Out With The Old; In With The New

Have you ever heard the saying, "Out with the old; in with the new"? Well, sometimes that can be a good thing and sometimes it can be a bad thing. It can be a good thing when it comes to MATERIAL things. It is always exciting to get rid of those "old" clothes and get some "new" ones or trade that "old" car in for a "new" one. It can also be a good thing when it comes to MINISTRY in the sense that we should not be driven by the past but a by a vision for the future and what God wants us to strive for in this upcoming year. While I am thankful for what God has done for us in the past, and we should not forget it, I also want to be careful to not let the past hinder the future. There are many churches that do not seem to move forward because they are stuck always thinking about the way things "used to be." But while many times trading the old for the new can be a good thing, it can also be a bad thing. Change can be good unless it is change in the wrong direction. We must be careful to not trade the Word of God for any of the "new" teaching we are hearing today. God's Word still has the power it always has and God never changes; He will always honor things done His way. I hope as the new year dawns, you will make a resolution to ged rid of the old habits that kept you from serving God to your fullest ability last year and decide to commit yourself afresh and anew in 2009.