If you want to turn, Joshua is where we're going to be this morning, the book of Joshua.
It is December 30th, 2012.
There's roughly 37 hours left in the year.
Now's the time to make those resolutions, right?
To make those changes.
To start the year off, turn the leaf over, however you want to say it.
It's that time where we start thinking, what are some areas that I can change?
What are some areas that I'm really disappointed in and I want to do better in?
Some big changes even, sometimes.
Examples like losing weight or decreasing debt or increasing retirement or saving for kids' college.
Not all our changes are physical or financial.
Some are even spiritual.
I want to be in the Word more.
I want to pray more.
I want to trust God more.
In all these resolutions that we make, and maybe not everybody in this room makes resolutions,
but I know some of us do.
In all these resolutions, what is it, what's your drive?
What's your reason for making those resolutions?
Because if the drive is right, if your reason is right for making these resolutions, then your succeeding increases substantially.
The chance of succeeding.
But let's be honest.
Most resolutions don't usually last, do they?
In fact, 80%, according to the New York Times, 80% fail or give up by Valentine's Day.
February 14th.
That's six weeks maybe?
Wow.
It's 80%.
Well, the question, of course, to that statement is why.
Why do these resolutions fail?
Why do we fail in not keeping our goals and our resolutions?
Well, I believe it has to do with that drive.
That reason why we do it.
Our will, we're going to act on what our heart loves.
So, and what our heart desires.
So what we love, what we desire, we're going to do.
So, if we love vanity, and that vanity is what's driving us to lose weight or eat healthier,
then chances are it's going to fail.
Well, and if we love financial security,
then our drive will be to save more or invest more.
And the counter to that is to not be generous as God wants us to be.
And the chances of that resolution succeeding will also be low.
The problem with all of us is our heart.
The things we love, the things we hold dear, the things we treasure, we act on.
Now, there's an assumption in making resolutions.
And that assumption is that I am strong enough.
That I can work harder and get, and see this to the end.
Well, the assumption is founded on your and my ability to do what is not in line with our hearts most of the time.
Because we're going to do what we love.
So, when we read in Matthew 22, verses 37-40, it says,
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the great and first commandment.
And the second is like it.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
On those two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.
So, when we read those verses, and we hear those verses, it should rattle a little bit of emotion in us.
Rattle a little bit of conviction.
Because what we love, we will act on.
And Matthew 22 says,
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your neighbors.
So, if we go back to the drive analogy, if we go back to the reason why we make resolutions.
If we love vanity, if we love vanity, then it is that vanity that is driving us to lose weight, to eat better, to exercise more.
And if we love vanity in this way, then we are finding our identity in our appearance.
We're finding our identity in how people see us, and not in Jesus.
And if we are not loving God, loving Jesus with all our heart, soul, and mind, as in Matthew 22 says,
then in turn we are not loving our neighbors as ourselves.
And if we love security, then that will drive us to set goals and resolutions that will give us security, or so we think.
And if we find our security in our future finances, and not in Jesus,
then we are not loving God as we should, and not loving our neighbors as ourselves.
Now, in all this, I'm not saying that exercise is bad, or investments are bad.
The heart, though, is the issue here that I'm trying to pick at.
So, what if we made a resolution on the 30th of December, 2012,
that lined up our drive, our reason, and our heart with God's heart?
What if they came together?
Well, let's see if we can accomplish that.
Let's see if we can all together, looking at the book of Joshua, accomplish that.
Joshua chapter 1 is where we will be.
That was just the introduction, guys.
We're going to read verses 1 through 9.
The Word of God says,
After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord,
the Lord said to Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' assistant,
Moses my servant is dead.
Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people,
into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.
Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon,
I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.
From the wilderness in this Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates,
all the land of the Hittites to the great sea,
toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.
No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life.
Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.
I will not leave you or forsake you.
Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land
that I swore to their fathers to give them.
Only be strong and very courageous,
being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you.
Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left,
that you may have good success wherever you go.
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth,
but you shall meditate on it day and night,
so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.
For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Let's pray together.
Father, I ask for your mercy this morning and your grace that your word would be preached,
would be preached clear,
that nothing that is said would be in false teaching or not line up with your word.
That God, if there is something wrong that comes out of my mouth,
that it would fall from our ears and not be remembered.
Lord, we ask God that you would move this morning in our hearts,
move us to action as your children.
God, that we would love you, that we would treasure you,
and that we would act on that love.
We pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
So, just a little bit of background here,
and these verses kind of give us most of it,
but the people of Israel have been in the wilderness for 40 years.
Moses had led them from Egypt.
They've wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.
They're sitting on the bank of the Jordan River,
and Moses passes away,
and God tells Joshua,
you're next in line.
You're my guy.
Lead these people to the promised land as I had promised.
Now, they were wandering in the wilderness
because of their disbelief and their idol worship and their sin,
and God promised that Moses would not see the promised land,
and so now, Joshua is the guy to lead them into the promised land.
So, that kind of sets us up a little bit where we started reading.
I want all of us here to be courageous Christians,
courageous men and women who love Jesus
and love our neighbors and one another.
It will take courage, and it takes courage,
to be men and women of God.
Even here in the United States, where we're pretty comfortable,
it takes a little bit of courage,
a little bit of drive,
a little bit of oomph to truly walk out the Word.
If our resolution this morning is to be courageous,
courageous men and women for the Lord,
then I believe by God's power and His provision
that we will succeed far past Valentine's Day.
Far past February 14, 2013.
Because to be courageous, as here in Joshua,
it's going to take a heart change.
To be what God commands Joshua to be and to do,
it's going to take our hearts being changed by God
to do and to will what He has commanded us to do.
So, starting off, I want you to be courageous,
I want all of us to be courageous in believing the promises of God
and not believing in our own promises.
So, the first question I want to pose to you this morning is,
do you believe the promises of God?
Do you truly believe those promises?
Do you believe that He is provider?
Do you believe that He is faithful?
Do you believe that He will never forsake you or leave you?
Do you believe that He works everything by His mercy and grace
for our good children of God, Christians?
Do you believe that He loves you and that He cares for you?
Because if you do, you'll act on those beliefs.
Because what we love, what we believe, we will act on.
So, if you believe the promises of God,
then you will live according to those promises.
Always mindful of those promises.
Now, look in Joshua 1.
We see a few promises.
Verse 3 says,
That every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon,
I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses.
Verse 6,
Be strong and courageous,
for you shall cause this people to inherit the land
that I swore, that I promised to your fathers to give them.
And in verse 9,
Have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous,
do not be frightened and do not be dismayed,
for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
I point these out to you just to say,
God is going to do what He says He's going to do.
If God promises something, He's going to accomplish it.
And so, we can truly,
with everything in us,
believe the promises of God
because they're going to happen
or they have already happened.
So, here's the rubber meets the road.
In order to believe something,
and not just as a gullible mark,
not just as somebody who just believes everything,
and, you know, you hear it on the internet that it's true,
like that State Farm commercial.
I don't know if you've seen that.
It's really funny.
In order to believe something, though,
you truly,
you have to know it.
If you want to believe with every fiber of your being,
you have to know it.
And here, it's the promises of God.
So, do you know the promises of God?
Do you take your energy and time
to be strong and courageous
in learning the promises of God?
Are you able to,
in your life right now,
December 30th,
are you able to courageously trust
and believe the promises of God
based on what you know right now?
Are you able to do that?
What about,
for example,
what about when things don't go your way?
The way things are.
The way that you've planned them out
to happen, to occur.
Do you trust?
Do you believe?
Do you know God's promises?
Joshua.
Was Moses' assistant for 40 years.
Now, we don't have a lot of background
to Joshua and his relationship with Moses,
but 40 years seems like a really long time
to be number two in charge.
It took him 40 years.
God's timing was perfect
and Moses passed away
and Joshua was elevated to be the leader
and to lead them into the promised land.
Those 40 years were caused by sin.
God punished them
by making them wander in the wilderness
because of their idol worship
and their disbelief
and their sin.
So the timing there
was even long for Joshua.
And then a lot of Jewish scholars
say that Joshua chapter 1 here
was actually written 30 days
after Moses' death
because,
in tradition,
there was a 30 days of mourning
mourning for death of patriarchs
and leaders
and that kind of stuff.
So,
we don't have evidence of that,
but let's just say that's the case.
So there's another 30 days
of Joshua having to wait.
So things weren't really,
maybe things weren't happening
as he had planned,
as he had hoped for.
But God's timing,
God's call
was there on Joshua.
It was by God's hand
that he was put in the position
that he was in.
So for you and I,
can we look at the book of Joshua?
Can we look at Joshua's story
and can we say,
I believe the promises of God.
I trust God is working.
I believe that He does not forsake us.
He will not leave us.
He is faithful.
Can we do that?
