Amen. All right, we're there in Deuteronomy chapter number 30 this morning. And I'd like you to look down at verse number 15, Deuteronomy chapter number 30. In verse number 15, the Bible says, see, I have set before thee this day life and good and death and evil. If you look down at verse number 19, you see a very famous verse, Deuteronomy 30, 19. He says, I call heaven and earth to record this day against you that I've set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life that both thou and thy seed may live. And of course, today is the last Sunday of the year, and it's the last Sunday morning service that we'll have before the new year. And this morning, I'd like to preach on the subject or maybe I'll just give you the title of the sermon. The title of the sermon is this, a time to make a change, a time to make a change. And of course, when we end a year and begin a new year, this is a good time to consider maybe some changes that we can make in our lives. And the subtitle of the sermon would be this, how to make the next year the best year of your life. And I want to give you some thoughts in regards to making a change and doing things differently. Change is essential and it is essential for growth and improvement in our lives. It is a human tendency to want to be against change, and we just naturally always want to keep things the same. But if our lives are going to get better, if we're going to grow, if we're going to improve, we're going to have to change. Sticking to old habits, sticking to old routines can limit our potential, and it can keep us from growing individually, it can keep us from growing organizationally, and we're just going to have to learn to embrace change, and embracing change allows us to adapt to changing circumstances. It allows us to overcome challenges. And of course, we're talking about positive changes. Making positive changes will open the door for us to have a better life. And I want to speak on the subject of time to make a change. I don't want to spend too much time this morning, but I'd like to give you just three thoughts with regards to this idea of making positive changes in our lives and specifically making positive changes in the new year. And if you're taking notes, I'd like to give you three thoughts. Maybe you can jot these down on the back of your course of the week, of course. There's a place for you to write down some things or maybe you have a notebook or something like that and I'd like you to maybe take notes of these things. First of all, let me say this, change, and that's what we're talking about, making a change, making positive changes in our lives so that the next year can be a better year, the next year can be the best year. The first thing I would say is this, change is a choice. Change is a decision that we have to make. In fact, if you look again there at Deuteronomy 30 and verse 19, why don't you notice that God says, I've made these things available. He says, I call heaven and earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death. God says, you've got options that are before you, both life and death. He says, I have set before you blessing and cursing. He said, these are options that you have for your life. And in fact, God, the wording here almost God wants to say, look, if you end up not having a good life, if you end up experiencing death, not life, cursing, not blessings. God says, I want to go on record here that it's not because of me. It's not because of my fault. He says, I call heaven and earth to record this day against you. He says, I would like to go on the record that I this is God speaking to us that I have set before you life and death. Blessing and cursing. Now you and I might ask the question, and we might say, well, if God has set before us life and death, blessing and cursing, if He set these things before us, then why do some people end up with good things and some people end up with bad things? And the reason is because of the choices we make. He says, I've set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. And then he says this. Therefore, choose life that both thou and thy seed may live. See, we've got to make the right choice. And change is a choice when it comes to choices we make. Now you're there in Deuteronomy 30. I'd like you, if you would, to go with me to the book of Daniel. That's towards the end of the Old Testament. If you can find the major prophets, those big books of the Bible, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, then you have Ezekiel, and after that you've got the book of Daniel. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel. And while you turn there, let me just give you some thoughts with regards to this idea of choices. First let me say this. We are the product of our choices. There is a product of our choices and it is us. Your current life, my current life, is the product of the choices that we have made. I used to have a youth pastor who would say, you are the sum total of the choices that you have made. And as we finish this year, and as we consider, and I think we should consider our lives, we should consider the fact that wherever we find ourselves, Wherever we are in life at this moment, we are the product of the decisions and the choices that we have made. And sometimes we've made choices that we thought were the right choice, and it turns out were the wrong choice. In Proverbs 14, you don't have to turn here, you go to Daniel. But in Proverbs 14, verse 12, the Bible says this, And sometimes we make decisions and choices and we think that we're doing something that's good and beneficial and it ends up not working well, but we have to remember this and this is where personal responsibility comes in. You and I have to remember that wherever we find ourselves, wherever we land, wherever we find ourselves in life, we are the product of those choices. And the first thing that we need to realize if we're going to change the way our life is, is that change