This is it. The last weekend of 2017. For some of us we wonder where it all went. Others say, “Good riddance”. My self, I’m pretty excited for a new year. Fresh year, new possibilities, and an opportunity to restart and renew. In a sense, I want to be a new (and better) person. So, I’m “Re-defining the New Me”.
Many of us will make New Year’s Resolutions to lose weight, become a better person, and not waste as much time on Facebook. I hope you also have some spiritual goals as well. Reading your Bible everyday, praying everyday, and attending church as often as possible are all great goals. For me, I already do these things and, yet, there is a desire for more. I want and need a closer relationship with Jesus. So how do I get there? The Ancients practiced “Spiritual Disciplines” like fasting, solitude, and meditation and there is still value to these ancient (and biblical) disciplines to help us empty ourselves of, well…. ourselves, so we might be filled with God.
This sermon series and blog series focuses on Jesus’ teaching in Mark 2-3, where Jesus challenged the religious traditions of the Pharisees who were doing all the right things for the wrong reasons. If you are like me, and want to draw closer to Jesus, then check out the sermon attached below from December 31st, 2017 and make sure you follow this blog as I dig in during the week with some very practical thoughts and plans to help you grow in 2018.