Fresh Start – Plattsville Church

An Expanding, and New Future…

On Sunday we looked at the topic of finding a new future. And to be honest this is something I think we need. I think we all need to dream about new possibilities and what God might want to do in and through us.

The tough part is that while in theory we say we trust in God for our futures, in practice we don’t.

If I were to ask you: who guarantees your future?

Who do you trust in for your future? While many of us might want to say Jesus, I think in practice many of us trust in different things.

Some of us trust in our bank accounts for our futures. That if we have more money our futures will be secure. Some of trust in our doctors for our futures, that their diagnosis determines whether the future will be good or bad. Some of us trust in our present circumstances to determine our futures. That if things are going well, we think they’ll continue, or if they go bad, they’ll keep going bad. Some of us actually trust in our sins for our futures. I know, a weird way to put it, but true. We believe that because of this past sin, mistake, choice, whatever, our future is limited or constricted in some way.

The point I want to make is that while in theory we might trust in God for our futures, in real life the temptation is to trust in so many other things. To trust in our own abilities, present conditions, or current trajectory of life.

The point is what if we trusted in God?

Because God says this:

I am doing a new thing. Are you alert? Are you watching for it? Because it is happening. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? (Isaiah 43:19)

This is God’s position on our futures, that he is doing something new. The question is do you trust in him to do something new – in you? That’s the question, and it’s only by trusting in God that our futures open up, expand, and become limitless.

God has proven again and again that he loves to take broken, burnt out, and passed over people to change the world. Just look at Abraham, Moses, David, or Paul. God specializes in doing a new thing.

So on Sunday we gave a challenge to trust that God wants to do a new thing in your life and to discover it, by listening to him. I believe that God can be taken at his word, that he is doing a new thing, and that if we are alert, watching for it, we will find it.

And my prayer is that you do find the new thing God is doing, because it is happening, it is bursting out, do you see it?

Sermon Notes:

Big Idea: God can give you a new future if you trust in him

Teaching Points:

Our futures can shrink, as we age.
Who is your future dependent on?
Who are you trusting to guarantee your future?
I am doing something new – God
God is in the business of doing new things.
God can give you a new future if you trust in him.

Adult Discussion Questions:

What stuck out to you from the sermon? What was challenging to you? How did God speak to you through it? What was new? What were your first impressions to the topic for today? Does it seem to you that growing older does limit your future? How would you answer the question “Who are you trusting to guarantee your future?” What do you believe your future looks like right now? What does your future look like with God involved? What does he want to do in your future?

Discussion Questions for Young Families

Today talk with your kids about their futures. Ask them what they want to do, and who they want to be. Today learn from your kids. Sense the enthusiasm, the belief, the sense of excitement and possibility. Learn from them, and seek to bring that into your relationship with God today.

Challenge for the Week: Trust in God for your Future.

Sermon Preview

Is your future open or closed?

On Sunday we are talking about what can seem a bit paradoxical at first: having a fresh future.

In many ways this almost seems absurd. Like how can a future not be fresh? It hasn’t happened yet? Anything is possible already?

And while on the surface that is true, when you dig a little deeper, it isn’t.

For many of us our future actually seems to narrow as we age. There are things that are no longer a possibility for us that once were. Like I will never be a professional soccer player, unless of course they start hiring unfit, and unskilled amateurs who play a couple times a year. The chances of me being a movie-star are also relatively unlikely.

The point is that as we grow older, our futures can seem to constrict and shrink.

Add into that how we also often tend to base our future on current circumstances, or limit our future because of past mistakes. We tend to think that if things are going badly now, they probably will in the future. Or if we have some terrible mistake, disaster, past event, or sin, that it can limit our future too. That we won’t find a happiness again after that divorce. That life won’t ever be as good as when that person was in our lives. Or before that moral failure I could have been a leader, but now that’s out.

My point is that while in theory our futures are full of possibility, in practice, they are often much more limited and narrow.

And that is why I think we need to find a fresh start for our futures. That is why I think we need to learn to dream again about what the future can hold. That is why we need to move beyond our present circumstance, past mistakes, and personal potentials to ask the question what does God want to do in our lives.

Because our futures are not just dependent on our personal skill sets, connections, present conditions, or past mistakes. Our futures are dependent on God.

And come Sunday we are going to see what that means, and what a practical difference that makes. But before we get there, why not spend some time dreaming with God what he might have in store for your future. Because there is one thing I am sure of, that the future God has planned for you is always better than the one you have planned for yourself.

Sermon Reflections

The Connections Between Faith and Finances and Fresh Starts

On Sunday we looked at the topic of finances and how to have a fresh start. I began by acknowledging how badly the church has dealt with and discussed finances. We often berate people into giving, bribe them with promises of health and wealth, or beg people to give. And while I don’t believe any of these approaches is correct, I also acknowledged that we can’t pendulum swing to not discuss finances. Because finances can bring stress, money is a spiritual thing, and it’s a real life thing.

So with that understanding we took a look at Malachi 3:7-11.

