Prov 1:20-33/2Chronicles 18-20

Becoming Skillful in Making Right Choices

• RECAP

• When the Scriptures speak of Wisdom…it is the scriptures way of teaching us how to develop LIFE SKILLS FOR LIVING LIFE SUCCESFULLY.

Becoming Skillful in Making Right Choices

• RECAP

Two Kinds of Wisdom James 3:13-18

1.Earthly

2.Heavenly

The Fundamental Element Of Wisdom

• The Fear of the Lord Job 28:28(GW)

• … ‘The fear of the Lord is wisdom!

Becoming Skillful in Making Right Choices

• RECAP

Life Encounters

• Life Encounters involve unpredictable challenges, situations, problems and issues that occupy our lives on a daily basis. These are contrasting occurrences that constantly confront us while challenging us to make the right godly decisions

Becoming Skillful in Making Right Choices

• RECAP

People Encounters

People Encounters consist of the wide

assortment of people with “character disorders”

we come upon every day of our lives. These are

people with contrasting dispositions that we

constantly confront as challenges that place us in

position to make godly decisions.

Becoming Skillful in Making Right Choices

The Choices/Decisions of the Unskillful

• An unskillful (unwise) person usually makes choices

according to the INCLINATION toward their

present encounter (whether a life encounter or

people encounter)

• Inclination – is a tendency to tilt in a direction

favorable toward the emotions, mind (thoughts) or

will …which is triggered by the encounter

Becoming Skillful in Making Right Choices

• 23 But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.' 24 Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but followed the counsels and the dictates of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward. Jeremiah 7:23-24 (NKJV)

Becoming Skillful in Making Right Choices

A. The Choices /Decisions of the Skilled

• The skillful person usually makes choices according to the INCLINATION toward the Word of God/Fear of the Lord

• 57 May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, 58 that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers. 1 Kings 8:57-58 (NKJV)

Becoming Skillful in Making Right Choices

A. Today’s Choices of Inclination can/will effect your future outlook (Destiny)

1. Cain made the decision to kill - Gen 4:4-8 a. Results: Cursed from the ground, became a fugitive & wanderer.

Was force to leave the Presence of the Lord

2. Saul made a decision to disobey - 1 Samuel 8:57-58 a. Results: Saul’s Kingdom will not be permanent as intended. God

would replace him with another after His heart.

3. The Widow (Elijah) made a decision to obey -1 Kings 17:10-16 a. Results: The jar of flour never emptied. Oil never ran out. Elijah,

the widow and her family ate for quite a long time

Becoming Skillful in Making Right Choices

• DEVELOPING LIFE SKILLS FOR MAKING RIGHT CHOICES 1. We must be committed to renewing our thinking!

a. We do this by consistently acquiring the right knowledge about God/Christ

• …and you've become a new person. This new person is continually renewed in knowledge to be like its Creator. Col 3:10 (GW)

2. We must train ourselves in the “Fear of the Lord”. • Come, children, listen to me. I will teach you the fear

of the LORD. PS 34:11 (GW) • The fear of the Lord is the teaching of wisdom…. Prov

15:33 (BBE)

Becoming Skillful in Making Right Choices

• DEVELOPING LIFE SKILLS FOR MAKING RIGHT CHOICES

3. We must be willing to obey God & His word at all cost

• Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and

sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold,

to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat

of rams. 1 Sa 15:22 (ESV)

Becoming Skillful in Making Right Choices

A.YOU CAN RECOVER FROM BAD CHOICES

1.You normally do this by excepting “REBUKE”

(Correction)

Those who refuse correction hate themselves,

but those who accept correction (rebuke) gain

understanding. Prov 15:32 (NCV)

Becoming Skillful in Making Right Choices

Jehoshaphat & Choices 2Chron 18-20

• Jehoshaphat makes a bad choices (2 Chron18:14-27)

• Jehoshaphat’s bad choice nearly cost him everything (2Chron 18:30-32)

• Jehoshaphat took his rebuke to heart (2Chron 19:1-10)

• Jehoshaphat receives favor/good report (2 Chronicles 20:29-30 )

Becoming Skillful in Making Right Choices