Well, here we are, it’s New Year’s Eve and in just a few hours we will be welcoming in a new year! It’s amazing, as fast as Christmas seems to come is as quickly as it goes! You know, New Year’s Eve is often a very festive and fun day. Some people will be heading out to watch the Pickle Drop, or they will be staying up to watch the ball drop in New York on TV. I personally requested that they drop the ball in Times Square at 7 pm so I could see it too, but Ryan Seacrest didn’t get back to me on that so I think it will still be dropping at midnight this evening. For many people tonight is a night to celebrate, it’s festive and fun. A night to put on hats, laugh, and sing Auld Lang Sine at midnight to welcome in the New Year, and then New Year’s Day becomes a day to watch football, recover from the late night, and if you are from our area of Pennsylvania, it’s time for the annual Pork and Sauerkraut meal, and one of the biggest parts of the day will be making our New Year’s Resolutions. It’s once again time for a New Year, and that means many of us will set out for the New Me, in the New Year…that we seem to set out looking for every year with the best intentions…and here we are again…setting out for the New Year, New Me…again. What if I told you that if you follow Scripture, you can make resolutions that don’t fade away by February? You can experience that New You that you keep searching for, that every year you talk about, post about, and get excited to find, that you never seem to find. Well, today I would like to show you that found in God’s Word is the solution, to this yearly need to find the new you. And I’m excited to get into this with you today.
Now, I don’t want you to think I’m discouraging any of your traditions, they are great, and setting resolutions is a good thing. You should, I would absolutely encourage that, I just want God’s Word to show us how to experience the true-life change that lasts, in 2024 and beyond. All of this stuff is fun, it’s tradition, and there is something very hopeful about the start of a new year, isn’t there? It’s a chance for a fresh start, and for so many of us, we will set out with the intention to do something new and experience a new me, or our best lives. We will set out on this journey tomorrow and this time we are going to do it, it’s going to be the New Year, New Me thing which is great! We want you to live your best life, but it gives us something to talk about today because, this isn’t the first time we are making these resolutions, is it? Every year is the year we are going to do it. This is the year I’m going to get in shape and get healthy. I’m going to lose the weight, turn the page on old habits, start fresh, and be a healthier and better person, and it’s incredible the energy you will see in the local gyms over the first month or two of the year. This is the year I’m going to truly change my diet and feel better about myself. This is the year I’m going to start reading my Bible, praying every day, and truly finding time to engage God daily and experience my best life with Him in 2024. But, if we are honest, we make these resolutions at New Year’s with the best of intentions, but a few weeks or months in…well life keeps happening, and things pop up, and before you know it, another year has gone by, and we are back at square one, and it is New Year, New Me…again in 2025, 2026…and on and on it goes. And before long, not to be depressing but we have crossed years off the calendar, and a lifetime goes by and well, nothing has happened. We haven’t experienced all those hopes and dreams that we repeatedly commit to finding each New Year…I mean we joke about it as we make those promises and set these goals, it is like we know going in, that it just isn’t going to take, that it won’t last or become a new me, it’s just a thing we try each year. We get excited about the fresh start, but it fades over time, and all those good and healthy goals just go by the wayside, and I think it’s ok to talk about it. I think it is awesome that we find hope and excitement to grow, to be better, and to find a New Me in the New Year, that is great…and today, I want to show you in God’s Word how you can actually do it, sustain it, and truly find and obtain your goals this year, so that next year it won’t be New Year, New Me…again! Next year, you can just make resolutions and goals to add more health to an already growing and healthier person. So, this is going to be a lot of fun, and I’m grateful that New Year’s Eve fell on a Sunday so we could talk about this together. My goal is to walk you through five steps to a new me, in the new year that lasts. It’s found right in God’s Word! I want to show you that God gives us the way to break out of that repetitive cycle of making the same great and healthy promises for a better you every year! You can truly experience a new you in the New Year. This happens as we embrace His Word and apply it to our lives! Our New Year’s Resolutions don’t have to be a funny joke that we know we won’t follow through on. We can truly experience a new us, in the new year! Are you fired up yet? Well, let’s get into this because today is going to be somewhere between a Bible Study and a motivational speech to get you ready for 2024 and to achieve a new you in the new year.
As I prayed through this talk and where we should go today, I kept thinking about this particular verse in Hebrews. It has stuck with me lately, and I think it’s a great verse to head into the New Year with!
