Guiding Principles Lesson 4 Series

GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR CHOICES

“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today . . . I have sent before you life and death . . . therefore choose life” (Deut. 30:19).

1. The first step to making a good choice is to decide to make a good choice.

a. You want God’s best.

b. You don’t want to make a bad choice.

2. Before making a choice, realize God has a plan for your life, and determine to find it.

3. Realize the only thing in life you control is your choices.

a. You choose how you will respond to good or bad things.

b. To not make a good choice is to perpetuate bad choices.

4. Don’t make a bad choice with negative reactions to bad things that happen to you. Anger, fear, retaliation, bitterness, withdraw, give up.

5. Make choices in keeping with your core values.

a. Values are the meaning of life, they represent who we are.

b. Habitually doing the right thing in the right way for the glory of God.

6. Never put God to a test, i.e., wait for a fleece before choosing.

a. May border on luck, so the option is bad luck.

b. However, the test may reveal facts needed for a decision.

7. Don’t ask God for a miracle to help with your choice.

8. Effective choices will motivate you to serve and worship God.

9. The bigger the choice, the more ramifications and hence, the harder to make.

10. Split-secular choices are usually made on past experiences, habits and core values. Research shows they are many times better than past postponed choices.

11. Because of tunnel vision we choose the immediate, and we forget the long-range consequences.

12. Always make choices based on life’s goals and core values. Past good choices will help make future good choices.

If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:

Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God and rejoice with you.

To email Dr. Towns - eltowns@liberty.edu.