Resolutions That Will Work

Introduction

Good morning. If you’ll open in your old testaments with me to Deuteronomy chapter 17. Deuteronomy chapter 17. And while you’re turning there, I do want to quickly go over if you’re like me, you like things that are new, or maybe you like things that are shiny, that they might catch your attention. This is new and it’s yellow, so not quite shiny, but it is yellow. And if you walked by it this morning, it’s it’s a year in the Psalms. The idea is that for this new year, as the Lord wills, in 2018, which we are about twelve hours and lunch away from, again, as the Lord wills, we’re about to have a chance to serve God. We have an opportunity to grow in our service to Him, to grow in our understanding of how mighty, powerful, holy, and great He is.

And one of the best ways to do that is to read through the Psalms. Brother Kim this morning preached an excellent lesson. I would refer you to our website or the YouTube link or requesting even a CD from Brother Mike on the value in and the goal of reading through the Psalms. But suffice to say, a good quick start would be pick this up on your way out of the building this morning. Recognize that our goal this year that we’ll be reinforced through classes or at least through some sermons and Wednesday night talks and different ideas throughout the year, we’ll be reading through the Psalms just about on average three Psalms a week. We can do that. We must do that, and I assure you that if we do that, not only together, but even as individuals, we will grow in our service to our wonderful Lord.

This morning in Deuteronomy chapter 17, you see in verse 14 a verse that I probably no one would have guessed you’d hear on Jan uh December 31st, looking into the new year. Deuteronomy chapter 17, beginning in verse 14. When you come to the land that the Lord your God has given you, and you possess it and dwell in it, and then say, I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me. You may indeed set a king over you, whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as a king over you. You may not put a foreigner over here who is not your brother. Only he must not acquire many horses for himself, or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, you shall never return that way again.

And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Labidal Priest. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by keeping all the words of this law in these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children Israel.

This morning on the precipice of a new year with new opportunities, and being reflective of the past year and the opportunities that we did take, the ways that we did grow, as well as the opportunities that, if we’re honest, we let through our grasp, that we didn’t take, and the struggles and trials that this year brought.

Resolutions that are laid out by God. In fact, in Deuteronomy chapter 17, if you look at these verses, what God is saying for the future king, he’s saying, first and foremost, I know Israel is going to choose a king. And even though this passage in Deuteronomy is far on the side of centuries farther away from when they had the king than a day or so. God knew they’d pick a king, and he said to choose a king from among them, from the brothers, from Israel. But it wasn’t just about picking a king, it wasn’t about having a king. You saw there was three things that God said this king must not do, and yet even about three more that he must do. If we want to have resolutions that work, if we want to grow in our service to God, we have to recognize three things this morning.

1. The King Must Not Acquire for Himself

We have to recognize our God, our place, and our opportunity. We have to recognize our God, our place, and our opportunity. You see those reflected in those themes. If you go back to verse 14, beginning, the king must not acquire for himself many horses, because in verse 14, God says, I will choose the king. When everyone comes to me and says, you know what, God, we’re just going to have a king, and isn’t that exactly what they did with Samuel? They went up to Samuel and they said, Samuel, you are old. Now that’s a good New Year’s resolution, right? Have someone walk up to you and say, You know what? You are old. I leave that business to Ken. But we recognize there is some wisdom in that experience, right?

As we think about verse 14, though, we see in verse 15 continuing, God would choose that king. And if that king is chosen by God from among his people, we would recognize that God has control and that his ways must be followed. But in verse 16, he must not acquire many horses for himself, or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses. It seems like kind of a strange thing to pick out of a list. You know, Israel, you’re going to have a king, even though I’m king over you, as we learn from the Samuel Exchange. I’m going to choose the king from among your brothers, and the first thing that’s revealed here in Deuteronomy 17 is if you’re a king, don’t go and acquire many horses.

Well, the rest of the verse does explain a little bit. Since the Lord has said to you, you shall never return that way again. There was a fear, or at least a command from God, to keep the people of Israel from going back to Egypt. If you remember your Old Testament history very well, you know that it was Moses and the people of Israel who were in what condition in Egypt. They were slaves. They were in bondage. And of course, it was after God freed them through ten plagues and working the miracles through Moses and Aaron as his spokespeople, that the people were finally released, and when they were finally released and they got out into the wilderness, what was the first thing the people did?

