Yesterday at breakfast we were all sitting around the table – my husband and four kids and I – and I asked everyone a question, “If you could choose one goal for the year and knew you would complete it by the end of the year, which goal would you choose?”
It was interesting to hear the answers. Since we knew we were going to complete it, the sky was the limit. But so often we don’t set hard-to-reach goals because we know from past experience that we never complete them anyway.
This is a mistake. The problem isn’t with the goal. It’s with how we go about accomplishing the goal.
Usually we set resolutions in our areas of weakness. We want to change, but in our areas of weakness, it’s almost impossible to muster up enough discipline and self-control to change. We can’t do it in our own strength! That’s why we fail.
In those areas, we need to do what the Bible tells us to do if we want to change: We need to renew our minds (Romans 12:1-2). If you’d like to work on a goal that is difficult for you this year–one of those goals you’ve never been able to accomplish in the past–here is a Bible study that will help: the New Years Resolution Bible study.
New Year’s Bible Study
Note: I originally posted this series years ago. For a list of all the posts in the series, see below. If you’re looking for a one day Bible study for a New Year’s Bible study, check out #1 or #3 below. Click on the links below for the different studies.
New Year’s Resolution Worksheet – a worksheet that will help you come up with a goal if you don’t already have one.
Working With God on Your Goal Bible Study
When God Doesn’t Change You Instantly Bible Study
Renewing of the Mind Workshop: Week 1 (Scroll down to find the week 1 plan. You can ignore the first section as it’s just a repeat of the post you’re currently reading.)
Renewing of the Mind Workshop: Week 2
Renewing of the Mind Workshop: Week 3
Renewing of the Mind Workshop: Week 4
Other Bible Study Resources For New Year’s Goals
Renewing of the Mind Project Since writing this post, I’ve published a book that contains much of the information that’s in this New Year’s Bible study. In a way, it’s this whole blog put into the form of a book. More than half of the book is filled with Bible verses and questions that will help you renew your mind and have conversations with God about your goals. You can use it by itself or as a companion to these free online studies and workshops.
Taste for Truth: A 30 Day Weight Loss Bible Study Many of us have weight loss goals this time of year as well. The Taste for Truth Bible Study is focused on the lies that make us eat, body image, and the weight loss process. I wrote this Bible study to go along with the questions and Bible verses in I Deserve a Donut, and although you can do the study without I Deserve a Donut, it’s best if you have both books.
I Deserve a Donut (And Other Lies That Make You Eat) is a renewing of the mind resource to use in the midst of temptation and also to prepare yourself for temptation. I use it all the time, just for regular life. It is filled with 36 sets of questions and over 150 Bible verses that you can use to have conversations with God about life and food. The questions and Bible verses will help you renew your mind, taking off the lies that make you eat and putting on the truth that will set you free. It’s also available as a free app.
Freedom from Emotional Eating: A Weight Loss Bible Study is an 8-week (40 lessons) Bible study that focuses on emotional eating. Although there is material on boundaries and breaking free from the control of food, most of the book is devoted to learning how to let go of negative emotions. The comment I get most often with this book is that yes, it helped me with eating, but it helped me even more with letting go of my negative emotions.
Freedom from Procrastination Bible Study is a five-week Bible study filled with Bible studies, to-do lists, productivity tips, and renewing-the-mind activities to help you break free from procrastination and develop a habit of completing your to-do list each day so you can follow through on your New Year’s goals and resolutions.
Discussion Question: If you could accomplish one goal this year, what would it be? Or if that question is too hard to decide, what are some of your goals for next year?
Excellent question! The main thing these days is to seek God first and all the other stuff that used to be our priorities and idols seem to take care of themselves…
it’s funny how it works that way, isn’t it? My main goal is also to seek God first. And since writing continues to be my biggest struggle in the seek-God-first area, I’ll continue to make that my biggest renewing-of-the-mind project. I can see great gains over the last year, but I’m not living in victory consistently yet.
This is great stuff, Barb! I’m glad you compiled all these posts together. Will make for a great link in my upcoming post on my own goal setting.
Thanks, Kari. I’ll look forward to your post. I’m always interested in goal-related posts!
Great Bible studies, Barb! My goal this year is to release at least 1 book or product that would allow someone to better gain influence.
Thanks, Dan. I love your goal. That would be great to release another book next year or something else. There are so many options, aren’t there? I have so many ideas that I’m trying to decide what project to work on next. I also have the goal of releasing another book this year.
Hi Barb. Came by way of Kari’s blog. My one goal is fairly huge in scope. I am preaching through the Gospels this year (in no particular order except by book per month i.e. January/Matthew; February/Mark, etc). I’m calling it “The Great Adventure: A Year with Jesus.” I’m hoping and praying for the people (and me) to have totally revamped lives by the end of the year.
Wow, I love that idea. You’ll be able to cover a lot of ground that way. My husband and daughters and I are starting our second year of the read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year goal. This year we’re going to use a chronological reading program. I’ve really enjoyed that. But I think it would be fun to look at one book per month in church.
Great post Barb! God has really put the Biblical principlal of renewing my mind. It’s one of my main goals for 2014. What a confirmation reading this!
That’s great, Dave. Excited to see how that goes. I’ve been consistently renewing my mind for 12 years or so now on a pretty much daily basis and I love it – God has used it to break strongholds, draw me closer to Him, and even get me more excited about the Bible back in the days when I wasn’t excited about it. It’s a great discipline!
You are so awesome. I can’t wait to click through the links you’ve given.
I’m still working on last years goals. I’m hoping to be published this year. But that’s a “small” goal compared to how my heart seeks to know more of God. I know that in order to have more of God I must decrease. That’s painful, that’s long and I will certainly need to renew my mind.
Each day I’m coming to realize I need more of Him than what I knew the day before. So many challenges lie ahead and I know I can only do them through the power of God in me. On my own, I can do nothing worthy of His name.
Can’t wait to see you published, TC! I am also still working on last year’s goal which was to learn how to put God first while writing and write in fellowship with Him. I made progress last year, but still have a ways to go. Will be exciting to see what God does in you and through you this year, TC!
Thanks, Barb. I’m excited to see all that God is doing in you and through you as well. You’re touching lives!
I would have to choose inventing a time machine or curing cancer.
But on a more doable note, I think my health, my finances, and my ministry are what I want to take to the next level.
Those all sound good!