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En este devocional estaremos compartiendo siete aspectos claves del liderazgo conforme al corazón de Dios, siguiendo el ejemplo de Jesús. Descubre cómo liderar con visión, comunicación, coherencia, carácter, influencia, multiplicando a otros líderes y viviendo con propósito eterno. No pierdas la oportunidad de ser desafiado e inspirado a vivir y servir con el modelo más perfecto de liderazgo: el de nuestro Señor Jesucristo.

Escrito por el Capitán Carlos Solís

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New beginnings often come with mixed emotions. While we long for what’s fresh and restored, stepping into something new usually requires letting go of what’s familiar—even when it’s uncomfortable or painful. This devotional paints that picture through a story of a guarded man who finds healing when he chooses forgiveness, community, and courage over isolation. His journey reflects a deeper spiritual truth: new life almost always involves release before renewal.

Scripture reminds us that following Christ means intentionally setting aside old ways of thinking, behaving, and believing. That process can feel like a kind of death—dying to habits and identities that once defined us. But just as Christ’s death made resurrection possible, our willingness to surrender the old self opens the door to the new life God has promised. Salvation may be a one-time event, but living it out is a daily decision.

Putting on the “new self” is not passive. It’s a repeated choice to live according to who God says we are, even when it feels costly or unfamiliar. New beginnings may stretch us, require sacrifice, or invite us into situations we’d rather avoid—but we never walk that path alone. God goes before us, walks beside us, and empowers us by His Spirit. Because of Christ, we can move forward with confidence, trusting that the God of new beginnings is faithful to complete what He has started.

Main Takeaways

• New beginnings often require letting go of old habits, attitudes, or identities.

• Following Christ involves an intentional, daily choice to live as a new creation.

• Growth can be uncomfortable, but it is necessary for spiritual renewal.

• Christ’s death and resurrection make our new life possible.

• God walks with us into every new beginning, empowering us by His Spirit.

Today’s Bible Verse: Ephesians 4:22–24

Your Daily Prayer

“Lord, help me to put on my new self daily and lay aside my old ways of sin, including patterns of thinking and behaviors that are contrary to Your will.”

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.  You can also become a regular supporter of this podcast on the website.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

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The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

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To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

As a new year begins, many of us carry lingering weight from the year behind us—regret, disappointment, grief, fear, or exhaustion. It can feel like life piles on more and more, making it hard to move forward without dragging the past along with us.

But Scripture gently calls us to a different posture: release, surrender, and trust. God invites us to stop replaying yesterday’s troubles and instead place them into His hands. We don’t have to carry what God never intended us to hold.

The Lord promises not only to sustain us but to do new things—making a way through wilderness places and bringing streams to dry and weary parts of life. A new year doesn’t mean everything is easy, but it does mean we can begin again—lighter—because we are held by a God who cares.

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” — 1 Peter 5:7

YOUR NIGHTLY PRAYER

Dear Father,

Tonight, I come to You with everything I’ve carried from last year—the burdens, the stress, the pain, the regrets, and the disappointments. You tell me to cast my anxiety on You because You care for me, and I want to believe that truth with my whole heart.

Help me release what I’ve been holding too tightly. Strengthen me to trust You enough to let go and rest in Your care. Remind me that I don’t have to replay yesterday in my mind, because You are already present in tomorrow.

Open my heart to believe that You are making things new in my life. Free my heart and mind from the weight of what was, and help me receive Your will and Your peace for what is ahead.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

THREE THINGS TO MEDITATE UPON

1. What am I still carrying?
   Is there a burden—grief, regret, fear, disappointment—that I’ve been holding onto because it makes me feel in control? What would it look like to surrender it to God tonight?

2. How does my body release stress?
   God created us with emotions and physical responses. What healthy outlet helps you let go—walking, journaling, worship music, stretching, cooking, praying aloud? Invite God into that release.

3. A surrender practice for the new year
   Write down the burdens you want to release to the Lord. Pray over them one by one. Then tear up the paper, burn it safely, or place it in a Bible or journal as a symbol of surrender—reminding yourself that what you’ve handed to God no longer belongs on your shoulders.

