Embracing New Beginnings: Focus and Spiritual Growth for 2025

**Bible Study Discussion Guide**

**Bible Reading:**
1. Philippians 3:13-14 - "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
2. Isaiah 43:18-19 - "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?"
3. Luke 10:38-42 - The story of Martha and Mary, focusing on the importance of prioritizing time with Jesus over distractions.

**Observation Questions:**
1. What was the Apostle Paul's attitude towards his past and future as described in Philippians 3:13-14? How does this reflect his focus on a singular goal? [29:45]
2. In Isaiah 43:18-19, what does God promise to do, and how does this relate to the idea of new beginnings?
3. How does the story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42 illustrate the concept of distractions versus focusing on what truly matters? [56:14]
4. According to the sermon, what are some examples of distractions that can prevent us from achieving our goals? [57:55]

**Interpretation Questions:**
1. How does Paul's focus on "one thing" in Philippians 3:13-14 challenge the way we set goals and priorities in our lives? [39:35]
2. What does the promise of God doing a "new thing" in Isaiah 43:18-19 suggest about His nature and our potential for change?
3. In the story of Martha and Mary, what does Jesus' response to Martha reveal about the importance of prioritizing our relationship with Him? [57:55]
4. How can the concept of God being a "God of second chances" influence our approach to past failures and future opportunities? [33:40]

**Application Questions:**
1. Reflect on one area of your life where you need to "forget what is behind" and "press on toward the goal." What steps can you take this week to focus on this goal? [29:45]
2. Identify a distraction in your life that prevents you from focusing on your relationship with Christ. What practical steps can you take to minimize this distraction? [57:55]
3. Consider a past mistake or unfulfilled goal from 2024. How can you embrace the idea of God offering you a second chance in 2025? [33:40]
4. What is the "one thing" you want to focus on this year that could transform your life? How can you ensure this focus remains a priority throughout the year? [39:35]
5. How can you incorporate prayer and fasting into your routine to draw closer to God and seek His guidance for 2025? [54:47]
6. In what ways can you make Jesus the center of your life, not just on Sundays but every day? What changes might this require in your daily habits? [01:13:05]
7. How can you use the support of your church community to help you achieve your goals and grow spiritually this year? [49:32]

Day 1: Embrace the New Beginnings God Offers
As we step into 2025, it's crucial to leave behind the past and focus on the new opportunities God is creating for us. The Apostle Paul reminds us of the importance of forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what is ahead. This year, we are encouraged to embrace the God of second chances, trusting that He is doing a new thing in our lives. Whatever mistakes or unfulfilled goals linger from 2024, we can leave them behind and embrace the new things God is doing in our lives. By focusing on the present and future, we open ourselves to the transformative work God wants to accomplish in us. [34:57]

Isaiah 43:18-19 (ESV): "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

Reflection: What is one past mistake or regret you need to let go of to fully embrace the new opportunities God is offering you this year?


Day 2: Focus on One Transformative Thing
The key to making 2025 the best year yet is to focus on "one thing" that can transform our lives. Like the Apostle Paul, identify one key area in your life that, if changed, would make the most significant difference. This could be breaking a habit, mending a relationship, or pursuing a long-held dream. By narrowing our focus and dedicating ourselves to this one thing, we can experience significant growth and change. Let this focus guide your decisions and actions throughout the year, allowing God to work through you in powerful ways. [39:35]

Luke 10:41-42 (ESV): "But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.'"

Reflection: What is the one area in your life that, if transformed, would make the most significant impact? How can you begin to focus on this area today?


Day 3: Eliminate Distractions to Achieve Your Goals
Distractions can prevent us from achieving our goals. It's essential to identify and remove anything that hinders our progress, whether it's social media, unhealthy habits, or negative relationships. By eliminating distractions, we can prioritize what truly matters and focus on the goals that align with God's purpose for our lives. This year, make a conscious effort to remove these obstacles and create an environment that fosters growth and spiritual development. [57:55]

Hebrews 12:1 (ESV): "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."

Reflection: What is one distraction in your life that you can eliminate today to better focus on your goals and spiritual growth?


Day 4: Prioritize Your Relationship with Christ
Make Jesus the center of your life, not just on Sundays but every day. Engage in prayer, fasting, and seeking God's presence to deepen your spiritual journey and empower your daily life. By prioritizing your relationship with Christ, you open yourself to His guidance and empowerment, enabling you to live not just a natural life, but a supernatural one. This year, strive to make it your most spiritually fulfilling year yet, drawing closer to Jesus and allowing His presence to transform every aspect of your life. [01:13:05]

Colossians 3:1-2 (ESV): "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."

