Drew Boswell

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More Than A Ticket; Matthew 28:17-20

More Than A Ticket – Matthew 28:17-20 from Drew Boswell on Vimeo.

* The following is an approximate transcript of the sermon preached at First Baptist Church Valdosta, Georgia.

Introduction

If you have ever seen the movie Willy Wanka and the Chocolate Factory then you know that there is a feverous search among the entire world to find the five golden tickets. Then one by one each is found and eventually the tickets are turned in for entrance into the magical chocolate factory.

For many Christians, the gospel is treated like this. Once you have “prayed the prayer,” “gone down front,” and “received Christ,” then you leave the gospel behind and move into discipleship. But what we will discover today is that the gospel is yo stay with the believer, it continues to change the believer to become more and more like Christ every day. The gospel is more than a ticket into heaven, it is the God given means to grow in your faith.

Prayer 

Lord if it were not for your grace and mercy we would be without hope. You have provided the only means of salvation, and you alone are worthy to be praised and worshipped. Help us this morning to understand your great commandment to receive the good news of Jesus Christ, and to share this gospel with those around us. We pray that you will bless the teaching of your Word this morning. Amen.

Please stand as we honor the reading of God’s Word.

Matthew 28:17-20 “And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.(ESV)”

In the 28th chapter of Matthew, we see a description of the events immediately following Jesus’ resurrection. Two women, disciples of Jesus, go and tell the other disciples of their conversation with the resurrected Jesus, and how he had told them to go and tell them to meet Him in Galilee.

In John 20:17,18 “go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”‘ 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord” and that he had said these things to her.

Matthew:17 “And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.” The word for “doubt” in Greek is distazo and refers more to hesitation than to unbelief. Jesus had been crucified for the salvation of the world. For the 40 days following the giving of the Great Commission Jesus would appear to various groups, even groups of over 400 people. And eventually he would tell the disciples that He must go, so that the Holy Spirit may come.

So the way they had operated and lived with Jesus were about to change. Some worshiped him and were quick to follow, “while others were hesitant because they didn’t know what they were supposed to do now. When Jesus was there with them, “ he told them what to do, where they would go, even how to dress and what to say. But now, they were hesitant and didn’t know what to do. People will always have this response when they don’t know what to do.

How had the resurrection changed things? Jesus now appears and disappears (as in the upper room with Thomas), He can allow people to recognize Him or hide His identity (the road to Emmaus), Jesus has gone to cross, resurrected and now changed from mortal flesh to a glorified body.

So some of the disciples are worshiping some are hesitant and confused so Jesus comes to them and gives them a clear mission. “18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples.”

What we will see is that it is through obeying this command of Jesus to “go and make disciples” that the disciples will begin to realize how they are being made more like Christ and how they have been changed as well.

This “Great Commission” is for every believer to share the gospel with the lost world around them. As the body of Christ we must continue to share and preach the gospel to ourselves, but the “going” is not to church, but to the world.

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Imagine you are at the mall and you and your family have just sat down to eat at a Chic-Fil-A. You are enjoying your waffle fries, and chicken sandwich. The kids are inhaling their chicken nuggets so they can play on the playground and about that time a girl comes around with a tray of tiny cut up samples of chicken with a toothpick stuck in them and asks, “would you like a free sample?” Doesn’t this seem like a waste?

She should take her tray and stand out in the mall to the people passing by, she should go to the McDonald’s line and hand out samples. The people sitting down in Chic-Fil-A with their chicken are already committed. The sample girl would have the greatest impact if she went to those who weren’t already committed to chicken.

We have the most precious message that has ever come to mankind in all of its’ history, “creation and Creator can be restored. We have been saved from sin and depravity, “our lives can be changed and brought into the image of Christ. We have the power of the gospel, salvation and the only means for people to have eternal life. Where do we go with this message? Where do we share this message?

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There are a couple of things that we can infer from Jesus’ commission to us:

1) You have to believe that people really are lost. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Your neighbor who is a really great guy, who fixed your stove when it broke, “yes if he doesn’t know Christ he will be eternally separated from the Father for all of eternity in hell. No one comes to the father apart from a saving relationship through Jesus Christ. Hell is a very real place that those who don’t know Jesus, that’s where they go.

