A New Beginning

Pastor E. Keith Hassell

Foundation Scripture: Philippians 3:7-14

I. The END of a former year

A. Time is passing quickly

B. What did I accomplish last year?

C. Did I fulfill the will of God for my life?

II. The BEGINNING of a new year

A. With God, every ending is a new beginning

B. Every new beginning brings new opportunities

C. New opportunities mean a new incentive to act

D. New opportunities mean setting fresh goals

1. Physical: What can I do to improve my health?

2. Educational: What thing do I need to learn?

3. Discipline: What bad habits do I need to conquer?

4. Relationships: What relationships do I want to see healed and restored? What relationships do I need to break off? What relationships do I need to strengthen?

5. Career: What is God’s will for my life?

6. Marriage: What can I do to become a better husband or wife?

7. Parent: What can I do to become a better father or mother?

8. Family: What can I do to make our home a place of love and peace?

9. Financial: What must I do to meet my financial obligations and achieve my financial goals?

10. Spiritual: What changes must I make to better accomplish the will of God?

III. We must SEIZE our new beginning

1. New beginnings bring new opportunities

2. New opportunities must be seized

3. We will either seize the opportunity that God has given us and move forward or else we will allow the opportunity to pass us by

IV. Six steps to seizing your new beginning

1. Get your priorities in order—beginning with Jesus (verses 7-11)

2. Be honest about your failures (verse 12-13)

3. Embrace God’s plan for your life (v. 12)

4. Put the past behind you (v. 13)

5. Get your eyes on the prize (verse 14)

6. Run for the finish line (verse 14)

V. Jesus is our New Beginning

A. Find a new beginning through the new birth

B. Find a new beginning through returning to God

C. Find a new beginning by surrendering to the will of God