WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.960 Your past is past. Did you do some dumb things? Yes, 2 00:00:04.120 --> 00:00:07.879 but you can't change that. You are a product of 3 00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:11.279 your past, but you are not a prisoner of your past. 4 00:00:12.119 --> 00:00:14.599 About a couple hours ago, as I was finishing up 5 00:00:14.679 --> 00:00:20.920 this weekend's message, my computer just froze and I lost 6 00:00:21.160 --> 00:00:24.920 the entire teaching notes. I mean, they could not be 7 00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:27.440 recovered I could figure out. And it was about a 8 00:00:27.480 --> 00:00:30.600 thirty minute period of panic whor I thought, Hmm, I 9 00:00:30.679 --> 00:00:33.520 wonder are we going to just sing a bunch of 10 00:00:33.560 --> 00:00:37.960 extra verses of songs this week? Because all that I 11 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:41.479 had planned to say and speak on was gone. Fortunately, 12 00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:47.240 the maestro of workarounds, R. J. Hughes on our staff, 13 00:00:47.840 --> 00:00:50.920 figured out how to save at least a third of 14 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:54.399 the message. I had to reformate it before imat that part, 15 00:00:54.439 --> 00:00:57.079 but he got me at least a third of the 16 00:00:57.119 --> 00:00:59.960 message back, and I immediately gave him a one million 17 00:01:00.079 --> 00:01:05.280 dollar raise. But you know what, my computer had been 18 00:01:05.359 --> 00:01:10.359 sluggish for some time and it finally just stopped working. 19 00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:13.640 And you know you've had this happen on yours, where 20 00:01:13.959 --> 00:01:17.799 you know, too many programs start conflicting with each other 21 00:01:18.120 --> 00:01:21.879 and you get too many error messages clogging up of 22 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:25.400 the system and the machine, and eventually it just froze. 23 00:01:26.040 --> 00:01:29.000 And at that point there was only one possible thing 24 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:34.280 I could do. Hit the reset button. Okay, reboot. My 25 00:01:34.400 --> 00:01:39.560 computer needed a clean memory, and my computer memory needed 26 00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:43.760 a fresh start, new ram and all of that, and 27 00:01:43.799 --> 00:01:48.319 so sometimes you just have to hit restart. Now. Of 28 00:01:48.319 --> 00:01:51.599 course people are like that, and we all live very 29 00:01:51.640 --> 00:01:56.239 complicated lives. Your life is complicated, mind is and there 30 00:01:56.280 --> 00:01:59.280 are a lot of different programs running in your mind 31 00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:02.319 and in your body and running all around you in 32 00:02:02.359 --> 00:02:06.760 your brain, and you can quickly find yourself on overload. 33 00:02:06.799 --> 00:02:10.080 Everybody agree with that, okay, and you feel like, okay, 34 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:12.479 I'm getting sluggished because there's too much trying to go 35 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:15.360 on at one time, and your brain starts sending you 36 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:21.280 error messages in your mind. And what you need is 37 00:02:21.319 --> 00:02:26.719 a life reboot. You need a refresh, you need a 38 00:02:27.080 --> 00:02:32.360 reset of your life. Well, that's exactly what Jesus Christ 39 00:02:32.360 --> 00:02:35.360 came to do. He was sent to Earth to offer 40 00:02:35.400 --> 00:02:38.039 you a fresh start. If you were to ask me 41 00:02:38.879 --> 00:02:42.039 to summarize what our church has been doing for forty 42 00:02:42.080 --> 00:02:46.639 three years, forty three easters, now I would summarize the 43 00:02:46.680 --> 00:02:52.479 goal of Saddleback Church in two words, changed lives. That's 44 00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:56.800 what we're all about. Change lives. Okay, we're not about 45 00:02:56.840 --> 00:03:00.000 how big we are. We're not about how flashy we are. 46 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:02.360 We're not about buildings, we're not about music, we're not 47 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:06.759 about the sermon. We're about change lives. We are in 48 00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:11.840 the transformation of life business. If you want to know 49 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:15.960 what makes your pastor run, I am addicted to change lives. 