2) You have to believe that people really will respond. If we don’t really believe that anyone will respond we simply won’t do anything. We have been commanded by Christ to tell others about Him, we reach out with the gospel,  “and people will respond. There is power in the name of Jesus Christ, and when you share the gospel.

3) every Christian is to duplicate themselves in the life of another person or people. You have received the saving message of the gospel, so we share it with others who in turn give their lives to Christ as well.

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So once we shared the gospel, and they have responded to the gospel and are growing in their relationship with Christ, “ what then? The next step is to welcome them into the church. “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

The Christian reaches out and shares the gospel with non-believing people. They receive Christ and are brought into the church body and fellowship through baptism. Then they begin a life long process of learning about Christ and following his teaching in obedience.

So up to this point, I have mentioned the “gospel” several times, but I want to make sure that we are all on the same page as to how we define this term that means, “good news.”

The Gospel

There is one God who is the ruler of heaven and earth. He created all that is including mankind. They were created in his image male and female. They were given dignity, value, and purpose. He made us to worship Him, but we chose to rebel against him and worship the creation instead (which includes ourselves).

As a result of this rebellion, we are separated from God. We all have believed the foolish myth that we are our own god, so we believe we have the right to make our own decisions, do we what think is right, and live by our own moral code.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “Now I would remind you, brothers,1 of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures . . . (ESV)“

The man Jesus is also God, or Christ, (fully God and fully man) was born of a virgin, and lived a sinless perfect life even though “he was tempted in all ways like us.” Jesus died on a cross in our place, paying the penalty for our sins. He was our substitute, “he took the punishment that mankind deserved.”

Just like mankind’s first parents substituted themselves for God in the garden, now Jesus (as God) substitutes himself back for mankind. He took upon himself all the sin (past, present, and future), of those who would come to trust him.

He gives the gift of salvation freely to all who believe in Him alone for eternal life. Jesus as a man took my place, paid my sin debt to God, and purchased my salvation.

Jesus’ dead body was then laid in a tomb and three days later (on a Sunday) He rose again to conquer sin, death, demons, Satan, and hell. Then as he ascended into heaven he commissioned us as missionaries to tell this amazing story to the world. This good news is that there is a God who passionately loves you and gave His one and only Son to die for you and your sin.

He continually pursues us, “He passionately chases us because He loves us with a love beyond our comprehension or anything the you have ever experienced. After the resurrection, He ascended into heaven where then and today, and for all of eternity He will rule and reign over all of creation. He is and always will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is commanding everyone to repent of their sin and turn to Him through His Word.

He is also coming again to rule as judge where everyone will have to give an account of their lives and how they are in relation to Him. Those who have believed in Him will enjoy eternity in heaven and those who have rejected him will suffer apart from Him for eternity in hell.

That is the gospel. It is this message of top priority that must mark every ministry, every lesson, every thing that we do must rally around the only message that can save mankind from their sin. The church is a group of people who have believed this message and are passionate about sharing it with others.

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Martin Luther rightly said that, as sinners, we are prone to pursue a relationship with God in one of two ways. The first is religion/spirituality and the second is the gospel. The two are opposites in every way.

But as believers we tend to think of the gospel as something we leave behind so that we can get strong. We receive the gospel to get saved, then we leave it behind to become religious. However, we are strengthened by God, through the gospel, every day.

Religion says that if we obey God He will love us. The gospel says that it is because God has loved us through Jesus that we can obey.

Religion says that the world is filled with good people and bad people. The gospel says that the world is filled with bad people who are either repentant or unrepentant.

Religion says that you should trust in what you do as a good moral person. The gospel says that you should trust in the perfectly sinless life of Jesus because He alone is the only good and truly moral person who will ever live.

The goal of religion is to get from God such things as health, wealth, insight, power, and control. The goal of the gospel is not the gifts God gives, but rather God as the gift given to us by grace.

