Striving to start whole

Welcome to 2020. I am Barbara Walters and this is 2020. Some of you may get that and the rest of you are too young. 2020 is here can you believe it?

The beginning of a year is always a time of optimism for what might take place in the year. It comes with some excitement. It can be a time where we make new resolutions or goals for ourselves. It can be a time we decide to make some life changes.

Some of the changes you may be working towards or have already given up on is eating healthy or a diet. In the New Year, I am going to make some changes. It could mean attitude or behavior changes.

I was talking with a friend and I told him that I had to slow down on energy drinks because they make me feel like I can overcome the world when I first drink them but when it all wears off at the end of the day it does not help with my anger.

I said I start yelling at my kids and I don’t like it.

His response was I do that anyway. He said I told my kids that I was not going to yell at them in the New Year and they were already pushing that.

I started to joke and say yeah I had a streak going and then the kids woke up.

The New Year we may commit to life changes or work towards career goals.

So we may set some goals: diet, workout, attitude, finances, Bible reading, social media or you name it.

What if for the

I have some goals for us as a church.

The church is made up of individuals. I want us to be better. I want us to improve.

The Case for a Need to be Better

Research from the book Becoming Whole by Brian Fikkert and Kelly m. Kapic gives us some insight for our need to be better. They state that real income per capita tripled from 1946 and 2014. During this time frame, the self reported happiness of the average American stayed the same. We got richer but we did not get happier.

In the last 10 years, Americans have reported a steady decline in overall life satisfaction despite the fact that the average per capita income increased by 5.5%

“We got richer but we have become less happy.” Something has gone terribly wrong.

Life expectancy in United States has also dropped in recent years. Death rates have increased in 9 of the top 10 leading causes of death. One health expert commented and said there is just a cross the board phenomenon that says we are not doing very well. Even our bodies tell us that something has gone wrong.

Among the church this has also been the case. Church goers battle depression, anxiety and unrest as well. America has become richer but not more satisfied.

“The British Government has a new senior position: the Minister of Loneliness. Prime Minister Theresa May created the office to address the social and health issues caused by increasing levels of social isolation. May explains, “For far too many people, loneliness is the sad reality of modern life.”21 And the data support May’s claim: nine million British people say they “often or always” feel lonely, and 200,000 of the elderly report not having had a conversation with a friend or relative in over a month.22

The United Kingdom is not unique. Researchers have found that more than half a million people in Japan stay at home for at least six months at a time without having any contact with the outside world.23 Similarly, rates of loneliness in the US have doubled since the 1980s, reaching “epidemic levels” in which nearly half of Americans report that they “sometimes or always” feel alone. The problem is particularly acute for younger people, with Generation Z, born in 1997 or later, and millennials, born between 1982 and 1996, being lonelier and in worse health than older generations.24

Although there is no data measuring loneliness over long periods of time[…]”

“In addition to the emotional pain that it causes, loneliness has serious physical ramifications. Vivek Murthy, former surgeon-general of the United States, recalls, “During my years caring for patients, the most common pathology I saw was not heart disease or diabetes; it was loneliness,” which is associated with a decrease in life span similar to that caused by smoking 15 cigarettes a day.26 Indeed, researchers have found that loneliness is consistently linked to increased incidence of heart attack, strokes, cancers, depression, anxiety, and premature death.27”

The United Kingdom is not unique. Researchers have found that more than half a million people in Japan stay at home for at least six months at a time without having any contact with the outside world.23 Similarly, rates of loneliness in the US have doubled since the 1980s, reaching “epidemic levels” in which nearly half of Americans report that they “sometimes or always” feel alone. The problem is particularly acute for younger people, with Generation Z, born in 1997 or later, and millennials, born between 1982 and 1996, being lonelier and in worse health than older generations.24

Although there is no data measuring loneliness over long periods of time[…]”

Excerpt From: Brian Fikkert & Kelly M. Kapic. “Becoming Whole.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/becoming-whole/id1420313463

“While the causes of the increase in loneliness are still being debated, a growing number of observers are pointing to the modern economy, which fosters the pursuit of materialistic individualism and replaces human interaction with impersonal transactions.”

Excerpt From: Brian Fikkert & Kelly M. Kapic. “Becoming Whole.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/becoming-whole/id1420313463

Excerpt From: Brian Fikkert & Kelly M. Kapic. “Becoming Whole.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/becoming-whole/id1420313463

Excerpt From: Brian Fikkert & Kelly M. Kapic. “Becoming Whole.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/becoming-whole/id1420313463

We have a need to be better. As you have set or are setting your New Years resolutions, these resolutions may help you achieve your goals or some may be false realities of what is really needed this year.

I want to encourage you to think differently this morning. The answer to your problems may not be what you think it is.

(Bacon image)

Genesis 1:26–27 HCSB

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female.

Genesis 1:26 HCSB

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”

You have been created in the image of God. Being created in the image of God, we are at our greatest when we function in the way that we were designed.

In order to discover our design, we must discover who God is.

1 John 4:8 HCSB

8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John

tells us that God is love.

God desires a relationship with us his creation. God cares for all of creation and is a relational God.

John 14:2–3 HCSB

2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also.

As we set goals for 2020, it is essential that we strive to get our foundational relationship right. The foundational relationship is the relationship we have with our creator.

When this relationship is off, all other relationships will struggle. Our relationship to our creator is essential and foundational.

This morning I want to start this series with a much needed reminder of our creator.

Psalm 136:1–3 HCSB

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love is eternal. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His love is eternal. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His love is eternal.

Psalm 136:1–3 HCSB

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love is eternal. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His love is eternal. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His love is eternal.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good

Love:

חֶסֶד (ḥě·sěḏ): n.masc.; ≡ Str 2617; TWOT 698a—1. LN 25.33–25.58 loyal love unfailing kindness, devotion, i.e., a love or affection that is steadfast based on a prio relationship

Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Psalm 136:4–9 HCSB

4 He alone does great wonders. His love is eternal. 5 He made the heavens skillfully. His love is eternal. 6 He spread the land on the waters. His love is eternal. 7 He made the great lights: His love is eternal. 8 the sun to rule by day, His love is eternal. 9 the moon and stars to rule by night. His love is eternal.

Look at the sky notice how he spread the land on the waters.

He made the great lights, the sun, moon and stars.

Matthew 6:26 HCSB

26 Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?

He loves you with unfailing kindness, devotion, love or affection

Psalm 136:10–15 HCSB

10 He struck the firstborn of the Egyptians His love is eternal. 11 and brought Israel out from among them His love is eternal. 12 with a strong hand and outstretched arm. His love is eternal. 13 He divided the Red Sea His love is eternal. 14 and led Israel through, His love is eternal. 15 but hurled Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea. His love is eternal.

Psalm 136:10-

God rescued the Israelites and this story is our story of God rescuing us.

Psalm 136:16–26 HCSB

16 He led His people in the wilderness. His love is eternal. 17 He struck down great kings His love is eternal. 18 and slaughtered famous kings— His love is eternal. 19 Sihon king of the Amorites His love is eternal. 20 and Og king of Bashan— His love is eternal. 21 and gave their land as an inheritance, His love is eternal. 22 an inheritance to Israel His servant. His love is eternal. 23 He remembered us in our humiliation His love is eternal. 24 and rescued us from our foes. His love is eternal. 25 He gives food to every creature. His love is eternal. 26 Give thanks to the God of heaven! His love is eternal.

Psalm 136:16-