50 00:03:16.919 --> 00:03:18.479 And all I have to do is here about one 51 00:03:18.520 --> 00:03:21.560 person who gave their lives to Christ, or one marriage 52 00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:24.560 put back together, or one kid gets off drugs, or 53 00:03:24.599 --> 00:03:28.120 somebody's life was turned around and somebody got a new 54 00:03:28.199 --> 00:03:32.719 lease on life. That just keeps me going. It really 55 00:03:32.759 --> 00:03:36.240 really does. When we hear people become what God has 56 00:03:36.280 --> 00:03:40.840 always intended them to be. That's the purpose of the church. Now, 57 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:44.599 this kind of transformation where people's lives are radically changed, 58 00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:48.599 it's called a lot of different things. It's called salvation. 59 00:03:49.960 --> 00:03:53.360 When you step across the line, it's called sanctification. When 60 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:57.439 you keep on growing and changing, it's called conversion. It's 61 00:03:57.439 --> 00:04:01.280 called starting over. It's called being born again. Is called 62 00:04:01.400 --> 00:04:05.840 getting a fresh start, having a life reset, et cetera, 63 00:04:05.919 --> 00:04:09.759 et cetera. And in the history of our church, hundreds 64 00:04:09.800 --> 00:04:15.599 of thousands of people have experienced this personal reset of 65 00:04:15.639 --> 00:04:19.800 their lives. Most of you could tell a story how 66 00:04:19.879 --> 00:04:23.319 your life has been changed by Jesus Christ. I was 67 00:04:23.319 --> 00:04:26.160 going this way, now I go this way. Doesn't mean 68 00:04:26.199 --> 00:04:30.519 you're perfect, but it means that your life was radically 69 00:04:30.839 --> 00:04:35.600 altered in the direction this past week. I always receive 70 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:39.319 a lot of letters after Easter, and I received many 71 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:43.240 letters from the thirty eight thousand people who came to 72 00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:49.240 Easter Saddleback Service last weekend. And I want to begin 73 00:04:49.800 --> 00:04:51.720 by just reading you one of those letters, because I 74 00:04:51.720 --> 00:04:53.959 think it expresses where I want us to go in 75 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:59.480 this new series. A Dear Pastor, Rick, I've known about 76 00:04:59.480 --> 00:05:04.160 Saddleback Church for maybe fifteen years, and I was always 77 00:05:04.279 --> 00:05:08.040 curious about why it attracted so many people. But I 78 00:05:08.079 --> 00:05:11.399 had never attended a service until a friend invited me 79 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:17.360 to last week's Easter service, so I went out of curiosity. Honestly, 80 00:05:17.639 --> 00:05:24.759 I was not prepared for what I experienced. Everyone was 81 00:05:24.839 --> 00:05:32.040 smiling and so happy and joyful and welcoming, and the 82 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:36.839 love on their faces immediately put me at ease. Although 83 00:05:36.839 --> 00:05:40.680 I had never been in church, but when the people 84 00:05:40.759 --> 00:05:48.199 started singing with all their hearts, tears instantly started flowing 85 00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:54.480 from my eyes. I didn't know any of the songs, 86 00:05:55.680 --> 00:06:00.519 but the way that people sang them scunned me. Do 87 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:02.959 you realize that when you sing a church, you're a 88 00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:07.160 witness to everybody else You're preaching a sermon when you sing, 89 00:06:08.199 --> 00:06:10.800 When you sing from the heart, it's saying God is 90 00:06:10.839 --> 00:06:15.759 real to me? So I said, their love on their 91 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:18.959 faces put me to ease. But when they began started 92 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:23.600 singing with all their heart, tears instantly flowed from my face. 93 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:25.920 I didn't know any of the songs, but the way 94 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:29.240 the people sang them stunned me. I could feel God 95 00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:35.079 for the first time in my life. I didn't understand it, 96 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:39.959 but I instantly realized that I had been missing out 97 00:06:39.959 --> 00:06:45.360 on something that I desperately needed. So long before I 98 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:48.279 even got to speak, She's or he, whoever this is, 99 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:54.959 got moved. Then you Rick spoke about God's love and 100 00:06:55.040 --> 00:06:58.399 God's purposes and how God wants everybody in his family. 