Reflection: How can you make Jesus the center of your daily life this week? What specific practices can you incorporate to deepen your relationship with Him?


Day 5: Commit to Spiritual Growth
Use this year to grow closer to God than ever before. Engage in practices like prayer and fasting to eliminate distractions and focus on your spiritual health. By committing to spiritual growth, you can make 2025 your most spiritually fulfilling year. Allow God's presence to transform every aspect of your life, empowering you to live a life that reflects His love and grace. As you embark on this journey, remember that God is with you every step of the way, guiding and strengthening you. [01:14:57]

2 Peter 3:18 (ESV): "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."

Reflection: What specific steps can you take this week to commit to your spiritual growth? How can you ensure that these practices become a regular part of your life?

"Whatever happened yesterday, whatever should have happened that didn't, whatever didn't happen that should have, for the mistakes that you have made, maybe they're still on the list for this year. Maybe they didn't even come to pass. Maybe they're not even close to coming to pass. I want you to know that you serve a God of the second chance." [00:33:02] (24 seconds)


"Decisions, decisions, decisions. You are a sum total of your decisions, and they make you who you are. So now a lot of y 'all are probably going to be shocked by this, but I personally have actually made a bad decision before. I did, and I can prove it. I can prove it with a question. How many of you have ever heard of a Kirby vacuum cleaner?" [00:37:41] (29 seconds)


"What one thing, if changed today, would make your life better? What one thing would make your life different? What's that one thing for you? What is that? Like if one thing got better, one thing got worse. What if one thing changed? One thing was added. One thing went away. What is your thing? What one thing would make the biggest difference in your life?" [00:39:06] (35 seconds)


"I want 2025 to be the absolute best year of your life. And I feel like it's our role as a church, as pastors, that we be in your corner. We're like, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, we cheer you on. We pray for you. We're just equipping you. We're always trying to equip you. So you can have the tools to make that a reality. That best year of your life." [00:39:44] (28 seconds)


"Let this be the year right now. Everything. I'm about to change. This is fixing to change in my life. I can't live this way no more. I got to make a change. You know? Maybe it's prescription medication. Whatever it is. I don't care. Maybe it's tobacco. Whatever. Whatever you want to change. It's time. I have decided I'm going all in. All in. And I'm going to focus on this one thing." [00:43:11] (30 seconds)


"Maybe you were in a marriage that was like super close. You first got married, it was close, and then one year, and then the next year, and then the next year, and then the next year, and then here you are. You're just way out here, and you're basically roommates. You're basically just roommates. You're not even close anymore. But what if you say, this is the year we're moving back together, okay?" [00:45:27] (30 seconds)


"That's what he would say. If I could just dwell in his house, just gaze upon his beauty and seek him in his temple, I'm telling you, guys, I figured it out. The closer I get to Jesus, the closer I get to God, what happens is I'm empowered to do all the things on my list. That's how you do the list. You just got to get closer. I'm telling you." [00:54:25] (23 seconds)


"Be careful, I love that, I love the way it phrases it, because it's like it's trying to say, be very careful, because you're going to mess it up, and it's okay, we've all done that, you know, but that's why he tells us to be very careful, be careful how you live, not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, the word opportunity in the Greek is actually the word kairos, kairos, it's where we get the word time, it literally means, it's a window, there's a window of opportunity, it'll open, and it'll close, that's opportunity, it'll open, and it'll close, it'll shut, now listen to me, you've got an opportunity right in front of you, you've got the opportunity of a new day, a new year, a great church, great country, all these things, we're going to put opportunities in front of you, as a church, as this house, opportunities that you should honestly take, advantage of, and actually, I want to encourage you in this, if you're new to this church, especially those that are new, give us one year, give us" [01:01:05] (74 seconds)


"I have decided I'm going all in and I'm going to do what Martha should have done. I want to get rid of every distraction. I want to get rid of every distraction. Anything, anything that's in the way. Distractions, distractions. Man, we all have them. Think about your distractions. Martha was distracted. In other words, Martha missed her opportunity because she was distracted." [01:05:03] (25 seconds)


"Fasting is setting aside a period of time, like 21 days. So let's just say for 21 days, I'm not going to go to the movies. I'm not going to watch the news, which may kill some of y 'all, but I'm not going to watch the news for 21 days. I'm not going to do social media for 21 days. I'm going to get rid of distractions. I'm not going to watch the movies. I'm not going to do social media for 21 days. Getting rid of distractions." [01:08:08] (19 seconds)


"Salvation is when you just reorder your list and you put Jesus at the top. If Jesus is not at the top of my list, I feel like I have to question my salvation. And I don't want to do that. So just put him at the top. Put him on the top of your list and all these other things will take care of themselves. They'll take care of themselves. I have decided to follow Jesus and I'm all in. No turning back." [01:16:20] (31 seconds)

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Good morning, Father's House.

