man it's so great to be with you I want you to smile just a little bit more look at the person next to you and say are you losing weight what you just ask him that right now now you're really happy I got you now hey welcome to those watching on lot live on our webcast I want to walk you through something here I'll explain to you in a few moments but I think it's really important so get something to write with this is going to be really some important things for us to take a look at well I was reading this story one of my favorite job interviews that took place recently it happened in a smaller town where a real lucrative and a position opened up that every college student was vying for they go this is a chance to advance and there was a whole bunch that showed up for this small town opportunity that literally could open up some pretty big doors for them so it was a whole waiting room of doing some of getting ready to start the interview the first college student that went up for the interview what walked in the door door closed superb Iser began to look first question was this that we need somebody that can really think fast on his feet we need someone that can make fast decisions and finally she just said to them said can you show me that you're capable of doing that of making fast decisions and so without even missing a beat he stood up she didn't know what was going on opened up the door and said you all can go home the job has been taken and shut the door at that point I'm going that's a great decision that that person just made there always remember this about decisions drop this damn is that I'm not a product of my circumstances I'm a product of my decisions and this we have to understand I'm not a product of my circumstances I'm a product of my decisions you know Columbia in New York City did a research and found out that the average person makes about 70 decisions every single day that's 25,000 decisions every single year and think about this when you hit 70 years old you've made 1.7 million different decisions think how crazy that is that means you put all this you put all of those 1.7 million decisions together just like we just said that's what makes you who you are I mean think about that for just a moment here because part of those 1.7 million those can't include a job opportunity may be transferring to another state that that could be everything from a ministry position to a opportunity to maybe go out on a date with someone to even maybe pop the question and maybe move towards marriage it could be an investment of taking some savings money and investing it it could be everything from building a home to even starting your own business and it could be as simple as this it could be as simple as whether to follow someone or unfollow someone on social media it could be even you deciding today whether you're gonna go with grow track which is step one today which is really exciting I'm so happy because step one really kind of gets you in the game you kind of get the uniform on and get get going and I'm so excited pastor Chris is teaching it and you don't makes me even more excited is that tonight we're doing something and kind of setting kind of tipping that the scales a little bit tonight we asked on our five o'clock service how many have gone through growth track you know seventy-five percent of the people at the five o'clock and never went through growth track that means they're not showing up at 12:45 so tonight we're doing our second growth track and we're gonna as a test pilot program so tonight so today and all this month we're doing two growth tracks and so we're really excited for doing our best to get everyone involved and that's gonna be amazing but it could be about joining the small group even the dream team maybe you woke up this morning decided whether it whether we're gonna go to church or what Church you're gonna go to in fact I'm a hope that you're gonna wake up one morning in a few months and the church that you decide to go to is the new brand new Youngsville campus pastored by Pastor Chris and Michelle Reese that's what I'm hoping for is that you're gonna make that decision so you want to be praying for that and we still want a bunch of you to leave church here and to go over there yep this is you can come on a Sunday and we're saying get out and go to Youngsville because we want to see something great happen there but it think about this for a second I just want to guide you for the next two weeks that I think this is why I think this is important I want to guide you in the next two weeks on some decision-making for just two weeks and in fact we're gonna do this for two weeks and then my favorite thing happens of the entire year March 17th right here you don't want to miss it it's student Sunday and that's gonna be happening right here where we're gonna begin see what God is doing in the next generation so well I want to encourage you bring your nieces nephews grandchildren bring your children but that's gonna happen right here on March 17th but today I want to talk to you about another it's gonna the title is a little negative but I but but really this stuff we're gonna talk about is really good but I want to talk to about the catastrophic cost of a bad decision the catastrophic cost of a bad decision so don't don't worry it's not gonna be negative I'm gonna really get some good stuff in here that we can that can help us on some things that we need to do so I want us to understand how important these decisions are so let me ask you a question here's the question when I asked you what what could you do what could you do with an extra 600 hours a year 600 hours a year translates to 25 extra days how many here would like 25 extra days in 2019 you'd like 25 extra days listen I'm looking at this I'm going man I mean that I would love that so think about this for just a moment think about what you can do maybe pick up a hobby maybe even start learning a second language it could be everything from another skill think of getting another month of of salary maybe doing something of just going out and say I'll earn some extra money so here's what's crazy ready for this it says