101 00:06:59.600 --> 00:07:04.040 I took get all in with great wonder, and at 102 00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:08.319 the close of that service, when you let everybody in 103 00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:12.959 a prayer, I prayed it too. And while I was 104 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:19.480 saying those words, the tears returned, and I felt overwhelmed 105 00:07:20.519 --> 00:07:30.399 by God's love for me. Okay, Pastor Rick, Pastor Rick, 106 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:34.160 I don't know what the next steps should be, but 107 00:07:34.279 --> 00:07:38.439 I do know this. The direction of my life was 108 00:07:38.600 --> 00:07:44.439 reset in that moment. So please help me now to 109 00:07:44.600 --> 00:07:49.680 know what to do next. Now, what caught my attention 110 00:07:49.879 --> 00:07:55.480 in that particular letter was the word reset. I've told 111 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:58.839 you that I've been going up to northern California to 112 00:07:58.920 --> 00:08:03.439 a clinic near Stanford University where a team of doctors 113 00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:08.120 has been trying to study the constant pain in my 114 00:08:08.319 --> 00:08:12.160 body and figure out how to cure it. And at 115 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:16.560 the first meeting with these doctors, I asked the head doctor, 116 00:08:16.600 --> 00:08:18.480 the lead doctor, and there were seven of them in 117 00:08:18.519 --> 00:08:22.800 the room, what is exactly what is it you're exactly 118 00:08:22.839 --> 00:08:28.240 trying to accomplish in me and in my body? And 119 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:34.080 he replied very quickly, Rick, we intend to reset your health, 120 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:38.639 and we intend to reset it using a number of 121 00:08:38.759 --> 00:08:43.840 different biological tools they weren't even available ten years ago. 122 00:08:45.399 --> 00:08:50.159 And I thought, fantastic, that's great. I'm all in for 123 00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:52.559 a biological reset. And while you're at it, can you 124 00:08:52.600 --> 00:08:56.279 make me thirty years younger and give me Brad Pitt's 125 00:08:56.279 --> 00:09:01.080 face while you're at it. A year ago, you may 126 00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:04.080 remember that I actually did a message on this theme reset. 127 00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:08.559 It was right after we started back on meeting publicly. 128 00:09:08.919 --> 00:09:12.200 We were meeting outside with COVID and we just started 129 00:09:12.200 --> 00:09:14.879 meeting and all the COVID restrictions, And I told you 130 00:09:15.120 --> 00:09:19.639 that God was not interested post the pandemic for you 131 00:09:19.720 --> 00:09:24.039 to simply resume your old way of life. He didn't 132 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:26.639 care about your resuming your old way of life, going 133 00:09:26.679 --> 00:09:28.960 back to your old ways. He wanted you instead to 134 00:09:29.080 --> 00:09:33.519 reset your life in a whole new direction. I want 135 00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:37.039 to come back to that theme, and this weekend I'm 136 00:09:37.080 --> 00:09:42.000 starting a new short series that I'm simply calling resetting 137 00:09:42.039 --> 00:09:46.799 my life. Now. The Dictionary definition of the word reset, 138 00:09:47.320 --> 00:09:49.480 pull out your message notes. Go ahead and pull them 139 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:51.759 all out, and at the top of your message notes, 140 00:09:51.799 --> 00:09:56.840 the Dictionary defines reset as the opportunity to make a 141 00:09:57.000 --> 00:10:04.360 fresh new start, to begin again. Now, that's something that 142 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:08.720 Jesus specializes in a fresh new start and beginning again. 143 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:12.159 And the Bible gives us in scripture a lot of themes, 144 00:10:12.360 --> 00:10:15.639 many many theme verses that we're going to look in 145 00:10:15.679 --> 00:10:19.200 this series to talk about a fresh new start and 146 00:10:19.240 --> 00:10:22.360 a resetting of your life. But let me just give 147 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:25.240 you one of them today. It's at the top of 148 00:10:25.320 --> 00:10:28.879 your message notes there. The first verse Phesians four twenty 149 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:32.840 two to twenty four talks about the resetting of your life. 150 00:10:33.600 --> 00:10:40.639 It says this, you've learned the truth that is in Jesus. 