Welcome to 2020 with Hopeful Faith
Were you who you wanted to be in 2019?
How do you hope to grow in 2020?
1 Peter 1:3-4 says, “Celebrate with praises the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has shown us his extravagant mercy. For his fountain of mercy has given us a new life—we are reborn to experience a living, energetic hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. We are reborn into a perfect inheritance that can never perish, never be defiled, and never diminish. It is promised and preserved forever in the heavenly realm for you!”
How can we experience this living energetic hope in 2020?
Paul says, by constantly using our faith.
Ephesians 3:17 says, “Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life.”
How do we use our faith? To have faith means to trust God. How do we actively use our faith in God in 2020 to experience the life of Christ deep in side of us? By knowing God and standing firmly on His promises.
“Everything we could ever need for life and complete devotion to God has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness. As a result of this, he has given you magnificent promises that are beyond all price, so that through the power of these tremendous promises you can experience partnership with the divine nature, by which you have escaped the corrupt desires that are of the world.”
– 2 Peter 1:3-4
How can we stand impenetrable on His promises in 2020?
To stand means to “resist without yielding: to maintain a position: to persist; to endure; to remain upright; to encounter; to meet face-to-face.”
Here are God’s promises for you to stand on in 2020.
What is the painstakingly difficult situation in front of you?
YOUR PROMISE for 2020
His grace is sufficient for you. (2 Corinthians 12:9)
What have you been fearful about?
YOUR PROMISE for 2020
I have made you a conqueror. (Romans 8:37)
Where have you lacked self-discipline?
YOUR PROMISE for 2020
I have given you a spirit of power, love and self discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)
In what areas have you slipped into apathy?
YOUR PROMISE for 2020
I am a child of God. (1 John 3:1)
You are my child and I have lavished extravagant love on you.
As you give yourself to experiencing my love,
I will motivate you gloriously. (Ephesians 3:17)
In what ways have you allowed bitterness to take root in 2019?
YOUR PROMISE for 2020
I have given you a new heart. (Ezekiel 36:26)
Who do you need to forgive in order to embrace freedom in 2020?
You can forgive freely because I have forgiven you greatly. (Ephesians 4:31)
In what ways have you been carrying guilt and shame?
YOUR PROMISE for 2020
I have forgiven your sins and cast them as far as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12)
These are some of God’s great and precious promises to you. As you daily place your faith in them, they will provide you with a firm foundation for all of life. This is how we welcome 2020 with Hopeful Faith.
