i love this church.
it's got upbeat, awesome worship. a sense of love & community. a leader who is funny, speaks "real talk", and references from the bible multiple times throughout his sermon. it's an amazing place to worship & learn about our creator.
well. today's sermon, really hit home with me today, so i thought i would share it.
hope started a new series this morning called "best question ever: what is the wise thing to do?" today's sermon was titled "word of wise". mike started out by saying that the question of what is the wise thing to do? is a question that exposes deception and reveals a lot about our lives. in ephesians 4 & 5 somethings are stated clear as day to help you make a wise decisions..
for example:
eph 4:26: "do not let the sun go down while you are still angry" - maybe to save a depleting marriage.
eph 4:29: "do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth" - maybe to influence your peers or children, or to restore a friendship.
eph 5:3: ...there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality" - maybe to save a relationship or to stay healthy.
esphesian 5:15-17 it says "be very careful, then how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the lord's will is."
a lot of the time, christians have the mentality of how close can i get to sin, without actually sinning? and instead of following our culture, we should stop and ask ourselves what is the wise thing to do?
as followers of Christ, we should accept & apply his will for our lives, because he has a different plan for us due to the fact with we are in the family of God. he will give us all the tools to make a wise decision, it is up to our free will to choose to use those tools.
ultimately, when confronted with a decision we should look at it at three different perspectives so that we can recognize a wise decision when we see it...
- what is the wise thing to do in light of my past experiences?
we all have unique pasts, no one has the same one. so in that, making a wise decision should be aligned with a similar past experience of your own, and no one else's.
- what is the wise thing to do in light of my current circumstance?
right now, in this situation.. is this wise? whether its situations of finance, marriage or relationships, spiritual.. anything. take a moment and see where you're at in life before making a decision.
- what is the wise thing to do in light of my hopes & dreams?
if i wanna help build hospitals or clinics in Africa? if i want children? if i might want to become a doctor? if i want to be an excellent wife? is this a wise decision for my future? your decision may not always be right, but is it wise?
as followers of Christ, we are held at a higher standard. we are in love with the grace that heals wounds but leaves the scars that we learn from. we deceive ourselves by not asking these questions... and by asking these questions in every situation we are avoiding setting ourselves up for failure.
to end proverbs 28:26 boldly but accurately says "he who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe". God has prepared us all our lives for these moments, but we must make the choice for ourselves to put his tools to use. by asking these questions to ourselves we can make the best possible decision, according to the Lord's will.
happy sunday, yall! it's my favorite day of the week! :)
nap time is screaming my name.
one of his best sermons! However, there is a very long list =)
ReplyDeleteIt's one of the reasons to love Raleigh!
ReplyDeleteI will think about this question myself. :)
Great post....is his sermons online?
ReplyDeleteBtw...We went to a different church Sunday. We love our church, but for some reason, while Tra was getting ready, I surfed over to this churches web page. We went, Tra and I loved it, not so much for Brooke. There was a little bit of shouting, something that she hadn't experienced before.