151 00:10:41.039 --> 00:10:44.440 Jesus that I am the truth. So in regard to 152 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:47.559 your former way of life, you talk about what you 153 00:10:47.639 --> 00:10:50.279 were before you were a Christian, before you met Christ, 154 00:10:50.320 --> 00:10:53.120 before you were born again, before you open your heart 155 00:10:53.159 --> 00:10:58.440 to His love. Regarding your former way of life, put 156 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:02.559 off your old self health and be made new in 157 00:11:02.639 --> 00:11:07.519 the attitude of your mind, and put on your new self, 158 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:13.080 created to be like God, truly good and holy. Now 159 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:16.320 I want you to circle the phrase put off and 160 00:11:16.360 --> 00:11:19.720 the word phrase put on. Okay, God says that once 161 00:11:19.720 --> 00:11:22.240 you've invited Jesus into your life and you put your 162 00:11:22.279 --> 00:11:26.159 trust in Him, there is a process of growth and change, 163 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:31.759 and God resets your life in a certain way. And 164 00:11:32.039 --> 00:11:35.960 just like changing clothes, there are some clothes you take 165 00:11:36.080 --> 00:11:39.720 off old ones, dirty ones, holy ones that are messed up, 166 00:11:40.120 --> 00:11:42.639 and then you put on a new set of clothes, 167 00:11:42.679 --> 00:11:45.120 so you take off some and you put on some others. 168 00:11:45.200 --> 00:11:48.080 He said, This is part of the process of God 169 00:11:48.279 --> 00:11:53.159 resetting your life. Now today we're not going to talk 170 00:11:53.200 --> 00:11:55.559 about the steps to resetting your life. There's a lot 171 00:11:55.679 --> 00:11:56.960 of them, and we're going to look at them in 172 00:11:56.960 --> 00:11:59.120 the weeks ahead, and you don't want to miss any 173 00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:01.840 of it. But instead I want to give you what 174 00:12:01.879 --> 00:12:05.320 to call the preliminaries. There are four things you need 175 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:09.960 to do to get ready to have your life completely transformed. 176 00:12:10.360 --> 00:12:14.519 These are four prerequisites, four preliminaries that have to happen 177 00:12:14.519 --> 00:12:16.559 in your life. If all of a sudden you're going 178 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:20.559 to become the woman you want to become, the man 179 00:12:20.799 --> 00:12:25.080 you want to become, the person God created you to be. 180 00:12:25.240 --> 00:12:27.399 From the very start, there's some things you have to 181 00:12:27.399 --> 00:12:32.519 do preliminary wise, before you even start taking the reset steps. Now, 182 00:12:32.600 --> 00:12:34.799 what I want us to do this weekend, as I said, 183 00:12:35.120 --> 00:12:39.960 is look at the four preliminaries preparation steps for God 184 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:44.080 to do a major rehaul, a major revamping, a rebooting, 185 00:12:44.120 --> 00:12:48.519 a resetting, a recharging or renewing of your life. And 186 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:50.120 here are the four things you have to do to 187 00:12:50.120 --> 00:12:54.600 get ready for a reset number one. Start asking God 188 00:12:55.360 --> 00:13:00.600 to do something new in me. I start asking God 189 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:04.919 to do something new in me. And you don't just 190 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:08.120 ask him once. You show that you mean business by 191 00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:12.120 asking him more than once, by repeatedly bringing your request 192 00:13:12.240 --> 00:13:15.399 to God. You know, any parent knows that when at 193 00:13:15.480 --> 00:13:17.720 Christmas time a child says, I want this for Christmas. 194 00:13:18.200 --> 00:13:19.960 If they only mentioned it one time, they don't really 195 00:13:20.039 --> 00:13:22.519 want it. They have to say it three or four times. 