Dr. Robert Jeffress

Robert Jeffress - If You Don't Know Where You're Going, You're Going To End Up Somewhere Else (Part 1)

July 13, 2026 | 27:29

Pathway to Victory provides practical application of God’s Word to everyday life through clear, Biblical teaching.

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Dr. Robert Jeffress | Robert Jeffress - If You Don't Know Where You're Going, You're Going To End Up Somewhere Else (Part 1) | July 13, 2026

...
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Male announcer: ephesus, thessaloniki, the greek islands.
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The apostle paul didn't just write about these places, he
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Lived in them.
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And this may, so can you on the pathway to victory journeys of
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Paul cruise.
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Dr. robert jeffress: i've read the book of acts my entire life,
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But there's nothing like standing in ephesus, walking
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Where paul walked, and feeling the weight
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Of what happened there.
00:00:21.578 --> 00:00:23.012
Announcer: nine unforgettable nights aboard celebrity infinity
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Sailing round trip from athens with stops in mykonos, rhodes,
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Santorini, and more.
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And there's an optional pre-cruise extension in athens.
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Jeffress: every port carries the fingerprints
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Of god's redemptive plan.
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Every ancient stone tells a story.
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This is truly the trip of a lifetime, and i promise you, you
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Will never read the bible the same way again.
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Announcer: the early bird discount ends july 31,
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So act now.
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Call... or visit ptv.org.
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♪♪♪
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Male announcer: from the pulpit of the first baptist
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Church of dallas, texas, this is "pathway to victory"
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With dr. robert jeffress.
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Dr. robert jeffress: hi, i'm robert jeffress, and
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Welcome again to "pathway to victory."
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When you hire someone to build a house,
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You fully expect him to show up on the first day of construction
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With a blueprint.
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Right?
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Well, in the same way, building a successful life
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Takes planning, preparation; and yes, a blueprint.
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Today, we're going to consult the wisest and wealthiest man
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In the bible about planning for success.
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My message is titled "if you don't know where you're going,
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You're going to end up somewhere else" on today's edition of
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"pathway to victory."
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Announcer: god wants you to experience his best in every
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Area of life, and the wisdom to get there is found in his word.
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In "the solomon's secrets," dr. robert jeffress draws on the
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Life of the wisest and most successful man who ever lived to
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Bring you ten life-changing principles from proverbs.
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You'll discover practical biblical wisdom for your
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Marriage, finances, your career, your purpose, and so much more.
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Request "the solomon secrets" when you give a generous
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Ministry gift to "pathway to victory."
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♪♪♪
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Jeffress: albert einstein was once on a train headed
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To new york city.
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As the ticket taker came through the coach to collect the
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Tickets, einstein started searching his pockets.
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He couldn't find his ticket anywhere.
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The ticket taker came up to him and said,
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"mr. einstein, we know you can't find your ticket.
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Don't worry about it.
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We know who you are.
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Don't worry."
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About 20 minutes later, the ticket taker came back through
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The car and this time einstein was on his hands and knees
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Searching for the lost ticket.
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The ticket taker said, "mr. einstein,
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We told you we know who you are.
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We trust you.
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Don't worry about it."
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Einstein looked up at the ticket taker and said,
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"son, this isn't a matter of trust but of direction.
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I need the ticket because i forgot where i'm going."
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[congregation laughing]
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What about you?
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Do you know where you're going in life?
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Are you moving right now toward your intended destination,
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Are you moving away from it, or are you simply sitting idle?
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Today as we continue our study in the book of proverbs,
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We've come to the third solomon secret for success.
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If you don't know where you're going,
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You're going to end up someplace else.
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Today we're going to look and see what solomon as well as all
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Of the biblical writers had to say about the subject
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Of planning.
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If you have your bibles, turn to proverbs chapter 15,
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Proverbs chapter 15.
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A few years ago, my sister-in-law was the recipient
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Of $6,500 worth of airplane vouchers.
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She and her family had been bumped off of a flight,
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So for compensation they gave her $6,500 that she could use
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To go anywhere in the world.
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Now, she had all of the resources she needed to do
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And have to travel wherever she wanted to travel.
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The only problem is she didn't know where she wanted to go.
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What about you?
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If you were to close your eyes for just a moment--please don't.
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I don't want you falling asleep.