is a choice. It is a decision we make. Darren Hardy, who's an author, a success mentor, he has a quote that I like. He said this, you make your choices, then your choices make you. You make your choices, then your choices make you. He went on to say this, Nobody intends to become obese, go through bankruptcy, or get a divorce. But often, if not always, those consequences are the result of a series of small, poor choices. And what you and I need to remember is this, that wherever we find ourselves, wherever we are in life right now, that is a product of the choices that we should make. So you say, well then what do we do about that? What's the point of knowing that? Well, I think that you and I, and the reason that I would preach a sermon like this the last Sunday of the year is because we should take the end of this year and the beginning of the next year as an opportunity to take inventory. Isn't this something we do anyway during this time of year? We should take this as an opportunity to take inventory and to do an audit of your life and consider the product of the choices that you have made. If you're sitting here this morning and you would say, there are some things that I'm not happy about, there are some things that I'm not satisfied with, there are some things that I think could be better, I wish would be better, we should take some time to consider and take an audit. Now when it comes to auditing your life, and look, I honestly do believe that if you haven't done it already, over the next several days, especially before the new year begins, you should take some time to look at your life, take some time, away from distractions, by yourself, or if you're married, maybe you and your spouse together, and go through some categories of your life, and ask yourself, how are we doing, and how are things going in these areas? When it comes to categories, and of course there's all sorts of different ways to categorize your life, but there are four ways that I like to teach people to consider the areas of their life, and maybe you'd like to jot these down, but these are things that you should consider. Number one, you gotta consider your faith. You gotta consider your faith. And of course, when we're talking about your faith, we're talking about your faith, not just your faith in God, but your walk with God. Faith is more than just for salvation. Of course, we begin salvation by faith, but then the Bible says, the just shall live by faith. The Bible tells us where to walk by faith. So when we're talking about faith, we're talking about our spiritual life. And you gotta take an audit. How's your faith been this last year? Maybe let's get specific, not just how's your spirituality, how's your church attendance? How's your Bible reading? How's your prayer? How's your soul winning? How's your serving? How's your giving? You ought to take an audit of your spiritual life and ask yourself, where am I? How am I doing spiritually? Could I be doing better? I know we could all be doing better, but are there areas where, man, I'm just really failing at this thing of Bible reading, or I'm just really failing at this thing of church attendance, or I'm just not doing well, or I'm not doing as well as I used to be? You ought to consider your faith. It's another area that you ought to take an audit of in your life, not only your faith, but your family. Your family. And of course, if you're married, this would include your spouse and your kids. You have to ask yourself, how are things going with my wife? How are things going with your husband? How are things going with your children? If you're not married, then you have to consider your relationship with your parents, with your siblings, with family, and look at your life and ask yourself, how are things going with my faith? How are things going with my family? Here's another area you should audit before the new year begins. It's your finances. Now, audit is actually a financial term for finances. So you might want to actually just do a financial audit of your life and ask yourself, how am I doing financially? And when it comes to your finances, I would say this includes both career and money management. You know, how are you doing? And oftentimes people struggle with finances and sometimes things are going well financially and sometimes things are not going well financially. And you should consider, is it time to make a change with my finances? Is it time to make a change with my faith? Do I need to change something up? Do I need to do something different? Do I need to start doing something different with regards to my family? You know, when it comes to finances and if you're struggling with finances. And sometimes, obviously, at the beginning of the year, people will make resolutions about their finances. You know, when it comes to your finances, really, it's not super complicated. I know you know this, but it's good for us to sometimes simplify these things. When it comes to finances, there's really only two options. You say, I want my finances to get better. Well, there's only two things you can do. You can either increase your income or you can decrease your spending. All right? I know the government doesn't understand that, and the government has all these, you know, Ivy League school graduates that don't understand simple math, but it's not that complicated. You either need to increase your income. You say, well, what do I do? I don't know, get a job? Or maybe you need to get a better job? Maybe you say, well, I can't get it. Maybe you need to learn a skill. You need to develop a talent. You need to do something. You need to, look, you need to make a change. You need to make, or maybe you say, no, I make a lot of money. It's just the spending. Well, then maybe you need to learn to budget. Maybe you need to learn to save. Maybe you need to learn to get on a budget. But finances is an area. So faith, family, finances. Another area for you to audit is fitness. And I would