7 Checkpoints: Wise Choices

The bus had just dropped Jamie off in front of his house. That’s when Jamie realized that he had forgotten his homework assignment in his locker at school. This was an important assignment. It meant the difference between passing and failing his Sophmore year.
Jamie didn’t know what to do. Just that morning, his mom had warned him about what would happen if he forgot his homework one more time. He would have to take summer school, and do both his and his sisters chores for the whole summer. He couldn’t tell his mom that he forgot it again. He had to think of something and fast, because his mom had already seen him get off the bus.

Mom – Hi, Jamie. I’ve got some cookies inside. How was school today?

N – Jamie thought to himself,

Jamie – “I’ll avoid the conversation altogether until I think of something.”

Jamie – Hi, Mom. I’m starving. Do we have milk?

N – Jamie wasn’t really starving. He was stalling.

Mom – I asked you how school was today.

Jamie – School is school. It’s not great. It’s not horrible. It’s just school. More importantly, how was your day?

N – Now Jamie’s mom knew that something was going on here. The last time that Jamie asked his mom about her day was…….Never.

Mom – Jamie, where is your homework? I called your history teacher today, and she told me that you had a 3 page worksheet to complete and a chapter to read.

N – Busted. Was there a way out of this? Jamie thought to himself

Jamie – “If I say I forgot it, then I’m stuck in summer school and I’m doing Julie’s chores. History isn’t until after lunch. I can do my homework during lunch, and then noone will ever know that I didn’t do it tonight. I’ll tell my mom that I finished it on the bus. No that won’t work. She’ll want to see it. I’ll tell her that I finished it in study hall. She doesn’t know when my study hall is. That’s what I’ll say.”

Jamie – I finished that in study hall today. It was so easy. The questions were fill in the blank right out of the book. I just read the chapter and answered the questions as I went along. It was so easy. You could have done it.

Mom – I’m going to trust you, Jamie. If you are lying to me, then you will pay the consequences. By the way, I invited your teacher over for dinner tonight. I’m looking forward to talking about what you read today in study hall.Jamie probably didn’t make the wisest choice. Jamie lied to his mother. I wonder what dinner will be like for Jamie.

I want to read something to you. Open your Bibles to Ephesians 5:15-17.
That’s on page ______.

Tonight we are going to focus on those last six words, “The will of the Lord is”

The words, “God’s will,” seem to take on all kinds of different meaning, and bring out different emotions. Sometimes there is fear and uncertainty. Other times there is a indescribably peace and a strength that comes from the comfort of God’.

There’s a new country song out that actually made me cry. I couldn’t help it. It was about a little boy named, “Will”. He was handicapped, and a lady took care of him during the day. She would take him to the park, and they would play. He had a great attitude. It made her realize that if Will could get through the pain that was a part of his life, she could get through the pain that was a part of hers. In the end of the song we learn that Will only has a couple of months left to live, and Will and his mother are leaving to go to California to see a specialist. Will give his babysitter a card that just says, Thank you from Will and God.

That was a really nice play on words, but what is God’s will really? Many people ask the question, “What is God’s will for my life?” How will I know when I have achieved God’s will for my life?

The term “God’s Will” seems to me to be a bit mysterious and unapproachable until we break it down a little bit, and make less scary.

You have a will. You have willpower. “I had to eat that last donut. I just don’t have enough willpower. You got up this morning, because you willed it. You said, “I have to go to school. I will get up, and go.”

Another way to say this is that you have desires. Your teachers and your parents have desires, too. They desire that you get a good education, and that you attend school in order to that. You may not necessarily desire that for yourself, but you accept their desires for you and you go to school.

So lets change the question, “What is God’s desire for my life?” What does God want for me?

#1 – God wants you to have a relationship with Him.

1 Corinthians 1;9 – “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have everlasting life.”

Jesus Christ died so that this would be possible. He shed His own blood on the cross for you and for me. He loves you that much. You need to hear that, “God loves you. He cares about you and he has a wonderful plan for your life.”

