On the first Sunday of 2015, it's appropriate to discuss a topic for the New Year: renewal. How do we acquire good habits? How do we drop bad ones? This & more as we discuss the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

2. Resolutions or Otherwise

3. The turn of the year
is a great time to examine
why you exist.

4. What is your story?

5. What did the 2014
chapter read like?

6. What will the 2015
chapter read like?

7. Humans are caught—in their lives, in their thoughts, in
their hungers and ambitions, in their avarice and cruelty,
and in their kindness and generosity too—in a net of good
and evil. I think this is the only story we have and that it
occurs on all levels of feeling and intelligence. Virtue and
vice were warp and woof of our first consciousness, and
they will be the fabric of our last, and this despite any
changes we may impose on field and river and mountain,
on economy and manners.

8. There is no other story. A man, after he has brushed
off the dust and chips of his life, will have left only
the hard, clean questions: Was it good or was it evil?
Have I done well—or ill?
East of Eden - John Steinbeck

9. In asking what the
past year was like,
what are you thinking of?

10. Fond memories?
Life improvements?
Celebrations?
Glad occasions?

11. Disappointments?
Deaths?
Discouraging events?
Failed relationships?

12. The Resolutions of
Jonathan Edwards

13. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most
to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure,
in the whole of my duration, without any
consideration of the time, whether now, or never so
many myriad’s of ages hence. Resolved to do
whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good
and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do
this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and
how great soever.
Resolution #1 - Jonathan Edwards

14. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be
afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
Resolution #7 - Jonathan Edwards

15. Resolved, never to say anything at all against
anybody, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the
highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to
mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense
of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the
golden rule; often, when I have said anything against
anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of
this Resolution.
Resolution #31 - Jonathan Edwards

16. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the
better for them, what good I have got by them, and
what I might have got by them.
Resolution #67 - Jonathan Edwards

17. Resolved, never to count that a prayer, nor to let that
pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer,
which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will
answer it; nor that as a confession, which I cannot
hope God will accept.
Resolution #29 - Jonathan Edwards

18. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this all my
life long, viz. with the greatest openness I am capable
of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul
to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows,
fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every
circumstance.
Resolution #65 - Jonathan Edwards

19. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
Resolution #6 - Jonathan Edwards

20. Eighteen years old.

21. It’s never too late, or early,
to own your life story.

22. Do you think Mr. Edwards
always kept his resolutions?

23. Do we really think that Mr.
Edwards was Mr. Edwards
because he was more
stubborn than the rest?

24. Of course not.

25. The lie that we all tell
ourselves is that our resolve
with our power will lead to
our transformation.

26. It is not your resolve which
ultimately determines the
course of your years.

27. To this end we always pray for you, that our
God may make you worthy of his calling
and may fulfill every resolve for good and
every work of faith by his power, so that the
name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in
you, and you in him, according to the grace
of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 - Paul of Tarsus

28. Your resolve with your power
will lead to your failure.

29. Your resolve with His power
will lead to His glory.

30. How do we receive
His power?

31. But you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes upon you and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts 1:8 - Saint Luke

32. But you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes upon you and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts 1:8 - Saint Luke

33. But how does His Spirit
give us power?

35. Our salvation occurs
in three phases.

36. JUSTIFICATION
This is the work completed
by the Cross & Empty
Grave. Your sin was paid for,
just as if it never occurred.

37. SANCTIFICATION
This is the work that began at
the Cross. Because we are now
justified, we can now be formed
into the image of the justifier.

38. GLORIFICATION
This is the work made possible
at the Cross and demonstrated
by the Risen Jesus.
Sanctification complete.

39. We so often try to force our
own spiritual growth, rather
than letting God work in us.

40. All things work together
for those that love Him,
for those called according
to His purpose.

41. The next verses define
good in the previous verse.

42. We are predestined
to conform to the
image of Jesus.

43. It doesn’t say “predestined
to heaven”. Heaven is not
the ultimate goal of God for
His adopted children.

44. You are supposed to
look like Jesus.

45. Move from spiritual milk
to spiritual bacon.

46. SPIRITUAL MILK
What Sin Is
Who Jesus Was
What Jesus Did
Repentance and Faith
How to Read the Bible
The Basics of Spiritual Disciplines
What is the Church?

47. SPIRITUAL BROCCOLI
Identifying Idols
How the Holy Spirit Functions In Us
Living on Mission
How can I Serve & Love the Church?
Preaching the Gospel to Yourself
Rebellion vs. Religion vs. Redemption

48. SPIRITUAL BACON
Leading Like Christ
Training Others
Structure of a Biblical Church
Involvement in Systemic Missions

49. Cool story, bro.

50. But how does His Spirit
give us power?

51. PSALM 51

52. David’s backstory.

53. This is post-Goliath.

54. This is post-Kingship.

55. This is post-Bathsheba.

56. David knows that, in spite of
his resolve, he has failed.

57. So he pleads.

58. PLEASE HAVE MERCY.
WASH ME.

59. I SEE NOTHING
BUT MY FAILURE.

60. IF YOU DON’T CLEANSE ME,
I’LL NEVER BE CLEAN.

61. And then verse 10.

62. The beauty of the Christian
life is that God not only
removes filth, shame, & sin…

63. He replaces them.

64. In place of a filthy heart,
a clean one.

65. In place of a selfish spirit,
a Sacred one.

66. In place of sin’s separation,
His presence.

67. In place of the despair of sin,
the joy of salvation.

68. In place of your stubborn
refusal to transform,
a willing Spirit.

69. These things can be replaced
because Jesus took your place.

70. The Holy Spirit applies the work
of Jesus to our heart.

71. The Holy Spirit is the beautiful
graffiti of Heaven, covering the
grime on the walls of our heart,
claiming us as Heaven’s territory.

72. He clarifies the image of Christ,
that we may see Him.

73. The Holy Spirit is the microscope
& telescope of Heaven,
allowing us to see both the
nooks & grandeur of Jesus.

74. He is our means of
communication with the Trinity,
that we may know Him.

75. The Holy Spirit brings power
because He is the channel through
which the cleansing, replacing
ability of the Father flows.

76. The Holy Spirit brings power
because He brings the Gospel.

77. The Holy Spirit brings power
because He brings us Jesus.

78. Question & Answer