At one time or another some of you may have read a book from a series known as the “Choose Your Own Adventure” series. These were some of my favorite books when I was younger because there were many different paths in which the story could meander… and I got to determine which one it would take. **AT THIS POINT IN MY SERMON, THE CONGREGATION GOT TO CHOOSE FROM A SERIES OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS… WE WILL MOVE ON**

Let me ask, how many of you have ever said or have ever heard someone say something like, “How do I know the will of God for my life?” or “I’m just seeking God’s will right now.” What do we mean by that? Most of us actually mean to say “I’m trying to figure out where to go next” or what profession to work toward or whom to marry… I need a little guidance on my life’s adventure. Well, I don’t know if I can tell you where to go next or what profession to work toward or whom to marry or what major to take in college, but I can tell you what God’s will is for your life. That is what we are looking at tonight… “Can I know God’s will for my life?” The answer is… absolutely.

***God’s will can be known, it can be proved, and it can be done!

I. God’s will can be known:

Romans 2:18

Yes, you know what he wants; you know right from wrong because you have been taught his law. (NLT)

You can LEARN God’s will! It can be known… God’s will can also be proved.

II. God’s will can be proved:

Romans 12:2

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. (NLT)

III. God’s will can be done:

Matthew 6:9-10

9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (KJV)

We’ve seen that the “Lord’s Prayer” teaches us to pray that God’s will is done.

Colossians 4:12 tells us that we should be praying for one another to live in God’s will:

… He’s [Epaphras] been tireless in his prayers for you, praying that you’ll stand firm, mature and confident in everything God wants you to do. (The Message)

We now know that God’s will can be known, it can be proved, and it can be done.

We all know the beginning of “The Lord’s Prayer,” right? We say, “Thy will be done,” but do we even understand what the word “will” means?

Let’s begin by looking at the background of the word “will” as it is found in the bible. Now just so we are clear… I am not going to be talking about instances of the word “will” which is in future tense verbiage (i.e. I will be eating ice cream this evening).

Θέλημα – The Greek word for “will” is thelema (thel’-ay-mah). This Greek word occurs 64 times in the bible and means “a determination – i.e. (act.) choice or (pass.) inclination: – desire, pleasure, will

God’s will for your life is not some adventure through the Amazon rainforest or to swim across the Atlantic Ocean although those things may occur because of living in the center of God’s will… his thelema (thel’-ay-mah)… his desire for your life.

God’s thelema… his desire and pleasure is not imposed upon anyone. He DESIRES for us to DESIRE what He wants for us! So just what IS God’s will?

WHAT IS GOD’S WILL?

The will of God in our lives began LONG ago… the biggest part of His will for your life has already been executed perfectly…

Hebrews 10:9-14

9Then he added, “Look, I have come to do your will.” He cancels the first covenant in order to establish the second. 10And what God wants is for us to be made holy be the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time. 11Under the old covenant, the priest stands before the altar day after day, offering sacrifices that can never take away sins. 12But our High Priest offered himself to God as one sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down at the place of highest honor at God’s right hand. 13There he waits until his enemies are humbled as a footstool under his feet. 14For by that one offering he perfected forever all those whom he is making holy. (NLT)

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ was part of God’s will for your life… so that you would be saved. So, first we must get saved.

I. Get Saved

1 Timothy 2:3-4

3This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4for he wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. (NLT)

That only makes sense, right? You have to be saved in order to learn God’s will for your life. You might be surprised to find out that a large number of people would like to bypass this part and just want God to show them which door to go through next. God’s will is that you get saved… very simple… get saved! Have you got that one marked off your checklist? If so, then God also wants us to become spirit-filled and be thankful.

II. Become Spirit-Filled and Be Thankful

Ephesians 5:15-20

15So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. 16Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. 17Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. 19Then you will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20And you will always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Be careful how you live… not as fools but as those who are wise. If you’ve ever needed a scripture that tells you to avoid alcohol… it’s Ephesians 5:18… it tells you right there that getting drunk will ruin your life. If you are truly spirit-filled, then you will have no desire for getting drunk and you will not live foolishly, but as one with wisdom.

Also, we must be sure to be thankful…

1 Thessalonians 5:18

No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

III. Live in Holiness

1 Thessalonians 4:3-4

3God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin. 4Then each of you will control your body and live in holiness and honor

You all know how our culture is saturated with sex. It’s everywhere you look… we have sometimes become so desensitized to it that we don’t even realize that it is there… there most often as an advertising ploy. We even had an extremely difficult time finding a film that would be suitable for Church Movie Night one Sunday evening because even most of the “Family films” still had some objectionable content that often was sexual in nature. Why is Marilyn Monroe much more recognizable to the average American than James Monroe, our fifth president? We say that we have a real problem with the way that sex is portrayed in our culture… we say that it just isn’t the way God intended, yet the one place that you are unlikely to hear anything about sex is in the church. In all my years, I can only recall hearing one sermon (that is to say, in person) that was based in the Song of Solomon. Billy Graham’s autobiography, “Just As I Am,” discusses some of the rules and regulations that were imposed upon anyone that worked in his organization. One such rule was that a man or woman was not to be alone with a single member of the opposite sex that was not their spouse for any reason. This is because they understood that the Devil will use any little foothold that he can get and an innocent conversation can become something much larger even if it was never intended. The scripture says to keep clear of all sexual sin… don’t put yourself into tempting situations… not only that… think about all the possible situations ahead of time and avoid anything that could compromise your desire for holiness. Get Saved, Become Spirit-Filled, Live in Holiness, Submit to Authority.

