Three Godly Principles To The Path Of Life

8.10.08.Sermon

By William Akehurst, HSWC

THREE TOOLS

3 Tools to Godly Principles for life

When we drive along the roadway, we have lines to guide our vehicle. Guardrails to keep us from going over, and Dashboard Gauges to make sure the engine is running smoothly. The Bible is our Roadmap, to set guidelines that we might guard and gauge ourselves by.

Driving along the roads of PA, there was road work going on. I realized while they were working on the shoulder area, they had taken down the steel rails along the roadway. But what was interesting was that they had signs up

that said: ’No Guide Rail’

Now unless I’m driving a pinball, I would think they would call it a guard rail. Although I was told, it is a more positive spin saying guide rail rather than guard rail.

When you think of guard rails, you think of them as something to keep your vehicle from going off the roadway.

The next thing I noticed while driving this particular roadway was that there were no lines on the road. Now if I had to call them something, I would call them guidelines. Not guard lines.

On the road, we need these lines to guide us down the road. And in the event we get off the roadway, it’s the guard rails that keep us from going over the cliff.

When we drive, its these guidelines and guard rails that we use to gauge where we are on the road.

Similarly, the bible is our roadmap. It has guidelines, guardrails and a path that leads us to salvation through Jesus Christ and eternal life with our Creator.

From John Maxwell’s Leadership Bible on the passage of Proverbs 4:20-27

Guide, Guard, Gauge.

He says that these are Principles that build character, direct our decisions, correct our lifestyles.

It is our need to Consume God’s Word, then put the truths you discover in the form of principles that can guide, guard, and gauge your life.

Lets see what the word says about guides in our lives

GUIDES

Guide – to stay on the right path.

Psalm 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

If the word is what lights our way, leading us in the right path.

Therefore, it is the word that keeps us and guides us.

Psalm 119:11

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

The Lord says to us in

Psalm 32:8

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

In Psalm 31:3 David tells us

For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.

Psalm 48:14

For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.

We need to understand how important the WORD of GOD is. It is our Instruction, and Guide book.

2 Timothy 3:16

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

IF you have ever taken a hike, perhaps you took a map. As a teenager, my brothers and I would hike the Appalachian Trail, the AT. We would take trail guides to see the terrain, to know where the hills or slopes were. To see where we were as we traveled along this trail. It showed us where to find fresh water to refill our canteens, and where the shelters were to spend the night.

Along the path, the trees would have paint stripes on them at intervals. A white blaze meant you were on the trail.

Two white blazes meant a turn. A blue blaze would take you off to some feature, such as a fire tower, an overlook or some special retreat area.

All these were great guides to the trail we hiked.

As with any trail, a guide shows you were to walk.

The bible, as our trail guide also shows us where, how, and when to walk.

Truth

Psalm 86:11

Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

In His Ways

Psalm 128:1

Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.

In Integrity

Proverbs 20:7

The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

In Spirit

Galatians 5:16

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

In Love

Ephesians 5:2

And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

To Walk Cautiously