Even when things aren't going our way.
So,
2013 can be
a year of courage
for you and for me
in believing God and His promises
and trusting
not our own knowledge
of what we think we know
or what's the most wisest thing to do,
but the trust in God
and His leadership
and His guiding
and understanding.
So not only be courageous
in believing the promises of God,
but be courageous
in acting on the promises of God
and not ignoring the promises
until you need something
like a Santa Claus
or a grocery list
that you hand to God.
God gives Joshua
four main commands in this text.
In verse 2,
He tells him to arise and go,
lead the people out.
Or in 6 and 7,
He tells them to be strong and courageous.
In 7 and 8,
He says,
do all according to the law.
And in verse 9,
He tells them,
do not be frightened
and dismayed.
Now,
the reason I
give those to you
is not just to point them out
so that you can kind of see
the commands of God,
but I want you to see
that God also gives Him
four promises
in these nine verses.
In verses 3 and 6,
God says,
I have given you the land
just as I promised Moses.
In verses 5 and 9,
God says,
I will be with you.
In verse 5,
He says,
I will not leave you
or forsake you.
And in verse 7 and 8,
He says,
if you do not turn from the law,
if you keep the law,
you will have good success
and be prosperous.
Now see,
the reason I point
these two out to you
is that here,
God is gracious
and merciful to Joshua.
He gives him the directions
and He also gives him promises
that I've already accomplished.
He puts them together
and says,
now go.
Makes it easy for Joshua.
It's like,
it's like,
it's like God gave the directions
and the map.
You've got to lay them out
step for step
and then gave them the map too
and said,
this is what you're going to encounter
and just go.
Made it simple.
He could trust,
not in his own accomplishments
and not in his own training,
but he can trust in God
and God's promises.
I don't know if you guys know,
but the new,
I'm sure you do,
a lot of you in here,
if you have iPhones,
you know this,
that the iPhone map app
is like horrible.
I haven't experienced
really bad things with it,
but some people
put in an address
and it takes them
15 miles
in the wrong place.
And Apple has apologized
and they've,
if I gave you direction somewhere
and I gave you 15 minutes
off the way,
that doesn't help you
and it doesn't,
makes me look like an idiot.
And God gives us his promises,
he gives us the direction
and they're always right.
They're always to where he wants us to be.
There's no mistake,
there's no questioning.
I'm sure Joshua,
after hearing this from the Lord,
these nine verses,
and then God speaks with him
more and more
like he did with Moses.
Joshua didn't say,
man,
I don't know,
what do you guys think?
Should we go?
It says,
it says that Joshua,
in fact,
look at Joshua chapter 3,
verse 5.
Flip over one page.
Joshua chapter 3,
verse 5.
They're getting ready to go.
He hasn't hemmed and hawed,
he hasn't doubted,
he believed the promises of God
because God gave him directions
and he gave him promises.
He made it clear to him.
He says,
then Joshua said to the people,
consecrate yourselves,
for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.
That's good stuff.
He tells the people,
God is going to do wonders among you.
In other words,
we're going into the promised land
and God is going to work
because God is faithful
and we believe his promises.
So,
what's the rest of the story for Joshua?
Well,
he leads them into the promised land.
They defeat several armies
and several people.
They lose a battle,
one battle because of sin,
of one man,
one guy.
And Joshua is forced to discipline him
by killing him and his entire family.
And during his 110 years on earth,
he never forgets
and constantly reminds his people
what God has done
and is doing for them.
Constantly bringing people back
to the promises of God
because he is faithful
and God is going to do
what he says he's going to do.
So,
it isn't just good enough,
that was horrible,
it isn't good enough
to just believe.
We can believe,
but we must act
on what we believe.
See,
knowledge is nothing
without action.
James says that faith
without works is dead.
There's got to be action
to our lives.
And your neighbors
and your friends
and your family,
they're not going to care
how much you know
or how many verses
you memorized in 2012.
Just be honest.
They're not.
What they're going to care about
is how you treat them,
how you love them.
So,
do you love
your neighbors,
your friends,
your family
because
and out of the love
that God has shown you,
and because
and out of the love
that you have
for His Word.
Be courageous
in acting
on the promises of God.
Now,
for some of you,
this may be like
the whetstones
going to Afghanistan
to minister.
It may be
leaving everything
and everyone you know
and moving your family
to a new city.
It may be
being more generous
in supporting
and providing
for others
within this congregation.
And you can
fill it in.