Aaron took up a bunch of gold, threw it in the fire, and if you believe him, out popped this golden calf. They had rejected God. And later, when they were in search of food and water, they said, Oh, that we just could return to Egypt, where we were slaves, and where there was food. God did not want his people to return there, but the key that you’re going to see in this list is to not acquire for himself. You’re going to see that again in verse 17, the first part here. The king must also not acquire many wives for himself. And again, the answer is given in the text why, lest his heart turn away. If you look with me quickly in 1 Kings chapter 11, you’ll see this exact problem, excuse me.

In 1 Kings chapter 11, you see this issue with Solomon. Solomon was a man of great wisdom. In fact, you might say the greatest wisdom, because God blessed him with an unusual portion of that wisdom. But if you read the beginning of 1 Kings chapter 11, you see God telling Solomon desperately not to do this very thing. In 1 Kings 11 and verse 1. Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, you shall not enter marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods. Solomon clung to those in love. He had seven hundred wives who were princesses and three hundred concubines, and verse three, his wives turned away his heart.

For when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David, his father. In fact, you see this doubled down on in his actions in verse 8, he offered sacrifices and offerings to all of these idle foreign gods. And you see God’s wisdom at play here. God had told the king, they must not acquire many horses or return to Egypt, and they must not acquire many wives for himself. But going back to Deuteronomy chapter 17, the last part, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. Do you think Solomon was pretty wealthy? He’s pretty rich. Absolutely he was. David, in fact, was rich, and Saul even, being king, came with its privileges, and being king came with its fleshly, earthly privileges.

2. First of All, We Have to Know God

So why would it be that in Deuteronomy chapter 17, God would have such a problem with a king acquiring horses, many wives, and excessive wealth? You see, the root of this issue is that very first one. If we’re going to have resolutions that work in the new year, first of all, we have to what? We have to know God. And if you know, the very essence of each of these is a lack of trust in God, not only that his ways will come to pass, but that his ways are best. You see, that’s the problem with acquiring many horses. Why would a king get caught up and go back to Egypt? Well, if you look back at verse 16, to acquire more horses, to take care of himself.

What’s the problem with taking care of yourself? God, with his people Israel, had a unique bond. We call it the covenant relationship. And in that covenant relationship, you have God reaching down to Israel. And what would happen if Israel would submit to God, if they would be holy as God is holy? He would watch out for them. He would bless them, he would comfort them and guide them, even yes, to victory over other nations in a way to receive the land God had promised and to protect them in that land. And so if they were caught up with worrying about Egypt or other nations, what does that show about them? That they were human? Maybe.

You see that same issue, of course, with acquiring many wealths for himself. This is the easiest one to identify because Solomon had this exact diagnosis. He loved many wives. God said, Do not do that. And what happened? His wife turned away his heart after other gods. As we saw in 1 Kings 11 and verse 8, he offered many sacrifices and offerings to their gods. But I want to think about that for just a moment. The great Solomon the wise. Solomon the rich, powerful, wise, God appointed king, offered sacrifices and offerings to other gods. How did that happen? Because he didn’t trust that what God said was true. He didn’t trust what God said was necessary. And he chose to do it his own way rather than God’s way.

And of course, then you see again this idea of acquiring excessive silver and gold for himself would be choosing to allow gold, wealth, prosperity to be his compass, rather than God to be our everything and to be our ways. Of course, pretty much everyone here without knowing, perhaps it’s there and knows 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 10. The love of money is what? The root of all evil. We know that verse so well because not just money is evil, but the love of money, it changes our internal compass. It changes our trust because what do we do? We don’t feel like we need God if we don’t have any problems, if we’re not having any outside threats, acquiring many horses for ourselves. We don’t feel like we need God if our heart is happy and merry and we just can’t think of anything else.

3. The King Must Write, Read, and Do the Law

But how wonderful life is. That would be the wife’s and the excessive wealth. We need to trust in God. But see, secondly, with me, this list of things the king must do. In Deuteronomy chapter 17 and verse 18, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priest. Now, by a show of hands, who is thankful that we are just reading through three Psalms a week and not writing a copy of the law? My hand is way up with that one. And yet that’s what the king was to do. Why would God have a king write a copy of the law? In fact, why would it have to be approved by the Levitical priests?

