Philippians 3:10-11, I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

God Wants Us to Be Happy How to make change possible.

It is the season for Change  But it may not be change like we think?  Sometimes, most of the time, we just want things to get better…  The beatitudes teach us what we need to seek…

Beatitudes  Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

5 points that will help us change our lives  1. Get ready for change.  2. Identify what you need to change.  3. Let go of old habits to make room for change.  4. Learn new coping skills.  5. Incorporate the changes into your life.

Already studied: Get ready for change Identify what you need to change God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

Let go of Old Habits to make room for change You also have to let go of old habits so that you don’t repeat the same mistakes. Have you ever asked yourself, “How could I be so smart but do such dumb things?” That’s what happens when you try to change without making room for change.

Learn new coping skills (Learn by Doing…) The three coping skills most people need to learn are these:  How to reduce stress and relax  How to stop dwelling on the negatives and disqualifying the positives  How to take better care of oneself

Luke 11:24-26 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.”

Incorporate the changes into your life All change is difficult, even good change. You have repeated your old habits thousands of times. You will have to repeat your new habits a few hundred times before they start to feel comfortable.

1 Corinthians 15:1-6… For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Philippians 3:10-11, I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Romans 6:1-7 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Invitation God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Are you ready to exercise some wisdom today?