Life-Giving Choices Pt 1 – Choose to Take Next Steps.

Life-Giving Choices Pt 1 – Choose to Take Next Steps.

• “Choices determine the distance between and .”
• But we want to move from to .

Proverbs 2:11 (NLT) – 11 “Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.”

Ephesians 4:1 (NLT) – 1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NLT) – 11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

• We choose to take
• God is more concerned with what than what .

Question of the Day: Why do I need to take ?

1. Next steps .

Ephesians 4:14 (NLT) – 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

2. Next steps help you .

Ephesians 4:15 (NLT) – 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

1 Peter 2:2-3 (NLT) – 2 Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, 3 now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

Hebrews 5:11-14 (NLT) – 11 There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. 12 You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food. 13 For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. 14 Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) – 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.

3. Next steps lead to a .

• Purpose is not a —it’s a .

Ephesians 4:16 (NLT) – 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Ephesians 4:13 (NLT) – 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

• God, what is my next step?