New year eve service sermon

Here's a sample New Year's Eve service sermon:

Title: "A Fresh Start: Leaving the Past Behind and Embracing the Future"

Text: Isaiah 43:18-19, 64:4

Introduction:

As we gather here tonight to celebrate the dawn of a new year, I want to ask you a question: What does the word "new" mean to you? Is it a fresh start, a clean slate, a chance to leave the past behind and start anew? Or is it just another day, another year, another cycle of the same old routine?

As we reflect on the past year, we may be tempted to focus on what didn't go as planned, what we regret, or what we wish we could do over. But tonight, I want to encourage you to leave those things behind and look forward to the future with hope and anticipation.

The Promise of a New Year:

In Isaiah 43:18-19, God says, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." God is saying, "Don't get stuck in the past. I am doing something new, something fresh, something exciting. Come and see!"

And in Isaiah 64:4, God says, "Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him." God is saying, "I am the God who acts on behalf of those who wait for me. I am the God who is always working, always moving, always doing something new."

A Fresh Start:

So what does this mean for us as we enter a new year? It means that we can leave our doubts, our fears, our regrets behind and step into the unknown with confidence. It means that we can trust that God is always working, always moving, always doing something new.

It means that we can start fresh, start anew, start over. It means that we can take the lessons we've learned from the past and apply them to the future. It means that we can be bold, be brave, be adventurous, and see what God has in store for us.

The Power of Forgiveness:

But before we can move forward, we need to let go of the past. We need to forgive ourselves and others for mistakes made, for hurts inflicted, for regrets accumulated. We need to release the weight of guilt and shame and step into the freedom of forgiveness.

As we forgive, we can start to see the past in a new light. We can see that it was just a season, a chapter, a page in the book of our lives. We can see that it was never meant to define us, but to prepare us for what's to come.

The Future is Bright:

So as we look to the future, let's do so with hope and anticipation. Let's trust that God is always working, always moving, always doing something new. Let's be open to the possibilities, to the surprises, to the adventures that await us.

Let's remember that the future is not set in stone, but is shaped by our choices, our decisions, our actions. Let's choose to live with purpose, with passion, with intention. Let's choose to follow God's lead, to trust in His goodness, to obey His voice.

Conclusion:

As we ring in the new year, let's do so with a sense of excitement, of anticipation, of hope. Let's leave the past behind and step into the future with confidence, with faith, with trust. Let's remember that God is always working, always moving, always doing something new.

And as we look to the future, let's remember the words of Isaiah 64:4: "Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him." God is the God who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him. And we are those who wait for Him.

May God bless you and keep you in the coming year. May He guide you and direct you. May He give you a fresh start, a new beginning, a chance to leave the past behind and start anew.