Standing Firm

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. [1 Corinthians 16:13]

Biblical TeachingsPodcast Episode

15 Changes To Make 2024 Your Best Year Ever

Cathy

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. [Proverbs 3:5-6]

I have always been a fan of setting goals and making new plans for the new year. I’m one of those boring people who never go out for New Year’s Eve because I’m more focused on my goals than a party.

Below are 15 things that I learned from Pastor Ted Shuttlesworth. He says if we make these changes, we can get ready for a never-ending increase!!!

Some of them are things I have done pretty much every year, however, there are some really important points that he made that I haven’t even thought of.

This written post is an outline and there will be more details on the podcast. For each point, there is a scripture from Proverbs. I chose the scriptures from Proverbs because going into 2024 we will need wisdom and Proverbs is my favorite book on obtaining wisdom! There also is a book for each point that you may want to add to your book reading list for 2024.

I hope that you will take the recommended changes seriously and start planning for your best year in 2024.

Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. [Proverbs 21:5]

  1. HAVE CLEARLY DEFINED GOALS
    • If you don’t have a goal, there is nothing that will restrain you from doing anything.
    • If you don’t know where you are going, anywhere you arrive looks like your destination.
    • It’s hard to hit a target you can’t see, but it’s impossible to hit a target you don’t have.
    • Clear destinations of where you want to go for this year. Where you are heading. Five areas of our lives that we need to master. What do you want to see different or improved in each of these areas? Set ONE goal in each of these areas.
      1. Spiritual
      2. Mental
      3. Physical
      4. Financial
      5. Relationships

BOOK: Created For Excellence 12 Keys to Godly Success (Kevn Baerg)

Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. [Proverbs 4:25-27]

  1. MANAGE YOUR FOCUS:
    • Focus is your greatest resource. Focus is a limited resource.
    • Ration your focus; you cannot focus on everything.
    • There is so much that is pulling at our time.
    • Choose what activities are important enough for your attention/focus.
    • Limit focus to only what is important according to your purpose.
    • Time blocking, block out time on the calendar to get the important tasks done first.

BOOK: Master Your Focus: A Practical Guide to Stop Chasing the Next Thing and Focus on What Matters Until It’s Done (Thibaut Meurisse)

Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. [Proverbs 4:7]

  1. JUST SAY NO
    • Take stock of what is working and what isn’t.
    • Be willing to say a lot of no’s.
    • What things are not producing or a waste of time?
    • Saying no makes room for the right things.
    • No should be said more than yes.
    • Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should do it.
    • A man who tries to catch two rabbits, catches none.
    • Multi-tasking is a lie, we need to focus on one thing and finish it before going on to the next thing.

BOOK: The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results (Gary Keller)

Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. [Proverbs 13:20]

  1. SCRUB YOUR FRIENDS LIST
    • People that are not on board with where you are going.
    • People who encourage and lift you up.
    • People who are not living a Godly life.
    • People who are unequally yoked with you.
    • People with no goals and life plans.
    • People that are producing and full of faith and encouraging.
    • Stop being the only one motivated and productive one in the group!!
    • Stop being the only way who cares about the bible.
    • Not everyone should have access to your personal time 😊

BOOK: A Love Worth Giving: Living in the Overflow of God’s Love (Max Lucado)

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. [Proverbs 4:23]

  1. DO LESS MINDLESS SCROLLING SCHEDULE MORE MINDFUL LEARNING!!
    • Set time aside for a purposeful increase of knowledge.
    • Stop wasting time on social media.
    • Stop watching movies or videos that are not feeding your mind.
    • The best way to manage this is put set a stopwatch and only check things until that stopwatch goes off.

BOOK: Stop Checking Your Likes: Shake Off the Need for Approval and Live an Incredible Life. (Susie Moore)

Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. [Proverbs 3:13-14]

  1. DEVELOP YOUR MIND THROUGH READING OR LISTENING
    • Don’t coast through content, let it seep in and change you.
    • Be selective about what you listen to or watch.
    • Make a list of books to read for 2024.
    • Set time aside to read these books and push yourself to do this.
    • Leaders are readers.

BOOK: Make Today Count: The Secret of Your Success Is Determined by Your Daily Agenda  (John C. Maxwell)

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. [Proverbs 4:20-22]

  1. DON’T NEGLECT YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH
    • Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
    • Be productive for as long as you possibly can.
    • Use wisdom and take care of your physical body.
    • Physical exercise helps you physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
    • The more you can do to take care of your body the more productive you can be.
    • Get outdoors 😊

BOOK: God Wants You Well, What the Bible Really Says About Walking in Diving Health.  (Andrew Wommack)

When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful. [Proverbs 29:18] New Living Translation

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. [Proverbs 29:18] King James

  1. HAVE A VISION BOARD
    • Keep these goals and dreams in front of your eyes!!
    • You are not called to be small.
    • You will stay small without vison.
    • If you want to level up, you have to have a vision.
    • Every generation should be better and increase.
    • Continually keep in mind what is possible.
    • Whatever your focus is, this is what you will move toward.

