What Has Final Authority in Your Life?

Current Teaching Series A Toolbox For Life: Skills You Need to Succeed

What Has Final Authority in Your Life? By Rick Warren — May 27, 2017 “The human mind is the most deceitful of all things. It is incurable. No one can understand how deceitful it is” (Jeremiah 17:9 GW). One fundamental question in life stands above all others. What will have the final authority in your life? What sources will help you determine your values? Will it be your parents? Or your peers? Perhaps your school or the books you read? What about the movies or television shows you watch, or the songs you listen to? God allows you to make the decision. He’s given us free will. Most of our options come down to three different choices. Myself: We can depend on our gut to tell us what to do. But there’s a problem with that. Study after study reveals that our perceptions are more likely to be wrong than right. In fact, sometimes we lie to ourselves. In Jeremiah 17:9, the Bible says, “The human mind is the most deceitful of all things. It is incurable. No one can understand how deceitful it is” (GW). The World: We can depend on what other people think to determine our values. The problem is, the world often values the wrong things. For instance, the world emphasizes beauty over character, or tells us to pursue whatever feels good, or declares that whoever has the most possessions wins. We’re bombarded with these worldly values through all sorts of media — so much so that it’s easy to start thinking God put us on this planet to look good, feel good, and get stuff. But that couldn’t be further from the truth! God’s Word: God’s Word is objective and truthful, as opposed to our own perceptions or the world’s opinions. God’s Word says, “If you continue in My word . . . you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:31-32 NASB). After reading about these choices, where will you look to determine your values? Which one will you chose to be the final authority in your life? What will have the final authority in your life? PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over: How have you seen other people make poor choices by valuing the authority of anything other than God? Why is the choice of authority so critical that it’s the “most fundamental question in life”? What will have the final authority in your life? How have you decided to answer that question?

Our Gift: A Toolbox For Life Study Kit Get the skills you need to succeed in life! Desire and determination simply aren’t enough to succeed in life. Success isn’t about working hard… It’s about working smart, God’s way. That’s what you’ll learn how to do with Pastor Rick’s Toolbox for Life Study Kit. This kit shows you how you can… • Identify your core values, so you know what matters most • Understand and maximize your God-given strengths • Deal with naysayers in your life • Study Scripture to help you prepare for every situation • Work more efficiently and successfully LEARN MORE

Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes four full length teaching CD's from Pastor Rick's series A Toolbox For Life: Skills You Need to Succeed. LEARN MORE

Series Summary Session 1: Ignoring the Naysayers Session 2: Knowing What Matters Most Session 3: Maximizing Your Strengths Session 4: Learning To Be Both Fast and Slow PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered around the world. This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe