I guess I’m a week late on saying Happy New Year, but better late than never. Its been a super busy season for us. The year is kicking off with a vengeance. I believe it’s going to be the best year yet - for my life, my family, the church, the Kingdom! Do you have that sense about this year? I talked about getting ready for the year this past weekend in church, being prepared. You can watch a few minutes on our website. I spoke from 2 Timothy 2:20-22. Here’s just a little “e-devo” from Sunday’s message:

2 Timothy 2:20-22 - In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for disposal of refuse. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Obviously, there are a bunch of new things that are going to come our way in 2007 - new relationships, new opportunities, new challenges. The key is being ready for all that God has for us. Paul says it right here in this passage, we need to be “prepared to do any good work.” Here are 3 quick ways to get ready, to stay prepared in 2007 for all that comes our way…

1) Keep a sense of positive expectation - I think this helps you keep the right perspective. It’s easy to see the glass half-empty. Some people thrive on negativity. They’re almost addicted to it - “negaholics” who love to listen to negativity, speak negativity, they look for anything negative. Sometimes its just a protective shell because they’ve been burned by people or circumstances. But it doesn’t build life and hope into your heart. I’m convinced you can’t flourish in life and be negative at the same time. It’s hard to see those God opportunities, when your eyes are on the dirt. It may take you some time, but the greatest thing you could build into your mind and spirit in ‘07 is a sense of positive expectation.

2) Keep your “business” in order so you can walk through those doors when they open - Its a real downer when a door of opportunity swings open and we’re not ready to run through it because our personal life isn’t in order. This is the nitty-gritty of life - your finances, the quality of your interpersonal relationships, your life on the job, time management issues, your health, etc. This is what Paul meant when he said in verse 21, “Those who cleanse themselves…” I think it’s pretty important to note that it’s up to us. It is our responsibility. We have to pull it together, defeat those distracting habits and close the door on those secret sins, etc. Other great passages that give this same thought are 2 Corinthians 7:1, Hebrews 12:1.

3) Build your faith so that when the new doors open, you have the guts to take the necessary risks - I don’t know about you, but every God opportunity that has come into my life required some boldness and courage from me. They’ve all been risky and required faith from me. We can get #1 and #2 down pat, but if we don’t have the faith when an exciting deal comes toward us, we may hesitate and miss out.

Come on, it’s a new year. Let’s run the race this year like never before and get ready for all God has for us!

We’ve got a few great things coming up this week:

• Wednesday Night Services - they kick off again this Wednesday. Don’t miss out on our first Wednesday back!
• 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting - it starts Thursday morning. Check out the website for all the details.