The Only Way to Get a Fresh Start - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - December 20, 2021

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2021 Dec 20

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The Only Way to Get a Fresh Start
By Rick Warren

"In the past you were full of darkness, but now you are full of light in the Lord. So live like children who belong to the light. Light brings every kind of goodness, right living, and truth." Ephesians 5:8-9 (NCV)

Several years ago, New York City officials built a water disinfection facility using ultraviolet light to destroy germs and disinfect the city’s drinking water, which is funneled in from about 100 miles away. Instead of using chlorine, the system uses the sun's power to disinfect and sanitize water using light rays. They disinfect over 1 billion gallons of water every day.

Light is a great disinfectant. It cleanses, sanitizes, and purifies.

The light of God works in a similar way in your life. Harmful words, thoughts, and actions make you spiritually, emotionally, and sometimes physically sick. When you confess your sins to God, his forgiveness sanitizes, purifies, and cleanses you.

The Bible says it like this: "If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:6-7 NIV).

So many people today are going through dark days because they're carrying a load of guilt, shame, and regret. They may look successful on the outside, but inside they're tormented by their secrets.

Is there a way to wipe the slate clean? Is there a way to get a fresh start? Yes, it's called being born again. That doesn't mean you turn over a new leaf and try harder. It means you get a brand-new life, where everything is forgiven. Everything is cleansed by the light of Christ, and the darkness of regret and shame is lifted.

Ephesians 5:8-9 describes what it means to be completely cleansed and forgiven of your sin and born again: "In the past you were full of darkness, but now you are full of light in the Lord. So live like children who belong to the light. Light brings every kind of goodness, right living, and truth" (NCV).

What secret regret, guilt, or shame in your life needs to be cleansed and disinfected? Just expose it to the light of Christ. Then you can move forward, full of hope in Jesus, the Light of the World.

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For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!

Inspire a Graduate to Seek God’s Unique Plan and Purpose for Their Life

Graduation is a time of honoring the hard work of the past—and celebrating the potential of the future. It’s the perfect time to remind a graduate that God created them, loves them, and has a plan for their life.

That’s why Pastor Rick created a special resource just for graduates called, The Purpose Driven Life: Selected Thoughts and Scriptures for the Graduate.

This beautiful gift book encourages graduates with these key biblical truths:

• You were planned for God's pleasure
• You were formed for a family and community
• You were created to become like Christ
• You were shaped for serving God
• You were made for a mission

The Purpose Driven Life: Selected Thoughts and Scriptures for the Graduate is our thanks for your gift to help more people around the world understand that God loves them and has a plan for them. So ask for your copy when you give below today. Thanks for your partnership!

*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.