say here this includes diet and exercise and includes just health in general. These are all areas that we should look at and decide, are there some changes that need to be made? Is there a problem in any of these areas? Are there things that are not going well with regards to my faith, with regards to my family, with regards to my finances, with regards to my fitness? Because listen, and look, I realize that Personal responsibility is not something that people normally like to take, but you have to get to the place in your life where you stop blaming and stop saying, well, if my boss only paid me more, well, maybe your boss would pay you better if you were more valuable. Well, if they just didn't open up that donut shop. down the street from me, I wouldn't be so fat. Well, you know, nobody's making you go there. And what I'm saying is this, we have to realize that we are the products of the choices that we make. We are the product, your current state in life. You think things aren't going well at home. Well, what are the choices that have brought us there? We've got to take responsibility for our own choices. Let me just say this, also consider this, what are the choices, what are the changes you need to make? It is not productive to dwell upon the choices that your spouse needs to make. Those choices that, you know, well, here are the things that my boss needs to start doing. Here are the things that my kids need to start doing. Here are the things that my pastor needs to start doing. Look, it's not productive to dwell on the changes everybody else, it's funny how we're experts about all the changes that everybody else needs to make. But the problem with being an expert about the changes that everybody else needs to make is that you're not in control of those people. You are only in control of yourself. So why not focus on the changes you can make? See, change is a choice, and we see that there's a product of the choice. And you and I are the product of our choices. Our current life is a product of the choices that we have made. And maybe you need to take the next few days to look at the areas of your life and ask yourself, where am I struggling? Where am I failing? Where are things not going well? So that we can start making a change. Scott Alexander, I'm gonna give you several quotes this morning, but Scott Alexander, who's an author of a success book, he said this, you need to get fed up with doing nothing, seeing nothing, and accomplishing nothing. Dave Ramsey, who's a financial expert and radio host, he often says this, you need to get sick and tired of being sick and tired. And look, you and I just need to make a decision and we need to make a choice and realize that we are the product of our choices. So we see that there is the product of our choices, but then let me just say this, not only is there the product of our choices, that's the bad news, here's the good news, there is power in our choices. You have the power to change your future right now. You say, I don't like how things are going with my finances. I don't like how things are going with my career. I don't like how things are going with my health. I don't like how things are going with my relationships. Well, you have the power. See, you and I have the wonderful privilege to make changes to our lives right now. Because change is a choice. And more than change just being a choice, change is your choice. And it's my choice. We have the power. of the choice. In Daniel chapter 1, I'm not sure if you're there, but I'd like you to look down at verse number 8. Daniel chapter number 1 and verse 8. I love this verse. The Bible says in Daniel chapter 1 and verse 8, it says, Daniel is one of the greatest characters in the Bible, one of the greatest men in the Bible. And here we meet him at a young age, and I think this verse, Daniel 1-8, probably gives us the secret to his success. The Bible says in Daniel 1-8, but Daniel purposed in his heart. What do you call that? That's a choice. Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore he requested of the princes of the eunuch that he might not defile himself. See, not only are you and I the product of our choices, but we have the power of our choices, and the power of our choices is this, that you and I have the power to change our future right now. Because you have a choice. You understand that? People like to act like, like, oh, I don't have a choice. It's just the way I am. No, you have a choice. Going to church is a choice. Reading your Bible is a choice. Whether by January 31st you will be filling out a communication card saying maybe for the first time in your life you had the discipline and the commitment to read the entire New Testament in the month of January. Whether you are doing that or whether you're regretting and kicking yourself and saying, man, I wish I would have done that. I wish I would have stuck with it. You say, what will be the difference between the person who accomplishes the goal and the task and the person who's kicking themselves for not doing it? There's only one difference, a choice. Will you purpose in your heart? Going to church is a choice. Reading your Bible is a choice. Spending time in prayer is a choice. Going soul winning is a choice. Serving is a choice. Giving is a choice. You know that being positive, look I'm preaching to myself this morning because I tend to be a negative person. You know that being positive about circumstances, about people, about anything is a choice? You know that being nice to your spouse is a choice? No, it's just the way I am. No, no, no. Why don't you take some responsibility and just decide? You're grumpy and annoying and not fun to be around by choice. You've made the choice. You've made the decision. Being nice to your wife, being nice to your husband, being pleasant in your marriage is a choice. Nitpicking at your husband, ladies, is a choice. Ignoring your wife, gentlemen, is a choice. Spending time with their children is a