Question 1

Why should beginnings always draw our attention to God?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 1:1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.God is the ultimate starting point. Worldly living is the habit of failing to acknowledge God in all things (see Proverbs 3:5-6). We never begin anything with nothing. We always start, even in our most creative moments, with what God has already provided. The best way to begin anything is to recognize God’s presence in what we are doing, where we are going, and what we are using.Colossians 1:15-20Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.This passage makes the theological point that Jesus Christ had no beginning and the practical point that everything else had its beginning because of him. He created the very world he came to dwell in, and his miracles reveal him as the only one who has the power to create and to make things new again. It should be no surprise to watch the Creator create wine out of water or heal eyes with mud, the original body-building material. Therefore, Christ was uniquely suited to achieve and offer a new beginning for us. When we messed up his original Creation, he re-created us, reconciling us with God and making us fit for a new Creation.

Question 2

Is it really possible for me to get a fresh start?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 51:10Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.Hearts can become soiled, and spirits can be guilty of betrayal. On our own we cannot cleanse these or reverse the damage done by our sin, though it is tempting to engage in that hopeless work. How much better it is to turn to the God of new beginnings and ask him to do what we cannot do for ourselves!Zechariah 4:10Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.Like little children displaying their simple efforts to a parent, the people of Israel who had returned from exile stood before God in the small footprint of their Temple reconstruction, overwhelmed by its and their inadequacies. They knew the building would not equal the previous magnificent Temple or be worthy of the God they sought to worship. But like a loving parent, God had Zechariah assure them that the Lord was delighted with their efforts. Our inability to ever create anything that will impress our heavenly Father must never be an excuse not to start what he has instructed us to do.Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.As flawed people still living in a fallen world, our efforts to live out the new life God has given us will suffer setbacks and even catastrophes. It helps a great deal to remember that our responsibility is not to accomplish the work ourselves as much as it is to get out of the way and joyfully let God accomplish what he has planned. Once God begins, he never gives up on one of his projects.

Question 3

How many opportunities does God give me to begin anew?

Accepted Answer

Lamentations 3:23Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.Life is a series of new beginnings; how we enter into them makes all the difference. We are more accustomed to new beginnings than we think, for each day offers us a world of new responsibilities and possibilities. Each day also gives us new opportunities to get to know our God better and to start over with a new attitude toward our circumstances and toward other people. God renews his mercies to us every single day. We don’t have to be burdened by yesterday’s failures or regrets.

Question 4

Why are beginnings good for us sometimes? How do we get a new start?

Accepted Answer

John 3:3-5Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.”The most important beginning is the fresh start God offers us in the new birth. This doesn’t involve a visit with our mother, though our new birth is a process very much like our first birth in important ways: We are given life by another, in this case God’s Spirit. And the changes our new birth brings into our lives ought to be as significant as the changes a baby experiences between life in the womb and life out in the world. This new beginning not only affects our eternal destinies but also our daily experiences.2 Corinthians 5:17Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!When you belong to Christ, you do not become someone else. Instead, you become a renewed version of God’s original idea of you, which was marred and deadened by sin. The new life God offers is the life he intended for you all along. Much of who you are doesn’t change when you receive new life—many of God’s original gifts to you, such as your appearance, abilities, and personality, will remain the same. But who you are at the core of your being comes alive in a new way and receives a renewed purpose for existence.Ephesians 4:23-24Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.We harvest what we plant. Pumpkin seeds produce pumpkins. Sunflower seeds produce sunflowers. That is exactly why we must ask the Lord to plant within us a clean heart: so that our lives will produce clean thoughts, motives, and actions. If bad desires and thoughts remain, it is evidence that some bad seeds have been planted and we need to do some weeding. This means that our complete renewal is not yet accomplished. None of us will be entirely pure in this life, but purity of mind and heart is one of the worthiest goals we can pursue. We must begin by asking God’s Spirit to do the work. Can you make that a goal for this year? What might you look like twelve months from now—inside and outside—if you diligently pursued that goal?Nehemiah 2:17-18I said to them, . . . “Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem . . . !” . . . They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work.The task before Nehemiah and the people was daunting: to reconstruct the massive walls of Jerusalem that had been reduced to heaps of rubble. Nehemiah didn’t focus on the size of the task, but instead on the importance of getting started. Beginnings can help us create a new vision and purpose, renew our energy, and motivate us to become more involved where we may have slipped into inactivity. The lessons in Nehemiah apply to many challenges in life. The most important new beginning is to change direction and follow Jesus. Those who believe in Jesus Christ do not simply turn over a new leaf; they are re-created as people. They literally have a new life!

