Apr 15 Mon- John 15

Apr 16 Tues- Luke 20-21

Apr 17 Wed - Luke 22

Apr 18 Thr– Luke 23

Apr 19 Fri- Luke 24

Apr 20 Sat – Prov 3

A. Are your choices leading to your best life possible?

- Small Choices become actions; actions define life; but, what controls choices?

a. your thinking defines your choices, thus your thinkingdefines your life

b. Gandhi - "you are a product of your thoughts"

B. Jesus' Journey to (and victory at) the Cross was intensely mental

- Luke 22:39-46, "He was in anguish, and sweating drops of blood"... Why?

a. in the Garden of Gethsemane, nothing was happening... or was it?

C. Your Mind - the battleground for all of life

- a Choice = making a decision when you have 2 or more competing possibilities

- Small Choices are Where You Battle for true success (or not) in life

a. These battles are fought in your mind, nowhere else

Luke 4:1-12, The Temptations of Jesus (always competing possibilities)

b. Rom 12:2, "Transformation comes through a renewal of your mind"

- but old ways of thinking die REALLY hard, don't they?

- Do you really know (more than God) what is best for your life/family?

D. The Bible says that NONE of us has right/healthy thinking

Prov. 14:12, 16:25, "There is a path that seems straight, but leads to death"

Mt 7:13, "The easy path, that most people take, leads to destruction"

a. Big Idea - God tells us over and over to beware of prideful thinking

E. The Nature of God is to Help Us - The Passion Week of Christ is for"who"?

John 3:16-17, "I came to save you, not to judge you"

John 10:7-10, "I came that you might have life, and life to the fullest"

- Society's skepticism: Don't believe God has our best interests in mind

- God's PLAN: to prove He has our best interests in mind: The Cross

F. The Cross = God seeks to Help Us, even when we Don't Want God's help

Romans 5:6-8, "While we were yet sinners, God died for us"

- But do we recognize we are sinners and in need of God's help?

G. James 4:4, "Friendship with the world means hostility towards God"

- we can't have it both ways; there is not a narrow path that is also easy

- Luke 9:23, “... must say "no" and take up your cross daily. All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives for me will save them.

- w/money (Ramsey) "Children do what they want; Adults say "no"/follow a plan"

- in all of life; Do what you want, and you'll inevitably sabotage your own success

a. Maturity = knowing when and how to act "like an adult" = saying "no"

H. Taking Up Your Cross = ongoing acts of maturity (daily,right, small choices)

a. but we will never make daily small choices, unless our mind is in it

b. thus the need for daily devotions (and a daily walk with Jesus) - Jn 15:5

Application: Godly/Righteous thinking + Good Choices (narrow path) = Success

Psalm 1:1-3, "... Trust in the Lord, and whatever you do will succeed.....