196 00:13:22.559 --> 00:13:24.159 And he goes, Now, this is the difference between a 197 00:13:24.200 --> 00:13:28.159 whim and a genuine want. Okay, And God says, are 198 00:13:28.200 --> 00:13:30.960 you serious about changing your life? Are you serious about 199 00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:34.200 being a different guy, a different gal, a man of God, 200 00:13:34.240 --> 00:13:36.480 a woman of God? Are you serious about breaking some 201 00:13:36.519 --> 00:13:38.519 of those bad habits in your life? I need you 202 00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:42.000 to tell me. Now you might wonder, is it okay 203 00:13:42.080 --> 00:13:45.480 for me to ask God to do something new in 204 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:47.399 my life? God, I wants you to do something new, 205 00:13:47.720 --> 00:13:51.080 something fresh, something different, something unique in my life. Can 206 00:13:51.159 --> 00:13:54.480 you do that? Yes? In fact, it's in the job 207 00:13:54.559 --> 00:13:58.720 description of Jesus Christ first verse there under that point, 208 00:13:58.960 --> 00:14:05.720 Revelation twenty one, and Jesus says, I am making everything old. Now, 209 00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:09.080 that's all what he says is it I'm making everything boring, 210 00:14:10.039 --> 00:14:12.559 I'm making everything the same. No, he said, I'm making 211 00:14:12.600 --> 00:14:18.960 everything what new. This is what he does. Jesus transforms life. 212 00:14:19.799 --> 00:14:22.360 So if you're tired of your old way of living, 213 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:26.440 this is the guy you come to. I make everything new. Now. 214 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:28.840 A good prayer that you could pray is the one 215 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:33.000 that David prayed in Psalm fifty one, and in Psalm 216 00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:35.759 fifty one he asked God's to create a new heart 217 00:14:35.799 --> 00:14:39.279 in him, create a clean spirit, do some new work 218 00:14:39.320 --> 00:14:41.639 in him. And in Psalm fifty one, verse ten. I 219 00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:46.480 love this verse, particularly in the message paraphrase where David says, this, God, 220 00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:51.799 make a fresh start in me. I like that. Shape 221 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:56.759 a genesis week from the chaos in my life. You 222 00:14:56.919 --> 00:15:00.480 need this verse, make a fresh start in me, shape 223 00:15:01.440 --> 00:15:06.840 a new creation from the chaos of my life. You 224 00:15:06.919 --> 00:15:08.559 might want to write that on a little card and 225 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:12.279 put it on your refrigerator and memorize that verse this week. Now. 226 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:15.240 It's not only a good prayer to be the start 227 00:15:15.320 --> 00:15:17.440 of asking God to do something new in your life, 228 00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:23.039 but it's also significant even more when you realize that 229 00:15:23.159 --> 00:15:28.360 David wrote this after stealing another man's wife and having 230 00:15:28.440 --> 00:15:32.559 the man, the husband murdered. We've got a little bit 231 00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:37.639 different context now. David has created two of the top 232 00:15:37.799 --> 00:15:41.600 sins up there, adultery and murder, and he's saying, God, 233 00:15:41.639 --> 00:15:43.080 I need you to make a fresh start in me 234 00:15:43.200 --> 00:15:46.159 shape of Genesis week, in the chaos of my life. 235 00:15:46.919 --> 00:15:50.480 What that implies is really quite good news. And what 236 00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:53.960 it implies is that you are never too far gone 237 00:15:54.279 --> 00:15:59.559 for God's grace, for God's forgiveness. You can't do a 238 00:15:59.639 --> 00:16:02.799 bad enough thing that God's gonna say, eh, time out. 239 00:16:02.960 --> 00:16:08.399 You don't get any more chances. This is a message 240 00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:10.960 of grace, God, do something new in me. I have 241 00:16:11.159 --> 00:16:13.799 so messed it up, so screwed up my life, so 242 00:16:14.000 --> 00:16:18.120 meet to fiasco of everything, and I've done this sin 243 00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:19.720 and this one and this one and this one, this one. 244 00:16:19.840 --> 00:16:24.679 But I need a fresh start. I don't care what 245 00:16:24.840 --> 00:16:28.399 you've done, I don't care who you've done it with, 246 00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:31.919 and I don't care how long you've done it. You 247 00:16:31.960 --> 00:16:36.320 can get a fresh start and a life reset starting 248 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:40.679 today if you'll come to God. And the first preliminary 249 00:16:40.759 --> 00:16:42.960 is to just say, God, I need a fresh start. 