#2 – God wants you to have a good life.
John 10:10 – I came that you might have life, and that you might have it abundantly

God created you on purpose. He also created you for a purpose. God desires that we worship Him. He desires that we grow to be more like Him.

Philippians 1:6 – “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

He desires that we tell others about him. He desires that we have close relationships with eachother, and that we serve eachother

#3 – God wants your desires to be His desires.
Jamie’s mom and his teacher both want Jamie to succeed. They don’t want Jamie to fail and have to go through summer school to catch back up with his friends. Jamie wants to have fun and ‘enjoy life’. He doesn’t want to spend his time doing homework. He’ll do much better in school if he chooses to desire the same thing that his mom desires.

Tom wants to be an awesome drummer someday. When his teacher tells him that he will need to practice several times a week, he’s telling him because he wants Tom to succeed. If Tom chooses not to be obedient to his teacher, then he will only be a mediocre drummer who is capable of keeping a beat with a few little cymbal crashes for emphasis.

We all have choices to make every day. We can be wise or we can be foolish about our choices. When your desires are the same as God’s desires, then you will be making wise choices, unlike our friend, Jamie.

N – Later that afternoon Jamie walked up to his mom in the kitchen, because he knew that he had to make things right.

Jamie – Mom. I have something to tell you. I lied to you earlier. I didn’t do my homework yet, and I forgot it all in my locker. I guess that this means that I will be doing Julie’s chores for the summer, huh.

Mom – Jamie, I know that you lied to me. I’m your mother. It hurt that you didn’t think that you could tell me the truth the first time. I am glad that you were wise enough to come and set things straight. You will have to do some of Julie’s chores this summer, but because of your honesty you’ll only have to do them twice a week. As for your homework, your teacher is bringing over an extra copy of the book and an extra copy of the worksheet. I called her when I realized that you weren’t telling me the truth. She’ll be here in about an hour for dinner.
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Breakout Session Guide B.S.L stands for Breakout Session Leader -

Have you ever been in a situation like Jamie’s? What did you do? Were you wise?
BSL – Story time. If you can think of a story from your own life, then share it. Let them
Do the same. Wise = Choosing right

What is your will? What is your will for being here tonight? Why are you here? What is it about The Grip that satisfies your will?
BSL – Let them answer how they want. Encourage all of the answers, and really
Encourage the great answers. J

1) Julie rushed home. “Good”, she thought, I beat Mom to the mailbox. Midterm progress reports were out. The failure notice in geometry would definitely not be a big hit. Since the divorce, Julie’s mother had been bugging her to improve her grades. Julie had tried, but Mr. Bradshaw didn’t teach geometry very well. Julie vowed to improve her grades. She knew she could do better. Why upset her mom when the quarter grades don’t count anyway?

What would you do in Julie’s situation? Reason?
What should you do in Julie’s situation? Reason?
What would Jesus do in Julie’s situation? Reason?

Genesis 12:11-13
2 Kings 6:19-23
Psalm 35:20
Proverbs 20:17
Jeremiah 17:9

2) Kim’s parents believed her again when she told them she didn’t know she was an hour late. They trusted her. Kim didn’t think it was her fault that she had to stretch the truth so often. She believed she wouldn’t have to do it at all if her parents weren’t so strict. Her curfew was just too early. All of her friends were allowed to stay out much later. Kim had tried talking to her parents several times, but they didn’t seem to listen.

What would you do in Julie’s situation? Reason?
What should you do in Julie’s situation? Reason?
What would Jesus do in Julie’s situation? Reason?

Psalm 35:20
Proverbs 23:25
Proverbs 30:11
Romans 7:11
Romans 7:18-23
Colossians 3:20
BSL – Pick one of the 2 above situations. Have the students in your group look up the
Verses. You may get nothing out of the verse or it may be great. Just have an open talk.