In fact, in verse 18, it shall be with him, and he shall read it in all the days of his life. You see, these two must write off the bat of a king. He must write the law and read it all the days of his life. Why? Once again, the text supplies the answer. Look with me in verse 19. That he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes and doing them. But there’s more to it in verse 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either is the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children in Israel.

The king must not only write a copy of the law, he must not only read the law, in so doing, he will and he must do the will of the Lord. How would you best summarize the first part of Deuteronomy chapter 17, verses 14 through 17? Would it be fair to say that God wants us to be focused? He wanted his king, and in so following the example, us to be focused on following God, knowing he’s there, and trusting his ways. I think that’d be a fair assessment. And then here, the king must know the law, read it, meditate on it, and in so doing it will guide our actions. If we want resolutions that work this morning, and I’m not talking about trying to lose weight or trying to stay away from the ice cream shop that’s at Cimarron and Levista, or the ice cream shop that’s near Orange in Michigan, I can keep going for you if you need it.

I’m talking about resolutions that matter. We need to be resolved as Christians to be stronger, not only in the sense of talking to God more in prayer and reading his will, but for the symptoms of that problem.

The problem is we don’t feel we need to, or we don’t feel that it works. And you see, we treat them like they’re two different issues, and this text, God teaches us very clearly, they are one in the same. Look back at verse 18 again. Why would the king write the law? Well, we know this one. If you have to write something, you remember it. I don’t know about y’all, but I was in trouble all the time, and one of my punishments was writing out sentences. I will not do this, I will not do this, I will not do this. If you can tell, that makes the difference on you. It leaves an imprint. In verse 18, when he the king sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priest.

It shall be with him, he shall read it. Verse 19, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law. We have to address the problem rather than the symptoms. It’s great to make a resolution that says, I’m going to read my Bible more. I hope we do. I need to do that as well. I hope we can read through the Psalms and meditate on the goodness and the mercy of God. Recognize that there are questions we can have for God, that we can lay out our sufferings and our concerns before him. But we also need to realize that just like most resolutions, they might drop off unless we have a heart for God. Unless we know God, unless we trust him, we will not do what he says.

4. Trust the Lord, Even When Life Is Hard

When we think about this, then to make resolutions that work, we must do these simple three things. First of all, we need to trust the Lord, even when life is hard. If you go to Joshua chapter 1, now this is a lot closer to the time that Deuteronomy would have been penned in Joshua chapter 1. In Joshua chapter 1, even when life is hard, when life is daunting, when we’re on the precipice of a challenge in 2018 will be a challenge because I know that.

Challenge begins at noon. Joshua chapter 1, beginning in verse 2. Note this challenge that Joshua was able to take on his shoulders. 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 soul of your foot will tread upon you, 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 ye 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, do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. What a powerful passage to have in our mind and to be meditating on as the new year presents itself to us ever closer. We think about the idea of trusting in the Lord. It’s really easy when time is good. You know, in Deuteronomy chapter 17, when God was giving these laws for the people that when you have a king, the king needs to do this, this, and this. You gotta think the people are like, okay, okay, sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’ll do that. But when did it come to be a problem? For example, when Solomon was there and he had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, then all of a sudden Deuteronomy chapter seventeen became a real issue because going all the way back then, what did God say would happen if the king did that?

His heart would be turned from me. And what happened to even great, powerful wise Solomon? His heart was turned from the Lord. And in so doing, Rehoboam, his son, continued in a path of bad decision making. The kingdom was split. You had Israel in the north and Judah in the south, and we know how the story goes from there. But again, if we trusted in the Lord, if Solomon trusted in God’s wisdom, if we knew what God’s will was for our life, wouldn’t that be a game changer for our resolutions? It would no longer be about just reading more, which we need to do or praying more, which we must have in our belt. It would be a life saying, How can I serve? What can I look for?

How can I access people? And here’s the real challenge to not just make this year better, but make this day better. If we’re going to redeem 2018, we’re going to redeem, make the best use of the time, we need to know not only as Ephesians 5 says that the days are evil, but that it starts with me now. I have to be looking. I have to be waiting for opportunity actively. I have to trust the Lord that even when I don’t understand why things are going the way they are, and that was Habakkuk to the T. That God’s ways will come to pass. And just as God told Habakkuk, write it down and wait, and you will know and you will see. We need to trust that God’s ways are there for us.

