Challenge for 2010

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! Happy New Year! It's 2010. New years always excites me because it reminds of of new beginnings. There are always things that I had wanted to do, hoped to do that didn't happen in the year prior. As I thought about goals/resolutions for myself this year I came up with two: I want to start running, and I want to live like Jesus. As I thought about the second goal, I thought about how those around me could be involved.

Tonight I challenged the youth to a new goal or resolution for 2010. We are committed to living like Jesus did. In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

I often hear horrible statistics about what other world religions think of Christians. It is quoted that the greatest single cause of Atheism today is Christians that acknowledge Jesus with their lips, but deny him with their lifestyles. So many times we get caught up in worldly things that we forget about the message of Jesus to love others.

The challenge is to live like Jesus did. Jesus loved all people, lent a listening ear, helped a person in need, never condemned, always forgave.

What are your new years resolutions? How does the message of Jesus align with them? Will you accept the challenge to live like Jesus did?