Starting the New Year with Jesus - The Crosswalk Devotional - December 31

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Starting the New Year with Jesus 
By Vivian Bricker

Bible Reading:
Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’” (Matthew 22:37).

As the New Year approaches, many of us consider the New Year's resolutions we want to make. Various resolutions can draw our attention, such as weight loss, getting organized, or switching careers. While all of these are common New Year's resolutions, the greatest resolution we can make is to start the year with Jesus, cultivate our relationship with Him, and faithfully follow Him. 

Developing a stronger relationship with Jesus throughout the year will prove beneficial not only for the present year but also for all years to come. While we will not be completely immune from problems, our lives will become better and more focused on the Lord. 

The more our lives are centered around Jesus, the more joyful we will be. Soon, we will see that materialism and the things of the world do not fulfill us. They are but empty promises that lead us away from the Lord. We don’t need to chase after these things or follow them. 

Since we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we should strive to nurture our relationship with Him. This New Year could be the perfect start. Consider what you are struggling with and the help that Jesus can offer. Maybe you are battling a chronic illness or facing the death of a loved one. Give these matters over to Him and trust Him with the New Year.

It can be easy to think that this year will be just as terrible as the year prior, but we need to remember that we are making a change. The change from living in accordance with Jesus rather than with the world will prove to be glorious. Protection, safety, and comfort will always surround us. 

Jesus does not want us to start another year without Him. He wants us to walk with Him and to trust Him. By making this decision, we can truly start living the most whole life that Jesus died for us to have (John 10:10).

Intersecting Faith & Life:

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is, He replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). By doing this, we will be able to live this New Year with our hearts focused on the Lord. Rather than loving the things of this world, we need to change the narrative and choose to love Him.

Challenge yourself and see if the Lord is truly your top priority. Is He the one you want to please, or is it yourself? As we enter the upcoming year, we need to examine our hearts and ask ourselves these challenging questions. By answering these questions honestly, we will be able to see where our allegiance lies. 

If a person has discovered they have not truly placed faith in the Lord yet, they can choose to trust in Him today. This can be done by believing that Jesus died for your sins, was buried, and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 10:9-11). If you believe this, you will have eternal life, forgiveness, and salvation

With this upcoming year, take the opportunity to start the year with Jesus. Choose to faithfully follow Him and love Him throughout every storm of life. Some days will be harder than others, yet the love the Lord has for us knows no bounds (Romans 8:37-39). Since the Lord loves us in this way, we need to love Him too and focus on serving Him.

What are your New Year's resolutions? Are any of them centered around Jesus? What would it look like to follow Jesus rather than the world this upcoming year?

Dear Lord, please forgive me for focusing on the world rather than You in previous years. I’m choosing to start this year with You and to keep my eyes focused on You. During this upcoming year, help me to fully love You with all my heart, soul, and mind. You are completely worthy of all my love, and I’m sorry I have been far from You for so long. In Your Name, I pray, Amen.

Further Reading:
Luke 9:23-24
John 8:12
John 14:15-31

Join the conversation! Share how today’s devotional encouraged or challenged you in your walk with Christ.

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Creative-Family 


Vivian Bricker author bio photoVivian Bricker obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry, followed by a Master of Arts with an emphasis in theology. She loves all things theology, mission work, and helping others learn about Jesus. Find more of her content at Cultivate.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com

Listen to the Jesus Calling Podcast!

Welcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young’s seasonal prayer devotional Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today, we are featuring guests who speak to themes that all of us might be experiencing in this season of winter. As the days grow shorter and the night longer, we are offered a rare gift: permission to stop. This season can be a challenging time for many, and if you are struggling with low spirits, please know you are not alone, and help is available. This episode is an opportunity to honor your weariness, to resist the urge to rush, and to discover the profound healing that happens when we simply let ourselves rest in the stillness. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

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Larry Elder is an American lawyer, writer, and radio and television personality who calls himself the "Sage of South Central" a district of Los Angeles, Larry says his philosophy is to entertain, inform, provoke and to hopefully uplift. His calling card is "we have a country to save" and to him this means returning to the bedrock Constitutional principles of limited government and maximum personal responsibility. Elder's iconoclastic wit and intellectual agility makes him a particularly attractive voice in a nation that seems weary of traditional racial dialogue.” – Los Angeles Times.

Mike Gallagher Mike Gallagher began his broadcasting career in 1978 in Dayton, Ohio. Today, he is one of the most listened-to talk radio show hosts in America, recently having been ranked in the Talkers Magazine “Heavy Hundred” list – the 100 most important talk radio hosts in America. Prior to being launched into national syndication in 1998, Mike hosted the morning show on WABC-AM in New York City. Today, Talkers Magazine reports that his show is heard by over 3.75 million weekly listeners. Besides his radio work, Mike is seen on Fox News Channel as an on-air contributor, frequently appearing on the cable news giant.

Hugh Hewitt is one of the nation’s leading bloggers and a genuine media revolutionary. He brings that expertise, his wit and what The New Yorker magazine calls his “amiable but relentless manner” to his nationally syndicated show each day.

When Dr. Sebastian Gorka was growing up, he listened to talk radio under his pillow with a transistor radio, dreaming that one day he would be behind the microphone. Beginning New Year’s Day 2019, he got his wish. Gorka now hosts America First every weekday afternoon 3 to 6pm ET. Gorka’s unique story works well on the radio. He is national security analyst for the Fox News Channel and author of two books: "Why We Fight" and "Defeating Jihad." His latest book releasing this fall is “War For America’s Soul.” He is uniquely qualified to fight the culture war and stand up for what is great about America, his adopted home country.

