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ANY REGRETS?
2 Corinthians
7:8-11
I. Cleaning up after Christmas.
A. You are packing up Christmas
decorations.
1) ("Cathy" cartoon cut
back on Christmas, but miracle is
there
is just as much garbage.)
B. Throw away some other things:
1) Regrets: "If only he hadn't..."
a) Don't be held hostage to
regrets.
b) We tend to focus on
failure, what didn't go right.
c) (Contrast of what we did,
and what we didn't quite do)
2) Failed plans: "I wish I had..."
a) Be careful not to project
failure into the future.
1> "I'll probably
mess up again this year."
3) Disappointments: "But why didn't she...?"
a) "If wishes and BUTS
were candy and nuts, we'd all have
a
wonderful Christmas."
b) A successful life, like a
success holiday, does not
depend
on zero regrets.
c) Coming year will not be
perfect, no matter how much we try.
1> We may not be able
to change other people.
2> But we can change
ourselves.
C. [Impact of Terry Dwyer column.]
1) God is patient with you, but
your family may not be.
II. Start fresh.
A. Planning for new year.
1) [ask congregation]
How many of you already
have your 1998 daily planners?
Many have become dependent
on them.
2) (Finding and altering Glenn's
calendar.)
B. Planners give a message of grace -
we can have a new beginning.
1) What we failed to do is now
passed.
a) Don't continually relive
past mistakes.
b) Do you secretly enjoy
being chained by them??
2) God gives us a new calendar
this week.
a) The old has gone, the new
has come. 2 Cor
5:17
III. Decide to
change.
A. Time to clean up our lives.
1) Do you want to change?
2) Many are satisfied with
mediocrity.
In a PEANUTS cartoon strip
Lucy is livid at her mother.
"You promised me a
birthday party," she wails, "and now you
say
I can't have one.
It's not fair!"
Linus tries to intervene.
"You're not using the
right strategy," he counsels.
"Why not go up to Mom and
say to her, 'I'm sorry,
Dear Mother...
I admit I've been bad, and you
were right to cancel my party,
but
from now on I shall try to be good!'"
Lucy has a grimace on her face
as she thinks this through.
Finally in the last panel
she cries out,
"I'd rather
die!"
Unfortunately, that is the
response of many of us.
We would rather continue in
our same self-destructive ways.
3) Perhaps a reason why so many
get drunk on New Years' Eve:
rather
than hassle with change, drown it out.
B. Contrast between sorrow and
repentance. 2 Cor 7:8-11
1) Many people feel bad about
what they have done.
a) God is not impressed.
2) Instead of regrets, focus on
real change.
3) Be sorry (confess), then go in
different direction.
C. Genuine repentance does not lead
to lasting regret.
1) Not a guilt-trap, like it is
so often portrayed.
2) It is life-affirming and
enabling.
IV. Choose a direction.
A. Set attainable goals.
1) Defined goals can head off
procrastination.
2) Meeting goals can give sense
of accomplishment.
3) Some personal goals.
a) Revival at end of January.
1> Have not had one in
over ten years.
2> Opportunity to be
challenged by a fresh speaker.
3> Shake us out of
rut?
b) Start new Sunday School
class, for young adults.
1> Perhaps your goal
could be to come to one.
c) A schedule for visits.
1> If something is
penciled in my calendar, I tend
to
do it.
B. Have a positive attitude.
1) Find good in life.
2) All things are possible with
God.
a) Lamentations: "His compassions never fail; they
are
new
every morning."
Lam 3:23
b) God offers us tomorrow as
a means of reaching our
potential.
C. Model yourself on Jesus.
1) Popularity of WWJD symbols.
2) Ask yourself: "What Would Jesus Do?"
V. A new year calls for trust.
A. We don't know what will happen.
1) We are not only ones writing
in our calendars.
2) Unexpected tragedies?
B. Whatever happens, we can entrust
it to God.
1) Father in control; Jesus holds
us in his hands.
a) It is not ours to worry.
2) God has good plans for
us. Jer 29:11
a) Contrast with our evil,
stubborn plans. Jer 18:11-12
C. Take the spiritual challenge.
1) Each new year holds spiritual
challenges.
a) Growth.
b) Doubt.
c) Calamity.
2) Give calendar editing pencil
to God.
3) Become saved?
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