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Happy New Year
Friday, January 2, 2026 by Rick Stockwell
Happy New Year
READ 2 Corinthians 5:1-21
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
-- 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
I memorized today’s scripture passage when I first became a Christian. It teaches that when we accept Jesus Christ’s offer to remove our sins from our account, we are given a new heart and become a new creation. What does that mean? We retain our personality, memories, and physical characteristics, but our old way of thinking and living is replaced by a new way of thinking and living, guided by the Holy Spirit as we read the Bible and navigate through life. I’ve found that when God reveals a truth to me, and I believe it and apply it in my life, he then reveals another truth. When I believe and apply that truth, he reveals another one, and so on.
As we learn more about God, and confess and repent of any sins he reveals to us, we gradually become more like Christ. This process, called sanctification, takes years. Progress is measured not by comparing ourselves with others, but by comparing ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ. As we start the new year, let’s resolve to become more like Jesus than we were last year.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
The new has come.
Prayer: Father in heaven, please enable us to become more like your son in the coming year.
Prayer Focus: NEW CHRISTIANS
Rick Stockwell
Rick Stockwell retired from a career in information technology, teaches Sunday school for first graders, served as an elder at his church, has been married for thirty-five years, and has two children and six grandchildren.
Rick is the author of two novels in his Heavenly Realms series called The Wall and The Battle. Audio, eBook and paperback versions are accessible via this link: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07HQ8G3MJ
Comments
Diane McAndrews From West Hartford At 1/5/2026 6:52:59 AM
To be encouraged to strive to be more like God always needs reminding, and that it's never too late to try more. The New Year is the perfect time to STRIVE to strengthen our faith. Thank you Rick.Colette Robbins From At 1/2/2026 10:54:01 PM
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