Religion is about what I have to do. The gospel is about what I get to do.

Religion sees hardship in life as punishment from God. The gospel sees hardship in life as sanctifying affliction that reminds us of Jesus’ sufferings and is used by God in love to make us more like Jesus.

Religion is about me. The gospel is about Jesus.

Religion leads to an uncertainty about my standing before God because I never know if I have done enough to please God. The gospel leads to a certainty about my standing before God because of the finished work of Jesus on my behalf on the cross.

Religion ends in either pride (because I think I am better than other people) or despair (because I continually fall short of God’s commands). The gospel ends in humble and confident joy because of the power of Jesus at work for me, in me, through me, and sometimes in spite of me.

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Sanctification “is the process of God’s grace by which the believer is separated from sin and becomes dedicated to God’s righteousness.”[1] Sanctification is where we as believers become more like Jesus, as we turn from sin over our lifetime.

How do we grow in our faith? How are we sanctified day-by-day? As we make a concerted effort to go out into the world (all nations), and share His love. In this process of going we are sanctified.

As in the “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” we show believers how to serve, relate, and love the body of Christ. As the local church we grow in how we deal with other people.

As we “20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you “we are sanctified as we learn how to teach others, “you learn far more and at a much deeper level when you teach others.”

But what if I make a mistake, don’t know what to say, where should I go, how do I do this? God has given us His Word, and “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” “ we have Jesus beside us every step of the way.

The gospel is not a ticket that we leave behind and use later to get into heaven, “ the gospel is Jesus’ command that we follow and it stays with us our entire lives as we grow in Him. It gives us salvation, purpose, and a means to grow in Christ.

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This past Sunday I ran in a marathon in Orlando and afterward we walked around Disney and they encourage you to wear your metal. Honestly, I didn’t want to wear it, but my family were like, “dad you have to wear it.” So I said, “Why don’t you guys take turns wearing it.” So all throughout the evening, people would make comments to my kids, asking them their time, if they met any Disney characters, etc. to which they loved.

But as people were making comments to them, I found it enjoyable, even though I had run the race. My kids got to enjoy the rewards of running a race that I had endured.

Jesus went to the cross and bore the weight of mankind’s sin. He died in our place. We get to enjoy the rewards of being forgiven of sin, even though Jesus ran the race to Calvary. I get the reward, He gets the punishment, “but it brings Him joy to see His creation” bring glory to the Father.

Prayer

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[1] Ronald F. Youngblood ed. The Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, Tennessee; Nelson) 1126.

Why Would Jesus Not Want Others to Tell What He Had Done? Protecting Your Identity and Calling

defineWe see throughout the gospels that at certain points Jesus was very guarded in letting others know who He was. For centuries the promised Messiah was anticipated. Also along with this anticipation were also traditions and false understandings of what He would do and what He would be like that crept up over the centuries. Some thought the Messiah would be a military ruler and overthrow the Roman Empire. Others though he would act a king. Jesus was working against hundreds of years of false expectations and ideas of what the Messiah would be like.

Matthew 8:29 “And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.”

Matthew 12:15,16 “Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and ordered them not to make him known.”

Mark 1:34; see also verses 24,25 “That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.”

Mark 3:11,12 “And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.”

Mark 5:42,43 “Taking her by the hand he said to her, “Talitha cumi,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began walking (for she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. 43 And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.”

Luke 4:41 “Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.”

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Even Peter, one of Jesus’ closest friends said “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you,” when Jesus was explaining how He would have to die on a cross. And Jesus responded, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16, ESV) He would not let the disciples dictate his mission, instead he would direct the mission through them. They just didn’t get it by Matthew 16 – but they eventually would understand.

Along the way people had preconceived expectations and understandings of how Jesus was to be “the Messiah,” what he was to do, to not do, and how He would “save mankind from their sins.”

It seems that it is important to Jesus for him to define what it means to be the Messiah and for Him to define His own mission (as it came from His Father). As He would go about ministry (healing, teaching, raising the dead, etc.) there would be times when His actions would be misinterpreted or used against His mission, so he forbid people from telling others. He would define things himself.