FREE SOFTWARE: Canva

Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper. [Proverbs 13:4]

  1. ASK GOD FOR AN IDEA FOR AN ALTERNATE INCOME STREAM
    • Believers should not be living on a fixed income.
    • Not trading time for dollars.
    • One idea from God can make you wealthy.
    • Retirement age is just the beginning, not the end of being productive.
    • Never-ending increase is your story.
    • You are not finished just because of a number (age).

BOOK: Financial Over Flow: 10 Bible Principles to Unlock Heaven’s Unending Supply (Jonathan D. Shuttlesworth)

Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life. [Proverbs 4:13]

And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. [Matthew 6:16-18]

  1. SCHEDULE TIMES OF FASTING AND PRAYER
    • Start the year off with 21 days of fasting.
    • This should be done throughout the year.
    • This is a spiritual discipline that Jesus expects.
    • It puts you in a position to receive from God.
    • 3 days every month is a great goal.
    • There is never a convenient time to fast, it needs to be scheduled and committed to😊

BOOK: Complete Guide To Biblical Fasting  (Ted Shuttlesworth)

My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart. [Proverbs 4:20-21]

  1. BECOME A DILIGENT STUDENT OF THE BIBLE
    • Every believer must be consistently in the Word, especially these days.
    • You don’t want to lose your fire.
    • This is the only way you will be able to stand.
    • Everything you need is in God’s Word
    • It’s a treasure trove of great promises!!!
    • If you are not sure how to study the bible here is a great resource.
    • If you don’t know what is in the Bible, you won’t know how to life the life God wants you to life.

Bible Reading Plan for the Year  or Bible Reading Plan for Mobile

Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. [Proverbs 11:24-25]

  1. SET NEW GIVING GOALS
    • Give more to God this year than last year!
    • Be more of a blessing this year than last year.
    • Continue to move forward in your giving.
    • Sowing and reaping, when you give God will bless you.
    • You can never out give God.
    • God gives seed to the sower!! God will put seed into your hands if you are sowing.
    • Make a goal to sow a large seed this year.
    • The more you diligently seek God the more God will reward YOU.
    • Look at your finances as a pie chart allocating where the money goes. The giving slice should be the biggest slice of the pie 😊

BOOK: The 20 Laws that Govern the Financial Anointing (Jonathan Shuttlesworth)

The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends. [Proverbs 11:30]

  1. SET SOUL WINNING GOALS
    • Destroy insecurities and share your faith.
    • How many people do you want to bring to Jesus in 2024.
    • Have to set a goal so you know how many people you need to talk to each day.
    • Start conversations about your testimony.
    • Every believer is called to bring people to Jesus.
    • There is a blessing attached to soul winning. God pays the soul winners.

BOOK: More Grace, More Favor: Releasing the Untapped Power of Humility in Your Life  (Andrew Wommack)

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. [Proverbs 17:17]

  1. FOCUS ON OTHERS
    • Encouraging people.
    • Giving thanks for them
    • Helping them grow.
    • Praying for others.
    • Uplifting people.
    • The more self-focused you are the more likely you are to be depressed.
    • JOY = Jesus, others, you.

BOOK: Self-Centeredness: The Source of All Grief  (Andrew Wommack)

You can go to bed without fear; you will lie down and sleep soundly. [Proverbs 3:24]

  1. REST PROPERLY
    • This is a reward for those who produce.
    • Not everyone is entitled to rest, only those that are producing are to rest.
    • God gives his loved one’s rest.
    • If you are wearing yourself out, you are not going to be good to anyone.
    • Even Jesus rested Himself and got alone with the Father.
    • You have to be ready to do what God has called YOU to do.

BOOK: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World (Mark Comer)

If you make a commitment to make these changes you can expect to see supernatural progress. These are biblical principles to move forward with momentum and never-ending increase.

SUGGESTED BOOK LIST FOR 2024

GET READY FOR NEVER-ENDING INCREASE
YOU ARE CALLED FOR NEVER ENDING INCREASE!!!

FIND OUT WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO AND
DO ONLY THIS FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE

The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. [Proverbs 4:18]

For I know the plans I have for you declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. [Jeremiah 29:11]

But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. [Psalm 1:2-3]

 

× Text Me Today!