Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to your own understanding; in all your

ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:!"#$
%ommit to the Lord whatever you do! and your plans shall succeed
&or most o' our lives we go about doing what we want to do! and when we want to do it$
(hen someone tries to tell us what to do! immediately we say! who are you) *obody
tells be what to do$
Tonight we need to make a commitment to change! last night we prayed that %hrist would
come in and be our personal savior! but tonight we need to access whether or not we
really want him to be our Lord$ This is the other side o' love! where %hrist says! i' you
love me then keep my commandments$ +ou made a vow in the heat o' emotions! but i'
you were real about it then there are some things that must change$
The 'irst thing that needs to change is the way we view ourselves$ *ow , know a lot
about this lack o' sel'-esteem philosophy (and there may be some good to it# but 'or the
most part our problem is that we love ourselves too much$
Living 'or %hrist involves the reali.ation that it is no longer , that lives! but %hrist that
lives in me$ /esus e0plains this in Luke 12:3-34 ,t reads! Large crowds were traveling
with /esus! and turning to them he said: i' anyone comes to me and does not hate his
'ather and mother! his wi'e and children! his brothers and sisters - yes! even his own li'e -
he cannot be my disciple$ 5nd anyone who does not carry his cross and 'ollow me cannot
be my disciple$
(e must reali.e that we have nothing good in us! we have nothing to o''er 6od$ There
was a man that entered the *7 program! had been in several programs accoss the 8$9$!
that 'elt 6od had called him to our program to help these men who were much worse o''
than he$
,ts this kind o' denial that keeps us sick! and unable to change$ (e even want to take
credit 'or coming to the mission to get ourselves together! and on and on$
1: years ago when , was downtown selling abra-ka-dabra on 3
nd
ave! , had no intentions
o' changing - , was going to use that money to come up on some real dope$
,ntroduction - you did not 'ind 6od! he 'ound you$ ;e drew you! you were set-up! it was
a ;oly 6host ambush$ *ow it is time to surrender$
%ommitment de'ined - There is no limit to what 6od can do through the man who is 'ully
committed to ;im$
%ommitment to change involves 3 things - 5wareness! <ecision! and 5ction
5wareness = admittance
<ecision = acceptance
5ction = 'ollowing a plan
9ometimes we enter programs so that we can have a roo' over our heads 'or a little
longer! so we go along with the program! but our commitment is not heart'elt$
>cclesiastes :1-4 gives us warning! it says! (alk prudently when you go to the house o'
6od; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacri'ice o' 'ools! 'or they do not know
that they do evil$ <o not be rash with your mouth! 5nd let not your heart utter anything
hastily be'ore 6od$ &or 6od is in heaven! and you on earth; there'ore let your words be
'ew$ &or a dream comes through much activity! 5nd a 'ool?s voice is known by his many
words$ (hen you make a vow to 6od! do not delay to pay it; &or ;e has no pleasures in
'ools$ Pay what you have vowed - @etter to not vow than to vow and not pay$ <o not let
your mouth cause your 'lesh to sin! nor say be'or the messenger o' 6od that it was an
error$ (hy should 6od be angry at your e0cuse and destroy the work o' your hands) &or
in the multitude o' dreams and many words there is also vanity$ @ut 'ear 6od$
,n other words! don?t 'ake the 'unk$ @e where you are atA
/esus con'irms this principal in Luke 12:3B-3:! he says! 9uppose one o' you wants to
build a tower$ (ill he not 'irst sit down and estimate the cost to see i' he has enough
money to complete it) &or i' he lays the 'oundation and is not able to 'inish it! everyone
who sees it will ridicule him! saying! This 'ellow began to build and was not able to
'inish$ /esus teaches that we should count the cost be'ore we commit$
/esus also teaches us that our level o' commitment increases with our 'aith'ulness in small
tasks$ ;e says in Luke 1":1:! (hoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted
with much! and whoever will be dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with
much$
Lastly! /esus teaches us to make the commitment and leave the results to 6od$ @ut seek
'irst his righteousness and his kingdom! and all these things will be given to you as well$
Let?s talk about making the commitment - the process is so well described in /ohn :1-1
Cead D describe 2 9teps involved
%onclusion - (hat areas o' your li'e need to be changed) ,s it your language (cursing!
negativity! loEuaciousness#$ ,s it the crowd you hang out with) ,s it your behavior
(manipulative! angry! controlling! isolation! lying! stealing! a'raid#$ ;ow about your
personal li'e! your 'amily li'e! church li'e! or your business li'e$ Think about it$ (ill you
make the commitment to change in those areas) 5'ter a moment o' silence - Cead Fy
%hristian %ommitment - by a young 5'rican Pastor who was later martyred 'or his 'aith$