Be Wise: Look Ahead and Face Reality

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES Better Together

Be Wise: Look Ahead and Face Reality By Rick Warren — Jun 6, 2015 “The wise man looks ahead. The fool attempts to fool himself and won’t face facts.” (Proverbs 14:8 TLB) Many people in life start out well, but they end up progressing poorly because they don't plan for the pitfalls. But the Bible says the wise man looks ahead and faces reality. As we make plans for our future, we all face pitfalls, such as cultural distractions, voices of doubt, tempting shortcuts, and discouraging delays. Just look at Noah: He had pitfalls after God told him to build the ark, but he overcame them — and you can, too. Now, this doesn’t mean God will give you a goal as audacious as building an ark, but I pray he’ll give you a big goal — even an audacious one —for your next 10 years. The Bible says, “The wise man looks ahead. The fool attempts to fool himself and won’t face facts”(Proverbs 14:8 TLB). By looking ahead, we’ll not only be prepared to spot the pitfalls when they come into our lives; we’ll also be equipped to make plans that help us become the man or woman God wants us to be. Ask God to help you establish goals for the next decade of your life. Then you’ll be ready to move forward and learn how to handle the pitfalls that could potentially keep you from getting where God wants you to go. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over What are the lessons from your last 10 years that you can apply to your next decade? When you look to the future, who do you want to become? What do you want God to accomplish in your life? How do your goals reflect the power of God in your life? Do you dream big because you serve a big God? Today’s Scripture “Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart...” (Psalm 24:3–4, NIV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS Who Will See God? Our God is holy. In order to see Him, we must be holy, too. The good news is that Jesus makes us clean and new when we surrender our lives to Him. The old is gone; the new has come. But the job of keeping our hearts pure, that’s up to us. We have to guard our hearts against strife and bitterness. We have to make sure we don’t allow temptations to contaminate us and take us down the wrong path. We have to be careful about what we watch, what we listen to and who we hang around. All of those outside influences affect us and our decisions. Always remember, what you give your attention to will shape your heart and character. Make sure to give your attention to the Word of God. Give your attention to worship. Choose forgiveness and keep your heart pure before the Lord. Draw close to Him and rise higher and higher to the place where God is. A Prayer for Today “Father, I want to see You. Open the eyes of my heart. Purify me and cleanse my heart. Help me make the right choices so that I can honor You today and always. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to You in Jesus’ name. Amen.” PS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCYKRSKDDRc