KEEP MAKING SMART CHOICES

Devotional Thought: Today ends our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting at Celebration, although we will continue our SMART CHOICES sermon and Life Group series for several weeks. In the beginning of this emphasis we said that God has great purposes and plans for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11). But we also said that God’s plans and purposes for us are impacted by the decisions we make. We can miss out on God’s plans and purposes because He is not going to force us to experience the plans He has for us.

The reason many people live defeated and discouraged lives and miss out on God’s plans for their lives is because of the wrong choices they make. In the Old Testament when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt after 400 years of slavery, they were headed for the Promised Land. He told them they were going to be a land of bountiful blessings, much better than the land of slavery they had lived in. But he also told them that what they experienced would be based on the choices they made (In Deuteronomy 30:15-16). That group of Israelites chose to disobey the Lord (Numbers 13-14). As a result they spent 40 years in the wilderness instead of the Promised Land. But when the second group of Israelites chose to obey the Lord, they went into the Promised Land and experienced the great things God had planned for them.

So, we all want to be able to hear from the Lord, obey Him, and make the right choices so that we will experience God’s best in our lives. Because God’s intentions and desires for our lives are far superior to our intentions and desires for our lives. And if we choose God’s way rather than our way, we will live strong, successful lives.

So what have we learned these past couple of weeks about making choices? Here are some things that we’ve learned.

• We need to become more like Jesus - growing in wisdom, in our physical health, and in favor with God and with people (Luke 2:52).
• We grow in wisdom by reading and studying the Bible, seeking God’s direction through prayer, and spending time with more mature Christians (Life Groups).
• Working on improving our physical health positions us to make better decisions.
• Working on deepening our relationship with the Lord through Bible reading, prayer, Church attendance, connections with other Christians, etc., positions us to make better decisions in every area of our lives.
• When we have healthy relationships we will make better decisions in our lives.
• We have God’s Spirit in our lives to encourage us, equip us, empower us, and give us the direction we need to make good and godly decisions.
• God has called us to be involved members of His family, connecting regularly with other Christians and learning from mature Christians around us.
• As Christians we’re to be involved in “koinonia” (fellowship and community) with other Christians, because that will strengthen us and position us to make better decisions in every area of our lives.
• We’re to be involved in serving the Lord and people through our Church’s ministry, because that helps us to learn how to make better decisions in our lives.

There are a number of other lessons we’ve learned these past three weeks that will help us to make good choices, which will lead to better life consequences in the days ahead.

Today and in the coming weeks in our Worship services and Life Groups we’re going to continue to learn how to make SMART CHOICES. We’re going to learn that:

• Having the right beliefs helps us make better choices
• Having the right values helps us make better choices
• Walking through the right “doors of opportunity” helps us make better choices.
• Learning to love people like Jesus loves us helps us to make better choices.

Be sure to join us in these coming weeks in every way that you can. Because we want you to learn how to make the kind of choices that will bring good consequences to you in every area of your life. And don’t hesitate to let us know at Celebration how we can be of help and encouragement to you in the days ahead.

Prayer Focus: Lord, please continue to help me to make good and godly choices, so that I will constantly experience Your best in my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Follow-Up Activity: Write down some of the lessons that you’ve learned from our sermons, daily devotions, Life Group studies and from God’s Spirit these past 3 weeks; and then ask the Lord to continue to help you learn and grow so that the you will continue to make SMART CHOICES in the days ahead.