choice. Not disciplining them properly is a choice. Being mean to them and angry with them is a choice. Loving God is a choice. There's not just some people, well some people, people get this idea like, well some people just love God and some people don't. No, some people choose to love God and some people don't. It's a choice. Making positive changes in your life is a choice. So you say, well, how do I change? Well, number one, you and I need to realize that change is a choice. There is the product of our choices. We are the product of our choices. I'm not trying to beat up on you. I'm not trying to make you feel bad, but I do think that we need to take some time to analyze and assess and audit our lives and ask ourselves, how are we doing with our faith? How are we doing with our family? How are we doing with our finances? How are we doing with our fitness? And you say, well, I don't like how some of these things are going in my life. Well, here's the thing. There's nothing you can do about the past, but there's lots that you can do about the future. That's why the Apostle Paul said, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before. There's the product of our choices and there's the power of our choices. You have the power to change your future right now. But I'd like to say secondly this morning, not only is change a choice, but let me say this, change is a challenge. It's a challenge. If you're there in Daniel, I'd like you to go backwards to the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah chapter 13, you've got, if you're going backwards, you've got Ezekiel, then Lamentations, and then the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah chapter number 13. Do me a favor, when you get to Jeremiah, put a ribbon or a bookmark or your bulletin or something there because we're gonna leave it and we're gonna come back to it, and I'd like for you to get there quickly. Jeremiah chapter 13 and verse 23. Change is hard. The reason that change is hard is because change often requires us to go against our flesh. See, our flesh and our natural man wants to take the path of least resistance. We want to do the things that come easy, that come naturally, that come conveniently. And isn't it true that the path of least resistance is to, when the option is, get up early with enough time to spend time with God, in the Word of God, in prayer, I can get up 15, 20, 30 minutes early to develop a walk with the Lord, or I could sleep in. Your flesh wants to take the path of least resistance. Your flesh wants to do what comes naturally, what comes easily. Whether the options are go exercise for 30 minutes or sit on the couch and eat chips for 30 minutes, your flesh wants to take the path of least resistance. Whether the options are I'm going to discipline myself and I'm not going to buy that thing, I'm not going to purchase that thing, I'm going to take some time, I'm going to save up the money, I'm going to pay cash for it versus I'm just going to put it on a credit card and worry about it later. Your flesh wants to take the path of least resistance. And that makes change difficult. In Jeremiah 13 and verse 23, we find maybe, I don't know, maybe the most discouraging verse in the Bible. Here's what it says, Jeremiah 13, 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin? Or the leopard his spots? And of course, when we're talking about an Ethiopian, we're talking about an African nation here, we're talking about a black person. And Jeremiah 13, 23 is saying, can a black person change his skin? And it's true of any color. Can a brown person change their skin? Can a white person change their skin? Can a leopard his spots? And of course, the obvious answer to the question is no. You can't change the skin color you're born with, unless you're Michael Jackson or something. But naturally speaking, normally speaking, can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? But then notice what he says. He says, then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil. Here's what Jeremiah is saying. Jeremiah is saying it would be as easy for you who are accustomed to do evil, who have a habit of doing evil, it would be as simple and as easy for you to stop doing evil and to do good as it would be for a leopard to change his spots. For an individual to change the color of their skin. And you say, well that's not very encouraging. And the idea is this, that you and I need to understand that change is difficult. Change is hard. It's hard because your flesh wants to go with the path of least resistance. But may I remind you, that though an Ethiopian cannot change his skin, and though a leopard cannot change his spots, and according to Jeremiah, that is the equivalent of someone trying to change who's accustomed to do evil and try to do good. You say, well that's impossible. Yes, it is impossible. But may I remind you that the Lord Jesus Christ said, with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. May I remind you that Paul told the Philippian church, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. So though change, look, we need to understand this, change is a choice and change is a challenge. And I'm not going to sit here and lie to you. Change is difficult. Change is difficult. But let me say this, it is possible. It's possible. You say, how? I don't see how my marriage is falling apart, and I don't see how it could be. Well look, with men it may be impossible, but with God all things are possible. Pastor, if you understood the history of me and my children, and the baggage, and the chaos, and the trauma, you don't understand, there's no hope. Well listen to me, with men it may be impossible, but with God all things are possible. Pastor, if you understood, at my age, changing careers, and at my age, finding another job, at my age, developing a skill, at my age, learning something new, and getting my finances, and I'm in so much debt already, and I'm so far behind the game, and it's