that the average person spends two hours a day on social media which turns into 600 hours a year which turns into 25 days a year so be going like I knew I shouldn't have gone to church today that's the wrong decision think about that for just a second that means every time you want to go and see what does my girlfriend wearing for Mardi Gras every time you go through that and read through all that stuff and see all the posts they said the average person and I'm telling you there's a people that do a lot more than that think about that for just a moment two hours a day adds up to 600 hours a year and you can have 25 days back in your year that's pretty amazing when you think about how important that is that's why I get this down the kind of decisions you make today will determine the kind of person you are tomorrow the kind of decisions that you'll make today will determine the kind of decisions that you will make tomorrow or or let me put it let me put it in a way that you'll under standing ready for this many people today want filet mignon results but only make hot dog decisions and so you have to understand how important this is because when I tell you something about hey I'll give you 600 I'll give you 25 days this year if you just get off social media now listen I'm not saying you know get rid of everything and and and I really am saying this if that doesn't make you pause and go wait let me take inventory then really it's a hot dog decision it's kind of a hot dog it's a hot dog mentality to go I want these kind of results but yet I'm not willing to take just to make the simple decisions to make something like this work so I want to give you tools today from the Bible really on how to make some filet mignon decisions this year how many good go and like I need to start making some better decisions this year would you just go ahead let me help you because I want to talk with you and but in order for me to do this I have to tell you an Old Testament story of a really bad decision but we're gonna pull some good stuff out of this in fact I'm gonna give you a grid that you can run some decisions through from the Bible that it's going to help you to be a better decision maker in order for us to understand so we've got to do a little bit of an Old Testament Bible lesson it's gonna take a few minutes but it's really important for us to get this so here we go let's get ready strap in some of this you're gonna know some of this will be new for some that are in this place or some watching online here it is number one the first four kings of Israel is Saul David writer of the Psalms Solomon considered very wise and then Solomon's son's name is Raya Boehm that is going to be kind of the guy we're gonna key on because we're gonna take his first day on the job and show something about Raya Boehm that really this guy makes her some huge huge real dumb decision in fact it just cost so much it was catastrophic just so dumb and it's almost ironic to me that the wisest that the wisest man had a real dumb son and so you're gonna see something here that I'm thinking and listen I've seen it the other way too I've seen real dumb dumb fathers have real wise sons so let's let's let's understand this works both ways so let me walk you through this for just a second and I want to talk to you about what happens so he just becomes King and he has two groups of people in his ear trying to give him divided vice so the two groups of people that have the ear of the King are his BFFs the guy you grew up with in in school they share the same leather jacket they play football they drove trucks together on Friday night and went fishing now those are the BFS you're gonna see these are the guys who grew up with the second group of guys are called the elders or the gray heads these are the older guys these are the guys that have some experience and Raya Boehm needs wisdom on how to do this brand-new job of leading a nation he is now in charge of Israel just inherited it from solemn and his father and his advice is coming from two different sources the first advice that comes to him is about to come from the elders the gray heads the senior citizens and and let me just say this this is this is so important when elders speak let me just say it like this listen to your elders advice not because they're always right but because they have more experience of being wrong so I want to encourage you to listen to your elders so here is how it goes ready for this first Kings chapter 12 verse 6 then king rambow consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime how would you advise me to answer these people the people asked the question to the brand-new king he answered this they replied if today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favourable answer they will always be your servants keep that up on the screen for just a second because I think that's a really great point you know what he was saying to them he said if you could become something they will model that he didn't say if you say something he say if you become something and that's a big deal because here's what you have to understand what he was telling them is that true leadership is modeling something be a servant they'll become servants is what he says but all of a sudden he starts to make his catastrophic mistake in in dealing with this and he is about to now listen to the young men and what they have to say and here's the problem with listening to the elders and then listening to the young men someone said it like this the trouble with good advice is that it usually interferes with your plans and so this is what is about to happen it is about to interfere with his plans because the elders told him something it's about character but the young men are about to give him something different let me read to you what it says starting in verse eight here are the verses but Raya Bohn rejected the advice of the elders gave that gave him and consulted the young men who he'd grown up with went to high school with played football with and had a truck and also did bass fishing and was serving him he asked them what is your advice how should we answer these people here is