The Sum Series

The Sum of our Choices

THE UNEXAMINED LIFE IS NOT WORTH LIVING

THE UNLIVED LIFE IS NOT WORTH EXAMINING

2 Passages this morning…

Galatians 6: 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Romans 12: 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Our series for several weeks now has been about life… your life, my life, how we are living it, the choices we are making, God getting into our business and setting some things straight.

I’ll be honest… some of us need some tough love, and God has been extending that…

Our life is a sum of our choices…

A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

What are the choices you have been making lately?

This series has been about those choices…

• All the things that influence our life…

• Our devotional life… our prayer life…

• Our surrender to the Holy Spirit

• Getting out of our comfort zone…

• Rising up and remember that God has overcome, so live in victory…

Have we learned the lessons we have already discussed, or do we just go to the next lesson thinking the point is just to learn more, know more, and walk out feeling like “that was a great service”

Today you chose to come to church. Why? I mean, what do we come to church for?

• Don’t come out of a sense of duty… you’ll be bored.

• Don’t come just to put on a show… you’ll become religious

• Don’t come with made up expectations… you’ll miss what God really wanted to show you.

• Come to be inspired by God… hear His Word, Grow in faith…

• Come to seek the one true God… know Him, and walk with Him…

Our life is a sum of our choices…

A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

What are your choices lately…

There are lots of sum’s in life…

• The sum of our fears

• The sum of our choices

• The sum of our passions

• The sum of our faith

o (Faith the size of mustard seed moves mountains)

Our series has been about THE INHALE:

• When we worship, pray, fellowship with believers… when we study God’s word… these are all versions of the inhale… of the moment where we train for endurance to run the race well.

Tonight we talk about THE EXHALE [Ministry]

• 1 Cor. 9: 19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

This morning … the inhale.. Our life is a sum of our choices… Choose life with God!

THE IDEA OF THIS SERIES…

In Genesis Chapter 2 it states that God places into us the “breathe of life” so that we might take care of the Earth, work the ground, and become stewards of God’s creation.