HOW TO SHINE IN THE YEAR OF SHINING 2

Bible Text: Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 19:21, Prov 20:18, Prov 21:5

Our vision statement for 2014 is that it will be a year to raise the altar of praise, secure homes and families, equip the saints and reach out to friends and neighbourhoods.

For a goal to come to pass, it has to be (S.M.A.R.T) S-Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound, yet some of us had SMART goals in 2013 but it didn't come to pass, there are two factors involved; time and change.

One of the things that will mess up your life is not choosing the life you want. You leave your life to the mercy of time and chance when you don't choose the life you want. You are created by God to live life not for life to live you. You are meant to control life, not life controlling you.

How do I control life? What you cannot walk out from, you are no longer in control. Many of us cannot walk out on sex, women, tobacco because that situation has mastered you and that is life living you.

What is life? Life is simply changes through time. Its bad to see a 40 year old man who has not found his feet. In a year we have 8760 hours, imagine someone who has wasted 350,400 hours. Dr. Myles Munroe said its better to be dead and not know life than to be alive and not know why.

How do I control life?
Plan! Planning is the only key to regulating and controlling change. You need to go to God and find out ahead of time what the pattern of your life should be.

Nothing just happens, a beggar is not necessarily someone who begs on the streets, when you look up to your younger ones then that's begging.

Plan your life now, write your life plan down. A plan does not only tell you what you want to do, it also tells you what you don't want to do. Goals succeed when plans are in place, even God plans; God is a planner, its because God is a planner is why Adam did not come before Eden, God knew Adam had to be somewhere so he created Adam first.

There's a difference between purpose and plan. Your purpose is your destination, your plan is how to get there. Your purpose is fixed, your plan is how you get there and if you face obstructions, don't worry, keep moving. In life, there will be obstructions but don't let it stop you, keep moving. Life's challenges cannot stop you, the devil cannot stop you, your future is fixed and you are getting there. The detour is not your destination you are getting there, the plane will not leave until you arrive the airport, you are getting there!

How do I plan?

Plans succeed through good counsel. Never pick a fight you cannot win, plan to win a fight before you engage in it.

1. Seek wise counsel; Seek God, buy tapes, read books. Don't make haste to do things, the righteous does not make haste. Don't rush into marriage because all your friends are getting married.

(To be continued next week sunday)

Shalom!