the question of the people he says would you lighten the yoke your father put on us here's what the young men who had grown up with and replied these people have said to you your father put a heavy oaken us but make our yoke licker now you tell them my little finger is thicker than my father's waist my father laid on you a heavy yoke I'll make it even heavier my father scourge dyou with whips he says I'm gonna go ahead and scourge you with scorpions these kids who have no no experience whatsoever all of a sudden now all of a sudden know how to be a king now all of a sudden since we hung out together and because we we we have friendship I really know how to begin to do this job you know what he was telling them he's telling them that you need to make sure those people know you're in charge here go vocal don't go character go vocal tell them you're in charge look at me for a second if you got to tell people you're in charge then you're not a very good leader if you've got to tell folks I'm the supervisor I'm the if I've got to keep going to you hey don't you know I'm the pastor of the church I'm not really the pastor of the church that's called poor let's call poor leadership and that's what they were telling him to do they were saying to him tell them you're the man and they don't even realize they were setting him up really for a defeat and think about this for a moment here because Raya Boehm I want you to listen he was listening to the wrong people and the wrong advice and literally it was about to cost Israel not only pain but literally years of pain but in fact let me say it like this rheya bones vision to not make a good decision was catastrophic for the nation his decision not to do this right and we're gonna talk about the grid his decision not to make a good decision was catastrophic for the nation what do you mean pastor Tim just now bear with me this is art this is art our Old Testament lesson literally was so catastrophic it brought about 450 years of chaos and captivity 450 years well pastor Tim can you can you explain that a little bit further I'm glad you asked so let me give to you the Old Testament history lesson here it is you ready for this when he made this decision Israel split down in half and now now I'm putting 921 BC I'm gonna come back to that because remember this that decision if you if you let me ask you this question let's just pause for a second how many use the by I'm gonna use an electronic Bible iPad or your phone would you just raise your hand okay how many how many is still old-school and you bring a Bible to oh we're about half an app this is an old and young grip okay so we have elders and we have young people here we go now get this down because I want you to jot right on top of first kings to out 12 put down 9 21 BC this is a big deal 921 BC in 921 BC because of rare bombs the decision it then became Israel and Judah what it did was it split the country in half what it really was like listen to this oscy it was literally called southern kingdom and the northern kingdom it would be exactly what happened during the 19th century and the civil war that took place in our country there was the north and there was the south and that's exactly what happened by this kids decision not to listen to the elders but to listen to all of his guys that they had the same leather jacket from the same high school they all listened to each other and all of a sudden his decisions split a country is it did it really matter absolutely because what happens is then Israel goes into two captivity let me explain this to you because this is important you have northern kingdom in the southern kingdom northern kingdom is Israel southern kingdom is Judah and here's what happens keep this in mind these are important moments Israel was conquered by Assyria in seven BC ten tribes 721 BC Assyria comes in and literally just takes over ten tribes takes him out Judah was conquered by the Babylonians that now this is an important one this if you want to know what this means in 586 it was Judah when the Babylonians came in this way you get the Book of Daniel this is we get the three Hebrew children and this is where you begin to read even later on from from the book of Esther the book of Ezra the book of Nehemiah all coming out of this Babylonian captivity but here's the part I want you understand when Ray aboah made his decision he split the country in half and the country was no longer powerful because they were interesting on God who are trusting on their own strength and all of a sudden you have a split country and they're both brought into captivity and couldn't even fight anybody and here's what's incredible number one Israel never returns from their captivity if you ever heard of this phrase that the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel that's where it happens they go into captivity by Assyria and never come back you never hear of these tribes ever again but it was Judah now here's what's important Judah leaves Babylon this is an important date at 536 BC this is when they have to go back and they're gonna repair Jerusalem so they go back after 70 years being in captivity they go back to reduce illan now here's the part I want you to get folks this is big if Jeroboam makes his catastrophic decision with his BFFs in 931 BC here it is and Judah returns from exile in 536 BC then it cost them four then it cost 400 years of consequences consequences what do you mean pastor Tim okay let me give it to you think about what this moment that he split the country took away their their their strengths and now you have POWs native prisoners of war now you're brainwashing going on in Babylon now all of a sudden you have families being separated because Babylon only took certain people they left all the poor people only took the young people you have a Syria that literally come in and destroy everything they break down the walls they break down their place of worship and the entire country is ravaged because this kid wouldn't listen I want you to keep one thing in mind for me please and that's this you can choose your sin but you can't choose the consequences of your sin you can choose your