In this series, we’re trying to wrestle with how significantly Jesus changes a life.  Jesus himself described it as someone starting over, being born again.

One of the first Christian leaders, Paul, said it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV): “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

This might make it sound like a one time thing, but it’s actually just the beginning of constant transformation.  Here’s how Paul put it in Romans 12:1-2 (ESV): “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.“

Like when a baby is born, all kinds of development suddenly kickstarts – breathing air, feeding by mouth, seeing unfiltered light, and more.  No longer in the womb, a baby’s mind and body start transforming to adapt to a new world.

In coming to earth as Jesus, then dying and rising again to destroy death’s power over humanity,  God has reset the world.  We can be born afresh into a new world – the kingdom of God.

If you’ve never accepted his offer to reset your life, to make you a new creation, then it’s quite simple.  Tell Jesus, then tell someone else.

Start by telling Jesus.  Simply pray, and ask him to let you start over.  Apologize for all the things you’ve said, done and thought to turn away from him, and tell Jesus you want to turn back to him.

Then tell others.  First, let me know, and another Christian in your life who can support you.  Then, tell the world, by being baptized.  We are about to celebrate Redeemer Church / Redeem the Commute’s first baptism on February 8th, and we’d love for you to be next.  This is the way to show on the outside what God is already doing on the inside.

Then follow this series to learn how Jesus intends to transform each area of our lives.  How we adapt to the kingdom of God, even in the midst of a world where others haven’t.  We’ll look at these key areas of life:

  • Reset Goals (this week)
  • Reset Time
  • Reset Money
  • Reset Work
  • Reset Body & Food
  • Reset Sex & Marriage
  • Reset Family
  • Reset Compassion
  • Reset Nature
  • Reset Divisions
  • Reset Death

Challenge: Life Plan for 2014.  http://www.brianhowardblog.com/how-to-write-a-life-plan/

Reminder: We are reading the Bible in sync as one community – so check out today’s reading here.

Read the Bible in Sync Today

Ryan Sim - April 3, 2014

Thursday - Act On It - Reset Death

Hi, welcome to Redeem the Commute. I'm Ryan your host of the Daily Challenges. Here we are in nature. And that's because this week we're studying how following Jesus resets our views of death, and in fact, Jesus resets death itself. I have led a number of funeral services, and sometimes hear some troubling things. One of my first was a difficult funeral for a young child. As we planned the funeral, I remember the child’s grandmother trying to comfort her daughter. She said God must have needed another angel in heaven. I remember wondering whether to say anything or not. I could let it slide as a harmless attempt to make someone feel better – but what happens when she learns that humans never become angels? What happens when she gets angry with God for stealing her child for his “personal collection”? I decided the gospel was even better news to share than this sentimental idea about children becoming angels, and told her about the gospel or good news of Jesus instead. Ultimately that is news that will last and will transform her life, not just nice ideas that don’t hold water. Remember this passage we explored on Tuesday? 13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 1 Thess 4:13-14 Paul said all this stuff to the Thessalonians to encourage appropriate Christian grief, not the wild wailing of pagan funerals. He wants to give them confidence, and assurance that death is not something to fear. The number one reason: they have hope. One person who follows Redeem the Commute is preparing for the death of a family member. She said to me that her family members are upset, then looked at me and said, “We see it differently, right?” She struggled for words about heaven, resurrection, how it’s not the end yet, all the while still trying to figure out if she was allowed to be sad. And I simply said, “It’s okay to still be sad. We’re not sad about the death, but about the lost life.” Followers of Jesus should communicate that hope as they deal with death – it’s sad to lose time with a friend or loved one now, but the death itself isn’t the sad part. Everything communicates. Christian tradition was long to be buried intact, and in many cases facing eastward (at least in Canada) to be facing Jerusalem. The ideas was to communicate you were ready for the second coming. Was this a law, that you must be buried this way or God can’t raise you? No way. It was simply a way to communicate hope in God. There are many ways to communicate this hope when you die – from the songs people sing, to scriptures read, to how they distribute their estate. Challenge: Write out some funeral plans. What do you want to be communicated about you? About Jesus? About God?

From Series: "Reset"

When our computers get bogged down and unmanageable, we know to hit a reset button to simply start over. Wouldn't a reset button be great in life? We know it would be complicated, with all our responsibilities and routines to consider, but imagine the freedom and refreshment of a new start in life! What would you do differently? What would you pay more attention to, and what would you ignore? How would you avoid getting bogged down and broken again? The great news is, in coming to earth as Jesus Christ, God has begun to "reset" our universe, our world, and even us. We're invited to start over with him, in what he calls his kingdom. We're invited to start a new life with a clean slate. What gets wiped clean, and lived differently, when God resets our lives? We'll explore how God resets these key areas of our lives: Reset: Goals Reset: Time Reset: Money Reset: Work Reset: Body & Food Reset: Sex & Marriage Reset: Family Reset: Compassion Reset: Nature Reset: Society Reset: Death Join us for the next several weeks, and invite God to reset your life.

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