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Identifying Your Mission

There is only one Jesus (Savior, Messiah, Emmanuel, etc.) who lived a sinless life in order to lay it down on a Roman cross for the salvation of mankind. His mission was unique, but Jesus has also given His followers a mission to make Him known to the nations (Matthew 28). In that Great Commission to all believers there is also a unique mission in how you will carry it out.

We all have different life experiences, talents, skills, spiritual gifts, etc. that God uses in seeing others led to Him. When the gospels were written by the apostles, God used their life knowledge and skills and weaved them into their writings (Luke as a doctor with medical references, Matthew as a tax collector with money references, etc.) God will take you as you are and use you to His glory.

But just as Jesus guarded his identity and mission we have to do so as well. The leader must not allow others to dictate how they lead, or what they do in their leadership capacity – let the Lord give you a vision and direction and lead with that orientation. If you are in a traditional leadership position (pastor, associate pastor, youth pastor, children’s pastor, worship pastor, etc.) there will be set expectations. You were hired as a pastor to perform certain tasks that are needed within the church; I am not talking about going against these things.

But with every position and every organization there are expectations that creep in, that really have nothing to do with your mission and what you are doing for the church. Jesus guarded against these things because they would have taken Him away from His calling. Watch out for anything that will pull you away from your calling. Don’t allow others to dictate who you are and what you do.

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How Do I Keep This From Happening?

We do not have the authority of Jesus to “tell no one about him” or to command others to do anything. But we follow His example of being aware of encroachments to our leadership and take tactful and thoughtful actions against it. Consider the following:

1. A Written Job Description – When it is in writing it becomes much harder for others to dictate what your job should be and how you should do it. When it is not is writing anything goes and you will constantly find yourself fighting the slow encroachment of additional “duties” and responsibilities that were not part of the original picture when you were hired.

2. Regular Evaluations – I know, this doesn’t sound like fun, but when you and those who have the proper authority to evaluate you sit down and talk (regularly) it leads to a peaceful relationship because everyone is on the same page with regard to expectations and responsibilities. If this relationship functions as it should there should be no surprises and you should know exactly how you stand in relationship with the church and your ministry.

3. A Defined Mission Statement – If your church functions as silos (as many traditional churches do) then each ministry may even have their own separate mission statement. But if you define yours then it will direct the course of where the mission should go. If everyone who is apart of your ministry has his or her own understanding of where the ministry is (or should be) going then conflict is inevitable.

4. Regular Communication – If you are like most churches you wonder if anyone actually reads the material (bulletin, newsletter, blog, etc.) that you put out – but some do. By communicating what you are doing, where you plan to go, and how they can help, you are well on your way to keeping the expectation encroachment at bay. As a leader stay in front of the battle with communication and direction, so others will not dictate where you go.

How do we find God? Matthew 2:1-12

For Moses it was a burning bush in the wilderness. For the Wise Men it was a star that guided their way. God does things to get our attention because He desires for us to know Him and to have a relationship with Him. Listen to Matthew 2:1-12 as we ask the question, “How do we find God?”

Zombie Christmas, Undead Jesus; A Lively Response

The following is a quote from Fox 19 and the story of the zombie nativity in Sycamore Township in Ohio.

“SYCAMORE TOWNSHIP, OH (FOX19) – Jasen Dixon’s nativity scene featuring zombies was ordered to be taken down Friday, however, it’s still standing in Sycamore Township.

[Related: Sycamore Township homeowner does unique and unusual nativity scene with zombies]
On Tuesday, Sycamore Township ordered the nativity scene to be taken down. Dixon had until Friday to take the scene down. If he did not take down the exhibit, legal action would have been taken and he would be fined $1,000.

According to documents obtained by FOX19 NOW, Sycamore Township does not allow structures to be located in the front or the side yard to occupy more than 35 percent of the area. Also, the primary structure must be three feet from the street, and six feet from the house.

a69ff0d4ebd563838b7a289d1ad162d5f02a4db0“They actually said that it is taking up about 35 percent of the yard, and it’s not. We did the calculations and it’s like 14, 17 percent,” said Dixon.

