Who Controls Your Future?

Current Teaching Series Building My Life on Values That Last

Who Controls Your Future? By Rick Warren — June 20, 2018 "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Romans 8:28 NLT). One of the great fears we all face is the fear of the future. We fear for the futures of our families, our friends, our jobs, our communities — and everything else in between. It's natural. We're not in control. But that realization should drive us to trust God more deeply. We might not be in control of our future, but God is. He created the whole universe. If he wanted to, the Lord could just snap it out of existence in a moment. Yet he is working his plan in history. He is moving history to a climax, a destiny. One day Jesus Christ will come back to Earth. Nothing will stop that. Just as he is working in history to move events toward that day, he will work in your life for a purpose, too — if you'll let him. The Bible says, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Romans 8:28 NLT). God's Word doesn't say that everything is good. It also doesn't say that God causes everything. He doesn't cause war. He doesn't cause cancer. He doesn't cause rape, abortion, abuse, or molestation. He doesn't cause evil. We do that. God gives us the freedom to choose. Evil is the price of that freedom. But the Bible does say that God causes everything to work together for good. He can take the dumb, evil, and bad decisions I've made in my life and use them for good if I'll trust him. Romans 8:28 isn't a promise for everyone, though. It's for "those who love God." It's for those who trust God and say, "Here, Lord, you take all the broken pieces of my life and put them together." This is why when I read the headlines each day, I don't worry. Sure, there are a lot of problems in the world today, but God is still in control. God is still moving history to a climax. And God is still moving his people toward his best for them. One day God will work everything out for his purpose. Because God is in control, we can trust him with everything — including the good, the bad, and the ugly of our lives. PLAY today's audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk About It How will knowing that God is in control help you to trust him better? How have you seen God take a bad decision and make something good out of it? What's one fear of the future that you can hand over to God today?

Our Gift: Building My Life on Values That Last In a world where what's true and right seems to shift every day, it's no wonder many people lead confused, unsatisfied lives. Building My Life on Values That Last reveals what God has to say about how you can . . . • Be responsible • Practice self-control • Find balance • Show respect • Give and receive forgiveness • Live honestly • And love completely LEARN MORE

Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes 9 full-length teaching CDs from Pastor Rick's series Building My Life on Values That Last LEARN MORE

Series Summary Session 1: Choosing My Standards Session 2: Accepting Responsibiilty Session 3: Developing Trust Session 4: Developing Self-Control Session 5: The Balanced Life Session 6: Showing Respect Session 7: Offering Forgiveness Session 8: Maintaining Moral Purity Session 9: Showing Fairness 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, which has been translated into 137 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. 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 © 2018 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