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. NLT
This is awesome, it’s inspirational, and not only shows us how to live our lives and run our best race but even where we find the motivation and focus to do it well! What a great thought for 2024! I was using this in one of my latest podcast conversations, and I came across a different version of verse 1…
Hebrews 12:1 …So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back. NCV
So, let’s picture it. It’s tomorrow, you are eating your pork and sauerkraut, and you are hanging out watching football, and it’s time to set your New Year, New Me goals. Well, as you do, and as you set out to truly experience a new you in the new year this verse gives us something very important to do as we start new in the new year.
Step 1 – BE INTENTIONAL!
The first step to experiencing a New Me in The New Year is INTENTIONALITY. We have to get focused and take an honest look at our lives, and then we need to choose to remove from our lives the things that are holding us back or blocking us from experiencing our best lives. This means that I look at my life, and I ask myself and I ask my Heavenly Father, what in my life needs to go, what holds me back, blocks me, and slows me down from running my best race, and living my best life.
You may need to take a moment and make some lists. Make a list of things that help you in your life and make another list of things that do not help you in your life. These are things that you do, that if you are truly honest with yourself, get in the way of health, of your best life, of this “new you” that you are trying to experience. This is so important; we need to be honest; we need to focus and be intentional. This leads me to something we need to talk about here…
1 Corinthians 6:12 “Everything is permissible for me”-but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”-but I will not be mastered by anything. NIV
This word from Paul is so important. Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. We have learned a lot this year about the importance of our choices and owning our choices and here we see that we can make the choices we want to make, we have that freedom…but it does not mean that everything we choose to do is helping us. So, think about that for a moment. What are some things that you do, that you can do, but if you are honest, it doesn’t help you? When I ask that question what comes to your mind? For some of us, we may think of our phones and the amount of screen time we spend playing games or staring at social media. For some it may be hours of binge-watching TV shows, for others maybe it’s alcohol or that late-night snacking, but think about this. Yeah, everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. We need to be intentional, and honest. We need to remove everything that gets in the way and is keeping us from that new me in the new year. Step one is to be intentional.
ASK! Do I Truly Want To Do This?
The second step is to ask yourself an honest question. Do I truly want to do this? We start by being honest, looking at our lives, and removing the things in our lives that are holding us back, things we can do but if we are honest, they aren’t helpful, or beneficial. Now that we have removed all of that and are free to run our best race it’s time to ask ourselves a very important question. “Do I truly want to do this?” Why do we need to ask this question? It’s because very often, we kind of want to do something, sort of maybe…and if we want something to last, we have to truly want to change, because it does take effort, focus, and commitment. We humans like the middle ground in life. We want to be healthy, and all want to be healthy, but if we were honest part of us likes all those things that we do that we know aren’t helpful, or beneficial. Deep down, there is a big part of us that doesn’t truly want to quit doing them…so this is an important question that we must ask if we want this New Me in the New Year. I talk with people who get stuck in a habit or a sin that they truly feel bad about. They are frustrated, but as we talk one thing is clear. Most of them do not want to keep doing it, but part of them does. Why? Because they won’t go all the way. They won’t eliminate that thing from their lives. They won’t flee from the thing and block themselves from it. They refuse to put distance between them and the thing, so it’s always within arm’s reach when they want it. When we are trying to make true life changes, we can’t go halfway, there can be no half-in and half-out because those habits and sins are hard to break out of! Remember what Peter calls those habits?
1 Peter 1:13 So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that’s coming when Jesus arrives. 14 Don’t lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn’t know any better then; you do now. MSG
There is a reason Peter is so aggressive here because those old habits are hard to break out of, you must roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, and go for it. They call it getting stuck in a rut for a reason, and to get out of it will take some effort! In your faith, in your life, in our quest for a new me in the new year, am I truly into this, do I truly want to do this or not? If you aren’t sure, I can help you with your answer. Just look at your life. Are you willing to fully eliminate those things that aren’t helping you and are blocking you from your best life? Or do you kind of want them out of your life, but you keep them close enough to grab them when you feel like it? If that is the case, you don’t truly want to do this, and next year, it will be a new year, new me…again…and the following year, and the following year, until you truly are ready to go all in and go for it! This is so important. We have to ask ourselves the question, do I truly want this? If the answer is yes, great! We roll up our sleeves, we put our minds in gear, and we go for it. Remember, there is no halfway in our faith. Jesus says there is no middle ground.