This passage in Malachi 3:7-11 is both challenging and full of promise at the same time. It has some bite to it, and can set you free. God challenges the Israelites with their lack of giving, he says that they have “robbed” him. That’s the challenge part.

But there is also this promise part in verse 10. We read this,

“Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don’t open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams.”

God is essentially saying that if we put him to the test, he will come through on our trust. And that’s what this passage is actually all about, it’s about trust.

The truth is when we often stop giving, give reluctantly, or don’t give at all – at the root is often a lack of trust. At least I know that’s true in my life. When I want to pull back from giving, at the root is often that I don’t trust in God deep enough to get me through something. I’ll see a bill, and rather than give, I’ll hoard. That’s a trust issue, not a budgeting issue.

The truth is, at least in my life, that as my trust grows so does my giving. And I think that’s exactly what God is getting at in this passage. He’s saying trust me, give, put me first and see what I will do in your life. God is challenging us to put our trust in him, and to see if he is trustworthy. That’s what he is asking – see if I’m not trustworthy.

And that’s a challenge I know I need to hear. Because giving is a spiritual thing, it’s a trust thing. And what I know is that I trust in God more, he will bless me more. And not in we all get rich way, but in a real life way. And this just makes sense, the more control God has over my life, the more opportunity he has to direct it and bless it.

The point is that this passage is really about trust and priorities.

And so on Sunday I gave us all, myself included, the challenge to give. To give more if it’s already a habit, or to start if it isn’t. To put God’s challenge to the test, to see what he might do in our lives as we make him a priority and demonstrate it by our giving. For God giving is a central issue, because it’s a heart and priority issue. So my challenge is to put God first, give greater, and see what he does in your heart and through your life as you put him first.

I think it’s a challenge worth taking, and what’s the worst that happens, you were more generous for a few months. But imagine what might happen if God comes through and does abundantly bless you? Imagine not only how you would be blessed, but the world around you? So I think giving greater to start this year is a risk worth taking.

Sermon Notes:

Big Idea: We need to put God and our trust to the test – by giving.

Teaching Points:

Churches shouldn’t berate, bribe, or beg for money – they should bless with money.
Giving is spiritual
God sees giving as intimately connected with us following him.
if we put him to the test, he will come through on our trust.
When we choose to not give, it’s a spiritual issue, because it’s a trust issue.
For God giving is a central issue, because it is a heart issue.
This is a promise tied to priorities

Adult Discussion Questions:

What stuck out to you from the sermon? What was challenging to you? How did God speak to you through it? What was new? What were your first impressions to the topic for today? What were your first reactions to the passage from Malachi? How are finances and trust in God tied together? Are you willing to take a giving challenge the next 3 months? What ways might God bless you if you do take up His giving challenge?

Discussion Questions for Young Families

Talk to your kids about the importance of giving. Decide as a family on some ways to maybe serve and make money, and then give together. Maybe sell some toys, to give the money to kids across the world. Maybe shovel some drive-ways, and give to the food bank. Serve and give – it’s a great habit to get into at a young age.

Challenge for the Week: To start or increase your giving for the next 3 months.

Sermon Preview

A Fresh Start with Finances ~ A Conversation That’s Needed but Often Not Wanted

On Sunday we are talking about finding a fresh start in a very important area of our lives: finances.

And I know the church has a well-deserved bad rap for how we discuss finances. But the truth is it is an area many of us need a fresh start in. Many of us are stress-filled about our finances, we are worried-filled about our futures, or our happiness is so tied to our income that we can’t seem to find joy. The number one cause of divorce is also finances. So finances adds stress to our relationships. And these are many good reasons to talk about finances.

But the truth is there is one more really good reason to talk about finances. Because finances are actually spiritual. Meaning that finances are intertwined with faith.

So we are going to explore that intersection on Sunday, and how you can leave with a fresh start in your finances. And I know that most churches, when it comes to finances, either beg, berate, or bribe you into giving. And I don’t think any of that is Biblical. Instead, on Sunday I want to let God share with you why finances, giving, and generosity are so closely tied together and how when our priorities get straight he can bless you.

So that’s where we are going on Sunday, I know a topic not many of us like to discuss, but a topic that can be freeing. And that’s my prayer for Sunday that we’d be freed and find a fresh start with finances.

Sermon Reflections

Fresh Starts Happen by Saying Yes

On Sunday we began our series looking at how God can give us a fresh start. The beautiful thing about God is that he cares about us so deeply that he wants to wipe the slate clean. This idea though of God forgiving us is so familiar to us, that it’s lost some of its radical power. The God who created the spinning galaxies and molecules, hope, life, birth, and birds and trees sees all the hurt we do to ourselves and one another and still offers us forgiveness. This is really radical. Just think about it, we don’t do that with our family, friends, or ourselves. We hold onto hurts for years, our guilt traps us. And yet the perfect and holy God above and within, says grace, forgiveness, have a fresh start. This is wonderful. Just listen to this verse from 2 Corinthians:

Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him. 2 Cor 5:17

So if this is what God is about, and wants to do – how do we experience it? That’s the question isn’t it. How do we live this fresh start, find it, and experience it?