It may be
a whole plethora
of things
that God is calling you
to be courageous
and acting
on the promises of God.
Because God
doesn't change.
So,
for Joshua
in this verse,
God gave him promises
along with commands.
So,
he said,
go and do this
and here's what
I've already promised.
Here's what I've done,
I'm accomplishing,
I have accomplished,
now go and do it.
So,
what happens
in our life
when God
doesn't give
the promises?
When he just
gives us a command?
Do we shrink?
Does our faith
shrink and shrivel
and disappear
and we just lose
all gumption?
we have been given
his word.
The word of God,
the Bible
that you hold
in your lap,
that you read
on your phone.
We've been given
his word
not only to guide us
but to educate us
and the world
around us
who God is
and to remind us
and to know
his promises
to us,
his children.
So,
our faith
acting on what
we believe
should be strengthened
in the unknown
because his word
says he will do
what he says
he's going to do.
He's going to provide.
He's known.
His name
is God's provider.
He's working out
by his grace
and mercy
for our good
even in the circumstances
where it doesn't
seem like that.
He will never leave
his children
nor forsake them.
He's the everlasting
Father.
He is who
he says he is.
He is the Savior.
And in him
we find
our identity.
Not in our
circumstances.
Not in what
we've accomplished.
We find our identity
in him
alone.
And in our
identity in Christ
we can trust
and act
on his
promises.
And that's because
he is God
and he does
what he says
he's going to do.
In his word
for us to read
today
in Joshua's time
where he gave him
action
told him what to do
and gave him promises
to go alongside those.
We can read these
and we can know
the promises of God
and we can act
on them.
But not only
we need to be
courageous in
believing
the promises
of God
and in acting
on the promises
of God
but also be
courageous in
treasuring God's
word
and not just
absorbing it
as knowledge.
Look at verse
7 and 8
in Joshua
chapter 1.
Only be strong
and very courageous
being careful
to do
according to
all the law
that Moses
my servant
commanded you.
Do not turn
from it
to the right hand
or to the left
that you may have
good success
wherever you go.
This book of the law
shall not depart
from your mouth
but you shall
meditate on it
day and night
so that you may
be careful to do
according to all
that is written in it.
For then
you will make
your way
prosperous
and then
you will have
good success.
Now
this is a dumb
statement I know
very elementary
but there is a
difference between
knowing and
treasuring.
I know
that my fridge
is white
and the inside
of it is cold.
I know that
because it's a fridge
and the outside
looks white.
I treasure
my wife.
Now things
would get really
awkward and really
tough if I mixed
those two up.
Just honest.
It would be horrible.
My life would be
horrible.
Treasuring means
that you value it.
You protect it.
You care for it.
You revisit it
time and time
again.
Now there are
times in the evening
when I get home
from work
that I just follow
Jamie around
in the building.
She's doing laundry
down the hall
I just follow her.
She's folding clothes
I just follow her.
She's punishing a child
while I join in
but I follow her
just because
I treasure her
and I want to be
with her
and I want to
spend time with her.
It is the same
with God's word.
Do you look forward
to times reading it?
Or do you avoid
or ignore
such things
in such times?
Do you just read it
to gain knowledge
or do you truly
believe it is
the word
of God
from God
to you?
Knowledge is good
but when it hinders
or disrupts
the proper relationship
it ceases to be good.
It's great for me
to know that my fridge
is white.
Matches other appliances.
It's great for me
to know that the inside
is cold
that I can put milk
and eggs in there
and it will be okay.
But the moment
I treasure it
that knowledge
becomes my downfall
and breaks
the relationship.
See there's power
in a healthy marriage.
There's power
in the fact
that it can display
the gospel
to the world.
Husband and wife.
The way the husband
loves the wife.
Christ and the church.
It can show people
what love
really looks like.
But the same is true
with God's word.
Like there's power
in God's word.
There's direction in it
and it too
can display the gospel
as we treasure it
and it becomes part
of our everyday life.
People around us
will see differences
when God's word
has infiltrated
our life.
Now verse 7
in Joshua chapter 1
says do according
to all the law
that Moses my servant
commanded you.
Do not turn from it
to the right hand
or to the left.
In other words
when it is treasured
it will not leave you
and you will not leave it.
It will always
be on your mind.
Verse 8 says
this book of the law
shall not depart
from your mouth
but you shall meditate
on it day and night
so that you may be careful
to do according
to all that is written
in it.
In your comings
and goings
it shall be on your lips
treasuring it.