Listen, 2025 looks so good on you. You're like the, oh yeah, y'all, the best looking group of people I've seen all day. And listen, I'm not saying that just because I've been in California for so long. Him, he's got a suspect, and his brother, because y'all are the only group of people I've seen today. I really mean that.

So let's just go ahead and start 2025 off with a little bit of a prayer. Y'all good with that?

All right. So, Father, I just thank you this morning for this word, Lord, for what you're going to do in this house. But, God, it's got to be you. Lord, nothing without you. God, I can't do this without you. I can't do anything without you. You're my life. Everything's wrapped around you.

So, Father, I pray right now, God, that my tongue would be loosed, that my mind would be clear, that everything would be relayed the way you would have it to be done, Father. So, God, just keep my tongue from things that don't need to be said and just anoint this service, God, and move in a mighty way in Jesus' name. Amen.

All right, so let's just go ahead and kick off this new year with a little bit of a scripture out of Philippians chapter 3. And I want to just kind of set it up for you just a little bit. We're talking about the Apostle Paul. This morning he's actually speaking from, ironically in this chapter, from a Roman jail cell where he's actually awaiting his execution. But he's still in there, man. He's in there and he's still like setting goals and he's still just doing all these things. He's making plans for the future.

And I just think it's so wonderful how optimistic this guy is. I wish I was more that way, you know, really, really. But he goes on, he says, "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it." In other words, he's saying, "Hey man, I still got things I want to do with my life. I got, you know, I got all these things to do. I want to focus. I want to get it together."

But he goes on and I want you to read these next five words with me. And it says, "But one thing I want to do." Say it again. "But one thing I do."

Yeah. Don't you love that thought? Just this one thing. It's like he's got a lot to accomplish, but he's going to narrow it down and he's going to start and he's living this God-focused, just a focused kind of life. He's narrowing everything down. This one thing I do, I got to forget what's behind me.

And that's a pretty big issue for him, you know, because, you know, he was a killer of Christians. Paul wasn't just a killer of Christians. He was a killer of Christians. He went around putting Christians in jail. He killed Christians. He was just kind of what you would call, well, I can't cuss. He's just a bad guy.

He's just, he was just a bad guy, really. So, but he says, man, in his mind, he said, "I got to get past. I got to move past the past. I got to get away from 2024. We got to forget 2024 and we got to move on from any of the mistakes and things that I wish I would have done that I didn't do or the things that I did that I wish I would have done."

And he says, man, I got to move past all that. It goes on. It says, actually, it says that we got to forget what's behind and we got to strain toward the goal. Do you hear the intensity in this verse? A lot of people probably just skip over how intense this is. It says, "I got to press. I got to strain. I got to press toward the goal."

See, there's a goal. It's not going to come to me. I got to go to it. You know, I'm going to set something up. I got to go set some goals. We're big goal planners. You know, we're big goal setters around here and we want you to be a big goal setter. We want you to make some plans.

So I'm going to set some goals. I'm going to make plans for this year. You know, listen, if you don't have a goal, you'll hit it every time. So, you know, we all need goals in our life. We need something to press for. We need something to look forward to. So we're going to set goals, right? And we're going to press on in those goals toward the goal and win the prize for which Jesus has called me heavenward, right?

So what we're going to do is we're just going to take a few minutes today and we're going to actually talk about some of the more important decisions in life. And chances are, you know, you already have some goals ready. You know, we are, you know, several days into the new year. You may have already made your resolutions. You may have made, set some goals already. And I'm sure they're great. They're probably fantastic goals.

There are some all-important goals that we need to look at in our life. And there's these decisions. And these are the things that I want us to focus on this morning. But I'm going to start off with some encouragement for you guys. And I really want you to get this down in your spirit. And it's this.

