Sunday Sermon - Five Challenges for the New Year

Dr. Tom Thompson

Numbers 13
children of the promised land
How are we going to go in?
(God's question to me: How am I going to go into the new year?
My answer: with hope)

13:1,2, 17 - 20
Test of faith
Challenge of who they are, were

Five Challenges

1. Reprioritize Your Life
Focus on the Blessor, NOT the blessings
vs. 23
fruit = blessings
the fruit didn't make any difference
Without God, we wouldn't have ANY of the blessings we do
we would have no reason to praise
Hebrews 12:2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

2. Become a Risk Taker
vs. 28 - 29
it will maximize reward
The blessing will never satisfy
God tries to get us out of our comfort zone

3. Embrace Your Struggles
produces authenticity
***vs. 30 - 32
Am I looking at life through eyes of faith, risk, God, or through my own eyes?
our struggles can be an encouragement to others.
***Trust God more than man
God is in control
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
God is developing spiritual discipline
Noah, Joseph, David, Sampson, Daniel, Christ, Early Disciples - Life-changing agents by the grace of God
***There is not testimony without the test

4. Look Beyond the Circumstances
vs. 31 - 33
faulty assumptions = faulty conclusions
The giants in our hearts create the issues we battle every day
Unbelief
"I have met the enemy and it is me"
Satan wants us to quit and give up
***our faith never grows in comfortable surroundings
***When God wants to do something wonderful, He begins with a difficulty
Joshua and Caleb


5. Envision the Extraordinary
vs. 33
God is much bigger than we think