Now that does not mean
that you are constantly
reciting scripture
or singing through songs
or scripture to songs
although it could
but that doesn't
necessarily mean that.
It means that
that like ingredients
that simmer on the stove
for stew
carrots
beef
onions
potatoes
you put it all in there
you mix it up
and you just let it
simmer on the stove.
Many ingredients
they mold together
and they become
one great flavor.
The word of God
simmers in you.
It changes your heart
and your desires
to match his desires.
The many ingredients
of you
of your life
your struggles
your world view
your culture
the culture around you
and the word of God
all simmer.
And it is the word of God
instead of
like the stew
all the ingredients
become one
it is the word of God
that rises out
that prevails
over the other flavors
that takes over
the other ingredients
in our life.
When we treasure
the word of God
we allow the word of God
to change us
by believing it
by living it
and by loving it.
So 2013
36 and a half hours
from now
can be the year
that you treasure
God's word
more than you have
in the previous years.
If you treasure
God's word
your life will be different.
You will act different
you will live different
you will talk different
you will love different.
When we treasure it
we don't try
to hoard it.
We don't try
to keep it for ourselves
and store it away.
That's what we do
with knowledge.
Some knowledge
we share
but when we treasure
something
we share it.
We give it out.
We let people know.
We will want to share
with anyone
and everyone
when we treasure
something.
So
be courageous
in believing
the promises of God.
Be courageous
in acting
on the promises
of God.
Be courageous
in treasuring
God's word.
And be courageous
in living out
the word of God.
Very similar
to the last one
or the second one
acting on the promises
of God
but a little different.
in our text
Joshua 1
1-9
God tells Joshua
twice to
be courageous
and strong.
Two separate times
reminds him
be courageous
and strong.
Now he does so
because he's telling
him to do something
right?
He's telling him
something that
that is new
something that
is dangerous
something that is
that is life
changing.
Now when we
believe the gospel
when we treasure
God's word
we will do things
that are new
to those around us.
We will do things
that are
different
maybe awkward
maybe
they can't
understand why
and I believe
as Christians
there will come
a moment
or moments
that God
will ask you
to do something
to the world
that may not
make any sense.
Are you willing
to do so?
Are you willing
to do something
that just seems
a little awkward
seems a little
different
and they just
don't get it?
For example
Jamie and I
went to see
Les Miserables
on the day
after Christmas
and we were
super happy
to do so
believe it or not
I was happy
to go see it.
The whole thing
is a musical
by the way
if you haven't
seen it
even in normal
conversations
are sung
so prepare yourself
if you're going
to see that.
There's probably
ten words
that aren't sung
in the whole
thing
but in the
story
in the story
of Les Mis
there's two
main characters
there's three
or four
but two
main characters
guys
Jean Valjean
is the one
main character
and he is
the criminal
he is the
bad guy
and then
there's
Javert
who is the
inspector
who has
been over
seeing
Jean Valjean
from in
prison
and then
trying to
catch him
because he
missed parole
throughout the
years of the
story
at the
beginning of
the story
Jean Valjean
gains his
freedom
and he
tries to find
work
and of course
he's a criminal
and nobody's
going to give him
work
and he finds
this church
and he falls
asleep on the
front porch
and in this
church
is a bishop
and the bishop
comes and he
wakes him up
in the middle
of the night
and of course
Jean Valjean
thinks
this guy's
going to run
me off
you know
I'm done
and the bishop
says come in
and he invites
him into the
into the house
and he feeds
him
lets him sit
by the fire
warms himself
gives him a bed
to sleep in
and in the middle
of the night
Jean Valjean
decides that
this isn't for me
I'm going to
steal what I
can
I'm going to
grab what I
can of the
bishops
the silver
and whatever
else I can
grab
and I'm
going to
run
well he gets
caught
he gets
caught
not by the
main inspector
but by some
other police
or whatever
and they
bring him
back
and they
confront
they put him
before the
bishop
and says
this man
has stolen
your stuff
and we want
you to just
claim your
stuff so that
we can put
him back in
prison forever
because he's
a criminal
and he's
nothing
and the