Matthew 12:30 “This is war, and there is no neutral ground. If you’re not on my side, you’re the enemy; if you’re not helping, you’re making things worse.” MSG
For so many of us, we tend to keep one foot in with Jesus and we keep the other in the ways of this world. If you think about it, we can feel comfortable with the middle ground but if we are choosing the middle ground, it is a choice to continue to live for ourselves, isn’t it? Jesus helps us see that, it is not that you haven’t picked a side, when you choose the middle ground, you have picked a side, and it’s you. It’s me still running my own show, and living how I want, rather than allowing God to lead my life. Remember, the most basic requirement of our faith in Jesus is ALL of us. Time and time again we are encouraged to trust God with ALL our hearts, to SEEK God with ALL our hearts, and when we do we find everything we want in life…for so many of us, we are not all in, but we are wondering why this Christianity thing doesn’t seem to be working out the way we want…this is such an important question on our journey to a new me in the new year. Ask yourself, do I truly want this? If it’s a yes, then go all in for it! So, if we truly want a new me in the new year, we are going to be intentional. We are going to look at our lives and get rid of all that keeps us from living our best lives. With our lives freed up to live our best lives we ask ourselves; do I truly want this? Then we go for it! This next step though is very important.
BELIEVE!
The third step to a new me in the new year is to truly believe it is possible and can happen! You know, faith is a powerful thing. For so many people, they start every year knowing that they won’t follow through on their New Year’s Resolutions, we joke about it. We laugh but, we simply don’t believe anything will change. And we must understand how powerful faith is. In Scripture, we learn that through faith anything is possible in our lives. True healing can be ours if we believe. Like here, after the disciples were unable to cast a demon out of a young boy, Jesus is teaching and admonishing their lack of faith, and he says that the key to everything is our faith.
Matthew 17:20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” NLT
In Mark’s view of this same moment, as Jesus points to their lack of faith, he says this to them…
Mark 9:23 “Anything is possible if a person believes.” NLT
How many times does Jesus bring up that healing, strength, salvation, and anything is possible through Faith? I mean, we could spend all day walking from Scripture to scripture here, but I want you to see the power of belief. So many people don’t believe they can change. I mean they want to try but deep down, they lack the confidence and determination that it could truly happen for them. They make excuses and rationalize them for their own peace of mind. They will look around and say, it’s just easier for some people, and it’s harder for me. My life is more challenging than someone else’s life. So of course, that person can experience new life in the new year but not me. My life is harder. It’s my personality and how I’m designed, and God just can’t work in me the way He does in others…listen, it’s your belief, your faith that sustains you through all that life will through at you. BELIEVE!
Matthew 17:20 “The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.” MSG
Don’t go into this expecting to fail, believe that God can do what God can do in your life! Now for a very important step on our way to a new me in the new year!
SET THE PRIORITY, TAKE AIM AND GO FOR IT!
Figure out what matters most and then go for it! This is the fourth step to a new you and it’s so important, we go for it. We set out to experience our best lives possible, and I would add to that. We do it, one step at a time, understanding that it will take time! We don’t shoot out the gates so fast in early January, that we are exhausted and unable to continue this journey, we set out, and we take a step forward. We go and we do. This may sound simple, but I believe it is the big sticking point for so many people in life. It’s one thing to talk about life change and living for Jesus. It’s nice to think about, but most get caught up right here. Go and do. I spent a lot of time lately talking about that awesome Scripture in the first chapter of John that makes our faith so simple and accessible, but reveals the main blocker so many of us face in experiencing our best lives…
John 1:9 The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light. 10 He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn’t even notice. 11 He came to his own people, but they didn’t want him. 12 But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves. MSG
It’s that simple and mirrors so much of life. We will experience our best lives, if we WANT, BELIEVE, and Do…for so many of us, we can handle the first two, but we get stuck on the action step. We live our lives how we want, we do what we want when we want, so we may want new life and believe it’s possible, but if we don’t do what God says, it won’t happen, and for so many of us, we walk right up to that line, and struggle to move forward. We have to do something. We need to go and do and recognize that it’s a journey that we want to be on! Now there is something important about this “do,” part. And scripture helps us see it. Remember all those wise words of Solomon, from His manual of living? Well, he gave us an important warning about how we should go and do…
Proverbs 17:24 An intelligent person aims at wise action, but a fool starts off in many directions. GNT
So, this is important and comes from the wisest person ever. So many people set out with great intentions, and they launch out the gates on a journey to health, new life, this new year new me, but Solomon says there is a wise way to go about this. We must aim or be intentional about what we are doing and where we are going. There are a lot of ways we could go, and things we could do, and a fool just takes off in many directions. What does that mean? Well, I think it means we need to look intentionally at what we are doing; we need to have priorities in our lives, and we need to live our lives inside of those priorities. What would it look like for you to aim your life, and your actions towards what you want most and what truly matters, rather than all things? That is very different than just saying I want to be healthy and walking into it with no plan, just pure energy, and passion early, that will fade away over time, just like in years past. We need to think, prioritize a plan of action, and then take aim and go for it. We only have so much time in a day, and we only have so much energy, and so many resources so we need to use them wisely. The wise understand this, and they aim for what they want, it’s precise and allows them to find and experience their best lives. They find that they have enough time, energy, and resources because they are not going in a ton of directions but taking aim at the thing that matters most! This is why Solomon says that God can add time to your day and years to your life!
