Today Is Everything. This

INTRODUCTION

1. “This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118:24). Jesus repeated this verse.

a. A day planned. God has a plan for this day. Have you prayed for it? Do you know God’s will for today? What will you do for God?

b. A day provided. God will provide your needs. What is your greatest need? What is your greatest prayer? What is your greatest expectation?

c. A day in His presence. He is in you, with you, protecting you, and guiding you. What will you do about His presence? How will His presence change you?

2. Children know how to live in the moment. Little awareness of yesterday or tomorrow. “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3).

3. Some people live in the past; have little influence on the future.

4. Some people live in the future, have little influence on today.

5. Today is the most important day of your life; it’s all you’ve got.

6. Living by faith is managing your life by purpose every minute.

B. YESTERDAY

“I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Phil. 3:12-14, NLT).

What Most We Forget

Failures, Guilt, Sin

Others unfaithfulness

Broken dreams

1. Yesterday is foundational to all you are.

2. Therefore: learn from it, build on it, do better than it.

3. Next thank God for its influence, your weakness, your strengths, and your direction.

4. You can’t undo yesterday, don’t fight it, and take advantage of it.

5. Those living in yesterday are filled with regrets.

C. TODAY IS THE TOMORROW YOU PLANNED FOR YESTERDAY

1. Be clean, healthy and positive. “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:7, 9).

2. Be relational, happy and growing. “Don’t let he sun go down on your wrath” (Eph. 4:26, ELT).

3. You can change yourself, create new dreams, and make new life plans.

4. God knows what you ought to do and go. “God ordereth our steps” (Ps. 37:23, ELT).

5. God knows the difference between your needs and wants. “Give us this day our daily bread.” Yesterday’s

bread will be stale when you eat it today.

6. God will give you what you need. “As your day demands, so shall thy strength be” (Deut. 33:25, ELT).

7. Remember, you serve the God of the impossible. “For with God, nothing is impossible” (Luke 1:37).

D. HOW TO MAXIMIZE EVERYDAY

1. Begin with prayer and get your orders from headquarters.

2. Prioritize, can’t do everything and be everywhere.

3. Re-evaluate, what you had planned to do.

4. Excellence, I will never let my better be my best, and I’ll not rest till my better is my best.

5. Use time or lose time. You will never get back any lost minutes.

6. Get started early. First, do the hard work for inner growth; second, do the easy for happiness. Do both because they need to get done.

7. Time has two seasons, first a season to do things, and second, opportunities lost, you will never get back.

a. Victoria Falls

b. Gandhi Point touching three oceans, i.e., Kanyakumari

c. Masters – Augusta

d. Jockey’s box

8. Live life forward, not backwards. The past was not as good as our memory. But the past is foundational to your future.

If you don’t like what you are now,

You can change your today.

Then your tomorrow will be better,

Because it will be built on an improved yesterday.

9. End each day with God.

a. Get forgiveness for mistakes (1) know why you did it, (2) learn from it, (3) Determine not to do it again, (4) know what you will do differently

b. Pray for others.

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.