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Connect with God — on Abide, a Christian meditation app that provides a biblically grounded place to experience peace and progress in your relationship with Christ. Use this biblical meditation, narrated by Ben Little, to center yourself on the truth in God's word. Let your life be transformed! Meditate on Romans 12:2. Allow the music & nature sounds, deep breathing, prayer, and scripture help you connect with God in a new way. 

For a 30 day free trial of our premium ad-free content, your trusted friend for meditation is right here: https://abide.com/peace

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A new year brings fresh goals and expectations, but lasting growth happens when God shapes our plans from the very beginning. Grounded in Psalm 90:12, this devotional invites us to number our days wisely by centering our decisions, goals, and hopes on God’s Word—so our year is formed by His wisdom, not just our intentions.

Highlights

• Resolutions often fail when God is left out of the planning process.

• Seeking God’s wisdom leads to better decisions—not just faster ones.

• Prayer helps align our goals with God’s purposes for our lives.

• Gratitude grows when we recognize everything we have as a gift from God.

• Trust is strengthened by remembering how God has carried us through before.

• Hope remains steady because it’s rooted in an unchanging God.

• Daily dependence on God shapes a year marked by growth and faithfulness.

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Full Transcript Below:

How to Let the Word of God Shape Your Year
By Aaron D’Anthony Brown

Bible Reading:
“Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” (Psalm 90:12, CSB)

With the new year comes new hopes, expectations, and disappointments. Whatever we face, everything is always better when we face it with God. Sadly, however, we often start our year without focusing on Him. We have our goals and plans for achieving them. Yet, the Lord doesn’t always factor into that process.

Perhaps that explains at least part of the reason so many resolutions fade away by the end of January. We make commitments, but none stick. What sticks are the excuses.

Here’s an alternative. What if we made plans, but factor God into the process? What if we sought Him for wisdom on what goals to set and how best to accomplish those goals?

As a believer, that may sound self-evident, but we make many decisions every day without consulting God. We enter disputes with loved ones, take on responsibilities, and more, all without spending sufficient time in prayer.

Sometimes we have to make split-second decisions. However, if we’re being honest, there are times we could pray and simply don’t. We think we know what’s best, but then we feel foolish when things don’t exactly work out.

Let’s do something different this new year. Before we make any plans, let’s figure out how we can allow God to shape this new year.

Intersecting Faith & Life:<

Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.  You can also become a regular supporter of this podcast on the website.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

.

The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

.

To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.  You can also become a regular supporter of this podcast on the website.

.

If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

.

The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

.

To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Bitterness has a way of settling deep into our hearts—especially when we’ve experienced injustice, betrayal, suffering, or pain that feels undeserved. And when it takes root, it doesn’t just stay quietly in the background. It can slowly drain our joy, distort our perspective, and keep us from experiencing the goodness God wants for us. Left unchecked, bitterness becomes a life-killer—squeezing the peace and freedom out of our lives from the inside out.

This devotional reminds us that bitterness isn’t something we can conquer through willpower alone. Even with all the tools the world offers—self-help programs, personal improvement plans, or counseling strategies—true freedom from bitterness requires something deeper: forgiveness. Forgiveness is the doorway that releases us from the grip bitterness has on our souls. And while forgiving someone who isn’t sorry—or doesn’t believe they’ve done anything wrong—can feel impossible, God never asks us to do it alone. He supplies strength and grace so that we can let go of what we were never meant to carry.

As we step into a new year, this is an invitation to leave bitterness behind—before it becomes a root that grows and spreads. The call is clear: obey God’s instruction to release it, and trust Him to heal what you cannot fix. Jesus not only taught forgiveness—He demonstrated it, even while suffering on the cross. That same power and grace are available to you today. God is ready to help you loosen your grip on bitterness and step forward into a freer, lighter, more joy-filled future.

Main Takeaways

• Bitterness can take root quietly but become spiritually and emotionally destructive over time.

• Freedom from bitterness requires forgiveness—not just time, effort, or self-improvement.

• Forgiving others can feel impossible, especially when they aren’t sorry, but God gives strength to do what we can’t do alone.

• A new year is an opportunity to release what is poisoning your heart and walk into greater peace.

• Jesus modeled forgiveness, proving that grace and freedom are possible even in deep pain.

Today’s Bible Verse: Ephesians 4:31

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