Question 5

When can a new beginning be harmful?

Accepted Answer

Jonah 1:3Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord.A new beginning is harmful when we try to escape from our responsibilities or get away from God. Jonah’s actions remind us of those situations in our lives in which God gives us instruction but we deliberately start in a different direction. In these moments we are not only in danger of harming ourselves but also in danger of harming our relationship with God.James 1:14-15Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.A new beginning is harmful when we begin to consider giving in to temptation. Feeling tempted is the first clue that we have been wanting what we shouldn’t. If we lose sight of the danger in those desires, we will allow our temptations to direct us. When we give in to temptation and sin willfully, we have started down a harmful path.Philippians 4:8Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.A new beginning is harmful when we start thinking impure thoughts and dwell on them. An evil action begins with a single thought. It’s important that we train our minds to think about what is good and right. Consider making a list of specific things that have one or more of the eight qualities mentioned in the verse above. Use this list to guide your thoughts.

Question 6

What are some things I should finish once I start them?

Accepted Answer

Hebrews 3:14If we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.Your new life in Christ. Your faith will dwindle away if you neglect to feed it with God’s Word and the blessings that come from Christian community. Plan to hold on to a living faith until God calls you home.Genesis 2:24A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.Your marriage. The promises made on a wedding day are spoken in a moment, but they take a lifetime to live out.Matthew 5:33-34, 37Our ancestors were told, “You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.” But I say, do not make any vows! . . . Just say a simple, “Yes, I will,” or “No, I won’t.” Anything beyond this is from the evil one.Your promises. Even your ordinary positive or negative responses must be as honest and dependable as any other promise you make.Jude 1:21Await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.Your commitment to godly living for a lifetime. Counting the cost of following Jesus includes but isn’t limited to the reality of long years of obedience and waiting.Proverbs 2:1-5My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.Your desire for wisdom. When it comes to the pursuit of wisdom, God honors attentiveness, asking, and seeking. The longer and harder you pursue God’s ways, the more you will know and understand him.

Question 7

What one thing has no beginning?

Accepted Answer

John 1:1In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—has always been; he has no beginning. His existence preceded the beginning of time and will succeed the end of time.

Question 8

I want to start life anew, to be forgiven and to be cleansed. Will God truly do that for me?

Accepted Answer

Ephesians 4:24Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.Although we won’t be entirely pure in this life, we can ask Jesus to forgive our sins and cleanse us from the inside out.Romans 5:11Now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.A new relationship with God comes with a clean new heart. Who wouldn’t rather be God’s son or daughter than his stranger or enemy?

Question 9

How can I know God is with me as I begin my new life in Christ?

Accepted Answer

Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.When God begins the work of salvation in us, he begins the work of transforming every aspect of our lives. We should invite him to work in our relationships, our vocations, our recreation, and every other part of our lives.

Question 10

Will the whole world be renewed someday?

Accepted Answer

Mark 10:28-31Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said. “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.”Jesus made it clear that following him would result in benefits not only in this world but also in a world that is still coming. Passages like Revelation 21:1-5 (below) indicate that we should be looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth in which Jesus has promised us eternal life. There all the brokenness and evil brought about by sin will be gone, and everything will receive a fresh start.Romans 8:19-22All creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.The world is much bigger than us humans. We are part of a larger created order that has been seriously damaged by our sinfulness. Since all Creation belongs to God and we have been made stewards of it, we remain responsible to do what we can to care for all that God has placed under us. We can demonstrate how much we anticipate the world to come by treating this world well, waiting for the day when it, like us, will be made glorious.Revelation 21:1-5I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”In the end God will make all things new for those who have believed in him. Notice what this fresh start includes:a new Creation made perfect and beautifula new experience of God making his home among peoplea new life completely without the symptoms of sin—tears, sorrow, grief, and death