January 11, 2026

A New Year’s Message: The Believer’s New Mind in Christ

42 minutes

Andrew delivers a New Year’s message centered on the believer’s need for a renewed mind in Christ, with a primary focus on Ephesians 4. He argues that significant times like the new year are opportunities for spiritual reflection and reordering, with the ultimate goal of becoming more like Christ. This transformation is dependent on a mind renewed by the Holy Spirit through consistent engagement with Scripture.

[00:04:49] Point 1: The New Year should be a time of reflection and reordering. Andrew explains that holidays and significant events provide a biblical model for setting aside time to celebrate our walk with God and draw closer to Him, moving beyond ritual to genuine spiritual pursuit.

[00:05:53] He references Isaiah 1:14, 16 to show God’s disdain for empty ritual and His call for His people to cleanse themselves.

[00:08:10] Scriptures like Psalm 139 and 1 Corinthians 11:27-28 teach us to examine our lives, a practice well-suited to new beginnings like the start of a year.

[00:09:39] Point 2: Our motive for examination must be to conform to Christ. The goal of any change is to become like Jesus, as we are new creations in Him.

[00:09:54] He cites Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:17, and Romans 12:2 to underscore our new identity and the call to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

[00:11:24] We are all plagued by sin and struggle with it, as illustrated by Jeremiah 17:9 and Romans 7:15-17.

[00:16:00] Point 3: A sanctified life starts with your mind. To live a life pleasing to God, we must think in a way that pleases Him. Our actions follow our thoughts.

[00:16:42] Colossians 3:1-5 instructs believers to set their minds on things above, which leads to putting sinful practices to death.

[00:19:18] Ephesians 4:17-24 contrasts the futile, darkened mind of the world with the renewed mind of the believer, which is essential for putting off the old self and putting on the new.

[00:28:15] Point 4: The Christian life is dependent on being led by the Spirit. Our mind must be transformed by the Spirit of God who dwells within every believer.

[00:29:17] Romans 8:5-11 explains that those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on spiritual things, and that having the Spirit is the mark of belonging to Christ.

[00:31:16] John 14:15-17 teaches that the Holy Spirit is given to those who love and obey Jesus.

[00:32:26] Point 5: We must listen to the Spirit speaking through Scripture. While there may be confusion about how the Spirit speaks, we can be certain He speaks through the Bible.

[00:33:47] Hebrews 1:1-2 establishes that God has ultimately spoken through His Son, and the Spirit reveals Him through the Scriptures.

[00:36:05] Ephesians 5:18-21 describes a daily life filled with spiritual exercises—like speaking Scripture, singing, and giving thanks—that help us be filled with and hear the Spirit.

[00:39:43] Application: Exercise your spiritual muscles daily. Andrew challenges listeners to move beyond treating Bible reading as a ritual task. Instead, view it as a meeting with God and seek additional ways to feed Scripture into daily life through study, discussion, and other godly resources.

Scripture References

Isaiah 1:14,16

Psalm 139

1 Corinthians 11:27-28

Galatians 2:20

2 Corinthians 5:17

Romans 12:2

Jeremiah 17:9

Romans 7:15-17

Colossians 3:1-5

Ephesians 4:17-24

Romans 8:5-11

John 14:15-17

Hebrews 1:1-2

Ephesians 5:18-21

Generated by AI model deepseek-chat

The post A New Year’s Message: The Believer’s New Mind in Christ first appeared on Canaan Fellowship.

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