ICEBREAKERS
Make sure to start off with prayer. Then choose one or more questions to open up with.
- What is the best choice you have ever made?
- Make some choices between the following: coke or pepsi, tea or coffee, movies or books, rain or sun, hot or cold weather, stay home or travel for vacation.
Message Review
Main points and scriptures from this week's message.
When God created man he created us with the power and the intelligence to make choices. Not only are we capable of making choices but our choices are our part in the creative process of our life.
POINT 1: MY CHOICES ARE MY PART IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS OF MY LIFE
Here is a great example of how choices impact our life. When you see someone who turned their life around by losing weight, getting in better shape, looking better, and feeling better that doesn’t happen because they want it to happen or pray it will happen. It happens because they start making better food choices,.choose better habits, and choose their way to better health and fitness!!
Dueteronomy 30:19
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.
POINT 2: BETTER CHOICES = BETTER LIFE
Wherever you are currently is not where you have to stay!! If you want a better life--- you can have a better life! The only thing between you and a better life is better choices!
Nobody makes good choices all the time and everyone has made some really bad choices. But just because you’ve made bad choices in your past doesn’t mean you have to keep making those choices. You can make better choices.
Maybe choices that your mom and dad may have made impacted your life in a negative way. But you can make different choices, new choices, and better choices that will impact your life and future in a new and better way.
Your history is not your destiny!!
POINT 3: GOD DOESN’T MAKE OUR CHOICES, WE DO.
The Power to choose is the ultimate delegation of Power that God has given to man!
Here is a statistic to show you how much our choices matter: The average adult makes about 35,000 decisions each day. Let’s look at some of the choices we make everyday:
- When to go to sleep, when to wake up
- What to wear
- What to eat/how much to eat
- Who to hang out with…(show me your friends, I’ll show you your future!)
- How much effort I put into my work or my education
- How we use time
- To read or not to read
- What and who I listen to
- What I watch
- Who I follow on Facebook...Twitter
- Our career
- Who we date….who we marry
POINT #4: IT TAKES COURAGE TO MAKE BETTER CHOICES
Look at the verse we started with today:
“I set before you life and death….now choose life that you and your children might live”
This was Moses' last message before he died and two of the people who were there listening was a guy named Joshua and another named Caleb. They got that message in their heart and out of over 3 million people they were the only ones who ended up in the land of promise. The reason is they kept choosing life…kept choosing faith…they kept trusting in the Lord….they kept their courage in times of defeat…They saw giants in the land but chose to believe that God was giving them the land!!
Message Discussion Questions
The following questions will help guide your discussions and give your group some opportunities to open up and share.
- How have choices you have made impacted your life in a big way?
- If better choices = better life, why don't we just make better choices?
- How do you think prayer and choices relate to each other?
- What is one daily "small" choice that you want to start making? (ie. working out, daily devotion, bible reading, etc)
- We all have felt the impact that other's choices have had on us. Instead of focusing on that, describe how your choices can positively impact others that are around you.
Live It Out
Encourage your group to start doing. Commit to a step, and live it out this week.
- Write down one daily and one long-term choice you want to make. Write it down again on your mirror, on sticky notes, and even create reminders in your phone to make that choice.
- Serve together as a group. Every month we have serving opportunities with Champions Foundation. To view the calendar of events click HERE
Closing Thoughts
- Finish group with prayer requests and praise reports.
- More resources always available here: Small Group Resources