No officials from Sycamore Township came by the zombie nativity scene Friday.

FOX19 NOW’s Lindsey Wopschall reached out to Sycamore Township officials to ask if they plan to come by the home to serve Dixon the violation, but they did not wish to comment on the matter.

Dixon says this was his second violation since the exhibit was put up.

“I’ve lived here for 15 years and I’ve never had a violation of any kind,” Dixon said. “It’s a holiday decoration. I know if it was a real pretty nativity scene they wouldn’t be saying anything,” said Dixon.

Dixon has no plans on taking down the nativity scene. Instead he’s using a crowdfunding site with a $5,000 goal to make a better zombie nativity scene next year.”

So as Christians how should we respond to this?

Is it safe to assume that Mr. Dixon does not understand the true meaning of Christmas? I think so. But the sad truth is that most of America doesn’t understand the true meaning of Christmas either. One of the things that is constantly mentioned by those who do not follow Jesus is that the church is filled with hypocrites. Well, I must say, that this topic seems to smack of hypocrisy, but not from Mr. Dixon.

Hypocrite Alert

1) If he were my neighbor and put this up in his yard then it would indicate to me that I had not invested much in our friendship or in being “neighborly.” He may know that I am a Christian but does not have a deep enough friendship with me to respect my beliefs. You would not do this to a friend — but you would not hesitate if you see your neighbors with Bibles in hand going to church on Sunday, but not caring anything about you or your family during the rest of the week. You would not care if you were offending someone you see as a hypocrite.

Jesus died for our sins, rose again to secure a place for us in heaven, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. So, instead of focusing so much effort on trying to stop his zombie display why not win his heart through love and friendship? Christians have a long history of fighting the wrong battles. We fight for laws to be changed instead of fighting for hearts to be changed. We fight wars to show that we are right, instead of living out a life of gentleness and love.

Romans 12:17 “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (ESV)”

2)  Christians are celebrating Halloween with Mr. Dixon when he puts up his decorations in October, but now they are offensive in December? Zombies are cool on Halloween but not in December? Yes, I know Jesus was not depicted as a zombie in October. But the argument about zoning and city restrictions is just a farce. Christians are offended and want it taken down.

But if we want to have the freedom to express our beliefs (i.e. nativity in my front yard), then Mr. Dixon should have the right to display his “interpretation” of the nativity as well. Otherwise, those in power begin to dictate religion and how it is to be expressed. I don’t want anyone telling me who to worship, when to worship, or how to express my beliefs in the life of my family. Mr. Dixon is ignorant in his understanding of who Jesus is, but am I going to change his heart by being hypocritical and dictating how he worships and expresses his beliefs according to my belief system? Just because you find it offensive doesn’t mean you should use the government to have it stopped.

In London, there is the (attempted) development of Sharia law “zones” where if you enter into them you have to follow extremist Islamic law. If you don’t then you will be attacked or taken to a kangaroo court for sentencing. What makes America different than these radical religious group’s efforts is that we value the freedom to express our religious beliefs and do not have to fear repercussions from other groups who do not agree with us. We can not hold to our freedom to put up a nativity while denying another person’s freedom do so as well just because we don’t like it.

3) Focusing on this makes Christians look foolish. Some guy put up a tacky display in his yard. Have you driven though the south on Christmas? Are you telling me all those displays accurately show the Christ Child’s heralding? Seriously? Let it go. Focus on what’s important.  Why don’t we make some cookies for our neighbors, you can even make them shaped like  zombies.

Do we love Mr. Dixon, or do we just want him to go away? Honestly, we just want him to stop interrupting our greatly delusional time of the year. However, Mr. Dixon is a wake up call to the true meaning of Christmas. Thank you Mr. Dixon for your undead display. It reminded me that I need to spend more time with my neighbors.