sin you can decide what you want to do today but you're not in charge of what happens after you do sin that now now it's out of your control at this point and this is what happened with this kid he just thought man these are my buds I'm doing this stuff and has no idea that he is about to send the whole country into literally a downturn and a downslide always remember this this is such a good verse proverbs 11:14 says this without good Direction people lose their way but the more wise counsel you follow the better your chances so you know what I want to do today I want to increase your chances of really making this as successful you how many were going like man I like some good ik to make better decision I want to help you with this because I know this is so important you know I was I was listening to this story of these these two sisters twins that had an alcoholic mom how alcoholic mom then all the way to her funeral she literally struggled with alcoholism never broke free of that in her entire life in and out of rehabs and just couldn't get set free from it and it was interesting I was when I was reading the story it said that the one of the sisters becomes an alcoholic herself she was in and out of rehabs her entire life just like her mom but the other sister wouldn't touch any of the alcohol never had a sip in her life and became successful in the business world said when they when they asked the alcoholic sister why she drank she said well my mother was an alcoholic so what can you expect when they asked the other sister why why didn't you become an alcoholic she says well my mother was an alcoholic what would you expect what one-one-one-one was saying was this as my mom did it I'm just have to do it and the other one was saying was I'm not leaving my results up to what my mom did I can make my own choices this is not an issue of choice this is not an issue of chance it's an issue of choice and can I just take this a little bit further this doesn't just deal with alcohol it can deal with gambling can deal with divorce I don't care if your grandparents and your parents divorced you don't have to get a divorce you don't have to go ahead and begin to take money go out my father gambled away our retirement that's why there was no inheritance when he died and I guess I'm just the same thing you know you could make a choice today you don't have to make a catastrophic decision that begins to affect generations I'm gonna give you an I I want to give you a grid that's gonna help you to do what God wants you to do today in fact what I want to do is I want to give you a grid for making good decisions just three things I want to give to you I'm gonna give you I want you to get ready to jot down these three things so I'm gonna give all three to you and leave some space and I want I want you to see what I believe is going to help us that that Raya Bohm didn't have any any thought of doing any of this in fact did opposite of what this is so here is a grid for making good decisions let me just give them to you first here the three of them number one we're talking about processing up I'll explain that in a second process up number two process by honor and number three process with prayer I want you to keep these in mind we're going to begin the process up process with honor and process with prayer so keep those in mind keep some space there let me let me just unpack just a tiny bit and let me describe what I mean by this when I'm talking about process step process by honor and process with prayer here's what I'm actually saying number one I want you to process with maturity that's with a mentor then I want you to process for unity those are the ones that you love or that love you and have investment in your life so and in fact it's that second one let me say this to you OSC it's the second one that gets skipped all the time this isn't a really important one and I'm going to spend some time on this processing for unity or processing with honor and this is really dealing with people that you love this could be a spouse this could be a pastor this could be this it depends what kind of season of life you're in but the third one is processed with 30 ken with God this is 30,000 feet I'll explain that in just a few moments so it's processing with maturity processing for unity and processing with a larger 30,000 foot view of seeing things larger and seeing things further than you would ever see so let's get ready to go through this and but before we do this let me just say this this is important in order to make a wise decision all three of these must be in agreement you're not trying to get one of them you're not trying to what you're not picketing to get one of them if if all of a sudden one says yes the others to say no this doesn't work and so this is really important to get all these voices and to know that you have the right people in your life so let's walk through this for just a few moments and I think this is gonna help us not to begin to have catastrophic results but literally to have to do what God wants us to do so let's think the first one number one is this process up let's go jot that down and let me walk you through this processing with maturity it's processing with maturity now when I say the word process up I'm not talking about a movie I'm talking about something else up are people who have more maturity and journey than you this is dealing with people that are further along than you and that that literally are some exits down the road in fact let me just say this when I use the word grey heads I'm talking about get people in your life gray heads are people that navigate it through pain to success in life you're gonna find those that have experienced that go through this great verse is proverbs 13:20 if you want to grow in wisdom spend time with the wise walk with the wicked and you'll eventually become just like them this is so important relationally when I say process up I'm talking about getting the right people the right circle amongst us in fact let me say to you like this every one of us including me must have a circle of people around us that are further down the road than assorted doing