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But if you were, if you were to close your eyes and answer
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The question, "where do i want to go in life?"
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I'm not talking about your vacation,
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I'm talking about your life.
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"where do i want to go?"
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Would you have a clear destination in your mind
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Of where you want to end up in life?
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Let's be real specific.
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Let's think about, for example, your financial life.
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If we were to roll the calendar forward 10 years from today,
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10 years from today, where would you like to be in your finances?
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Specifically, how much money would you like to be earning?
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How much money would you like to have saved toward retirement?
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How much money would you like to be investing in god's work?
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Or think about your vocational life.
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Ten years from now, what would you like to be doing?
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Where would you like to be working?
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What would you like people to be saying about
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Your accomplishments?
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Or think about your family life.
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Ten years from today, what would you like your relationships at
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Home to look like?
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How would your relationship with your mate be different or
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With your children or with your grandchildren?
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Think about your spiritual life for a moment.
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Ten years from now, what would you like your relationship with
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God to look like?
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What spiritual disciplines would you like to have mastered in
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Your life ten years from now?
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You know, dreams are very, very important,
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But they're not sufficient to take you where you want
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To go in life.
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My sister-in-law ended up deciding she wanted to go
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To london, england.
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She had the resources to get to london,
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She knew where she wanted to go, but that wasn't enough to land
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Her in front of buckingham palace.
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She actually had to make a plan to get there.
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She had to make her airplane reservation.
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She had to secure a hotel room.
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She had to have an itinerary.
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It's the same way in life.
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It's not enough to know where you want to go in life.
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Somebody has said, "a dream without a plan is only a wish."
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It is important that we have a detailed plan to take us
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From where we are right now to where we believe god wants to
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Take us in our finances, in our work, in our relationships,
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And in our spiritual life as well.
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You see, we don't ever arrive anywhere by accident.
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Did you know the only thing that ends up at its intended
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Destination by accident is airline luggage?
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The rest of us never get any place by accident.
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It takes a plan to get to where we're going because the truth is
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Without doing anything--listen to this--
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Without doing anything we don't drift toward our dreams,
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We tend to drift away from our dreams.
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By simply doing nothing in your life,
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You will drift away from god's intended destination
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Of your life.
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I remember reading one time a story about a finnish atheist
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Who decided that when he died he wanted to leave his farm
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In finland to the devil.
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So he died.
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His will stated, "this farm is to be left to the devil."
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Well, the finnish court system, you know, ponder that.
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"how in the world do we carry out this guy's will
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And leave it to the devil?"
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And they figured out what to do.
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They did nothing.
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They simply allowed the farm to grow weeds and briars.
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They allowed the barn and the fence to remain unpainted and
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Eventually to rot.
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They allowed the soil to do nothing,
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Just simply to erode and wash away.
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And in their decision the finnish court said,
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"the best way to let the devil have possession of anything
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Is to do nothing."
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That's the same truth that applies to your life
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And to my life.
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You know how to let satan have control of your life?
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You don't have to have a séance and say,
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"i deliver my life over to satan."
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You don't have to do that.
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Just do nothing and the natural course of events will not only
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Lead you away from your dreams, it will lead you away from god.
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You know why that is?
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There's a physical law called the second law of thermodynamics
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That says all of nature, all of creation is moving from order
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To disorder.
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There's a reason for that in the bible.
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Romans 8 says this entire world system has been infected with
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Sin, and that means the natural direction of everything in
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This universe is down.
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Things are spiraling down.
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It explains everything from the deterioration of your body to
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The deterioration of your relationships.