 

Didn’t We Just Decorate the Christmas Tree Last Year? Evaluation and Goal Setting

goalsChristmas shopping is in full swing, radio stations are blaring Jingle Bells, and the end of the year is roaring at us like that toy train at the bottom of the mall Christmas tree. With the end of this year and the beginning of a new one, it is important to take time to evaluate and plan. Tis the season is the best time to sit down, sip some gingerbread latte, and look forward into 2015. There is a wonderful gap in time right after Christmas and before New Years Day when the world’s spinning seems to slow down for a moment.

If we are not careful we will find ourselves repeating the same year again, and again, and again. If we allow ourselves to be swept away by the current of the day we get pulled into an undertow of allowing everyone and everything to dictate our lives. Year after year, after year. . . we will look back on our lives and realize we have gone no where. The way to avoid this is to set aside time to evaluate the previous year and determine a plan for the upcoming year.

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Why set goals?

1.   Goals allow us to direct our lives instead of being directed by circumstances and other’s priorities.

The statement “the squeaky wheel gets the oil” is a very true statement. But if you are constantly putting oil on immediate squeaky wheels you will never have time to determine what is making them squeak and stopping it. Let the wheel squeak for a while and take time to step back and think. Carving out time can be extremely difficult. But understand this time of evaluating and goal setting to be an investment in the overall health of your life and those that you lead.

2.   Goals help you to identify what are the most important areas in your life and establish plans to guard those priorities.

Sit down and choose five major areas of your life. They may be things like family, marriage, ministry, church, friends, education, relationship with God, etc. For example, if you know that you need to spend more time with your spouse, then take this time to figure out what is keeping that from happening.

3.   Goals help you to move forward as a person.

When was the last time that you did something that really stretched you? Goals help us to move from a wish to making something a reality. What is it in your life that is keeping from trying something really big? This may be the year when you need to cut off personalities that are constantly having a negative impact on your life. Set a goal and go for it!

The leader has to train himself to listen to the correct and healthy voices in his life. There will always be those that discourage, irrationally criticize, and are just negative. And there are those that give healthy criticism, and helpful suggestions. There are also that are encouraging, give energy to a situation, and add light to your life. Also, be aware that sometimes that negative critical spirit may even be you. So take some time and think about what you are hearing, who you are hearing it from, and intentionally surround yourself with people who will encourage you to go even further than you have ever been before. You can do it. I do believe that it is so important to reach a little further, and stretch yourself beyond what you feel comfortable doing. [Click here to read this entire article.]

4.  Calendaring With Vision and Goals in Mind.

Now as you look into the new year take your goals and put them on the calendar. For example, if you know you need to take batter care of yourself then put times at the gym on the calendar. It is up to you to guard those goals and times on the calendar. If you and your spouse have set aside Saturdays to be family days – don’t allow something of less importance to crowd out that set aside time. It is important to also build in “margin” or extra space into your calendar so that when life happens and you have to enter into that time you had set aside for something else, then you can still have time to accomplish what was originally in that time slot.

5.   Communicate Your Goals with Those Around You.

Letting other people know what you are working on will communicate to them what is important to you. It can also serve as a point of accountability when you begin to get off track with your goals.

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So What Now?

Vision – what does the end of the road look like? What vision do you have for your life, or far more importantly, what is the vision that God has of you life? Write it down. No one knows the whole life big picture, but you should have some idea for the next year.

Goals – Now after you have seen a picture for the next year, then establish some goals based upon the vision. Goals are not wishes. Wishes have no plan; goals are a vision that you have developed a plan to accomplish.

Mile Markers - Goals are then broken down into reachable steps or “mile markers.” If your goal is to run a half-marathon, then study and research to see how you would train and spread that out over the needed length of time.

Regular evaluation – how are we doing? Are we moving forward? Take time to regularly (daily, weekly) epaulet to see if you are on track to reach your goal and accomplish your vision.

No organization is autonomous from the community at large – how is the progress you are making affecting those around you? Sometimes your goals and forward movement can have a positive (or negative) affects on those around you. Recognize that others may not like your growth because it may challenge them — others may see it as a source for inspiration. Either way, keep moving forward.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith." Ephesians 2:8

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