ICEBREAKER
What's the most successful New Year's resolution you've ever made?
What's the most successful New Year's resolution you've ever made?
Yearbuilding 2025
Now that you've answered the icebreaker question, here's another - this one about resolution.
Listen to this audio clip when you’re ready to begin today’s Spotlight.
(And welcome, by the way! It’s great that you’re here!)
Listen to this audio clip when you’re ready to begin today’s Spotlight.
(And welcome, by the way! It’s great that you’re here!)
Hopefully that makes enough sense to get you started.
Pray this prayer to get into it:
Lord,
As you've been with us over this past year,
be with us in the year that lies ahead.
Remind us that you hold us fast
and see clearly the way we should go.
Amen.
Pray this prayer to get into it:
Lord,
As you've been with us over this past year,
be with us in the year that lies ahead.
Remind us that you hold us fast
and see clearly the way we should go.
Amen.
Take a few minutes to reflect through Psalm 103, a powerful psalm on God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. This guided meditation will help you look back on the past year, seeing God's presence in challenges, growth, and gratitude. Let Psalm 103 remind you of the compassion and grace that carry you into a new year.
Pray that God will enter the coming year with you using the hymn "Abide with Me."
Yearbuilding for Sluggards
Let's use several of the passages from the book of Proverbs that warn against laziness and the "way of the sluggard" to think about how we might approach the coming year.
Proverbs 6:6-11
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
11 and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.
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Proverbs 12:27
The lazy do not roast any game,
but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.
Proverbs 13:4
A sluggard’s appetite is never filled,
but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
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Proverbs 15:19
19 The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns,
but the path of the upright is a highway.
Proverbs 22:13
13 The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside!
I’ll be killed in the public square!”
Proverbs 26:13-16
13 A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!”
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed.
15 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
16 A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven people who answer discreetly.
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Proverbs 21:25-26
25 The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous give without sparing.
Proverbs 6:6-11
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
11 and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.
- “Consider the ant…” Why an ant? What about the way ants work makes them so helpful for talking about procrastination?
- When you have no teachers, no boss, no parents, and no deadlines (i.e. projects where you’re in charge, like relationships or hobbies) who keeps you on track? Who sets your goals and keeps you driven towards them?
- How do you know when you’ve crossed the line from “resting” to “sluggard?”
-----
Proverbs 12:27
The lazy do not roast any game,
but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.
Proverbs 13:4
A sluggard’s appetite is never filled,
but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
- The word “earn” comes to mind with these two proverbs. We also know, though, that everything we have comes from God: Psalm 145:6, “You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” How does our work and God’s providing cooperate?
- Who gets the credit for the diligent being filled – the diligent person, or God? On the other hand, who gets the blame for the sluggard being hungry – the diligent, or God?
- Sin’s existence means we live in a broken world, which means that even the diligent sometimes end up hungry. Do you think injustices like that make this proverb untrue? Why or why not?
- When you procrastinate, you might still get to eat. What consequences do you see in place of hunger in the following areas?
- Health
- Wealth
- Happiness
- Stress
-----
Proverbs 15:19
19 The way of the sluggard is blocked with thorns,
but the path of the upright is a highway.
Proverbs 22:13
13 The sluggard says, “There’s a lion outside!
I’ll be killed in the public square!”
Proverbs 26:13-16
13 A sluggard says, “There’s a lion in the road,
a fierce lion roaming the streets!”
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
so a sluggard turns on his bed.
15 A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
he is too lazy to bring it back to his mouth.
16 A sluggard is wiser in his own eyes
than seven people who answer discreetly.
- The proverbs here deal particularly with excuses. Procrastination leads to desperation, and desperation leads to excuses – and excuses become horrible monsters.
- Excuses grow and consume procrastinators in several ways:
- Reinforcement – Look at Proverbs 26:16. Why does the procrastinator think he is wise? What is the difference between his answer and the answers of the other seven?
- Distortion – Look at Proverbs 22:13. How is this an example of a distortion? What is unreasonable about the excuse from the sluggard?