Broadcasting from his home station of KRLA in Los Angeles, the Dennis Prager Show is heard across the country. Everything in life – from politics to religion to relationships – is grist for Dennis’ mill. If it’s interesting, if it affects your life, then Dennis will be talking about it – with passion, humor, insight and wisdom.

Sean Hannity is a conservative radio and television host, and one of the original primetime hosts on the Fox News Channel, where he has appeared since 1996. Sean Hannity began his radio career at a college station in California, before moving on to markets in the Southeast and New York. Today, he’s one of the most listened to on-air voices. Hannity’s radio program went into national syndication on September 10, 2001, and airs on more than 500 stations. Talkers Magazine estimates Hannity’s weekly radio audience at 13.5 million. In 1996 he was hired as one of the original hosts on Fox News Channel. As host of several popular Fox programs, Hannity has become the highest-paid news anchor on television.

Michelle Malkin is a mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, longtime cable TV news commentator, and best-selling author of six books. She started her newspaper journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1992, moved to the Seattle Times in 1995, and has been penning nationally syndicated newspaper columns for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She is founder of conservative Internet start-ups Hot Air and Twitchy.com. Malkin has received numerous awards for her investigative journalism, including the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) national award for outstanding service for the cause of governmental ethics and leadership (1998), the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award for Investigative Journalism (2006), the Heritage Foundation and Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity's Breitbart Award for Excellence in Journalism (2013), the Center for Immigration Studies' Eugene Katz Award for Excellence in the Coverage of Immigration Award (2016), and the Manhattan Film Festival's Film Heals Award (2018). Married for 26 years and the mother of two teenage children, she lives with her family in Colorado. Follow her at michellemalkin.com. (Photo reprinted with kind permission from Peter Duke Photography.)

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Starting the New Year with Jesus - The Crosswalk Devotional - December 31

Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

The Crosswalk Devotional updated banner logo

Starting the New Year with Jesus 
By Vivian Bricker

Bible Reading:
Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’” (Matthew 22:37).

As the New Year approaches, many of us consider the New Year's resolutions we want to make. Various resolutions can draw our attention, such as weight loss, getting organized, or switching careers. While all of these are common New Year's resolutions, the greatest resolution we can make is to start the year with Jesus, cultivate our relationship with Him, and faithfully follow Him. 

Developing a stronger relationship with Jesus throughout the year will prove beneficial not only for the present year but also for all years to come. While we will not be completely immune from problems, our lives will become better and more focused on the Lord. 

The more our lives are centered around Jesus, the more joyful we will be. Soon, we will see that materialism and the things of the world do not fulfill us. They are but empty promises that lead us away from the Lord. We don’t need to chase after these things or follow them. 

Since we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we should strive to nurture our relationship with Him. This New Year could be the perfect start. Consider what you are struggling with and the help that Jesus can offer. Maybe you are battling a chronic illness or facing the death of a loved one. Give these matters over to Him and trust Him with the New Year.

It can be easy to think that this year will be just as terrible as the year prior, but we need to remember that we are making a change. The change from living in accordance with Jesus rather than with the world will prove to be glorious. Protection, safety, and comfort will always surround us. 

Jesus does not want us to start another year without Him. He wants us to walk with Him and to trust Him. By making this decision, we can truly start living the most whole life that Jesus died for us to have (John 10:10).

Intersecting Faith & Life:

When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment is, He replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). By doing this, we will be able to live this New Year with our hearts focused on the Lord. Rather than loving the things of this world, we need to change the narrative and choose to love Him.

Challenge yourself and see if the Lord is truly your top priority. Is He the one you want to please, or is it yourself? As we enter the upcoming year, we need to examine our hearts and ask ourselves these challenging questions. By answering these questions honestly, we will be able to see where our allegiance lies. 

If a person has discovered they have not truly placed faith in the Lord yet, they can choose to trust in Him today. This can be done by believing that Jesus died for your sins, was buried, and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 10:9-11). If you believe this, you will have eternal life, forgiveness, and salvation

With this upcoming year, take the opportunity to start the year with Jesus. Choose to faithfully follow Him and love Him throughout every storm of life. Some days will be harder than others, yet the love the Lord has for us knows no bounds (Romans 8:37-39). Since the Lord loves us in this way, we need to love Him too and focus on serving Him.

What are your New Year's resolutions? Are any of them centered around Jesus? What would it look like to follow Jesus rather than the world this upcoming year?

Dear Lord, please forgive me for focusing on the world rather than You in previous years. I’m choosing to start this year with You and to keep my eyes focused on You. During this upcoming year, help me to fully love You with all my heart, soul, and mind. You are completely worthy of all my love, and I’m sorry I have been far from You for so long. In Your Name, I pray, Amen.

Further Reading:
Luke 9:23-24
John 8:12
John 14:15-31

Join the conversation! Share how today’s devotional encouraged or challenged you in your walk with Christ.

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Creative-Family 


Vivian Bricker author bio photoVivian Bricker obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry, followed by a Master of Arts with an emphasis in theology. She loves all things theology, mission work, and helping others learn about Jesus. Find more of her content at Cultivate.

Check out fantastic resources on Faith, Family, and Fun at Crosswalk.com

Listen to the Jesus Calling Podcast!

Welcome to this special bonus episode of the Jesus Calling Podcast, inspired by the topical themes from Sarah Young’s seasonal prayer devotional Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season. Today, we are featuring guests who speak to themes that all of us might be experiencing in this season of winter. As the days grow shorter and the night longer, we are offered a rare gift: permission to stop. This season can be a challenging time for many, and if you are struggling with low spirits, please know you are not alone, and help is available. This episode is an opportunity to honor your weariness, to resist the urge to rush, and to discover the profound healing that happens when we simply let ourselves rest in the stillness. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow Jesus Calling on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!

 

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