"Decisions, Decisions! How Do I Become Good At Making Them?"

Decisions, decisions how do I become good at making them? That's our message. The text is taken from Joel 3.

2025 is going to be a year like we have never seen before. The storm clouds are brewing, and have been brewing for a long time. If the events toward the end of this year are any indication, this is going to be one of the most tumultuous years that we have seen since World War II. Nevertheless, you are going to make it through, by the grace of God, who will empower you to make wise choices and decisions as you go through the year ahead.

Even as I speak, someone viewing this message is about to make a decision that could cost them their life. Another is about to enter a relationship that could cause them to be infected with an STD. There's a husband or wife viewing this message that has a plan to leave their spouse. An individual listening to this sermon plans to quit their job today. Someone else is thinking about going into the political arena. There's someone viewing this message who's decided to go down a road that can change their life forever, and not for good either. Then there is an individual thinking about defrauding someone of their earthly possessions. Decisions, decisions, decisions! Everyone is making them, and sometimes without thinking them through properly!

Father we thank You for this word today. Oh that You would give wisdom, knowledge and understanding to Your children that they will be able to make good choices, good decisions, pleasing to You and having good outcomes. We thank You and praise You in Jesus name. Amen.

Yes my friend! Everyone viewing this message is in the Valley of Decisions, some are facing big decisions, but most are facing small decisions all day long, and these can still have serious consequences. And what is so amazing, is that God knows how we will decide, and what will be the consequences of our choices even before we make them! Nevertheless, He wants us to know how to choose wisely. He wants us to have good outcomes! And so, He always makes an attempt to warn us off choices that will not turn out good for us, if we would only listen to Him! And I know that He warns us, because I've been on the wrong side of this warning many times.

According to a study by Barkley's, which is a British Universal Bank, it is estimated that the average adult makes about 35,000 remotely conscious decisions every day. And that each decision carries certain consequences with them that will be either good or bad. Thankfully, children only makes about 3,000 decisions a day, the report says. Perhaps because parents are making most decisions for them, until they are better at decision making. The report says that we are making decisions about things such as what to eat, what to wear, what to watch, what to do, etc. And they have determined that these smaller decisions take about 2 and a half hours of our time every day. But the larger decisions may take up to 60 days before we decide. Unfortunately, many suffer stress and anxiety when faced with decisions, and some even become sick to their stomach. The experts may not all agree on these stats, but they all seem to agree that persons over 65 find decision making a lot less stressful, than those who are in the 18 to 24 age bracket. Proving, that experience is the best teacher on how to make good decisions!

The study goes on to say that some of the hardest decisions are such as whether or not to change our job, how we should invest our money, how we should spend our savings. They go on to say that there's something called, 'decision making fatigue,' which comes upon those who unwisely spend hours deliberating over the small decisions. And by the time they come to making big and important decisions like, changing a job or choosing a partner, they feel fatigued, and take a long time to make up their mind on these choices. They also say that, "choice paralysis," is experienced when making too many everyday decisions. And that it has an impact on our ability to make the more important ones.

So good decision making requires wisdom, knowledge and understanding. And the Bible tells us that, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding," according to Proverbs 9:10. In other words, reverence for God is the starting point of gaining wisdom. And we do not even begin to become smart, until we come to the place in our life where we recognize the sovereignty of God, and make a decision to be obedient to His Word. This is the litmus test of whether we will fall in the category of the foolish or the wise, at the end of the age. In our decision- making we're always choosing whether to obey God or not and if obedience to Him is our goal then decision making will be easier, and we will ultimately have much better outcomes!

Because God gave us freedom of choice, it became very necessary for all of us to learn how to make good choices and how to make good decisions. Parents are admonished by the Word of God to, "Train up their child in the way that he should go, and when he's old he shall not depart from it." In other words, parents are to teach their child how to make good choices. But the problem is that so many parents are absent from the homes today.

According to various reports, humans make anywhere from 10 to 50 mistakes every day, depending on the difficulty of the task. And this number may be lower for children who are brought up by wise parents. But the number of mistakes per day is also lower for Born Again Believers in Christ, because the Holy Spirit who lives in our heart, guides us in our everyday choices. In fact James 1:5 says, "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let them ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. "But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind." In other words, ask the Lord to help you make good choices. Study His Word and He will make you wise! But those who doubt God, vacillate between good and bad choices not knowing which way to go. And in the end they very often make the wrong choice, because Satan is in their ear. And I can testify to that personally, but since coming to Jesus Christ my decision making has improved dramatically for the better. Praise the Lord!