250 00:16:44.159 --> 00:16:47.000 I'm carrying too much baggage. I'm carrying too much sin. 251 00:16:47.080 --> 00:16:50.360 I'm carrying too much guild. I'm carrying too many regrets. Listen, 252 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:57.279 your past is past, it's over. Did you do some 253 00:16:57.399 --> 00:17:00.960 dumb things? Yes, but you can't change that. You are 254 00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:04.079 a product of your past, but you are not a 255 00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:07.640 prisoner of your past. You might write that one down. 256 00:17:08.079 --> 00:17:12.759 In fact, you might tweet that one. Rick says, you're 257 00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:16.599 a product of your past. You have been shaped by 258 00:17:16.640 --> 00:17:18.160 the good and the bad and the ugly things in 259 00:17:18.200 --> 00:17:20.599 your life, but you're not a prisoner of it. You 260 00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:24.519 can change. That's the gospel. That's the good news. That's 261 00:17:24.519 --> 00:17:28.160 what Christianity is all about. There can be pushing the 262 00:17:28.200 --> 00:17:31.839 reset button and I get a second chance, I get 263 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:33.839 a new life, I get it born again, I get 264 00:17:33.920 --> 00:17:36.000 new freedom, and I can get a second chance, on 265 00:17:36.039 --> 00:17:39.440 a third chance, and on and on. Now, here's what 266 00:17:39.480 --> 00:17:45.200 God says about your past. Are you listening, Isaiah forty three, 267 00:17:45.359 --> 00:17:47.799 verse eighteen and nineteen. Here's what God says about your past. 268 00:17:49.400 --> 00:17:55.839 Forget the former things and do not dwell on the past, 269 00:17:56.039 --> 00:18:00.400 whether it's good or bad. Instead, God says, look at 270 00:18:00.440 --> 00:18:04.400 the new things I'm going to do. They're already starting 271 00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:07.400 to happen. Can you see what I've begun to do, 272 00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:10.839 God says, I don't want you to constantly look at 273 00:18:10.839 --> 00:18:13.000 it in the rearview mirror. If you're always looking in 274 00:18:13.000 --> 00:18:15.519 the rearview mirror, you're going to crack up while you're driving. 275 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:18.440 The only way you can drive effectively is look to 276 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:21.039 the future. Not look what's behind you, but look to 277 00:18:21.079 --> 00:18:23.960 the future. All of the rest of your life is 278 00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:26.359 of the future, not in the past. As I said, 279 00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:30.640 your past is past, so don't dwell on it. Start 280 00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:34.480 asking God to do something new in me. Do you 281 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:36.880 know why nothing's happening new in your life right now 282 00:18:37.039 --> 00:18:40.440 because you're not asking Look at the next verse James, 283 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:43.720 Chapters four, Verse two. You do not have what you 284 00:18:43.960 --> 00:18:48.960 want because you don't what ask God for it. Circle 285 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:51.880 that start on. You don't have it because you don't 286 00:18:51.880 --> 00:18:54.559 ask for it. Have you ever asked God for a 287 00:18:54.599 --> 00:18:57.519 reset in your life? God, I need a fresh start. 288 00:18:58.240 --> 00:19:02.119 I've blown it. I've made a big mistake mistakes plural, 289 00:19:03.079 --> 00:19:05.559 and I need a fresh start. I need a new start, 290 00:19:05.599 --> 00:19:09.680 I need a revamping. I need to reboot my life. 291 00:19:11.240 --> 00:19:14.680 This is the first preparation step. You're going to have 292 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:17.119 to start asking God. God, I want you to do 293 00:19:17.160 --> 00:19:20.039 something new in my life, and I pray that. In 294 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:22.519 the weeks ahead, during this series, you're going to be 295 00:19:22.599 --> 00:19:25.240 praying this prayer every day, and I want you to 296 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:27.160 pray it every day this week. I want you to 297 00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:30.119 when you think about it, go God, would you do 298 00:19:30.200 --> 00:19:33.359 something new in my life? Would you do something fresh 299 00:19:33.400 --> 00:19:35.880 in my life? Would you give me a fresh start? 