Filled While Chilled
Setting Godly Goals for 2024
Note to Readers: This content can be used in two ways. First, as a small group activity – Marked “Group.” With the text in italics.
However, it can also be read as an individual encouragement. Just skip the italicized “Group” sections.
May it bless you either way, and Happy New Year!
Group: Want to host a “Filled While Chilled” get-together? I promise it will bless others as well as yourself. Everything you need to know is provided in simple steps.
1. Set up a hot drink station where guests can help themselves to any of the following: coffee, tea, cocoa, or cider.
2. A blue plastic tablecloth with snowflake plates and napkins from the Dollar Store make great decorations.
3. You might consider “white foods” like powdered sugar donuts as well as some healthy snacks.
4. A welcome sign for your front door is included in the text.
5. Guests were encouraged to help themselves to food and drinks.
6. Each guest was given snowflake jokes on paper to share with others as an icebreaker activity. They can be found and printed off Pinterest. Jokes were alternately numbered 1 and 2 to assign them a team for a game later on.
Welcome!
Sometimes, all January brings with it a sense of emptiness. The hustle and bustle of the holidays are over. Perhaps today is the only thing on your calendar. Daylight hours are short, and you are craving light. Perhaps you overspent or overate, and now reality is catching up with you. Maybe you’d like to just hibernate until spring.
Today, though, I want you to be filled with laughter, friendship, and God’s Word!
How can we be filled? Let’s look at some Scripture!
1. Matthew 4:6: ”Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled.”
We can be made complete as we hunger and thirst after God’s goodness.
2. Acts 4:31 says, “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
Our filling is a gift of the Holy Spirit; through Him, we can encourage others with the hope of God’s word.
We can make a deliberate plan for 2024 by setting Godly Goals to help us focus on Him.
1. A resolution is a statement of what you want to change. For example, saving money.
2. A goal is a statement of what you want to achieve, the steps you need to take to achieve it, and when you want to achieve it.
3. Proverbs 15:22: “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed.”
4. Proverbs 16:9: “A man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.
Research says without goals:
1. Your brain will seek to find the easy path that seeks pleasure and avoids pain.
2. You will focus on pleasing people or manipulating circumstances rather than seeking God.
3. You cause yourself undue stress because your brain doesn’t know where to focus.
Goals should be S.M.A.R.T
1. Specific – Exactly, what is your plan?
2. Measurable – I will _________ (action) once a month, a day? For how long?
3. Achievable – Keep it simple and don’t over-commit
4. Relevant – In what area do you need to do better?
5. Timely – to you. Give yourself a deadline.
The BIG WHY
1. Revelation 22:7: “Jesus is coming soon.“
2. Ephesians 2:5: “We are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and not by our own efforts or works.”
3. But Romans 2:6 says, “we are repaid by our deeds”. Romans 2:6.
4. As we step out in faith, we will gain confidence to come boldly before the throne of God so that we may “obtain mercy and find grace in our time of need”. Hebrews 4:16.
Group: Stress Relief Break: Human Snowman Building
Remember the number 1 or 2 on your Snowman joke? You will either be on Team 1 or 2 for a Snow“woman” building contest. Each team will be given a paper bag full of supplies. They include two toilet paper rolls, black construction paper buttons, scotch tape, bows, and ribbons. You also have props you can use for our photographs when we are done. You must pick a person to be the snow”woman” and a team leader to supervise the project. Let’s see how creative you can be in 15 minutes. Have fun!
All: Godly Goals to Consider– In no particular order – Pray and start with three areas. Make them into a SMART goal. Goals written down are 42% more likely to be achieved! You may want to mark a couple as high or medium priorities in your life. You are not committing to anything yet!
Bible reading plan
Bible Study
Entertaining
Church attendance
Being part of a small group
Finding or being a mentor
Scripture memory
Daily devotions
Journaling prayers
Creating a gratitude journal
Specific worship time
Build a relationship to build the kingdom
Getting up earlier to make more time
Physical goals
Meal plan
Keep a prioritized “To Do List”
Listen to Christian Radio
Listen to Christian podcasts
Listen to Christian sermons
Read an inspirational biography
Declutter one room at a time
Group: Discussion / Sharing / Considering an accountability partner
All: Before you move ahead, what might you need to leave behind?
Matthew 16:24: “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” This means that to put our trust in Jesus, one must deny himself and his sins, die to himself and his sins, and follow after Jesus.
The idea that you can be Superwoman
His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Bitterness, rage, anger, slander, and every form of malice…grievances
(Ephesians 4:31-32 )
Worldly values
Prejudices
Materialism
Unjust practices
“Me first” attitude
Things that take away time with God
Jealousy
Negativity
Unhealthy relationships
Apathy
Patterns for wrong thinking / Satan’s lies
Our will
Group: Optional Activity: Sticky notes are available if you want to commit to giving up one or more things today. I also have matches and a tiny firepit out back if you want to let something go symbolically – leave it in the ashes today…
All: Suggested Reading for Goal Setting: Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt
A template for Smart Goals can be found by googling SMART goals online.
I hope you choose to do this as a group! Matthew 25:35 says, “For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat…” Be filled.