January 7th, 2024

Sermon Series: Freedom
Title: It’s Time to Decrease

Introduction

– Welcome to 2024
– The concept of resolutions
– The frustration of not sticking to resolutions
– The desire for freedom

The Word of the Year

– The irony of the word chosen for the year
– The importance of decreasing for God to increase
– Examples of areas where decrease is needed

Main Teaching

– The weight we carry from the past
– Letting go of emotional weight
– Scripture reference from Ephesians 4:31-32
– 3 things to do for a life of freedom

1. Identify What Must Decrease
– The specific negative emotions and attitudes to get rid of
– The need for self-reflection and seeking help from trusted friends and professionals

2. Decrease Darkness to Increase Light
– Recognizing and confessing sin to God
– Commitment to change and not repeat past mistakes

3. Decrease Trust in You and Increase Trust in God
– The difficulty of the process
– The importance of fasting and prayer for intentional decrease
– Encouraging children to participate in fasting as well

Conclusion
– Worship and prayer during the 21-day fasting period
– Offer of Thursday night devotion and prayer at the church
– Trusting God and saying goodbye to the old