300 00:19:35.880 --> 00:19:39.920 Would you give me a renewed energy, renewed spirit, renewed 301 00:19:40.680 --> 00:19:45.759 hope and heart. The first step in preparation is to 302 00:19:45.799 --> 00:19:49.920 ask God for a reset. Here's the second thing in preparation. 303 00:19:50.119 --> 00:19:55.480 These are preliminaries. PenPoint specifically what I want changed in me. 304 00:19:56.680 --> 00:19:58.640 That's the second thing you do. If you want to 305 00:19:58.640 --> 00:20:02.000 get a brand new start in life. Penpoints specifically what 306 00:20:02.119 --> 00:20:06.519 I want changed in me. Nothing becomes transforming until it 307 00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:10.559 becomes specific. You don't just say God, I want you 308 00:20:10.640 --> 00:20:14.519 to change me, and God's gonna say specifically what do 309 00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:19.240 you have in mind? Change what? What do you want changed? Okay, 310 00:20:20.200 --> 00:20:23.599 you can't change your generality, So don't just say God, 311 00:20:23.720 --> 00:20:27.079 change me. Don't say change. You have to clarify, You 312 00:20:27.160 --> 00:20:30.920 have to identify, You have to decide where you want 313 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:33.319 to be different as a man, or as a woman, 314 00:20:33.839 --> 00:20:36.680 Where do I want to be different? You see, you 315 00:20:36.720 --> 00:20:41.880 cannot solve any problem obviously to first you identify it 316 00:20:41.960 --> 00:20:46.680 as a problem. Do you know the problems in your life? 317 00:20:47.079 --> 00:20:50.720 Are you just still in denial about them all? You 318 00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:53.200 got to identify the problems in your life. You've got 319 00:20:53.240 --> 00:20:55.559 to clarify the problems in your life. You've got to 320 00:20:55.599 --> 00:20:58.160 admit that they are problems in your life. Oh no, 321 00:20:58.240 --> 00:21:03.079 I'm not really in debt. Oh no, I'm not really 322 00:21:05.480 --> 00:21:11.680 habitually procrastinating whatever. No I don't need help in an area, Well, 323 00:21:11.720 --> 00:21:15.960 then you'll be helpless. Now. The more specific you are 324 00:21:17.400 --> 00:21:20.960 about what you want God to change in your life, 325 00:21:21.160 --> 00:21:23.240 the easier it's going to be God for God to 326 00:21:23.359 --> 00:21:27.279 do it and to help you, and to do it faster. Now, 327 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:30.759 what I've done on your message notes is the created 328 00:21:31.160 --> 00:21:35.759 a little checklist to jog your memory. Where do I 329 00:21:35.960 --> 00:21:40.119 need help? What would I like to change in my life? 330 00:21:40.599 --> 00:21:43.519 What are the things in my life, relationships or whatever 331 00:21:43.759 --> 00:21:47.279 that I'm dissatisfied with? I'm just not cook them on 332 00:21:47.359 --> 00:21:50.799 all burners. I'm not on all the cylinders. So I 333 00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:52.680 want to do this is worth it for us to 334 00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:57.319 take some time, right now in this service. This may 335 00:21:57.319 --> 00:21:59.240 be one of the most important things you do this 336 00:21:59.319 --> 00:22:03.720 week is to take this personal inventory right now. The 337 00:22:03.720 --> 00:22:08.960 Bible says in Second Corinthian, chapter thirteen, verse five, look 338 00:22:09.240 --> 00:22:13.599 closely at yourself. Let mean, do a little self examination, 339 00:22:14.519 --> 00:22:19.960 test yourselves to see if you're really living in the faith. Okay, 340 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:23.960 So here, here are you know, a dozen or so areas. 341 00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:28.359 Let's look at these. What where do I need a reset? 342 00:22:28.519 --> 00:22:31.799 What would I like God to change in my life 343 00:22:31.799 --> 00:22:33.720 to give me a fresh start? How about in my 344 00:22:33.799 --> 00:22:37.079 connection to God? So well, how do I know if 345 00:22:37.119 --> 00:22:40.400 I need a reset? There? Has there ever been a 346 00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:46.160 time in your life when you felt closer to God 347 00:22:47.480 --> 00:22:52.680 than you do right now? If the answer is yes, 348 00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:58.359 you need to reset, You need to reboot, You need 349 00:22:58.400 --> 00:23:01.279 a reconnection. So you need to check that box. Yes, 350 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:03.759 