end make resolutions, others scoff at them, and the skepticism is often warranted.  Have you kept your vows for the year?  At the New Year’s eve church family service many written their wishes, placed in sealed envelopes and will receive them sometimes toward the middle of this year, as reminders of our plans and wishes.

Someone once said, "A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other."  I invite you today to see the New Year not with a resignation to circumstances or challenges, but as an opportunity to grow into more generous, genuine and compassionate people.

Success is not an accident, it begins with an intention, with a plan.  I invite you to plan your life with prayer, and begin with following item 1 “Develop deeper personal relationship with Jesus, invest in my spiritual growth by consistent practices of spiritual disciplines, to live in God’s presence.”

2.  Learn to care for people in the community, in a way that they would know how I feel about their well-being.  Get involved with new people in the community for the sake of their salvation.

3.  Be intentional about witnessing personally to those close to me about my walk with Christ, about how He is growing me, How the Holy Spirit is blessing my life.

4.  Pray for our city, and for big cities around the world, as more than 50% of population today live in urban setting.  Do something to build a community, and to make friends in the city.  Get involved in something that would make our city a better place to live.

I’ll stop here.  I’ve got another few resolutions.  You make yours, with intention that God’s Name would be magnified wherever you go.  I wish this year many of you will begin a new page in your experience by becoming an evangelist, a good news messenger from God to people in need.

Out in the foyer there are plans we had made as a church for evangelism this year, stop and take one.  Get involved, make a difference, grow our church so we can plant many more places of worship and prayer in this city.