Posted on January 3, 2010 - by Tim L

Facing the Future…..

The start of a new year is traditionally a time to take stock and look to the future, perhaps even review the year before.   Some of us will have set new year resolutions or talked over the holiday period about what the future might bring.  This evening we will be focusing on facing the future.

Build a tower activity
You will each have been given a jenga brick when you came in.  Pls use it now to build the highest tower that you can in your team.  You have a minute and if it falls after that minutes of time I will measure that Pls be careful to make sure it doesn’t fall on anyone.

There is a story in the bible about a group of people who built a tower.  It is in the first book of the bible.

At one time, the whole Earth spoke the same language. 2It so happened that as they moved out of the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled down.
3They said to one another, “Come, let’s make bricks and fire them well.” They used brick for stone and tar for mortar.
4Then they said, “Come, let’s build ourselves a city and a tower that reaches Heaven. Let’s make ourselves famous so we won’t be scattered here and there across the Earth.”
5God came down to look over the city and the tower those people had built.
6God took one look and said, “One people, one language; why, this is only a first step. No telling what they’ll come up with next-they’ll stop at nothing! 7Come, we’ll go down and garble their speech so they won’t understand each other.” 8Then God scattered them from there all over the world. And they had to quit building the city. 9That’s how it came to be called Babel, because there God turned their language into “babble.” From there God scattered them all over the world.

Genesis 11; 1-9 The Message

Many of us will have made plans for the year ahead.  Some will have been glad to see the back of 2009 and hope that 2010 is much better.
We cannot predict what is going to happen in 2010 even though the pollsters, pundits and prognosticators attempt to do exactly that.  We do know that there will be a general election in the next 6 months.  We will each try to build something with our lives over the next year.  But as we face the future are there any principles we can use to help us.

The Bible talks about three timeless principles;

• Include God in your goal setting
• Live one day at a time
• Do it now

Include God in your goal setting
Consult God when you make your plans. He does know the future and he is eager to guide you into the future.  God what do you want me to build?
Live one day at a time

We can plan for the future but we cannot live it until it arrives.  How much time do you spend regretting the past and/or worrying about the future?  Jesus said “Don’t be anxious about tomorrow - God will take care of your tomorrows. Live one day at a time.” (Matthew 6;34)
Do it now
Don’t put off what you can do today.  It is very easy to promise ourselves that we will do it one day. But one of these days usually never arrives.  Do it now!

11I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out-plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
12″When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.
13″When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.
“Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, 14I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree.
Jeremiah 29: 11-13 (The Message)

• Include God in your goal setting
• Live one day at a time
• Do it now

There are pens and papers to draw, write, reflect on….

God what do you want us to build?
God what do you want me to build?

When you have finished bring your jenga brick to front and add it to the tower.  Ask God to help you build this year.