Make a fresh start with God!

Hi boys and girls and welcome back to Graceville where God's love is everywhere. It's me Pastor Anastasia and I'm so super duper excited that you've joined me today as we learn more about our best friend Jesus. Today's special feature comes to us from right here in the United States where my friend Kisan has prepared a beautiful song just for us. Let's listen in. I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. Praise the Lord. No turning back. The cross before me. The world behind me. The cross before me. The world behind me. The cross before me. The world behind me. No turning back. No turning back. That was amazing! Boys and girls remember if you want to share your gifts and talents with Jesus please ask your parents and guardians to inbox me and I'd be happy to share it with our friends. Hey there you are I was just on my way to nature time with our friend Ryan from Canada. I don't know what is in store for us this year but I know it will be amazing. So come along with me. Hello boys and girls and welcome again to nature time at Graysville. Today we're going to be talking about lionfish. Let's tune in. Lionfish have brown and white stripes that cover their heads and bodies. They also have tentacles above their eyes and under their mouths. Their fins spread out like fans causing them to look very pretty but these pretty fins become sharp and venomous and can cause a lot of pain. In the past lionfish were only found in the warm waters of the South Pacific Ocean and Indian Oceans but now they can be found swimming in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico. This is why they are called an invasive species. Lionfish do not have many predators in their new habitats to stop them so they keep multiplying until there are too many to stop them. They have huge appetites, lay many eggs, and are destroying ecosystems especially our coral reefs. There are so many lionfish in our waters that laws are allowing people to hunt and eat them. Jesus has the best solution to control bad things. Matthew chapter 5 verse 44 says love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Goodbye boys and girls. Thanks for tuning in. See you next time. Happy new year. I'm so excited. This is my first time to check in on Melissa in 2023 and to find out how things are going for her in Florida. So come along with me. Hey Pastor Anastasia. I was reflecting on last year and working on my new year's resolution. That sounds great. Is there anything that you'd want to do differently? Well I haven't always been consistent with my relationship with God. That's why this year I want to become more faithful in my devotional life. I love it. The good news is that no matter what we've done, how bad we've been, or how many times we've failed, there's always hope with God that we can start all over again. Wait a minute. That reminds me of our theme for this week which simply says make a fresh start with God. Let me hear Bella in Jamaica say it. Make a fresh start with God. And our memory verse is found in 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 17. And it simply says if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. All things have passed away. Let me hear my friend Ava say it. Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. Behold the new has come and the old has passed away. 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 17. Great job everyone. It's so comforting to know that in 2023 I can make a fresh start on the Damascus road. I agree because God never turns his back on us. We never have to be afraid or embarrassed to come to him. That's why today's story is about a man whose fresh start with God started on the Damascus road. Can you guess what today's story is about? Now there is only one person I know about on the Damascus road. Our story has to be about Saul. That's right Hannah. Today's story is about Saul. Saul was a pharisee who hated and hunted the followers of Jesus. Unlike Christians, pharisees did not believe that Jesus was the son of God. Convinced that all Christians deserved to be punished, he sought to stone them. Until one day while traveling on the Damascus road Saul saw a bright blinding light. Unable to see clearly, he fell off his horse. Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Spoke a voice from heaven. That day something miraculous happened to Saul. He got a fresh start with God. He became a Christian, evangelist, and powerful witness for God. His name was even changed from Saul to Paul. Wowzers! Saul's stories make me feel confident that God can and will transform my devotional life. He sure can. So let's all make a fresh start with God in 2023. Happy New Year! Boys and girls, if you want to see more videos from Graceville, please ask your parents to like or subscribe to our YouTube channel. Hit like at the bottom of the page. Hit the like button below and subscribe, subscribe. Bye!