what we want to be doing one day that's what we have to do not people at the same exit but people further down for example if you're here today and you're going like man I'm trying to eat better I'm trying to get fit don't hang out with someone who has like a frequent Blizzard card at Dairy Queen just gone oh it's Oreo Sunday okay you don't want to do that you're trying to get fit and they're going like Reese's Pieces and so you you've got to begin ago I gotta hang out with people that are further along than me that can help me make these right that's processing up pun I was reading the story of a young man who finally worked up the courage to propose to the girl of his dreams so he dropped on one knee looked her in the eye and said Jan or Jane I know I'm not wealthy like Tom and I recognize that I'm not as handsome like tom is handsome and it might not be as well educated as Tom but I love you Jane and I want to marry you the woman was so moved she said well I love you too John but tell me a little more about Tom okay I could have helped him I could have said when you proposed don't talk about Tom just propose and leave him out or you're gonna really muddy up the waters on this whole thing see this is what's important we need people to guide us people so I want to give you a piece of advice this is this is good listen to this get ready now you're not gonna like it but I'm gonna tell you anyway your friend's advice does not count when you're making a big decision your friend's advice does not count when you have to make a big decision why it's to bias how can you say that I don't ray of em tells us that when you hang out with your boys or your girls or your peeps you're gonna end up doing the wrong thing hey let me just help you here listen play golf with them eat chicken wings with them pray with them laugh with them or laugh at them hunt fish debate whether whether it's LSU or ul but for heaven's sakes do not listen to them on big decisions do not listen to them because when you're making a big decision listen to me you need a bigger voice in your life that's what you have to have you need a very big voice that's why we need people to step up and be mentors we need people and a great place to find someone a big voice is joining a small group oh my goodness good always see groups calm get in a small group and you can begin to find there people that have a journey when you're processing a big decision I don't need to talk to the guys at the same exit I want to talk to the guy that's five that just down the road that's what I want to talk to what am i one of my favorite African proverbs is this listen to this this is good if surviving lions don't tell their stories then hunters get all the credit okay just pause for a second that's that's really good you just don't know it listen if surviving lions don't tell their stories then hunters get all the credit I know these thing is I need people that have gone through it that have been beat up but have survived to tell me their story because if you don't tell your story if you don't if you don't help the next generation if you don't begin to help people get to the next exit into the next place that they're supposed to go then all the hunters get listen I I touch why the people I talk to I hear all the stories of Ministers that fail but I'm talking to all the hunt all the lions that made it through because I want to know I want to hear those stories on how you begin to do it I've watched this happening with my son Christian I'm thinking about um as he wants to go into engineering there's some engineers here in the church that are exits down the road from him as he's getting ready to go to college and go into engineering there are people that are pouring into him going this is the kind of computer there's the kind of classes this is what you want to look at this what you want to do what what that is what they're doing is that's a surviving lion that's helping him on that okay this is important listen to this no man is capable of self-improvement if he sees no other model but himself if the only person you measure yourself with is yourself you're not very good listen that's why if you're the only model and you have nobody to process and to see further than man we're gonna find yourself getting in trouble at these points that's why get this I want you to learn to process before you decide I want you to process with people and process up before you make decisions that's what processing up means that's why we're challenging you not to go catastrophic not to go Raya Boehm on stuff but to understand how important this is now so let's let's let's go to the second because this is huge this is the one that we skip a lot but this is processing by honor this is the one I'm gonna have to just spend just a second with when I say process by honor I'm talking about processing for unity it's with those that you love and let me explain it like this who who do you what do you mean you say who do you honor let me tell you what I mean this could be a spouse this could be a parent it could even be a pastor maybe a mentor or a coach it's those that have listened to me it's those that have investment in you if so does its investment of time money that whether those who raised you those that have taught you this is a big deal this is one that will we'll skip a whole bunch but it's those that have equity in the relationship one of the greatest tenors obviously there's ever lived that has ever been on the planet is is Pavarotti and I was reading the story of Pavarotti and it says that he was at a crossroad of his life because he really wanted to be a teacher you want to be a university teacher and was going through college there in Italy and and got his degree to teach but his dad noticed that there was a gift upon him to sing and so he was taking singing lessons and doing his education all at the same time and finally when he graduated this is whe this is him processing but with honor watch this what he did was he went to his dad and he just in he asked his father dad should I be a teacher or a singer and all his dad said was this he says if you try to sit on two chairs you'll fall between them every single time pick one chair either just and thank God he chose the right share or been like it would been singing on physics here I'm like don't take don't take professor proper rowdy that's what I would have said but can I tell you I watched my son do that with us Christian hit a point in a sophomore year he just any and we've we've never pushed our kids with sports so everybody just said hey listen if it's something you find so Christian came to me and he just goes and Cindy this goes hey I'm a I'm a good baseball player but I'm a pretty good I'm a really better swimmer and he goes I think I need to choose a chair here it's exactly what Pavarotti did well the coolest thing was is that he did that and it literally changed part of the trajectory of of his life in the course of his life of what what he's going to do what's exciting for us is is that because he chose that we watched his times because he just poured everything into that two-a-days getting up at 4:45 doing all this stuff and we watch their son times changed and becomes becomes third and state in the breast breast stroke and not only that but then gets then it begins to move him towards Liberty University and then we find out that he gets the invitation to swim for Liberty University and then here's the other cool thing we just found out this week that their last meet that their their anchor breaststroke guy swims a 105 and Christian swims of 102 we're going like and the coach said amigos like we cannot wait for you to come he's going like that's pretty cool but we know what that was it was basically Christian it was Christian just choosing just literally just choosing a chair that's that's all that is but that doesn't just work between father and son or parents and children here's the part that really does work between husband and wife and that's a missing piece and a lot of relationships this is huge and I want you to listen our part I'm gonna say this men you're gonna get angry but I'm telling you women have way more discernment than men do except in shopping just listen to me clothes women have way more discernment understanding my wife is way smarter than me and she I'm just it's so important to understand um Cindy sent me this picture this is why women are so much smarter it's what happens when kids are left in the hands of the father to babysit while the mom goes out with her friends this is what goes on look at this so they build something like that seriously I would be doing that be going mr. Bob oh come on let's make a bubble mountain that's why listen ladies that's why you never leave us alone we're gonna get in trouble every single time this is what's so important listen when I say let me talk husband and wife here for just a moment process by honor it goes like this get this now I will not make a decision I will not make a decision but we will make a decision it's how you process with honor it's not I make a decision we make the decision together and if we're not together on this then we don't make any decision in fact when it comes to making a decision we must involve those we honor let me just say this to you folks listen close it's dangerous to say my money my decision it's my company it's my children this is my house that I bought before we it's my savings account nothing listen to me my is divisive and it kills unity in a marriage if those are the words that you use if you go that's my money the next phrase out of your mouth should be I'm an idiot please forgive me that's what it should be you got to be kidding me when you signed up for this thing it's not you it's anybody when they're going like that's that's those are my kids that's my mail okay ladies look at me for a second if he ever says that's my mail open it up and I'll open it up and if they go haha why are you opening up my mail pastor Tim told me and and listen and if there's something bad in there talk to Pastor Randy but let's let's move on here for just a second okay this is important we do this together I need Cindy involved I've learned women are braver stronger smarter I'm just telling you and that's why that's why this is so important that and if you don't believe that men and if you if you think you're doing this by yourself if you just need proof of what why your wife is stronger smarter braver watch what happens when you get sick in the house and watch what happens when when she gets sick in the house I'm just telling you right now given time there's that whole whole section of ladies back there they know what I'm talking about listen it goes like this it goes like this when I'm sick it's amazing how smooth things run in the house it's kind of like he's out of the way we can do we can get this thing running like a well-oiled machine but when Cindy gets sick o-m-g I'm going like you're a healer you're a mighty God you can raise her up come on Jesus I'm pouring oil on her head and just going like heal her Jesus oh my goodness this is so important the reason why we do this when we do this we do it we do it for Honor's sake listen to what first Peter 3:7 says on there relationship between husband and wife your husband's in the same way live with your wives in an understanding way is with someone who's weaker and she is because she is a woman she is a woman and show her honor this is the man's responsibility as a fellow heir of the grace of life and he says if you don't do it you're gonna mess up your prayer life that's not me that's Peter don't get mad at me he says that keep that on the screen for all the men to see ladies should you be saying Amen listen because when you show her honor when you show on or in the decision-making that we will make this together you're giving value to her you're giving weight to her and you're saying man we do this together so when you process up you're doing it with a mentor when you're processing with honor you're doing that the people that have investment in you the people that whether it is all based on season of life if you're a single person it could be your pastor it could be a parent if you're married it's definitely your spouse definitely your spouse well we're going to Houston no no no you're