Whatever happened yesterday, whatever should have happened that didn't, whatever didn't happen that should have, for the mistakes that you have made, maybe they're still on the list for this year. Maybe they didn't even come to pass. Maybe they're not even close to coming to pass.

I want you to know that you serve a God of the second chance. He's a God of the second chance. He never just gives you one chance. He's constantly under the backboard. Shoot, you miss. God's got you. Put it back. Shoot again. You shoot, you miss. God's got you. Bam! Shoot again, Chris. God's got you.

And God is the God of the second chance. That's who we serve. It's a great thing, right? And it's important for you to know that because if you've lived long enough, you know, you've been frustrated with goals. Some of us may have lifelong goals that we have just really given up on. We tell ourselves that we're just never going to see it happen.

But I want to tell you guys this morning, in Jesus' name, that this is your year. 2025 is going to be the best year of your life. And here's what you need to do. Isaiah chapter 43. He says, "Forget the former things." You've got to move away. You've got to step away from this situation. You've got to move from 2024. You've got to move forward.

We just can't dwell on it because God says, "See, I'm doing a new thing." And that's who our God is. He's a new thing kind of a God. That's just what he is. See, I'm doing a new thing. And don't you just love this next line? It says, "Now, right now."

I want you to hear this. Right now is a moment in time that God himself created just for you. This is your moment. This is it for you. But right now, you're going to have some opportunities. You're going to have some opportunities right now. And God created those opportunities for you.

Okay? And you need to know that because, you know, this is a now. This is a now kind of moment. Right now. This is your moment. You're going to have some opportunities right now. Right now. God created them for you. You need to know that. I can't stress that enough. God does everything for you. Every moment. Every breath. Everything.

And the reason why it says it like that, or actually it says it goes on, it actually asks a question. It says, "Don't you see it? Don't you see it? Don't you perceive it? Don't you realize that it's just right here? It's right here in front of you."

And the reason why it says it like that is because so many people don't. They never realize it. And I want you to know, and I want you to grab this in your heart, because God has something special for you. And it's in this service, actually. And he's going to move in your life in this fantastic way.

So here's how I want to frame it. We're going to talk about some decisions real quick. Some that we regret. Some that we're so glad we did. So glad we did. So I got to thinking about decisions, my decisions. And what's the greatest, some of the greatest decisions in my life?

And I just need to tell you guys this. As a point of affection, just one of the greatest things I've ever done. I just love you guys. And it's true. One of my greatest decisions was moving to Leesburg and planting myself right here in this church, in the Father's House. One of the best decisions I ever made.

I mean, don't get me wrong. Moving down here, yeah, the odds were stacked against us. We had to overcome a few things and all that. But it was just, we set our heart to it. We set our mind on it. We've made the decision, and we followed through. We went all in. And look what the Lord has done. You know, here we are. Here we are.

But our decisions are a big deal. Every one of us are shaped by our decisions. We are actually the sum total of our decisions, okay? Even the bad things that happen to you. Even then, you have a decision to make how you're going to respond. Decisions, decisions, decisions. You are a sum total of your decisions, and they make you who you are.

So now a lot of y'all are probably going to be shocked by this, but I personally have actually made a bad decision before. I did, and I can prove it. I can prove it with a question. How many of you have ever heard of a Kirby vacuum cleaner? Enough said. Bad decisions. And I hope that guy that sold it to me ain't still alive by the fire. Catch that dude out, man.

Listen, we've all made decisions, right? But the important thing is that we learn from them. We learn from them. When the rainbow vacuum cleaner guy came around, I kicked him off my porch. I learned from that bad decision. And right now, that's what we got to do. And that's what I want to draw your attention to.

And I want to ask you, what's the most important decision in your life today? Think about it. In fact, I want to frame a question this way. What one thing, what one thing, if changed today, would make your life better? What one thing would make your life different? What's that one thing for you? What is that? Like if one thing got better, one thing got worse. What if one thing changed? One thing was added. One thing went away. What is your thing?

What one thing would make the biggest difference in your life? And what I want to ask you is, what I want to do is I want to draw you to that. I want to push you to go after it. I want you to live your life like it matters. Because a lot of people don't.

I want 2025 to be the absolute best year of your life. And I feel like it's our role as a church, as pastors, that we be in your corner. We're like, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, we cheer you on. We pray for you. We're just equipping you. We're always trying to equip you.

So you can have the tools to make that a reality. That best year of your life. You have the tools. We're going to give them to you. And you're going to make it a reality this year. 2025 is going to be your year. Amen?

