PART 5 of 8 A View From the Top Andy Stanley All slides produced by solidgroundtraining.com

Church Notices (See the “Tiddler”) WELCOME & NOTICES Comfort Notices Toilets Refreshments Times Church Notices (See the “Tiddler”) April 22 – AGM 20,21&23 – Deeper 2018 Castle Hill Baptist May TBA Group Notices April May 07 – Bank Holiday 21 – Paul & Sarah Out 28 – Bank Holiday

TESTIMONY TIME Specific Answers to Prayer Any thing that has cropped up for you, Progress with 5’s, Local Community, Mission & International News – Coming soon…

RESPONSE TIME

COURSE CONTENT SESSIONS Decisions, Decisions. Are You Ready for This? A State of Emergency. Getting to the Good Stuff. A View from the Top. Inside the Mind of God. The Big Picture. This One Thing.

REVIEW 1. Your Life is the sum total of your decisions The more familiar with the PROVIDENTIAL… The more obedient to the MORAL… The easier to find the PERSONAL… …Will of God for your life “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands..” Psalm 119:10 2. God does not give us information for consideration, but for participation. In the process of discovering God’s will, we discover God. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 3. Seeking counsel provides valuable information for decision-making: EXPERIENCE – from someone who has been there, OBJECTIVITY – from someone who can see the ‘Big Picture’, EXPERTISE – from someone who has more knowledge. “A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel.” Proverbs 1:5 NASB

REVIEW 4. There is no one better to show you the way than the one who has been there before. Following God is often as simple and practical as following godly men and women. “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs 13:20 NASB 5. 6.

ASSIGNMENT FOR LAST WEEK What Did You Do ? ASSIGNMENT FOR LAST WEEK It’s difficult getting comfortable with the practice of obtaining advice, so: Prayerfully, select one of your top three concerns, Pray for and pursue an opportunity with the right person for advice, Summarise the direction you received.

Play the Video and come right Back… STUDY Play the Video and come right Back… 9

RESPONSE TIME

GOING BEHIND THE SCENES See the Study Guide, Page 47 and Handout. Every decision has the potential to be swayed by fear and desire. You may fear a bad experience, or be overwhelmed by a desire for something. Your intuition can distort your perspective and lead you down a path that is not the best. Think of three situations where your decision wasn’t the best, write them down in column 1. Identify a fear or a desire that may have skewed your perspective and hindered your decision-making ability, write them down in column 2.

STUDY Discussion, In your opinion: See Study Guide Page 50 . In our culture, are you more likely to hear messages and encourage you to follow your intuition or to question it? In the Bible, are you more likely to hear messages that encourage you to follow your intuition or to question it? Read Psalm 33:1-22. Name one or two attributes of God, from this passage, that make His perspective superior to man’s perspective when it comes to decision-making? Read Psalm 33:1-22 12

CONCLUSION In making decisions, what is naturally intuitive to us may actually lead us astray.

ASSIGNMENT FOR THE WEEK What Will You Do ? MEMORY VERSE “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 ASSIGNMENT FOR THE WEEK Read Job 38:1-42:6, From this passage, identified at least five accomplishments God presents to Job as a reminder of His sovereignty, List five facts about your own life that point to Gods’ sovereignty e.g. And every day miracle, your ability to breathe, etc..

Ephesians 6:18 “18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere..” NLT LET’S PRAY Specific situations Prayer 5’s Local Situations International News James 5:13 “13 Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises...”