That’s what we spent the rest of the time on, on Sunday. We looked at a parable of Jesus in Matthew 13 that explains how we experience this Good News. And what we learned was our experience of this Good News is dependent on our hearts. Jesus shares that when the Good News is spread, it’s like seed and soil. And when the seed is spread it lands in different soils, or hearts. Some of our hearts are hard and rocky, and this Good News doesn’t penetrate or transform. Some of our hearts though are shallow and we love the idea of a fresh start, but when things get tough we give up. Others of us have this Good News go deep, but then greed, consumerism, and self-centeredness choke out the growth within us. But some hearts, some soil, is ready and it goes deep and lasts.

So on Sunday we asked a really important question: What is the soil of your heart like? Is it rocky or receptive, hard or soft, weedy or clean?

Because the state of our hearts is often the defining factor in experiencing a fresh start or not. God’s clear – he wants to give us a clean start. The question is are we ready to receive it?

The difference between different soils, and different hearts is often one word: yes. Hearts that are receptive, soil that is good, are hearts that say yes to Jesus. That keep saying yes to Jesus. That don’t stop saying yes to Jesus.

That’s how you experience a new beginning; you don’t stop saying yes to Jesus.

Today you can have a fresh start in your faith, and it begins by saying yes.

We ended with giving everyone a simple, but lifelong challenge: say yes to everything Jesus asks you this week. Just keep saying yes, and he will lead you not only to experience a new start, but a new future. Can you imagine how different your marriage would be if you just said yes to Jesus every time he asked you to apologize? Can you imagine how different your family would be if you said yes to Jesus every time he asked you to show grace? Can you imagine how different your community and even world might be if we just say yes to him consistently?

So that’s my challenge, a hard one, but a worthy one. If we want to have a fresh start this year, it begins with Jesus, and it begins by saying yes.

Sermon Notes:

Big Idea: Today you can have a fresh start in your faith, and it begins by saying yes.

Teaching Points:

When you have a new beginning you have new possibilities
God is into fresh starts and new beginnings
We have become so familiar with the idea of God forgiving us, that it’s lost its power
Gardening takes good soil and patience
What is the soil of your heart like?
Keep saying yes to Jesus.
This week whenever Jesus asks you to do something: say yes.

Adult Discussion Questions:

What stuck out to you from the sermon? What was challenging to you? How did God speak to you through it? What was new? What was funny? Has God’s promises of forgiveness lost any of its “shock” for you? What is the soil of your heart like? How do you think saying yes might keep your heart soft? What is he asking you to say yes to today?

Discussion Questions for Young Families

Talk to your kids about soil, and how things need good soil to grow. Maybe even plant a few plants. Talk about how our hearts are like soil – and that they stay good by saying yes to Jesus. Ask your kids what Jesus might be asking of them, and then help them to say yes.

Challenge for the Week: This week whenever Jesus asks you to do something: say yes.

Sermon Preview

Starting Again in a New Year – And How To Do It

This Sunday we are really launching into our new series – called Fresh Start. And I think that’s what we need this year – a fresh start – a new beginning. We accumulate junk in our lives, just by living. And sometimes we just need to leave it behind, we need to start again, we need to wipe the slate clean.

And that’s what this Sunday is all about, wiping the slate clean and starting again. We are going to be looking at how God says that we are made new, that we are made clean, that you can grow and be different than who you were. Just because last year was one way, doesn’t mean this year needs to be the same way. Because what God does best is transform and give fresh starts. Listen to this verse from 2 Corinthians:

Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him. 2 Cor 5:17

That’s what we are going to not only learn about, but experience on Sunday.

So my question for all of you, whether you are followers of Jesus or not is this: where do you need a fresh start this year?

Because that question matters for all of us wherever we are at. We all have hurts, brokenness, and relationships that just need a new beginning. So where do you need a fresh start this year? And come Sunday we’ll discover how to find that, by why wait till then? Why not ask God to simply start that fresh start in you today. Because what we see is that anyone united with Jesus gets a fresh start and is created new. And I believe that’s true.

Sermon Preview

Having a Fresh Start This New Year

On Sunday we are starting a brand new series called Fresh Start. This series is all about finding a new beginning, a new direction, and wiping the slate clean.

It seems that at this time of the year, everyone is talking about making better and different choices. About starting fresh. Whether that’s talk show hosts, to people trying to get you to sign up for a gym membership.

The point is that while it certainly is cultural, to talk about new beginnings, it’s most of all – biblical.

God, throughout the Scriptures, offers us a fresh start. Offers us a new beginning. He offers to wipe the slate clean and start again.

And this is so needed. So often in life we seem to just accumulate hurt, brokenness, mistakes, and baggage. And it can be almost impossible sometimes to work through it all. So instead of working through it all, God chose to deal with it all through the death of his son. Through this one act he gave us a fresh start and a new beginning.

So that’s what we are going to be looking at for the rest of the month of January and most of February. How we can find a fresh start in faith, friendships, family, futures, and finances. And most of all, how we find a fresh start today.