Proverbs 9:11 Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life. NLT
We have to prioritize, we find what matters most, and we go and do that. There are so many places in Scripture we could look at here, but before we move on to our final step to experiencing a new me in the new year, I can’t get this one moment out of my mind. It’s the story of Mary and Martha, and how Mary chose to be with Jesus, while Martha, aka The Busy-Body of Scripture, was so busy and stressed and was so focused on all the work and practical things, the meal, and hosting all the people that she was missing the most important thing. As we think about what matters most and take aim to do that in our lives, I can’t help but think of what Jesus says to Martha, this is such a big deal and reveals the most important thing…regardless of your goals or resolutions for this year, and that is Jesus.
Luke 10:41 The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and troubled over so many things, 42 but just one is needed. Mary has chosen the right thing, and it will not be taken away from her.” GNT
Do you see it? The wise aim at the one important thing. They aren’t all over the place, they set their priority and then they go and do that. Jesus here says something to Martha that we must see and apply to our lives. There is only one thing that matters, that is needed, and when we choose it, everything will come together for us. For so many of us, we are stepping into 2024, looking for a new version of us in the new year, and my encouragement is to not only set your priorities and take aim at them in a wise and intentional way but to make sure that you are making time with Jesus the highest priority of your life. For so many of us, if we are honest, it’s our time with Him that is lacking. We know that Jesus is The Vine, and we are the branches. We know that apart from Him we can do nothing, but life keeps hitting and happening and we just don’t live focused lives aiming at the most important thing…which is God and prioritizing Him in your life. If you start with this one thing, the most essential thing, which is time with Jesus and centering your life around Him in 2024, I promise you, you will find that new you, that you have been looking for, and it will stick this time. It’s yours when you choose to focus on the important thing, the one thing that is needed is Jesus. This leads us to our last step which we got a glimmer of in the foundational verse of this talk…
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. NLT
FOCUS ON JESUS!
The last step is very important because it is what sustains us and gives us the endurance to run the race that God sets before us well. Step number five is very important because life keeps happening, and it won’t let up. We must focus on Jesus not only all that He is and went through for us, but where we get to the eternity, we look forward to with Him because of all that He is and went through for us. When we are struggling, when we need energy to keep going, we must remember to keep our eyes on Him.
Hebrews 12:2 Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed — that exhilarating finish in and with God — he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. 3 When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! MSG
New Year’s is an awesome time of year, it’s a time of hope and new beginnings. It is a great time for a fresh start at a new you. What we don’t want is for those hopes and goals to find and experience our best lives to just be the thing we set out to do every year at this time of year. I wanted to show you that in God’s Word, we find a pathway to find and experience our best lives, to true life change. If you follow these five steps from Scripture, you can make this the last year you talk about, and post about, and have to say, it’s time for a “New Year, New Me…Again!” You can do this! When we live out God’s Word, and truly give our lives to Jesus, we can find and experience our best lives in 2024 and beyond.
5 Steps To Experiencing a New Me In 2024 & Beyond!
- Be Intentional (Hebrews 12:1 NCV, 1 Corinthians 6:3 NIV)
- Ask – Do I truly want this? (1 Peter 1:13-14 MSG, Matthew 12:30 MSG)
- Believe (Matthew 17:20, Mark 9:23)
- Set THE Priority, Aim, & Go For It! (Proverbs 17:24 GNT, Luke 10:41-42)
- Focus On Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-4 MSG)