Thoughts for the New Year

Isaiah 66:2
…But to this one I will look, To Him who is humble, contrite in spirit, and who trembles at My word.

Let me encourage you to memorize this verse. This will serve as our theme verse for 2020! By the end of this year you will be able to rattle off these words but more importantly you will see how your life has been affected by the words spoken many years ago by the prophet Isaiah. 

This section of Isaiah reminds us that there was much pride among the Jewish people because of their dedication and skill in building the temple. In verse 1 of chapter 66 God says..

“Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.
Where then is a house you could build for Me?
And where is a place that I may rest?
“For My hand made all these things,
Thus all these things came into being,” 

Imagine, all the splendor of the temple could never compare to the beauty of God’s creation. Furthermore, the supplies used for the building of the temple were created by God! Here the builders were intent on impressing God and He responds with powerful words that we must remember today. If you really want to get God’s attention cultivate humility, lowliness of spirit and a fearful respect for His word. 

As we enter into 2020 we do so with the opportunity to respond to the issues of our faith with a fresh start. On February 2nd we will begin a discipleship class called Encounter. This class is designed for folks involved with (and those who would like to be involved with) one-on-one discipleship. The class begins at 5pm and will end at 6pm. The emphasis of our discipleship process at New Life includes accountability and regular diet of God’s Word. We need people in our lives that will hold us accountable and encourage us to submit our lives to the truth of scripture. 

Also this past Sunday we worked through Philippians 4:1-9 and identified 7 priorities for 2020. As a church here are 7 areas that will cultivate our faith as a community of Christ followers. If you missed the message here is a link to the sermon https://newlifegc.sermons.io/sermons  As a reminder here are the 7 priorities 

1. Cultivate Harmony in the Church
2. Determine to Rejoice No Matter What You Experience
3. Learn to be Gentle
4. Develop a Confident Trust in the Lord
5. React to Problems with Thankful Prayer
6. Control Your Thought Life
7. Imitate Godly Examples

Remember, make plans to attend Encounter on February 2nd at 5pm and I hope to see you on Sunday as we celebrate Jesus!