Okay, everyone, here is the New Year’s article that’s supposed to inspire you to resolve to take control of your life; exhort you to begin making all the changes you have been putting off for…well, like—forever; and make you feel guilty that you are in fact really just not one of those “resolution-kind-of-people.”  I’ve been under humorous scrutiny for the past few days because of a phrase I recently used in a sermon—“Enjoy Your Bigness.”  Now, I make no apologies for using this phrase in the politically-correct climate in which we live, and I do not intend to make anymore applications of this idea to anyone’s weight, including my own! 
          However, I do want to make an application of this idea to your personal walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is your Master.  He is your Lord.  He is the King of your heart.  He is your Redeemer.  He is your Shepherd.  He has done so much for you.  He has forgiven you of all your sins.  He has paid the price of death to make your right with God.  He has given you eternal life.  He has raised you up out of the dirty mud, cleaned you up, and set your feet on a solid path.  He has done great things—big things!  Let’s not ever make little, the big things that Jesus has done for us.  One of the biggest things He has done is given you the gift of the Holy Spirit who every day empowers you to do what He has taught you to do.  Romans 8:11 says, “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.”  There is a Big Person inside of every Believer—He is the Spirit of God. 
          We need to always remember Who We Are in Christ.  It is our identity in Jesus as the children of God, the Bride of Christ, the Shepherd’s Flock, and the Family of God that gives us the privilege of actually enjoying the life God has called us to live.  With that in mind, as you begin your New Year—enjoying your bigness in Christ!—here are three BIG things I hope every single Lifelong Learner of Jesus, who is a part of First Baptist Church, will do in 2008.

• CULTIVATE A NEW FRIENDSHIP WITH SOMEONE WHO NEEDS CHRIST
The Pharisees growled about Jesus, “He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends.”  Seek a new friend in the community who needs Christ and begin building a friendship.

• PRAY FOR AN UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUP
Why not focus on researching, studying, and praying for an unreached people group for a year?  You can choose a group at www.joshuaproject.org and view people groups in various countries.  There is a plethora of prayer material for you and the family.  The “Turks” would be a good place to start for those interested in Central Asia.

• ADOPT A WIDOW, FATHERLESS CHILD, OR SINGLE MOTHER
James writes, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:  to look after orphans and widows in their distress…”  Cultivate and sustain a relationship with one of these people and invest in bearing the burden and distress they are experiencing.  It’s sure that God will allow you to do this! 

Category : Tommy Talk