just impossible. Well, listen to me. With man, it may be impossible, but with God, all things are possible. Pastor, if you understood, you know, just my health is just out of control and I don't think... Look, with men it may be impossible, but do you know that I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me? Now, change is difficult, but it's possible. And I'm not going to lie to you. It's going to take this word that none of us like, work. It's going to take effort. It's going to take work. It's going to take discipline and tenacity. It's going to take you getting mad about the fact that the place where you find yourself today is the product of the choices you have made. See, when you and I blame everyone else, and blame everything else, and say, well, no, it's my parents, and no, it's my upbringing, and it's where I grew up, and it's because of this, because of that. What that allows, when we blame other things, then it allows us to excuse ourselves. It's not my fault because of my wife. It's not my fault because of my husband. It's not my fault because if my children did this, if my boss did this, if my church would just do this. But when you and I take personal responsibility and say, well I can't control what they do, I can't control what they've said, I can't control the decisions they've made, but I can control the decisions I've made. And when you and I take responsibility, we gain back the control and the power. And yes, with men it may be impossible, but with God all things are possible. And I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. So we see that change is a challenge. It's going to require effort. It's going to require work. Change is difficult, but it is possible. Let me say this. with regards to change. I'd like you to go to 2 Peter chapter number 3. If you start at the end of the Bible, the book of Revelation, and you go backwards, you've got Revelation, Jude, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st John, and then the book of 2 Peter. Revelation, Jude, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st John, and then the book of 2 Peter. 2 Peter chapter number 3. Change is a challenge. Here are the two words you need to know about this challenge. Effort and expansion. Effort and expansion. It's going to require work. Getting out of debt will require work. Losing weight will require work. Rebuilding relationships will require work. No doubt about it. Change is difficult, but always remember this, it is possible. And if somebody tells you it's impossible, they might be telling the truth, but let's remember that Jesus said, with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. And I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. But then I want you to notice this word, expansion. Effort and expansion. Effort and expansion. And the word expansion speaks to growth. And here's what I want you to understand. Oftentimes when we are dealing with problems, and one thing that my wife and I do in ministry is deal with problems, and oftentimes we're dealing with people and people's problems and trying to help them. And the idea that people often have, and even myself, I'll catch myself thinking this way, is that when we have a problem, we have this idea that if we can just get past that problem, If we can just get past that problem, then everything will be fine. My finances are not good because of this bill, if it just wasn't for this one bill. And if I can just get past that, if I can just get past this issue, if I can just get past this problem, if I can just get past this conflict, then that will resolve my problems. But what you and I need to understand is this. And I hope that I can communicate this to you. And it is this, that you and I do not get past our problems. We don't get past any problems. But what we can do is we can grow past our problems. See, the reason that something is a problem for you and for me is because it's bigger than we are. It happens to be a bigger bill than what you had in your account. How do I get past this? Don't get past it. Grow past it. See, everything in the Christian life is about growth. God deals with the living. The Bible says that God is not the God of the dead, but He is the God of the living. You understand that everything that God deals with is living. We do not deal with a dead book. This is a living book. It's quick and powerful and sharp as a two-edged sword. A church organization is a living organization. The Christian life is a living life. We are born again. We are quickened and made alive. And you say, well then what is the goal that God has for us with regards to the Christian life? It is one goal and it is to grow. In 2 Peter 3 and verse 18, I want you to notice the Bible says, 2 Peter 3 and verse 18, it says this, But grow in grace. But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory, both now and forever. Amen. We must grow. In 2 Peter, in 1 Peter 2, if you flip back, in 1 Peter 2, in verse 2, the Bible says this, 1 Peter 2, in verse 2, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, notice these words, that ye may grow thereby. See, what you and I need to do is we need to not try to get past the problems, we need to try to grow past the problems. You say, my business is struggling. I don't have enough income coming in. I'm not making enough sales. I don't have enough jobs. I don't have enough quotes being accepted. What's the answer? The answer is you need to grow. You understand what I'm saying to you? We don't get past our problems. We grow past our problems. Even in a church setting. We don't have enough ushers. What do we do? Guilt people into ushering. That won't work very long. What do we do? We just got to grow. We just need to reach more people, disciple more converts, get more people serving and helping. We need more safety team. We just got to grow. The finances aren't good. We got to grow. We need more soul winners. We got to grow. We don't get past our problems. We grow