Every New Year people tend to make promises they are going to try and keep in the up coming year. We all like the idea of taking advantage of the changing of the year by using it as an excuse to fix the things in our lives that we would like to change either about ourselves or our circumstances.

Usually we make resolutions about losing weight or finances but in this sermon Pastor Cox gives us ten bangin’ New Year’s resolutions for Christians. Some of these have to do with how we relate to people, some have to do with how we relate to God, and some are how we relate to sin. I was both convicted and blessed while I listened to this very encouraging message on how we ought to usher in the new year.

Some of us have experienced bullies in our lives but all of us have been beat up by sin. Well, in the case of bullies and in the case of sin in a Christian’s life, there comes a time when we need to get tired of being pushed around and start doing something about it.

The good news for a Christian is that Christ has already done something about it. When someone is bullied he might get his brother or father to help him. As Christians we just need to walk in the power that Christ has made available to us. The important thing is to know that this is about knowing God and knowing ourselves and doing what we have to do to stay with Him.

Pastor Cox encourages those that are tired of living impure and half hearted with some principles to use to live pure and devoted to God.

In the 1992 Olympics a runner by the name of Derek Redmond was expected to finish with a medal but instead he finished dead last because right in the middle of the race his hamstring tore. The whole world witnessed it. But instead of giving up he pressed on, determined to finish the race, and the world applauded his courage.

King Manasseh fell hard into sin, offering his kids to idols, leading a whole nation astray, and was almost entirely responsible for his people being placed under God's judgment. He had no reason to get up and go after God but in spite of his condition, Manasseh humbled himself, turned from his sin and God honored his repentance by giving Manasseh a chance to know Him.

Most of us can learn a lot from Manasseh's determination not to let discouragement and defeat get the best of him. In this sermon Pastor Cox expounds on all that Manasseh had to go through to turn back to God and encourages those in the same state as Manasseh to do as he did.

When you first get saved it is so exhilarating!  You're pumped and ready to witness to everyone you come into contact with.  You can just feel the Holy Spirit moving through you and using you.  Am I right?  You feel like nothing can bring you down.

And then you sin.  ugh.

Sin affects us in so many ways.  Psychologically, your thoughts begin to change.  Emotionally, the shame you feel from knowing the same friends and family you were just witnessing may be aware that you've just sinned, can discourage you from ever wanting to share the Gospel again.  And even worse than that, the devil knows that you've sinned and will use that moment of weakness to try and take you out of the faith for eternity.

You hear alot of people say, "well even David sinned" and that is true, but what did David do after sinning? Instead of condemning himself, David prayed for restoration and vowed to teach sinners the Lord's ways (Psalm 51).  Listen as Pastor Cox pushes you to get back up and keep running the race of faith even after stumbling.  Just imagine how much louder the crowd roars when the team they thought would lose comes up from behind and wins.  We too have more influence after getting up.  When the enemy thought he had us defeated we come back even stronger!