bishop says
well I
was trying
to get
him
but I
wanted to
get him
because he
had forgot
two of the
greatest
treasures I
have
which are
these
candle
stands
big huge
pieces of
silver
and he
said I
wanted him
to have
these too
so he
gives him
his greatest
treasure
forgives him
and shows him
mercy
well this
story
carries
throughout the
whole
rest of the
story
this is the
beginning of
the movie
and Jean
Valjean
decides to
because this
bishop had
shown him
mercy that
he was going
to live
differently
that he was
going to show
mercy when he
could that he
was going to
show grace to
people when he
could that he
was going to
give to the
poor and he
was no matter
how successful
in business he
was going to
be he was
going to provide
for people in
need and show
them mercy
comes to the
end towards the
end of the
movie and he
has an opportunity
Jean Valjean has
an opportunity to
kill the man
who has been
chasing him
the man who
had put him
in prison
the man who
tormented him
and he doesn't
kill him
he shows him
mercy
even in that
moment
drives Javert
crazy to the
point of suicide
the point is
I gave you
that whole thing
for this point
the grace
and the mercy
that you have
been shown
in Christ
Jesus
that grace
and that mercy
that Jean Valjean
had been shown
pales in
comparison to
the mercy
and the grace
that you have
been shown
in Christ
and that grace
and that mercy
should dictate
how we live
and how we love
one another
and how we love
others
and how we share
our lives
and how generous
we are
we can
forgive
when everything
around us
says to repay
hate
place judgment
on
we can be
courageous
in how we
live
because of the
grace and the
mercy that we
have been shown
there will also
be moments
in our lives
as Christians
that there will
be danger
involved
some level
of danger
it may not
be physical
but it will be
dangerous
are you willing
to submit
to God's
leading
and do
something
dangerous
for him
are you
willing to
in those
moments
decide now
that you're
going to
follow
no matter
what
wherever
that takes
you
wherever
that leads
Joshua
in our
text
a couple
chapters
later
he leads
chapter 3
he leads
the people
in the
promised
land
it says
in
can't find
it now
it says
that he
had caused
he'll cause
his people
to walk
and gain
the promised
land
he was
Jesus
like
in the
old
testament
there were
battles
there were
judgments
there was
danger
there was
sin
and there
was victory
Jesus
Christ
died
so that
he could
lead
his
people
into
the
eternal
promised
land
like
Joshua
did
here
Jesus
lived
a
sinless
life
died
with
the
sin
of
the
world
on
his
shoulders
he
died
in order
that
we
could
live
and he
leads
us
to
the
promised
land
if we
follow
him
until
that
until
that
time
when we
reach
the
promised
land
there
will
be
battles
we
will
fight
here
on
earth
there
will
be
struggles
there
will
be
sadness
and
sorrow
there
will
be
judgments
there
will
be
danger
there
will
be
victory
are
you
willing
to
trust
him
are
you
willing
to
believe
his
promises
and
to
repent
of
your
sins
and
follow
Jesus
it
will
be
the
most
courageous
thing
that
you
can
do
and
the
most
dangerous
and
the
most
rewarding
did
you
know
that
70%
of
patients
who
had
coronary
bypass
surgery
major
life
threatening
surgeries
they
may die
if
they
don't
have
the
surgery
70%
return
to
their
old
habits
within
two
years
70%
now
I'm
probably
one
of
those
I
haven't
had
coronary
surgery
or
anything
but
I
would
probably
be
one
of
those
it's
because
we
are
corrupt
it's
because
we
are
not
as
strong
as
we
think
we
are
we
need
pun
intended
a
heart
change
we
need
a
life
change
and
Jesus
is
strong
enough
he
is
!
victorious
over
sin
and
death
and
the
very
problems
we
face
he
has
beaten
so
let's
trust
him
today
let's
trust
him
December
30th
2012
we
can
be
courageous
in
believing
the
promises
of
God
we
can
be
courageous
in
acting
on
the
promises
of
God
we
can
be
courageous
in
treasuring
God's
word
and
we
can
be
courageous
in
living
out
the
word
of
God
now
I
started
by
talking
about
resolutions
and
how
the
reason
behind
resolutions
is
why
they
fail
God
can
change
a
heart
God
can
take
a
heart
of
stone
and
make
it
a
heart
of
flesh
he
can
change
your
desires
and
your
love
he
has
in
me
he
has
in
several
in
here
the
problem
isn't
if
God
can
because
he
can
the
problem
is
will
you
let
him
will
you
invite
him
to
change
your
!
will
you
ask
God
for
that
new
heart
so
that
your
resolution
can
see it
to the
end
that
you
can
be
a
man
or
woman
of
courage
not
for
your
name
not
for
your
glory
but
for
his
name
and
his
glory
let's
pray
together
!