“When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.””
Restoration
“6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. ”
Rejoice
“As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.”
Acceptance
“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”
Think about...
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Live in Reliance
“Test me, Lord, and try me,
examine my heart and my mind;
for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love
and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.”
As I have loved you
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Belonging
“I belong to my beloved, and his desire is for me.”
To Save the World
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
The Greatest
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Writing History
“History is not written in advance, it is written by the fidelity with which we hear and obey the call of God. In every situation there is a challenge from God to help Him redeem the situation. He offers us opportunity to share in making history according to His pattern.”
A New Heart
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.”
Doing a New Thing
“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?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.”
A New Year of Hope
“Our hope is not in the new year, but in the One who makes all things new.”
It’s tradition to come up with resolutions on New Year’s Eve. There really is something renewing and refreshing about entering a new year. We’ve made yet another trip around the sun, and before we set out to do it again, we want to find ways to make it even better than the last. What are your hopes and dreams for 2022? As we celebrate, let us remember that none of our hopes, dreams, goals or accomplishments come from ourselves alone. They are gifts from God, and we need God’s strength to walk through this year. Whatever God has placed on your heart, pray about it, asking Him for guidance, wisdom, and courage. He will walk every step with you. He will be there even if your path takes you in the opposite direction you expect. He will celebrate your victories with you; He will comfort you and grow you through those things that don’t work out. Look for God in everything you do, and He will bless you. Happy New Year!
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you...”
Journey on!