5. Truly Accept That God’s Ways Are Best

And if you look at Joshua 1 9 again, we need to not be afraid, not be dismayed. Our God will be with us wherever we go. Powerful promise from a powerful Lord. Consider with me secondly this morning, if we’re going to have resolutions that work, if we’re going to grow in our faith and our understanding of what it means to be a child of God, we have to truly accept that God’s ways are best. I know we know Isaiah 55, verses 8 and 9. God’s ways are higher than our ways, his thoughts are higher than our thoughts. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God’s ways than our ways. That is absolutely true. We must also have that on our heart. But here’s where it gets really sticky.

Look with me in 1 Peter chapter 3. We know God’s ways are best. We know we need to trust in God, and yet there’s these situations that come up in life, just like Peter writes about in 1 Peter chapter 3. This is where it gets difficult, this is where it gets hard, and all of a sudden, this lesson is a lot harder. The resolutions are much more likely to fall through the cracks, to not stick the way we know they should. 1 Peter chapter 3, consider this circumstance. Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be one without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct.

Do not let your adorning be external, the braiding of your hair and the putting on of gold jewelry or the clothing you wear. But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord. And you are her children if you do good, and do not fear anything that is frightening. Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

You see, that is a really good scenario right there. You have a woman who is married to a man who is not a believer, verse 1. He needs to be one, and he will be one without a word through the conduct of his wife. What a powerful, wonderful blessing. God says, this is how to handle this situation. Now the truth is, these situations don’t always work out this way. And if you were trying to advise someone who is in a marriage, whether the husband was not dealing, verse 7 with his wife in an understanding way, or the wife was trying to work with the husband who did not believe, how would you suggest dealing with that? Would you say, don’t worry about it, just do your thing?

God’s will gives us a plan. Now, 1 Peter 3 does not mean that the woman doesn’t say anything and their husband will be converted just by kind of sitting there quietly and always doing this and that. But that is the essence of the message that we need to trust God, that his ways will be seen, his ways will be noticed. And God’s will has always been that open hearts who are seeking truth will find it through his word and through his people. That has always been God’s way. But as we think about our New Year’s resolutions and we think about the sticky times that life is hard and we don’t know if his ways are best, it’s pretty easy to trust that God’s ways are best when life is going well.

When the marriage is good, when the family is growing, when the job is going successfully. But what about when we have problems? What about when life isn’t going the way we expect? Does anybody ever complain about being in a tough situation? Whether out loud or privately, we all share those thoughts, we all share those moments and concerns. But can I give you an example of a problem that pretty much no one has ever brought to me? No one’s ever come to me and said, you know what, Greg, my marriage is just too loving. Can you help us dial it down a notch? I just, I’m getting too much love and service from my spouse. It’s just not working out. Because God’s ways always work. You see, the problems we have are when we don’t act the way God tells us to, whether because we don’t trust him or we don’t want to, or you name the problem, we fill in the blank.

6. Seizing the Opportunity: Set, Seek, and Separate

We all have our issues. But again, the symptom is not the issue. We need to attack the problem. We need to know for our resolutions to work who God is, and that we can trust his ways. Any problem, any situation that we might be struggling with is solved by seizing the opportunity. We talked about redeeming the time begins today. Being a servant begins today as well. I have to not only be looking for opportunities to serve and looking for opportunities to pray and to read my Bible, I need to make opportunities to, like Solomon was warned, and like the kings in Deuteronomy chapter 17 were to do, and like Joshua was exhorted to, not turn to the right or to the left, but to trust in the Lord.

Today, that means I need to begin looking at not just my family, but my friends. And not just my friends, but this church, and recognize what place do I have? What is my role? What is my service? I have to be willing to set, seek, and separate. If you look at me in Colossians chapter 3, one of two final passages this morning. In Colossians chapter 3, we need to recognize that if we are going to have resolutions that stick, if we are going to be the children of God that He demands and expects of us, we have to fulfill the words of these first several verses. In Colossians chapter 3 and verse 1. You see, if then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. So put to death, therefore what is earthly in you. When we see in verse 2, we need to set our minds on things that are above. We kind of take that as an obvious given. We need to be focused on good things. That’s why we’re here this morning, studying the word of God, remembering the death and burial of Jesus the Christ, who’s given up body, his sacrifice blood. But we need to recognize that we need to be focused on striving to be better always.

