New Beginnings

Follow Along with the Message

Everything has a beginning:

Genesis 1:1-5 (NIV)  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 

Everyone has a beginning

Good news is that:

In Christ, everyone has two beginnings

Nicodemus learned about this:

John 3:1-8(NIV)  Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. ” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Nicodeus didn’t understand , but John (the writer of this gospel) did:

John 1:1-5 (NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Christ, like the sun. 

Even brighter than the sun

Matthew 4:16 (NIV) – ..the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”

I was living in that shadow of death 

Maybe the spirit of God hovering over those dark waters of your life

That the light of Christ would dawn like the sun of a new day 

Revival brings repentance:

Acts 19:18-20 (NIV)   Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.  In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV) Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

• Like a smoldering twig snatched from the fire
• New beginnings every morning. You can start fresh now.