IV. Submit to Authority

1 Peter 2:13-15

13For the Lord’s sake, accept all authority – the king as head of state, 14and the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish all who do wrong and to honor those who do right. 15It is God’s will that your good lives should silence those who make foolish accusations against you.

Be a law-abiding citizen. If the law does not go against the bible, then obey the law. People may not notice you when you do right, but they sure do notice you when you do wrong and if you are claiming to be a Christian… then all you have done is hurt God’s Kingdom and possibly become a stumbling block for someone else in the process. If someone walks up to you and says, “That Louie Giglio is nothing but a liar and a cheat!” Louie’s life should cause the other person to say something like “I’ve known Louie for twenty-seven years and I have never known him to lie to me or try to cheat me. He’s a good man and I don’t know where in the world you would get a foolish idea like that!”

For the Lord’s sake… submit to authority!

V. Be Willing to Suffer

Many of you (again… the silly people in my church) have decided that Joel Osteen looks a bit like me. Now Joel has quite a large congregation in his church… he is seen on TV by millions every week… he has a best-selling book entitled “Your Best Life Now.” Here is some information about the book that is provided at joelosteen.com:

“Do you often dream of living a more rewarding life? Do you aspire to obtain a better job, a stronger marriage, a happier home? Do you wish for more gratifying relationships with your family and friends? Perhaps you simply want to accomplish more and leave a lasting legacy for future generations.”

These things sound great, right? However, I would suggest to you this evening that “happiness” is nothing more than a feeling that can be fleeting. I’m not always happy… now “joy” on the other hand… I’m joyful even when I am despondent. Why is that? Because my best life won’t happen NOW… my best life is LATER… found in an eternal life in heaven with Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. If you need a better job or a stronger marriage to make you happy, then you could be in for a big disappointment. What about those of us who live in THIS fallen world filled with sin and pain? What about us who have lost a child or a loved one… have found out we have a terminal illness… have lost our jobs… our homes… our marriages. Things may go well in your life for a time… but there is a tragic event waiting just around the corner with your name on it… how will you respond? With happiness? I doubt it… but you could respond with joy because you know that your best life IS NOT NOW! Joel Osteen has left out a key ingredient… we MUST be willing to suffer.

1 Peter 4:1-2

1So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you are willing to suffer for Christ, you have decided to stop sinning. 2And you won’t spend the rest of your life chasing after evil desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. (NLT)

1 Peter 4:19

So if you are suffering according to God’s will, keep on doing what is right, and trust yourself to the God who made you, for he will never fail you. (NLT)

1 Peter 3:17

Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!

Hebrews 10:32-36

32Don’t ever forget those early days when you first learned about Christ. Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. 34You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail. When all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew you had better things waiting for you in eternity. 35Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. (NLT)

***** the key here is the phrase “according to God’s will” – you WILL suffer… but if you are living for God’s desires… his thelema… then keep on living this way… he has not abandoned you… and he will never fail you.

So, you want to know what God’s will is for you? It’s all contained in this book… the Bible.

Joshua 1:8-9

Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. GOD, your God, is with you every step you take. (The Message)

Watch this short but extremely funny clip from the Three Amigos:

God may be speaking to you… may be trying to get your attention… are you even listening? Or are you only listening where you might expect to find God speaking? Are you seeking direction in your life? If so, may I ask you… are you living fully and completely in the center of God’s will for your life? If not, I would like to pray for you and to help you take the steps to do so. Perhaps someone reading this needs to start at the top of the list and be saved. You cannot experience God’s will for your life without this crucial step.

Living a sanctified life… This is your great adventure… You get to choose what page to turn to next! Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid… don’t get discouraged… God, your God, is with you every step you take.

1 When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. 2 Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, 3 four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. 4 They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. 5 Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:1-5)

These verses have become incredibly important to me lately. Yet, as much as they tell us, there is so much more that had to have gone on in the story. Imagine that you had a friend that was completely paralyzed and that the only doctor in the world that could heal him came into town. The only possible way that you could get him there was to carry him across town… walking… not in a car or a truck. So, you call up a few friends and let them know your plan and then you all load your friend up on a mat and begin the long trek of carrying all of his weight across town only to find upon your arrival that it seems like the entire town has crammed into this house and all of the surrounding areas. Would you give up or would you be dedicated to making sure that your friend had a chance to be healed? The four friends in Mark 2 were dedicated to making sure that their friend saw Jesus on that day. They were willing to carry him up onto the roof of this house and rip it apart just so that he could see Jesus. Notice that in verse five, it says that seeing their (the four friends) faith, Jesus healed the man. That is amazing to me! So, now imagine that you have a friend whose spiritual life was completely paralyzed or was dangerously close to it and you knew of a place where he/she could be healed… what would you do? How far are you willing to go to be sure that people see Jesus? What are you willing to do? Do you need a biblical explanation of why you should pray for your friends and those around you? “Seeing THEIR faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

Before I begin this post, I must give proper credit… most of what you are about to read comes from Robert J. Morgan’s book, “Then Sings My Soul: Book 2.”

I know not why God’s wondrous grace to me He hath made known; Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love redeemed me for His own…

Are you convinced that God’s timing is always perfect? The name of Major Daniel Webster Whittle probably does not sound familiar to most of us, but he is the author of the hymn texts from “I Know Whom I Have Believed,” “There Shall Be Showers of Blessing,” and “Moment By Moment.” Daniel Whittle was born in 1840. He grew up in the Boston area but moved to Chicago as a teenager to work for the Wells Fargo Bank. After the Civil War broke out, he enlisted in the 72^nd Illinois Infantry. He had recently fallen in love with Abbie Hanson and on the day before he left for war, he and Abbie were married. Whittle and the rest of his Company B headed straight into one of the worst battles in American history in Vicksburg and Whittle was taken captive by the Confederates and was quite seriously injured… even losing his right arm.

The Lord had a plan for him because while he laid in the hospital recovering, he became extremely bored and the only thing that he could do was read. Wouldn’t you guess that the only thing that was available for him to read was a New Testament? He read its words and felt a stirring in his heart that he needed to accept Jesus Christ as his Savior, but he just wasn’t ready and fell asleep.

Not long after, he was awakened by a hospital orderly who informed him that another POW was dying and needed someone to pray with him. Whittle let the orderly know that he was the wrong person for the job. The orderly, however, said, “But I thought you were a Christian; I have seen you reading your Bible.”

Whittle later wrote, “I dropped on my knees and held the boy’s hand in mine. In a few broken words, I confessed my sins and asked Christ to forgive me. I believed right there that He did forgive me. I then prayed and pleaded God’s promises. When I arose from my knees, he was dead. A look of peace had come over his troubled face, and I cannot but believe that God who used him to bring me to the Savior used me to lead him to trust Christ’s precious blood and find pardon.”

Yes, God’s timing is always perfect. Notice that he used four different people and things to bring Whittle to him: the war and injury, a New Testament (someone had to provide it too, right?), an observant orderly, and a dying man. Read the lines of the hymn again at the top and the bottom of this article… are you convinced of God’s perfect timing?

… But “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed, unto Him against that day.”

We enjoyed two great worship experiences this past Sunday! Our concert at Legacy Baptist Church in Dallas, Georgia, went incredibly well. I was joined by my good friend, Brad Nix, on piano and keys… by Tony Harris on piano and keys, and by his sons, Justin and Jamison on bass and drums, respectively. All of these guys are incredibly gifted musicians and having the opportunity to play with a live band that was REALLY good was just a blast! Kimberly joined me on one song which was extra special to me as it was our seventh anniversary. Brad and I wrote a new song called “Invisible” on Thursday night (finished it on Saturday afternoon) and we played it in both shows on Sunday… went really well both times. We actually attempted to record it last night in a studio… we’ll see how much of the recording actually makes it to the final cut. I will try to have it available as a download pretty soon (speaking of which… downloads of each cut off of the new album are now available through Digstation.com … head to the music section to find them). CDs and T-shirts sold well at Legacy and the love offering that was taken up far exceeded my expectations.
We then played a much more intimate show for the wonderful members of FBC-Hiram. We didn’t have a full band for this concert, but I was again joined by Brad and his brother-in-law, Jess Twilley, on bass. Our wonderful friend, Casey Ewen, who had flown in from Colorado to be with us for the weekend also shared with the congregation the things that God is doing in her life right now… if you ever have a chance to hear her speak, you should count yourself fortunate. Once again, the love offering that was given at this church just astounded me! God is so good!

Unfortunately, our Youth worship service at FBC-Dallas was cancelled yesterday morning because their church decided to participate in a community revival service. This has left us in a bit of a frantic bind as we are trying to find another location in which to minister. God is in control of this, though, and was from the start. I can only believe that the revival is going to go incredibly well!

A quick story to leave you with… after the concert at Legacy Baptist, Kimberly was stationed at the merchandise table when a young girl (about ten years old) walked up and handed her a $10 bill for a CD. Kimberly thanked her and the girl then proceeded to pull out a small Ziploc bag that was filled with change (over three dollars, in fact) and the girl said “and this is for your ministry.” When Kimberly recounted this to me, I couldn’t control the tears… what a blessing this little girl gave us!

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support! Photos from all of this trip will be coming once we return home are now in the Photos section!