past our problems. It's the same for you. It's the same for me. It's the same for all of us. And what you and I need to focus, you said, what are the goals that I need to have for this coming year? And I'm all for goals. I like goals. In fact, I'll talk about goals here in a minute. But let me just say this. Your goal for the new year ought not necessarily be a goal. Your goal for the new year ought to be to grow. To grow. We don't get past our problems. We grow past our problems. But grow in grace, the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the Word of God, that ye may grow thereby. Jim Rohn, an author and motivational speaker, he said this, if you want to have more, you need to become more. See, the truth is this, the problems that we have are problems that we have because of our capacity. I wish that the Holy Spirit would help me and that I would have the communication ability to communicate this to you. You say, I keep fighting with my husband. I keep fighting with my wife. We keep clashing and we keep not... Look, the problem is not the conflict. Now the conflict is a problem, but here's what you need to understand. There's always going to be conflict. There's always going to be problems. You say, well then how do we deal with it? You need to grow. You need to grow in your ability to communicate. You need to grow in your ability to have patience. You need to grow. It's just, you know, she'll say this and then I'll say that. He'll trigger me and then this will happen. No, no, no. You need to grow in your ability to control yourself. Do you understand what I'm saying to you? You say, well, marriages that don't fight as badly as the ones that do fight, what's the difference? Somebody learned to grow. You're always gonna have conflict, you're always gonna have disagreements, you're always gonna have issues, but if you learn to grow, if you expand in the areas, you say, man, I'm really struggling here, I'm not doing well in this area. You've got to expand, you've got to grow. Jim Rohn said this, don't wish it were easier, wish you were better. See, I wish it was easier, I wish things were easier. No, no, no, don't wish it were easier, wish you were better. If you want to have more, you need to become more. What is your capacity? What are you able to deal with? What are you able to handle? It's going to require growth. Change is a choice. We are the product of our choices, and we have power in our choices. Change is a challenge. It requires effort. and it requires expansion. It requires work, and it requires growth. You're not going to get past your faith problems, you need to grow past your faith problems. You're not gonna get past your family issues, you need to grow past your family issues. You're not gonna get past your financial difficulties, you need to grow past your financial difficulties. The only one maybe it doesn't apply to is fitness, that one maybe you need to stop growing, but that's it. different sermon. Let me quickly talk about goals. We like to have goals and New Year's resolutions. Go to Galatians if you would, Galatians chapter 6. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1st, 2nd Corinthians, Galatians. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1st, 2nd Corinthians, Galatians. I've taught on the subject of goals a lot. I don't want to spend a lot of time on goals, but let me just give you some thoughts. It is the last Sunday of the year and maybe you'd like to have some goals. I like the idea of short-term goals. I think the problem sometimes that we have with New Year's resolutions is that we have this like, you know, by this time next year, I'm going to this, and I'm going to do that, or whatever. And it's just too far away. So I like the idea of short-term goals. And you can have short-term goals however you'd like. You can do it quarterly, weekly, however. I think a good number is a one-month goal. I like the idea of one-month goals. It feels like a month is long enough to kind of get some traction and momentum going, and it's short enough to not lose your attention span. Choose a one-month goal. And you can do whatever you want, obviously, but just some advice that I would give you if you're interested in setting some goals for the new year. I would say this. You ought to choose a one-month goal for each area of your life. A one-month goal for faith. A one-month goal for your family. A one-month goal for your finances. A one-month goal for your fitness. Choose a one-month goal. Just something that you can accomplish in one month. You say, I don't know. A one-month goal for my faith. Hey, how about this? Nine chapters a day in the month of January. Solved! We just gave it to you. We even gave you a chart. That's a one-month goal for you to invest in your faith. In your walk with the Lord. And look at areas. Maybe it's not that. I mean, I think it should be that, but maybe it's a soul winning goal. Whatever it might be. Have a one month goal for your faith. One month goal for your family. One month goal for your finances. Maybe it's not going to solve all your financial issues, but maybe you have a goal for this month, I'd like to put X amount of dollars towards my debt. A one-month goal for your fitness, developing a fitness routine, or cutting out a certain soda, or whatever it might be. Choose a one-month goal for each area of your life. And let me say this, the one-month goal could be a step in a larger 12-month goal. Because look, if your problem is, okay, Pastor, yeah, you're right, my financial problem is a career problem. AI has taken over my job. Well, look, you can sit there and cry about it, and I'm not mocking you. But sitting there and complaining about it, and saying, Elon Musk and AI took over my job, you can complain about it all year long, and you might be right and justified or whatever, but at the end of the day, nothing changed. Or you can just decide and say, well, I gotta do something different. And maybe in one month you can't have