Tag: new year

What Matters in this New Year

By Chelsea Pollard

We’ve experienced some interesting things in the past few years, don’t you think? Some of it has been unpleasant, but I have seen so many good things come out of it. We’ve grown closer to our friends and family. In general, being kind to the strangers all around us! In times of struggle and disaster, helping the community in a very hands on way. Maybe we got caught up in some of the negativity in the beginning, but more and more I’m seeing positivity and the spread of it! At the start of a new year, I like to read over some of my favorite verses. These verses help me in a lot of different ways, and I’d like to share them with you.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Father who is full of mercy, the God of all comfort. He comforts us every time we have trouble so that when others have trouble, we can comfort them with the same comfort God gives us.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

“Don’t worry—I am with you. Don’t be afraid—I am your God. I will make you strong and help you. I will support you with my right hand that brings victory.” Isaiah 41:10

“You comfort me in my suffering, because your promise gives me new life.” Psalms 119:50

“My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give my sheep eternal life. They will never die, and no one can take them out of my hand. My Father is the one who gave them to me, and he is greater than all. No one can steal my sheep out of his hand. The Father and I are one.” John 10:27-30

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in heaven. In Christ, he chose us before the world was made. He chose us in love to be his holy people—people who could stand before him without any fault. And before the world was made, God decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. This was what God wanted, and it pleased him to do it. And this brings praise to God because of his wonderful grace. God gave that grace to us freely. He gave us that grace in Christ, the one he loves.” Ephesians 1:3-6

“The Lord is my shepherd. I will always have everything I need. He gives me green pastures to lie in. He leads me by calm pools of water. He restores my strength. He leads me on right paths to show that he is good. Even if I walk through a valley as dark as the grave, I will not be afraid of any danger, because you are with me. Your rod and staff comfort me. You prepared a meal for me in front of my enemies. You welcomed me as an honored guest. My cup is full and spilling over. Your goodness and mercy will be with me all my life, and I will live in the Lord’s house a long, long time.” Psalm 23

I want to start out the new year remembering what’s important. Rather, who is important. God’s love for us is so much more than our human brains can imagine.

“The only one who truly loved me to death.”

Alive After the Suffering!

By Kathy Pollard

Luke opens the book of Acts with a bang as he presents Jesus as the risen Savior. It makes me think of the words of an old hymn, “He lives! He lives! Christ Jesus lives today!” How thrilling it must’ve been for Luke to pen the words, “He…presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3)! The reactions of Jesus’ followers are recorded for us to enjoy. Some women and His disciples show amazement and joy. Thomas needed a little more convincing but ultimately believed. Jesus’ comeback made an impact.

2020 was a year like no other. We try to focus on the blessings, but there is no doubt there were plenty of challenges. Many endured the loss of loved ones, financial ruin, relationship strain, or physical distress. It was rough. How did Christians hold up? How did the world see us? Maybe we could’ve done better, I don’t know. But I do know that opportunity awaits! Our neighbors, friends, and co-workers are still watching and, like Jesus, we can show them that we are “alive after [our] suffering.” The text says that Jesus used “many convincing proofs.” While we can’t read hearts or perform miracles like He did, we most certainly can follow His example. Notice two “proofs” He did that we can do, too:

“Appearing to them over a period of forty days…” Jesus went out among the people. He sought out His disciples. He appeared to crowds. He spoke with individuals. After His great suffering, He didn’t stay away. He didn’t barricade Himself in the safety zone of heaven. He went out among weak humanity, including those who let Him down. This challenges me! With the political turmoil, worldly agenda, fear and suspicion, it’s tempting to hole up somewhere safe until things die down. But so many around us are suffering in the worst way, trying to live without Jesus and navigating the darkness on their own. They need to see the risen Savior and the only way to do that is for His people to put in an appearance. Perhaps on this first day of the year, there are those who are ready for something new and whose hearts are open to change. It’s exciting to think we have this fresh open door of opportunity to show Jesus to our community!

“Speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God…” Jesus went out among the people and made the most of those encounters by giving them hope. He met two individuals on a roadside and “explained to them the things concerning Himself and the Scriptures.” He touched their hearts and they said, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” And then they “got up that very hour” and went on to tell others, “the Lord has really risen” (Luke 24:13-35)! Jesus opened their eyes (v. 31) and helped them see that He truly was alive after the suffering.

Perhaps one of your New Year’s resolutions is to be a better Bible student by committing to daily Bible reading or participating in a Scripture writing plan. An easy way to “speak the things concerning the kingdom of God” is to determine to verbally share something you read that day. Did something strengthen you in your reading? Did a phrase intrigue you? Were you challenged to do better or make a change? Whatever it is, look for a way to share it with someone, every single day. It could be as simple as saying, “That reminds me of something I read just this morning…” What will you be doing? Offering hope. Leaving people better than you found them. Helping others see Jesus.

This can be a great year for Christ. Let’s get out there, encounter the people, and speak of the only things that are real and lasting. A simple phrase here, a little thought there, a post about the Bible…let’s show the world that Christians are ALIVE after 2020.