I was out of the pulpit on New Year's day, so this week's podcast is from the archives. I preached this sermon on January 4, 2020.

Surveys reveal that almost half of all American adults plan to make New Year's resolutions, the most common being exercising more. However, an analysis from Strava found that many give up on their resolution to exercise more as early as mid-January. Almost 11% of all gym memberships for the entire year are sold in January—greater than any other month.

New year resolutions generally come from recognizing something in our past that we do not like and desiring a better future. The great weakness of new year's resolutions is that they are founded on our strength and power. In Ephesians 2:11-19, Paul calls us to remember who we once were. He is not trying to motivate the church with a guilt trip or encouragement to try harder. Instead, he calls the church to remember who they were before salvation, who has saved them, and celebrate who they are now in Christ.

In this passage, Paul encourages the church to rid itself of sinful rebellious members. I think this passage is instructive to us as individuals as well. Each of us must constantly work to rid our lives of the corruption of sin. As we begin 2022 let us consider how we can make a fresh start towards righteousness.