HOW TO HAVE A FRESH START – MARK SLEVIN
Scriptures:
1 Samuel 2: 1-11 MSG
Psalm 51:10-12 MSG
Zechariah 10:6 MSG
Hosea 14:5 MSG
Isaiah 43:18 MSG
Jeremiah 18:1-4 MSG
Points:
2. On your FEET. (He puts poor people on their feet.)
3. FRESH Hope. (He rekindles burnt out lives with fresh hope.)
3. Bright FUTURE. (He gives people a place in the sun.)
“God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails!” Psalms 51:10-12 MSG
Here’s the challenge – You can’t have a fresh start, with a stale mindset. You can’t have a new life, with old thinking.
Three ways God gives us a FRESH START:
1. On Your Feet (He puts poor people on their feet.)
‘poor people’ – not in wealth, but in thinking, in mindset, in perspective.
“You may be a product of your past, but you don’t have to be a prisoner of it.“
On your FEET … In order to have a fresh start you need to TAKE STOCK.
What do you have?
– Personal – know Him – relationship with Jesus.
– Power – Testimony – what have you learnt?
– Perspective – SEE – FOCUS.
(You can survive anything, by REDEFINING everything.) Set you mind on things above.
We don’t lose, we learn.
2. FRESH Hope (He rekindles burnt out lives with fresh hope.)
The problem with hope is out interpretation of it. We have a GREEN HOPE, a living hope.
People that are most sure of the future live assured in the present. Get a fresh start by taking a step in faith, because you have a green hope.
HOPE – in his love for you. The key to saving ourselves from burnt out lives is not rest, but revelation. A revelation of His love for you. That’s fresh hope.
EPHESIANS: Inheritance in the saints – His love for you.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.” 1 Peter 1:3-4
3. Bright FUTURE (He gives people a place in the sun.)
Before a purpose or a plan …. he has a place for us.
We don’t need another team talk – we need a touch from heaven. A place – secure – assured – promised –
‘And whoever comes to me I will certainly not turn away.’ John 6:37
Discussion Questions
1. ‘On Your Feet’ – How does God putting us “on our feet” help in having a fresh start in life? What are some practical ways to take stock of what we have in terms of personal relationship, testimony, and perspective? How can redefining our past experiences shape our future mindset and actions?
2. Fresh Hope – What does the term “green hope” mean to you, and how does it differ from other interpretations of hope? How can a revelation of God’s love provide fresh hope and prevent burnout in our lives? Reflect on a time when you felt burnt out. How did your faith play a role in rekindling your hope during that period?
3. A Bright Future – How does believing in a secure place in God’s plan help us to envision a bright future? What does it mean to have a “place in the sun”, and how can this assurance impact our daily lives?
Discuss how a touch from heaven can be more transformative than simply receiving encouragement from others?
4. What old thinking or stale mindset do you need to let go of to embrace a fresh start? How do the Scriptures provided in the message (e.g., Psalm 51:10-12, Isaiah 43:18) encourage you to seek a new beginning?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your promise of a fresh start, for putting us on our feet, for rekindling our hope, and for securing our place in Your plan. Help us to let go of old mindsets and embrace the new life You offer. Fill us with Your love and revelation, guiding us to see our future through Your eyes. Breathe fresh wind into our sails and lead us to a place in the sun, where we can shine for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
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