A FEW STATISTICS

• 40% of Americans—make New Year’s resolutions. (Forbes)

• 8% of people achieve their New Year’s goals. (According to University of Scranton Research)

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Setting Goals: SMART

Setting Goals: SMART

• Narrow down generic/vague/broad goals– Broad: • “I want to grow spiritually” • “I want to be evangelistic”

– Specific: • “I want to read through the entire Bible this year by

reading 3 chapters a day”• “I want to contact one person every week to ask them

for a Bible study”

Setting Goals: SMART

• Narrow down generic/vague/broad goals• This is what God does:– Broad Goal/Instruction:

• “Be Holy for I am Holy” (Lev. 20:26)

– Specific Goals/Instruction:• Keep all my ordinances (vs. 22)• Don’t follow the customs of the nations (vs. 23)• Make distinction between clean and unclean animals (vs.

25)

Setting Goals: SMART

• Narrow down generic/vague/broad goals• Questions we might ask:– What?– How? – Who?– Why?

• Keep it simple!!!• Write it down

“People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t explicitly make resolutions”

Setting Goals: SMART

• Indicators should be quantifiable• A measurable goal will answer these questions– How much?– How many?

• Examples:– Evangelism:

Setting Goals: SMART

• “Goals that are neither out of reach nor below standard performance”

• Is this reasonable based on constraints/skills/etc?– Parable of the talents (Matt. 25:20-27)• The Lord expects an increase. • The Lord did not expect the 2 talent man to gain what

the 5 talent man did.

Setting Goals: SMART

• Is this a worthwhile goal?– "Make 50 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by

2pm" may be specific, measurable, attainable and time-bound but lacks relevance.

• Is this the right time?

• Am I the right person?

Setting Goals: SMART

• Have deadlines and time limits– Time limits give incredible drive and help keep us

accountable. – Ex. Boss gives no deadlines vs. Boss giving unreasonable

deadlines. • Nehemiah 2:6– Building up the walls of a city would appear to be an

incredible task. – With a set time limit, Nehemiah accomplishes this task in

52 days (Neh. 6:15)

Setting Goals: SMART

Planning and Preparation.

• Nehemiah• David• They have great goals and incredible tasks that

they want to perform. • Incorporated into those goals is incredible

planning. – Roles were given.

goals involving habits

Creating a new identity

• This is who I am now/this is who I want to be• This is what God does for us:

– Rom. 6- we are a new person– WE are a royal priesthood. – You are saints– “I am not that person anymore” – “I am this kind of person”

• Prove it to yourself with small wins:– At first the goal may not be to achieve results, but to become the

type of person who can achieve those things.– The goal is not to be perfect (in the sense of never making a

mistake ever).

Creating a new identity: Examples

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Count the cost• Setting goals is usually not the problem

– Most have good intentions and want to do better– Many of those people will even take time to make plans in order to grow.

• Many will not reach their goals b/c they won’t be willing to do what it takes to achieve it. – Achieving goals is HARE WORK!!!– Do you have what it takes?– If you aren’t willing to commit then why bother make resolutions?

• Getting that into our identity!!!– I am a person who will persevere– I am a person who will work hard. – Jesus says those are the kinds of people we must be!!!

• Bless are those who are persecuted.• 1 Peter. 1:21

Examples: