#1 - Only One Thing is Needed
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Opening
Opening
• Welcome
• Thibodeaux's wife, Clotile, likes to sing, so she decided to join the church choir. From time to time she would practice while she was in the kitchen preparing dinner. Whenever she would start in on a song, Thibodeaux would head outside to the porch. , with hurt feelings, said, "What's da matter, Boudreaux? Don't you like my singing? " Boudreaux replied, "Mais cher, I love you singing. But I just want to make sure da neighbors know I'm not beating you."
Message Opening
Message Opening
• Pray!
• New Series leading up to big happening
• Life’s Healing Choices
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
• “One thing I do” - got a lot to do in my life
• A lot I WANT to do
• But for Paul - it comes down to one thing
• Forgetting what lies behind - Paul had a lot in his past
• Got to look to see how I can advance - go forward in this life I have now
•
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
• I have to have a goal to press for
• Gong to talk in next 4 weeks about some really important decisions that are facing you
• God is a great rebounder - sending it back out to you
• We serve a God of the 2nd chance - don’t give up
• Here’s what you need to do
Isaiah 43:18–19 (NIV)
18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
• Step away from the past - Covid, etc
• He’s a God of new things
• NOW it springs up - right now, for YOU
• Don’t you see it? Too many don’t
• God has something special for you today
• Going to talk about decisions (its what we will be doing with Life’s Healing CHOICES)
• Thinking about good decisions I’ve made in my life:
• Marrying Sharon
• Going to church on 8/21/1989
• Pastor
• Changing this church to become life giving
• We are shaped by our decisions
• They make who we are - good and bad
What one thing, if changed, would make the biggest difference in my life?
• Want you to move to that, go after it
• Would love to know what one thing Paul had
• Thought about some things - might not be yours, but worth thinking about
What One Thing?
What One Thing?
🗸 My habits
• What do you need to get rid of?
• What would our life look like if we got rid of some of our habits?
• Internet, facebook, instagram, twitter
• Wouldn’t it be great if you could get rid of it THIS year
•
🗸 My relationships
• Some no good relationships
• Work relationships
• Marriages
• Going to help you make these decisions in “Life’s Healing Choices”
🗸 My debts
• Instead of adding - begin to tackle it
•
🗸 My health
• Gym
• Doctor
• Checkup
🗸 My dreams
• This could be the best year of your life - its not too late
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
• Word from God for you today: If you really want to be successful at any part of your life, you cannot leave out God.
• You are a spiritual being. Your efforts aren’t enough.
• But there is something available to you.
• In the Bible if you asked what one thing would make the most difference, you would get answers like this:
4 One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
• David figured it out - I want to be around God. I’ve figured it out.
• The closer I get to Jesus, the closer I get to God. I become empowered to do all the things on my list.
• Every time I get in that situation I get to the place where I just want to get closer to Him
• One thing - get closer
• Make spiritual decisions - Life’s healing choices will help you
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
• Martha opened her home
• Mary sat at his feet - how close can I get
• Martha was distracted . . .
• But only one thing is needed - get close to God
• Going to give you some things to decided:
I have decided to make the most of this opportunity
• We get caught up in the mess
• Can overlook the opportunity
• Get caught in the kitchen like Martha
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
• Make the most of every opportunity
• “opportunity” - kiros = time - a window of opportunity
• New day, great church, people who care, who will help
• This campaign is an opportunity to change your life for the better
• Opportunity is right in front of you - Jesus is here, and it starts there
• Get close and let Him open up your world for you
2. I have decided to get rid of every distraction
• I’m going to do what Martha should have
• Get rid of the distractions
• We get involved in good things that keep us from the best things
• Football
•
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
• Cloud - all the loved ones in heaven. They get to watch what you doing. Cheering you on
• Get rid of the entanglements so you can run the race
• Make some healing choices - we want to help you do that
• Give us 8 - 10 hours of your life and I promise you will see a difference
I have decided that I’m not going to let anything that will ultimately mean nothing keep me from experiencing what means everything.
3. I have decided to prioritize the presence of Christ in my life
• More than just church on Sunday
• Learn to just talk to him about everything
• You’ll find that things begin to happen - big and small
• Paul tells us what the one thing he talked about
Philippians 3:7–8 (NLT)
7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ
Life’s Healing Choices Campaign - Sunday nights at 6:30 beginning September 19, 2021.