going to use them as we do this together you can say I'm going to Houston but it's not we we have to do this together and this is what makes this so important and the final thing that I think is important let's close with this it's process with prayer so we're processing up let's mentor process who went on to those that have investment and equity in relationship and we're also think in a process with prayer let's close with this movie say that we're talking about 30,000 foot view we're talking about processing with God what do you mean by that Tim listen what does 30k mean what is 30,000 feet mean wouldn't what would you sometimes you may have heard of say like hey let's take the 30,000 foot view let's take a larger view let me tell you what it means 30,000 feet is where planes fly it's where you get to see a lot more than being on the ground but basically it's like this the higher you go the further you see and nobody is higher than God only God sees 30,000 feet and it's getting God involved the decision but what why would we want God involved with the decision other than he is like wise let me just give you another one Isaiah 46:10 says it like this only I can tell you this is God speaking all I can tell you the future before it even happens everything I planned comes too fast because I do whatever I wish in fact King James says it like this God knows the end from the beginning he knows what he's doing and what's crazy is this is that God is going man just involve me in in your decisions so many people let me go let me say this so many people assume yes and you never even ask God we just assume he always says yes you know it's crazy when you're dealing with the BOK cult OCC you LT think of think of what a Ouija board is you know the Ouija board is it's made up of a German word and a French word and both mean yes it means yes yes you're a Ouija board is Satan will always tell you yes because he's not a father God is a father and he'll tell no to his children sometimes he will say no because when when you're dealing with God involve him in it ask God and wait ask God to speak to your heart ask him to speak even by peace inside of you ask him to speak by this word or or even by a message if you want to know if God is interested in what you're deciding I love this verse James 1:5 listen to this if you want to know what God wants you to do ask him and he'll gladly tell you is that a great verse just ask him mentally you're processing up and processing with honor but you're processing by prayer so let me let me close and tell your story some of you know my journey in Cindy's journeying and going to Detroit Detroit for 30 years when we went there when I when I went there as a single man went there at 19 years old I really was just gonna follow in the footsteps of my father and all of his brothers they're all NYPD and all New York City firemen but I was gonna kind of take my dad's journey and then probably add a little bit more to my dad not only rose to become New York City police chief but he went to the FBI Academy in Quantico Virginia so he went to FBI Academy so I was but in order to go there you had to get your undergrad and either in either business or law or criminal justice so when I was going to school that that's what that's what I had on my mind I was going that way I was I was thinking this is the the place that I want to go and just follow my dad's footsteps so I didn't know if that was going to end up NYPD I didn't know if that would be a federal agent I don't know what that was gonna do but I figured if everybody my family is either a fireman or policeman that's just what we're I want to do the same thing I want to follow the footsteps of my dad what's crazy is when I went to Detroit about four or five months into this thing I felt God was calling me to preach and I felt like there was a there was a call on me just to command and preach the gospel and be a minister and this was changing everything for me so the thing I had to do is I had I called my parents so watch this I'm sorry I'm gonna process with honor so I called my dad then I gonna process with I'm gonna process up with my pastor so I started with with my dad I just go I was at my I was finishing my sophomore year at university getting and having to declare your your major in your junior year I was going like you if I got to declare something I'm gonna declare I'm a believer and I'm gonna be a man of God I was going like so my goal was to leave University and then go full-time ministry that's what I wanted to do so I call my dad and my dad was going look Tim I feel like you have a calling on your life I want you to finish I want you to finish University want you to get your degree and in my mind I'm going like you don't understand you because you're a cop I'm a man of God and I got to preach the gospel and so this thing is insight it's a fire burn whenever you want to do something else it's like a fire burning in my bones and so that's what you say and once again once again it goes back to the whole thing it's like good advice messes up the plans that you really wanted to and so my dad was the skull now I feel like the callings there but I want you to I want you to finish universally so I just kind of I kind of it was dismissive about it then I then I decided I'm gonna process up with my pastor he's gonna understand cuz he's got a calling on his life he knows calling he just he just knows criminals I need someone who knows calling and so I just so I talked to my dad talked to my pastor and he goes Tim I really feel like you need to finish finish University and get your degree said I believe your call I believe that there's a calling and you're on your life to preach the gospel and I'm just thinking well he's not a good pastor because he just doesn't understand what's really going on inside of me so the only person to talk to that would understand and see the 30,000 foot view is God himself so I'm deciding so I'm praying and I don't feel like I'm getting any answer and and and I feel like have God on my side because when I've looked in the concordance and I look under you University doesn't exist in any Bible verse so I'm going