2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Every January, people hope for a fresh start. New schedules. New goals. New priorities. But Scripture reminds us that the deepest new beginning doesn’t come from a calendar—it comes…

Isaiah 1:13 “Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me…” There are moments in Scripture where God doesn’t ask for more worship—He demands repentance. Israel continued religious activity while ignoring moral obedience, and God said, “Stop.” That’s a sobering thought. Singing louder does not cover disobedience. More activity does not replace surrender.

Lamentations 1:1 “How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people!” Israel didn’t wake up one morning and decide to abandon God. The drift was slow. Obedience softened. Reverence faded. Conviction quieted. And eventually, the consequences arrived suddenly. Spiritual drift works the same way today. Most believers don’t plan to grow cold—they simply

Lamentations 3:22 “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” When Jeremiah looked at Israel, he wasn’t just grieving personal loss—he was grieving national decline. A once-godly nation had drifted slowly from the Lord. That didn’t happen overnight. It happened one compromise at a time, one ignored

Revelation 2:4–5 “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works…” The church at Ephesus was busy, faithful, and doctrinally sound—but something was missing. Jesus didn’t rebuke them for laziness or compromise; He addressed their motivation. They

Philippians 3:13 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” Paul was not pretending his past didn’t exist—he was refusing to let it define his future. He had regrets, failures, and even a past

2 Peter 1:12 “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.“ One of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is not ignorance—it is delay. Peter reminds believers that they already know the truth, yet he urges them to

Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…“ We are constantly shaped by what we consume—news, media, opinions, fear. If we’re not careful, our thinking becomes shaped by culture instead of Christ. God begins transformation by renewing our minds through His Word. I’ve learned

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.“ We live in a culture that believes change comes from trying harder. But Scripture teaches that real change comes from being born again. God doesn’t patch up the old

Jeremiah 7:4 “Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD… are these.“ Israel trusted the temple more than the God who dwelt there. They believed as long as the building stood, they were safe. But God was after their hearts, not their routines. We can do the same. We can trust