This one thing I do. Wouldn't you like to know what Paul's one thing was? Boy, I would too. This one thing, man, I'd love to know. You know, he's in prison. Man, man, I still haven't accomplished everything. But I got this one thing that I'm going to focus on this year. What is that for you? Think about it. What's your one thing?

Now, I got some categories. Now, this may not be yours, but it don't matter. The only reason you're on here is to just help you kind of work through it and think about it and help you maybe narrow down your one thing. And, like, if you could just get rid of a habit.

Number one, my habits. If you could just get rid of that habit. How much better your life would be if maybe you didn't drink so much? I mean, you ever think about that? How much better would it be? But I know, I know. Chris, I don't drink too much. Oh, I know. I believe you. But it's just everybody else around you that says you do. All your friends and family. But I got you, bro. I believe you. I've never seen you drink.

But listen, if everybody around you is saying something, you may want to pay attention to it just a little bit, right? So listen, what would life look like if we dealt with the habits on the Internet? I mean, some of us, guys, we're not looking at bad things. We're just on it all the time. Always on it.

Man, you can go into any restaurant at any time and just look around the room and everybody. And it's like, what are they doing? They never say a word to each other the whole meal. Maybe they're texting each other. I don't know. I don't know. But I'm like, what are you doing? How are you even ordering your food? I guess they're texting the waitress what they want, you know?

I don't know, but it's all crazy. It's all crazy. It's just addiction to social media. Addicted. Everybody say addicted. Addicted to social media. Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, Facebook. Got to check my Twitter. Man, let me look at this Instagram, scroll through this. Oh, no. I forgot to pin that on Pinterest. Let me go back and do that real quick. Tag it here. Watch it there.

I mean, what are we doing, guys? I mean, like, what are we doing? And then some of us, though, we're looking at things that, you know, maybe you shouldn't be looking at. And you know it. And you know it. It's become a habit and an addiction to you. And you're the only one that knows about it. You're the only one. You're the only one that knows about it. You're the only one that knows how it's robbing you of your quality of life. You're the only one that knows.

But listen, what if this was the year? What if? I mean, why not? Why not let this be the year? Let this be the year right now. Everything. I'm about to change. This is fixing to change in my life. I can't live this way no more. I got to make a change. You know? Maybe it's prescription medication. Whatever it is. I don't care. Maybe it's tobacco. Whatever. Whatever you want to change. It's time.

I have decided I'm going all in. All in. And I'm going to focus on this one thing. This one thing I know. I'm going to focus on that. And I'm going to let the support of the church. I'm going to let God's word, you know, just everybody come around me. We're going to support you. I'm telling you, if you make that decision, 2025 will be the best year of your life. Can I get an amen, somebody?

Are y'all with me? Okay, good. All right. So, next thing. Maybe it's your relationships. You know, that's the second category I thought about. Some of us are in relationships that are just no good. It's like every time you get around that person, they just pull you down.

Some of you may be in a compromising relationship. You know? You know, things at work, man. You know, that coworker hasn't got crazy yet, but it's getting there. You know, you become a little too flirty around the water cooler. You know? It's time, guys. It's time to cut it off.

Look at me. Look at me. Change jobs if you have to. Change your job. Move away from that this year. Say no more. I'm not going to ruin my family for something stupid, right? Just not going to do it. Cut it off. Cut it off.

But perhaps it's a relationship in your life that needs to be just restored. Maybe you were in a marriage that was like super close. You first got married, it was close, and then one year, and then the next year, and then the next year, and then the next year, and then the next year, and then here you are. You're just way out here, and you're basically roommates. You're basically just roommates. You're not even close anymore.

But what if you say, "This is the year we're moving back together, okay? This year, this year, this year, this year, we're going to get this back on track, right? We're going to get it where it belongs. We're going to get in a small group. Let me tell you, get in that small group that focuses on marriage. In March, we're launching our new semester. So get in there, get in there and find a group that supports your one thing.

That's a trick. You can't just think about the one thing today. You've got to move on it. You've got to take it with you. You've got to constantly press. You've got to strain. You've got to be intense with it. It's your one thing and you can do it. You can do it.

So just get in that group. You know what? Get some guts. I started to say grow a set, but I don't think I can do that. Just get, just, just, get some guts about you, okay? Get some guts about you and say, look, when you're in your small group, you met everybody. Look, just raise your hand. Get guts, bro. Be the man,