Aim to be Different

---

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:14

---

How Will You Change in 2023?
…

AIM TO BECOME MORE HOLY & SERVICABLE
​

​We are not people who fear change; we welcome it, we seek it, we pursue it. That’s why I hope you set some goals for the new year.

There’s no better time to think about sanctification than at the head of a new year. “New Year, New You” is not a worn out cliché. It expresses the kind of zeal we as Christians should be embracing.

The Christian who is not interested in change is not a Christian. The church that cherishes the status quo is a dying or dead church. God calls us to develop, grow, advance, mature, study, and improve. If we are adverse to it, we are adverse to God and his will for our lives.

In 2022 you were a great sinner. So there’s plenty of room for improvement in 2023.

In one of his books Jerry Bridges talks about how churches can arrive at and expect a certain level of spiritual maturity. When a new family comes into the church, they quickly realize (consciously or not) that they need to “fit in.” No doubt they grow, but they only grow to the level that has been defined by the rest of the church body. There is not an expectancy of bursting through that ceiling.

May such a thing never be said of us. Instead, may we “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24).

That, of course, begins with you. How will you grow? How will you influence the overall advancement of the entire church body? How will you help take us bust through the ceiling and achieve the next level of corporate holiness?

You will do it by some honest self-reflection and goal setting.

USE THE GOAL SETTING WORKSHEET

​Sure, new years resolutions are often broken in the first month and people will avoid making them because of how easily they fizzle out. But that just means you need to make it your goal to become better at achieving your goals.

Remember that sloth is the sin of nothing. It is the failure to do what God wills due to the love of pleasure (i.e. the love of the pleasing feeling of the status quo).

Christ demands newness of life. His gospel calls for it. There should be change in your personal living so that you become more loving, tender, serviceable, compassionate, cheerful, kind, charitable, self-controlled, and considerate.

What kind of goals should you be making? Think about the different areas of life where you can make some solid steps. There are personal goals, occupational goals, family goals, academic/intellectual goals, fitness goals, devotional goals, attitudinal goals.

---

SUBSCRIBE TO THE HOPEWELL WEEKLY

Transform Your Sunday Evenings
Join us on Sunday evenings starting January 8th for our study of “Transformed.” You will have opportunity to be a fly on the wall as you witness real Biblical counseling sessions, tackling issues like OCD, anxiety, depression, phobias, and trauma. Singing, prayer, and teaching begins at 6pm.

FAMILY OF THE WEEK

ETHAN & HANNAH

Sundays 10:30 & 6

---

DIRECTIONS