Not looking back at a year with ups and downs and looking forward to a year with more of the same. We need to look to our God, that place of eternity, feel it with me, think about it with me. Being with God forever. Are you looking forward to being with him? If judgment day was now, if we didn’t have 2018, would you feel comfortable meeting the Lord your God? The only way we can accept that, and the only way that we can trust in him, the only way that we’ll redeem the time, the only way that we’ll trust in God when life is hard, is if we are setting our minds on things that are above. And how do we do that? Where will we do that?

Verse 1, if then you have been raised with Christ, you will seek the things that are above. Where what? Where Christ is. Seated at the right hand of God. Jesus is always the answer to our problems. God’s ways are higher than our ways. God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We have to be looking above. Because the truth is, when we make resolutions, they don’t work. I saw a study, I’m sure it’s just kind of pulled out of a hat, but 80% of resolutions fall through within the first three months. Will our faith fall through the cracks the way our resolutions do? Do we treat faith and growth in Christ the way we treat the latest diet trend? The latest TV show we’re interested in. We watch a lot, we think about it a lot, we focus on it.

And then we kind of lose interest. We drift away. We know it’s there. We know we could do better. We know we should do better, but you know what? I’m okay. It’s alright. It’ll be there for me when I come back to it. You see, the life that God calls us to isn’t about just a mental battle, it’s also a physical, earthly one. In verse 5, that’s why this warning is so strong. Put to death, therefore what is earthly in you. Look at some of these things. This is a list of things that we view as entirely evil, entirely awful. But I promise you, if we made a list and we’re honest, all of us are guilty of something found in this list. Sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

On account of these, the wrath of God is coming. In these you two once walked when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away. Anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. It’s humbling. It’s frustrating. And it’s upsetting to look back at the year and say, you know what? I failed my God this year in so many ways. But it’s comforting. It’s a blessing. And it’s wonderful to know my God is greater than my weakness. That if I seek my Lord, if I set my mind on things above where Christ is, if I separate myself from these earthly entanglements, the sin which pulls me away from God.

Conclusion

That my God is there, waiting, watching, loving, desiring that all men be saved. What a powerful God that we serve, who wants us to come to Him, who reveals His Word to us, makes it possible. And so I want to leave us with a challenge this morning. If you look with me in Titus chapter 2, if you look with me in Titus chapter 2, there is a challenge for us all. There is a place for service. There is something we all must do in this new year, and it has to start now. Trusting in the Lord’s ways, not turning to the left or the right. We have to know that whatever we find in these pages of life, that God’s ways are best, and that we need to set our minds on those things that are above and separate the things which are earthly within us.

In Titus chapter 2, know what constitutes sound doctrine in verse 1. But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober minded, dignified, self controlled, sound in faith, in love and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self controlled, pure, working at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching, show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.

Bond servants are to be disubmissive to their own masters in everything. They are to be well pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. This new year, if there is one resolution, it’s practice sound doctrine. Trust in God. They are one and the same. How are we going to do that today? I’ll leave us with one clear challenge. Everybody is in this list in Titus chapter 2. Whether you consider yourself an experienced Christian or a new one beginning your walk with Christ, beginning that great journey. There’s a gap. And we need to close the gap together. If you’re inexperienced, find someone who’s experienced. If you consider yourself wise, having gone through a lot of challenges in this life, find someone and prevent them from following in the footsteps that are separate from Christ.

We need to work together. We have to trust in God’s ways at their best. And what was God’s ways, for example, with older women and younger women? That the older women train the younger women. Where am I in that list? Where am I in God’s word? Am I submissive to his will? Or am I fighting him tooth and nail? Am I doubting him at every turn? This year we need to set our minds on things above, seek the Lord, and separate our life from the things which are earthly within us. If you’re here this morning and you’ve never become a Christian, recognize that great separation is possible. If you trust in God, if you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, if you’re willing to repent of your sins, of your rejection, your refusal simply to do what he says.

If you confess Him as Lord, you can come forward this morning being baptized, having your sins washed away and begin your journey this morning. Or maybe you’re a Christian and you not only have not walked in the ways of the Lord, you’ve turned to the left and you’ve turned to the right. Or maybe you’re just not redeeming the time the way God says we should and we must. Recognize as a family of God, we can pray with you. We will pray for you. And together we can be with our God. Let’s trust God. Let’s serve him today and in this new year as he wills. If we can help in any way, come forward as we stand and sing the invitation song.