Happy New Year Brand New Opportunities
Act Like Men- Men’s Leadership Podcast
Podcast Show Notes
Once a year, the calendar moves from December 31 to January 1, a brand-new year full of new opportunities. What is new for you in 2025? What good thing have you carried forward from last year? What challenge is lingering into 2025 that needs to be cleaned up, so it does not create a drag on you this year?
While the weather can be dreary, a new year always has such optimism and hope attached to it. It includes everything from the physical – losing weight and exercise; to the relational – new commitments to wives, children, and friends; to the occupational – pursuing a new position or excelling at your current one; to the spiritual – spending more time with God and reading and meditating on His Word.
Wherever you are in your journey – the opportunities are yours right now. In this episode, we will list a few simple steps to move forward and several Bible Verses that promote the promises of God to encourage you and provide direction right from God through His Word.
- Determine to make this year count – live on mission- Isaiah 43:18-19: God declares that He is doing a new thing and making a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
- Keep it simple – too much will be too much over time. What is your priority for this year? Take very small sustainable steps to get there.
- Take something off of your plate – you cannot do it all and sometimes we sacrifice the important for the urgent – which may not matter at all.
- Find someone to hold you accountable – report your simple progress to this person consistently – with no excuses
- Relish small beginnings - Job 8:7: Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be.
- Think of small next steps – many of us think of big opportunities.
- Enjoy the journey
- Track your progress –
- Know that your life is not an accident or without purpose - Jer 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you – for a future, and a hope
- How can this verse impact your sense of purpose?
- Some of us are born out of wedlock, family marriages fell apart, and lost jobs or health - how can this verse provide some hope, encouragement, and perspective?
- Remove Toxic people from your inner circle – they want to pull you down, not lift you up.
- New Beginnings only come through Christ - 2 Corinthians 5:17: Paul affirms that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation and the old has gone and the new has come.
- All of us need new beginnings and new understanding at some point in our lives – all of us reach the end of ourselves
- Pause daily on purpose to be grateful for new beginnings
- Forgive yourself – if God has forgiven you, why would we not forgive ourselves
- Final Thought: Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Questions to consider:
- What new thing might you be jumping into this year? Be specific and outline small steps
- What old thing is holding on from last year that needs your attention to resolve? You are aware that if you do not resolve it, it will be around a year from now.
- What are the needs of those closest to you that you can encourage them or help them this year? Reach out today
podcasts are released on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month.
additional podcasts: https://mensministrycatalyst.org/podcasts/