a new career, but maybe the big goal is I need to get training, I need to develop a skill, I need to go back to school, I need to take some night classes, I need to take an online course. But divide that big goal into smaller steps that you can accomplish, that you can start having momentum with. Maybe that one month goal could just be a step in a larger 12 month goal, in a larger five year goal, whatever it might be. When it comes to your goals, and I've taught this before, but I just want to maybe remind you, make sure that your goals are specific. It's not enough to say, I'm going to be more spiritual. Who gauges that? I mean, God gauges that, but you know. Be specific. I'm going to stop missing church. and skipping out on church. Or I'm going to be faithful with my Bible reading. I'm going to pray every day, and I'm going to mark it. So be specific. Have it be time sensitive. Make sure it's something that you can check off and say, OK, done. I did that this month. Now I've got a new month goal for February. Now I have a new month goal for March. Make sure it's measurable. It's trackable. You've got to measure it. You've got to track it. You say, my finances are in disarray. You're going to have to open up your bank statement and start figuring out how much money you're spending at Starbucks and how much money you're spending at McDonald's and how much money you're, look, you're just going to, you're going to have to start not, get your head out of the sand. You got to track it. You got to measure it and make sure it's written down. And there are all sorts of studies that talk about the power of writing down your goals. There's just, there's power in writing things down. And that's one of the reasons we have a communication card, because there's just something powerful about you writing your name and saying, I'm going to read nine chapters a day. Write it down. Make sure it's specific. Make sure it's time sensitive. Make sure it's measurable and trackable. Make sure it's written down. So we talked about the change and the fact that change is a choice. You're the product of your choices. And you and I have the power in our choices. And we talked about the fact that change is a challenge. And it requires effort, and it requires expansion. It requires work, and it requires growth. We don't get past our problems. We grow past our problems. But then, thirdly, this morning, I'd like to say this. Change is a channel. And what I mean by channel, I mean it's a course. It's a pathway. It's a journey in which we go. See, change is not a point. But it's a process. It's something we do continually. It's something we do regularly. In Galatians chapter 6 and verse 7, the Bible says this. These are famous verses. I know you know them, but let's just look them real quickly. Galatians chapter 6 and verse 7. The Bible says this. Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Look, this is a promise from God, and this is what I referred to as a law of the universe, not a scientific law. This is a spiritual law of the universe. God says that you will reap what you sow. And the interesting thing about this law of reaping and sowing is that it's amoral. It's not just positive, it's also negative. It's like a law of the universe, because it can help you, it can hurt you. Look, gravity is just a scientific law of the universe, and you can use gravity, and we have used gravity to help us, and gravity can also hurt you. And this spiritual law of the universe can both help you or hurt you. Because God says, Whatsoever man soweth, that shall he also reap. And it works in whatever direction, however you want to deal with it. Verse 8, he says, for he that soweth to his flesh, that's negative, shall reap of the flesh, shall, excuse me, of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the spirit, that's positive, shall of the spirit reap life everlasting. He says, look, you can sow negative things and reap negative things, or you can sow positive things and you can reap positive things. The thing about sowing and reaping is that it's going to take time. It's not going to happen overnight. In fact, that's why Paul tells the church in Galatians, Galatians chapter 6 verse 9, he says, This is within the context of reaping and sowing. He says, Look, that's reminding us of point number one. You and I are the product of the choices we've made. Be not deceived, God is not mocked. The choices you make, the seed you put into the soil of life, will, you will reap consequences. And you can fake everyone out, you can fake every, you know, the whole church family thinks one thing of you, and the persona you put out on social media, it's a certain thing, and every, you know, you got everybody fooled! But listen, you don't have God fooled, because whatsoever man soweth, that shall he also reap. You can mock mom and you can mock dad. You can mock your boss and you can mock your pastor. You can mock your husband and you can mock your wife. But be not deceived, God is not mocked. And this can work for you or against you. And it's a waiting game. Let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. This is why I say to you that change is a channel. You and I must develop daily routines or regular routines. John Maxwell, who's a leadership expert and author, he said this, the secret to your success is found in your daily routines. The secret to your success is found in your daily routines. Do you understand that? Doing one workout session in January is not going to do anything. It's not going to help you in any sort of way. You say, how does exercising work? You got to do it regularly. You've got to sow, and sow, and sow, and eventually you'll reap, and reap, and reap. How does getting your finances in order work? You've got to sow, and sow, and sow. The way that this works is that you, look, the Bible says that the way we grow spiritually is here a little, there a little, Line upon line, precept upon precept, you say, how do I get the