- Protection – When a procrastinator makes an excuse and lies, they have to stick to it for the sake of their pride. Look at Proverbs 26:16 again. Can you identify the proof that the sluggard is doubling down on his poor excuse?
- Self-serving Bias – Look at Proverbs 15:19. If a sluggard is truly a sluggard, why does it help his agenda to identify the thorns that block the path? What if Proverbs 15:19 is talking about the very same path?
- Reinforcement – Look at Proverbs 26:16. Why does the procrastinator think he is wise? What is the difference between his answer and the answers of the other seven?
- Which of these excuses do you tend to use?
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Proverbs 21:25-26
25 The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous give without sparing.
- What does the sluggard crave? It’s not the same thing that the diligent crave…
- How does the craving of the righteous allow them to have more and more to give without sparing?
- Interestingly, if the sluggard gets what he craves, it will be the death of him. It’s very similar to an addiction – certainly a habit. Let’s dig into this. Think for a minute about the habits you have. (Habits are things you “perform each day to live a life you consider normal or to feel good about yourself.”) Jot down your habits:
- Which of them help you be productive, and which of them could lead to procrastination?
- It takes 21 days to break an old habit and 45 more to put a new one in place. What habits do you have that need replacing? What habits don’t you have that need to exist?
All the Lonely People
Ecclesiastes 4:8-12
8 There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Let’s make these poetic ideas concrete.
You are part of many communities.
Your spiritual community is unique in purpose and potential.
Intentional Accountability
Hebrews 3:12-14
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
Agree/Disagree
Tips for Intentional Community
The intentional community wants to work together, not for some kind of temporary connection, but for a connection that will last. Here are some tips for making that happen in the coming year.
Ecclesiastes 4:8-12
8 There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!
9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Let’s make these poetic ideas concrete.
- Give a real-life example of…
- “having a good return for their work.”
- “his friend can help him up”
- “they will keep warm”
- “two can defend themselves”
- “a cord of three strands”
You are part of many communities.
Your spiritual community is unique in purpose and potential.
Intentional Accountability
Hebrews 3:12-14
See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
- Who is given the job of encouraging?
- What is the point of accountability?
- What is NOT the point of accountability?
Agree/Disagree
- In the church, it’s more important that we watch out for each other spiritually than that we be friends.
- It can be unloving to point out someone else’s sinful behavior.
Tips for Intentional Community
The intentional community wants to work together, not for some kind of temporary connection, but for a connection that will last. Here are some tips for making that happen in the coming year.
- Commit to Imperfection
- Source Unknown | The church is like Noah’s ark. If it were not for the storm outside, you couldn’t stand the smell inside.
- Martin Luther | Farewell to those who want an entirely pure and purified church. This is plainly wanting no church at all.
- Know you are Needed
- 1 Corinthians 12:27 | Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
- Know you Need Others
- 1 Corinthians 12:14 | Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.
- Love Needs Community
- St. Basil the Great | When we live our lives in isolation, what we have is unavailable and what we lack is unprocurable.
- Community Needs Love
- C. S. Lewis | Our whole being by its very nature is one vast need; incomplete, preparatory, empty yet cluttered, crying out for Him who can untie things that are now knotted together and tie up things that are still dangling loose.
Pray for One Another's Coming Year
Step 1: Share
Step 2: Pray
Step 3: Wrap Up
Step 1: Share
- Get into groups of 2-3 people.
- Take turns sharing one or two things you’re looking forward to in the coming year. This could be a personal goal, an exciting opportunity, or simply a hope you’re carrying.
Step 2: Pray
- After everyone has shared, spend time praying for each other.
- Pray specifically for the things shared, asking God to guide, bless, and strengthen each person as they step into the new year.
- A Potential Prompt for Prayer: "God, thank you for the hopes and opportunities ahead. We ask you to guide us, give us clarity and steadfastness, and help us trust your plans. Please bless [name] as they [specific thing shared]. In Jesus’ name, amen."
Step 3: Wrap Up
- When you’re finished, take a moment to encourage one another. Remember: God is walking with each of you into this new year.
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