if you say I've never been closer to God than 351 00:23:03.799 --> 00:23:05.440 I'm right now, you don't need to check that one. 352 00:23:05.839 --> 00:23:09.279 You're copasthetic, You're okay. How about do I need a 353 00:23:09.319 --> 00:23:12.880 reset in my health and body like the doctors are 354 00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:15.440 trying to do with me right now? Do you need 355 00:23:15.519 --> 00:23:19.839 help in your metabolism, in some area of your your 356 00:23:20.200 --> 00:23:22.960 chronic illness or something you mean I could ask God 357 00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:27.400 about that. Of course you can do. I need a 358 00:23:27.480 --> 00:23:31.599 reset in my priorities. Are your priorities out of whack 359 00:23:31.640 --> 00:23:33.559 and things that really aren't important all of a sudden, 360 00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:36.440 you're spending all your time doing those, and the things 361 00:23:36.440 --> 00:23:41.559 that are really important you're not doing those. That's your 362 00:23:41.799 --> 00:23:45.000 I need a reset in my priorities. Okay, check that one. 363 00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:48.480 How about a relationship. Do you have a relationship boyfriend, 364 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:53.480 girlfriend friend or whatever, and you're going it's stagnating or 365 00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:57.680 it may be deteriorating. Do I need a reset in 366 00:23:57.720 --> 00:24:01.279 that relationship? How About in your energy level? He said, 367 00:24:01.279 --> 00:24:03.119 I'm finding it going lower and lower. Do I need 368 00:24:03.160 --> 00:24:05.599 to restart there? How About in your career? In my 369 00:24:05.720 --> 00:24:08.160 career or in my job. If you're out of work 370 00:24:08.200 --> 00:24:11.279 right now, you need to restart. If you just got 371 00:24:11.319 --> 00:24:13.640 laid off or fired, you're out of work, you need 372 00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:18.279 to restart there. How About in my thought life? I'm 373 00:24:18.359 --> 00:24:25.480 having thoughts that I don't like. I can't control them. 374 00:24:25.640 --> 00:24:28.720 They scare me. They're the wrong kind of thoughts. I 375 00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:31.440 shouldn't have these kind of thoughts and they bother me. 376 00:24:32.319 --> 00:24:37.599 Check that. Do I need to reset in my marriage? No? Marriage? 377 00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:41.039 Ever stands still. At every point in your marriage, you're 378 00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:44.559 either growing closer together or you're drifting further apart. No 379 00:24:44.680 --> 00:24:48.240 marriage just stands still. So if you're not growing closer together, 380 00:24:49.480 --> 00:24:53.400 you're drifting apart. And maybe you need to reset in 381 00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:55.960 your marriage. I need to refall in love. I've had 382 00:24:55.960 --> 00:24:58.759 to refall in love with my life, my wife many 383 00:24:58.799 --> 00:25:04.559 many times in almost forty seven years of marriage. You 384 00:25:04.599 --> 00:25:08.240 just have to re up and recommit. How About in 385 00:25:08.279 --> 00:25:10.880 your routines? Are your routines out of whack? You know, 386 00:25:10.960 --> 00:25:13.720 the routine I'm in right now started during COVID, is 387 00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:17.119 not helping me and I need to change my routine. 388 00:25:17.160 --> 00:25:18.920 I need to reset there. Maybe you need to check 389 00:25:18.960 --> 00:25:22.480 that one. Or how about habits? Do I need to 390 00:25:22.519 --> 00:25:26.720 replace some bad habits with some good habits? How About 391 00:25:26.759 --> 00:25:29.359 in my parenting? Some of you need to reset in 392 00:25:29.400 --> 00:25:34.200 your parenting, And right now you need to reset a 393 00:25:34.240 --> 00:25:37.279 relationship with one of your kids. They'd be into maybe 394 00:25:37.319 --> 00:25:39.599 an adult child, but you're out of whack with them 395 00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:42.720 and you need to reset in that relationship. You check 396 00:25:42.799 --> 00:25:45.640 that one. How About in my time and my schedule? 397 00:25:47.640 --> 00:25:49.720 Have you figured out that it's easier to fill your 398 00:25:49.759 --> 00:25:54.039 schedule than to fulfill your schedule. Have you discovered that 399 00:25:54.079 --> 00:25:57.400 it's easier to get in to something rather than to 400 00:25:57.400 --> 00:26:00.240 get out of it. It's easier to commit than to 401 00:26:00.279 --> 00:26:05.599