benefit of Bible reading? You don't get the benefit of Bible reading by just reading one time. You've got to develop a habit where you're reading every day. You're in the Word of God every day. This is one of the reasons why we have the nine chapters a day challenge, because we're hoping that after 30 days, 31 days of reading your Bible every day, you'll develop a habit of just reading the Bible. We're hoping that if you take the time to read the New Testament in the month of January, then you'll just say, well, let me just keep going and read the Old Testament over the next 11 months. You need to develop a daily routine. It's what we do every day. It's the sowing every day that will cause us to reap. So you need daily routines. Look, you need to have daily routines. Daily routines, and I think your daily routine should include Bible reading. I think your daily routine should include prayer. Your daily routine could include some sort of exercise or walking. You need to have things that you are sowing into on a regular basis with the understanding that it's not going to happen overnight. Nothing good happens overnight. Look, the only things that grow quickly are weeds. You want your life to be a weed? You want your marriage to be a weed? If you want your marriage, if you want your relationship with your children, if you want your finances and your faith, if you want your life to be a great oak, And it's gonna take some time. So you need to develop daily routines. But I would say this, you need to develop regular routines. Regular routines of being faithful to church on a regular basis. And look, I understand that there's holidays and people travel. I'm not talking about that, but I'm just saying, by and large, you need to just have these regular routines of things I do. Investments in my life, things that I do on a regular basis. Having dinner with your family. Dinner with your wife, dinner with your children on a regular basis, that's an investment in relationships. Sometimes you miss that and sometimes you have to work late, we understand that. But have it be something you do regularly. Consistency is the key. Aristotle, who's a Greek philosopher, but even the heathen understand this. He said these words, he says, we are what we repeatedly do. Darren Hardy said this, small, seemingly insignificant steps completed consistently over time will create a radical difference. And look, consistency is the key. Change is not something you do one time. It is a channel. It is a journey. It is something we need to invest in on a regular basis. And you need to develop a plan. You need to develop a routine. You need to develop daily habits, regular routines, and be consistent with it. You say, well, what if I'm consistent with it and then I mess up? Then get back on that horse and start again. Be consistent with those things. Go back to Jeremiah chapter 29 if you would. Back to the book of Jeremiah. The reason that we don't get excited about consistency is because we don't see the results right away. And the fact that we start doing something, and we start working towards something, and we start investing in something on a regular basis, and then a month goes by, or several weeks go by, or maybe in several months, and you say, I'm not seeing any results. Look, be not weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. Consistency is the key. So we talked about change as a choice. We are the product of our lives, and you have the power to change your life right now. Change is a challenge. I'm not going to lie to you. It is difficult, but it is possible. It requires work, and what you should focus on is growth, expansion. We don't get past our problems, we grow past our problems. It changes the channel. You must develop daily habits, daily routines, regular routines. And those routines ought to be things that are investing into the things that you want to reap. Consistency is the key. In Jeremiah 29 and verse 11, the Bible says this, God said this through the prophet Jeremiah, he says, for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end. See, the truth is this, that God wants the best for you. God wants to bless us. God wants to help us. God wants us to live a blessed life, which is why we began there. You don't have to go back there, but in Deuteronomy chapter number 30, I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life. God wants the best, but it's your choice. And it's my choice. So maybe, maybe as we end this year and begin a new year, maybe it's a time to make a change. Maybe it's a time to assess some things, analyze some things, audit some things, look at some things in your life and decide, you know, I need to change that. It's going to require work. It's going to require effort. It's going to require consistency. It's going to require routine. But if you do it over time, you might find that the next year might possibly be the best year that you've ever experienced. Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Heavenly Father, Lord, we do love you. And we thank you, Lord, for the power to change. The fact that we don't have to be stuck in the habits and the routines, in the sins of the past. The Bible says, if any man be new, be in Christ, He is a new creature. And you have given us the power to change. With man it may be impossible, but with God all things are possible. And Lord, I pray you'd help us to make changes where we need to. Help us to adjust where we need to. Help us to realize that we are the product of the choices we've made and we have the power to change our lives right now. And Lord, I do pray that you would help us not just individually, but also as a church Help us to make changes and to make choices that will allow the next year to be the best year. In the matchless name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. All right. Well, we've got several baptisms this morning. We're going to have Brother Andrew come up and lead us in a song as we prepare for baptism.