Faith is belief in a power that is stronger than the power of the demons that you're fighting against. And therefore when you make a decision to believe in someone or something that is stronger than the enemy that you're facing, you will always prevail.

I heard a story about the comedian Jamie Fox who started out as a pianist and choir director in a Baptist Church, believe it or not. But he was stricken with an illness recently. It was diagnosed as a brain bleed according to doctors at Piedmont hospital in Atlanta, this article says. But, after they operated he could not walk. In a recent comedy show he said that he made a decision to be funny every day of his recovery. He said he made a decision to laugh his way through a painful recovery that lasted 6 months. Today he is completely restored.

And I thought that was the complete story. 'Healed by the medicine of laughter.' Well that was the way it was presented on the national news at 6:30 p.m., on that day. They showed a clip from his comedy show. I wondered if it would have made the national news if the story line was Jamie Fox healed by the Lord Jesus Christ. And so I was intrigued and decided to dig deeper for the full story. I discovered that the real story line is, 'Healed by Jesus Christ through the power of the prayers of a loving Christian sister.'

On the day of his ordeal, his praying sister trusted God to show her the right hospital to take him to. According to several stories I found online, they were in Atlanta doing a show and she did not know the Atlanta hospitals. But the Lord led her to the Piedmont hospital and the doctor at that hospital told her that he would have to operate on his brain to stop the brain bleed otherwise Fox would die, he said. She told the doctor, "Okay but you will not find anything because I have already talked to God." And so she sat outside the operating theater praying for her brother during his surgery. And just as she said, the doctor did not find the cause of the bleed. But Fox was left unable to walk properly and was confined to a wheelchair. During his six month recovery period, he recommitted his life to Jesus Christ.

When I had heard the story on the news. The story line was that he laughed his way back to health using humor. And I had said to myself, I never heard him mention God. How could this be? I know that laughter is good medicine and it releases feel-good hormones into the bloodstream that can help to speed on recovery. But there's also evidence out there that says standup comedians have a shorter lifespan than even actors. So comedy may help in the healing process but it's clearly not the answer. God is stronger than comedy. It is a smart decision to use laughter to help you recover from an ordeal. However we must be mindful that you cannot laugh your way into heaven.

And finally in Joel 3:14, the prophet wrote that he saw multitudes in the valley of decision. And he said it this way, "Put in the sickle for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, the grapes, for the wine press is full; the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the Day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision." It is not clear whether the prophet is speaking about those gathered to fight against the Lord in the valley on that great day that is coming, when he says multitudes are in the valley of decision, or whether he's speaking of those on Earth who are undecided about who God truly is. And unsure whether Jesus Christ is His Son. And whether they should follow Him. But we do know that the day of the Lord is near. And we do know that many on Earth are undecided about our great God. And Joel also says that the sun and the moon will become dark and the stars will lose their brightness when the Lord roars from Zion, and utters His voice from Jerusalem. At that time the heavens and the Earth will shake because of a huge earthquake.

But we have God's promise that the Lord will be a refuge for His people and a stronghold for the sons of Israel. And we will know that He is the Lord our God, dwelling on Zion, His holy mountain. And we will also know that Jerusalem will be holy and strangers will no longer pass through it. This shall be a glorious time Joel says. A time when the hills will flow with milk and all the brooks of Judah will flow with water, and the spring of pure water will flow out from the house of the Lord God, and will water the valley continually. Oh what an awesome and wonderful day that will be when we shall see our Savior. In the meantime we pray that you will make wise decisions and choices and remain vigilant. God bless and keep you in Jesus mighty name. Amen.

You've been listening to this message and perhaps you do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. As usual we want to give you that opportunity. Please engage your heart and say this prayer after me:

-Father I am a sinner.

-I am sorry for all my sins.

-Dear Lord I crave Your forgiveness and thank You for Your mercy.

-Thank You Lord for forgiving my sins.

-Today I invite Jesus Christ into my heart heart.

-Dear Lord Jesus make my heart Your home.

-I give You the key to my heart because I now belong to You forever.

-Please give me the Holy Spirit to lead me into all truth.

-Thank You Lord for saving my soul. Amen.

Welcome friend to the body of believers in Christ. There are so many of us here awaiting the return of the Good Master. In the meanwhile we encourage you to become water baptized as quickly as possible. It is the fulfillment of all righteousness. Begin reading the Word of God every day. Begin in the book of John, then go to Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Pray daily. Attend at your local church and one glad morning the Savior will come and receive us all unto Himself. And we shall indeed forever be with the Lord. God bless and keep you in Jesus mighty name. Amen.