Last week began the exciting journey of charting our course for success. We looked at some of the basics for goal setting and vision setting. The main seven points were:

• #1. YOU MUST HAVE A GOAL
• #2. Goals Must be written down
• #3. Goals Must be measured
• #4. Goals Must Have A Time Limit
• #5. Goals Must be balanced
• #6. Goals must be challenging yet reachable
• #7. Who can help you reach your goals

S.PIRITUAL

Tonight we will begin to take each piece of our future and look at it through the lens of God’s Holy Word.

• While we are going to talk about our personal lives and our hobbies and many other things, we must first begin with the spiritual man.

• If our spiritual vital signs are not reading properly then the rest of our life will not function properly as well.

• The Word of God tells us . . .

• John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

• Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulful the lust of the flesh.

1) GOD MUST COME FIRST

• We will first set goals dealing with our spiritual life.

• GOD COMES FIRST!

• Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

• 1 Kings 19:19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 20. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? 21. And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

• Elisha wanted to be a follower of Elijah

• So he left his field and his oxen and followed Elijah

• John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

• If you are going to follow him then you first must lower your pride, your will, and flesh, and allow God to do whatever He wants to accomplish.

• We must allow God to do anything that He wants to do

• Change our career

• Change our focus

• Change, anything that HE wants to

2) YOU MUST BE READY

• God wants to pour out many things upon us, but we must be ready.
• You must be preparing yourself for the blessing
• Are you building a storehouse for the blessings? 

• 2 Kings 2:9-10 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 10. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.

• You must be prepared

3) THINK LARGER THAN YOUR ABILITY 

2 Kings 2:9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

• Close your eyes
• How large can you think?
• Where do you see yourself in five years?
• Ten Years?
• Now double that image in your mind
• That is what Elisha did

Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

• Taco Bell has a saying, “Think outside the bun”
• We must be willing to think outside the church
• Or outside our homes
• We must increase our faith
• We must increase our vision

4) YOU MUST BE PATIENT 

2 Kings 13:21 And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet.

• Elisha did not receive his dream of a double portion until after his death
• Most dreams don’t come to pass on our time table

Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

CONCLUSION

Take some time to write down all of your spiritual and ministry minded goals on this page. We are much more likely to complete these goals when they are set before us.

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Spiritual goals could include: 

1) Read the Bible cover to cover in one year

2) Win a Soul to God this year

3) Teach one Bible Study this year

4) Join a Ministry Team

5) Go on AIM

LIFE SURVIVAL SERIES

• SERMON ONE: THE ART OF SURVIVAL
• SERMON TWO: S.PIRITUAL GOALS
• SERMON THREE: U.NDERSTANDING GOALS
• SERMON FOUR: R.ELATIONSHIP GOALS
• SERMON FIVE: V.ISION GOALS
• SERMON SIX: I.NVESTMENT GOALS
• SERMON SEVEN: V.OCATION GOALS
• SERMON EIGHT: A.SSET GOALS
• SERMON NINE: L.EISURE GOALS