A new year is like a clean slate. It brings the excitement of big plans and the hope of new resolutions. Too many times, though, we strive to accomplish the wrong things. Since only God’s plans serve eternal purposes, we need His counsel in setting godly goals. So, how do we go about seeking the counsel of the Lord?

Our homes should be an altar to the Lord. But what does that look like? Today’s passage shows us that lasting restoration results when each member is willing to sacrifice and serve.

Today, we’ll see why it’s important to set boundaries around and within our families. Although the world may view godly borders as confining, Scripture tells us they bring blessing.

As the prophet Elijah repaired the altar of the Lord, he reminded Israel who they were. Likewise, when we remember our identity in Christ, it lays the foundation for family restoration and unity.

Each Thanksgiving, we gather around the table and talk about the things for which we’re most thankful. But long before the Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving, the Bible instructed Christians to be grateful people. In today’s passage, the Apostle Paul demonstrates what happens when gratitude truly permeates the life of a believer.

When we fail to follow God’s instructions for marriage and parenting, the result is usually some type of family dysfunction. 1 Kings 18 gives four principles we can apply for family restoration. To begin, we need to make repairs.

Growing disciples demonstrate the life of Christ in their thinking anddoing. Many believers tend to focus on one or the other. But the Apostle Paul links accountability to Scripture directly to the application of discipleship.

Many evangelical churches emphasize the importance of personal discipleship, as well as meeting in discipleship groups. Sometimes though, the discussion can get off track. Verse 16 helps us examine the accountability of discipleship.

Today’s passage gives the final instructions of Jesus, “Go…and make disciples.”In order to fulfill the Great Commission, we need to answer two questions, “Who is a disciple?” And, “What is the aim of discipleship?”

We’ve already seen how Israel’s grumbling quickly turned to distrust of God, which led to rebellion. And the moment they rebelled against His command they stepped off the path of victory. They believed the price of obedience was too high; only to discover the cost of disobedience. As a result, a generation of Israelites existed only to wander in a circle for 40 years and die.