like this is all me this is it's me and you god this is awesome since university is not in the Bible boom we're going ministry so here's what happens I'm walking finishing up finals in statistics I'm going to miss to the building dreary Detroit winter day finishing it up and then soon as I finish that I have to then kind of make a decision coming up but my what my major declaration was going to be my declaration so school wants me to declare a major I'm gonna declare I'm a man of God and so I've got to decide what's gonna happen at this point as I'm walking to take my final I was just blindsided by God and all of a sudden I find out if the word university is in the Bible I'm going I can't believe seriously I found out that University exists in the Bible I'm going like this is crazy let's see it in any translation and it's there the word university is in Ephesians chapter 6 and this is what it says honor your father [Music] so say and at that point I declared my major became a corporate finance major and finished my degree and because I knew my mentor my pastor said it first in the process with honor my father said it and God said you're gonna honor your father on this hey God with a 30,000 foot view and can I just tell you something there would have been there have been no Oxford and never never never see my friends here that we went to Oxford together Mark and Julie Davies who are sitting here today we were where I'm so grateful you don't even know Mark's story and some of our men need to know mark story an incredible story with with special forces and everything we met there at Oxford this relationship never would have happened if I didn't if I didn't listen to those three things because it would be it could have been maybe not to you it could have been catastrophic it could have been catastrophic but see the issue is is that I just I think this is important to ask let me just let me just say this and we close we've run to the we run to the end let me ask us who can say no to you and you'll really listen to them who is it that can say no Tian's they put a pause on this I don't think you should do that right now and you're really gonna listen to them which one of those groups which mentor which pastor a father which person can say no Dean you going okay I got it I'm gonna put because I wasn't I wasn't tapping the brakes when my dad said do it and I wasn't tapping the brakes with my pastor said and I was out of balance on that but who can tell you no and you're gonna listen who do you ask them and you go hey I think I think we're gonna was supposed to take this job and I think we're supposed to go to this I think I'm gonna go over here and I think you should pause that and you'll really listen to him because I want you to get this listen to me close this is important because I'm really asking who has veto power in your life who has veto power because here it is listen when you only use pain and consequence to inform you that it was a bad decision you're a poor decision maker it's the only time you go like man I I'm I'm you know I'm gonna get married I'm and everyone's going on I wouldn't get married I wouldn't do this hmm she's hot God wants me to marry hot women and so you just go and like and also in the thing becomes a train and just going like eating and or I'm going out with this guy cuz he's fine and God says in the Bible that he wants us to be with fine people and so if all of a sudden and then all of us I think it becomes a train wreck my question is this if someone put a pause that would you have put a pause if someone for the if I mean think about this for a second this is a big deal because God sees a larger bit because it's a decision that we all have to make and in fact if I could just say it to you like this this is a huge decision and in fact Jesus said in all of your decisions just one decision you better get right or I'll have catastrophic results there's a decision that you have to make that literally everything is banking on this this this one you got to get right and here's what the way Jesus put it he says I'm telling you the truth this is Jesus telling you the truth like he has to say truth like we were going like this is Jesus he can't lie no one can see the kingdom of God that's now and forever without being born again that's what Jesus said in fact we have to understand because born again according to Jesus changes now and forever see to be born again it's not born again and I don't want you to get confused it's not you in church it's Jesus in you and and we get that confused or going like I'm in church so everything's going let me and let me tell you why this is so important this is the part because I'm praying for you every single Sunday this is a big deal I read down a little bit further and this is what it says Jesus goes do not be surprised because I tell you that you must all be born again listen to those last words I want this to ring because this is catastrophic if we don't get this right you must all those are the words of Jesus all be born again this is not this is not just for a few people he says all that means when you look over this entire sanctuary and look at everyone here it means everybody in the house and so here's the question you got to ask and the decision you have to make are you in the all group are you in the all group not are you go to OSC I'm gonna ask you if you're Protestant or Catholic and ask if you're Methodist or Baptist I'm not ask if you're an OSC or are you in the all group which means being born again and listen you can you can look at my whole social media thing you know two hours a day 600 hours 25 days ah I mean listen you can walk out and start scrolling and accepting friends and you no big deal but let me just say this on this decision a non decision is a decision because eternity is too long to be wrong to walk out of here and not make any decision that's a decision and look at me folks it's kind of Slavic because we're dealing with forever and I want you to live forever with God he made it available today you don't have to be perfect you don't have to have everything together you have a God that has it all together for you today