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Everything because of sin, romans 8:22 says,
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Is moving downward; and that means if you do absolutely
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Nothing, if you exert no energy whatsoever,
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All you have to do is sit by and watch the deterioration of your
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Body, the depletion of your financial resources,
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The disintegration of your family,
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And the destruction of your soul.
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That all happens without any effort on your part whatsoever.
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If you want to reverse that trend,
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You have to have a plan to do so.
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You know, king solomon, whose writings we're studying in
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This series, was the wisest, wealthiest,
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Most powerful man who ever lived and yet he certainly understood
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The importance of having a plan.
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Now, king solomon knew where he was going in life.
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God had planted in his life the dream of building a temple,
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A magnificent place of worship for god.
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In fact, in 1 kings 5, verse 5 solomon said this: "behold,
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I intend to build a house for the name of the lord my god,
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As the lord spoke to my father david,
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Saying, 'your son, whom i will set on your throne in your
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Place, he will build the house for my name.'"
00:10:12.568 --> 00:10:16.906
Now, solomon knew what he wanted, but solomon then didn't
00:10:16.906 --> 00:10:19.942
Just sit back like so many christians today and passively
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Say, "okay, this is what i want to do,
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But you know what?
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If god wants this to happen, he'll do it in his way
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And his time."
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A lot of people use spirituality as an excuse for laziness.
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Solomon didn't just say, "i intend to build a house,"
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Then he developed a plan and executed a plan
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To build that temple.
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For example, he gathered the necessary resources;
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2 kings 5, verse 6.
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He organized the people; 2 chronicles 2, verse 2.
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He designed the facility; 2 chronicles 3, verse 3.
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He set a time to begin the project;
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2 chronicles 3, verse 2.
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He completed the project; 2 chronicles 5, verse 1.
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In fact, if you'll look at solomon's life,
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It was filled with one accomplishment after another.
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He extended the wall around jerusalem.
00:11:08.858 --> 00:11:10.626
He refortified the cities of hazor and megiddo.
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He reorganized israel into 12 districts.
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He increased the tax revenue.
00:11:16.632 --> 00:11:18.968
He did all of these things not just by having a dream but
00:11:18.968 --> 00:11:22.671
By having a plan to fulfill that dream,
00:11:22.671 --> 00:11:25.241
And that's why when you look at the book of proverbs,
00:11:25.241 --> 00:11:27.610
Solomon's depository of wisdom, you find verse after verse that
00:11:27.610 --> 00:11:31.914
Talks about the importance of planning.
00:11:31.914 --> 00:11:35.117
I want you to jot some of these verses down for just a moment
00:11:35.117 --> 00:11:37.253
Where solomon talks about planning.
00:11:37.253 --> 00:11:39.789
Proverbs 15, verse 22 solomon says,
00:11:39.789 --> 00:11:43.325
"without consultation, plans are frustrated,
00:11:43.325 --> 00:11:47.129
But with many counselors they succeed."
00:11:47.129 --> 00:11:50.065
Proverbs 16, verse 1, "the plans of the heart belong to the man,
00:11:50.065 --> 00:11:55.704
But the answer of the tongue is from the lord."
00:11:55.704 --> 00:11:58.674
Proverbs 16, verse 3, "commit your works to the lord
00:11:58.674 --> 00:12:03.379
And your," what?
00:12:03.379 --> 00:12:04.747
"your plans will be established."
00:12:04.747 --> 00:12:06.582
Proverbs 20, verse 18, "prepare plans by consultation,
00:12:06.582 --> 00:12:10.452
And make war by wise guidance."
00:12:10.452 --> 00:12:13.889
Proverbs 21, verse 5, "the plans--"
00:12:13.889 --> 00:12:17.293
Underline that.
00:12:17.293 --> 00:12:18.661
"the plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage,
00:12:18.661 --> 00:12:22.331
But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty."
00:12:22.331 --> 00:12:26.402
It's important that we all have a dream.
00:12:26.402 --> 00:12:29.471
The christian retailer james cash penney,
00:12:29.471 --> 00:12:33.209
J.c. penney, once said, "give me a stock clerk with a dream and
00:12:33.209 --> 00:12:37.813
I'll give you a great man.
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Give me a man without a dream and i'll give you
00:12:40.282 --> 00:12:42.751
A stock clerk."
00:12:42.751 --> 00:12:44.653
We all need a dream in life, but a dream isn't enough.
00:12:44.653 --> 00:12:49.225
We need a plan that will take us from where we are to realize
00:12:49.225 --> 00:12:53.395
That dream in life, and i want to tell you most christians
00:12:53.395 --> 00:12:56.866
I talk to they don't have a dream.
00:12:56.866 --> 00:13:00.569
They don't know where they want to be 10 years from now
00:13:00.569 --> 00:13:03.038
Or 20 years from now.
00:13:03.038 --> 00:13:04.406
They don't have a dream, much less a plan to help them
00:13:04.406 --> 00:13:08.010
Reach that dream.
00:13:08.010 --> 00:13:09.612
Why is that?
00:13:09.612 --> 00:13:11.680
Why do people just walk around in a daze and a haze without any
00:13:11.680 --> 00:13:16.085
Plan for how they want to live and where they want to go
00:13:16.085 --> 00:13:19.555
In life?
00:13:19.555 --> 00:13:21.190
I found that especially among christians there are
00:13:21.190 --> 00:13:23.459
Four excuses that people have to developing a detailed plan
00:13:23.459 --> 00:13:27.496
For their life.
00:13:27.496 --> 00:13:29.265
Jot them down.
00:13:29.265 --> 00:13:30.733
One of these--maybe all of these are the excuse you have
00:13:30.733 --> 00:13:32.902
Right now for not doing more with your life.
00:13:32.902 --> 00:13:35.471
Excuse number one is, "what if i fail in my plan?
00:13:35.471 --> 00:13:40.142
What if i fail?
00:13:40.142 --> 00:13:41.477
I don't want to set a goal.
00:13:41.477 --> 00:13:42.912
I don't want to have a dream and then fail in that plan."
00:13:42.912 --> 00:13:46.248
Maybe that's true of you.
00:13:46.248 --> 00:13:47.917
Maybe you're paralyzed by the thought of failure.
00:13:47.917 --> 00:13:49.919
If that's true, let me encourage you to overcome that fear
00:13:49.919 --> 00:13:54.924
In two ways.
00:13:54.924 --> 00:13:56.425
First of all, if failure is keeping you from planning,
00:13:56.425 --> 00:14:00.396
Ask yourself the question, "how am i going to feel ten years
00:14:00.396 --> 00:14:04.033
From now if i've made no progress in my life?
00:14:04.033 --> 00:14:07.536
How am i going to feel at the end of my life if i have never
00:14:07.536 --> 00:14:10.940
Reached my dream in life?"
00:14:10.940 --> 00:14:12.942
And secondly, keep your dreams to yourself.
00:14:12.942 --> 00:14:18.180
You know, one reason we don't want to set goals and have
00:14:18.180 --> 00:14:20.683
Dreams is we don't want to be embarrassed in front of other
00:14:20.683 --> 00:14:23.519
People if we don't make our dream,
00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:25.721
And a lot of times we're surrounded with people who
00:14:25.721 --> 00:14:28.457
Either intentionally or even unintentionally will try to
00:14:28.457 --> 00:14:31.493
Discourage us from reaching our dream.
00:14:31.493 --> 00:14:33.662
And so we don't make plans.
00:14:33.662 --> 00:14:36.031
We don't want to be embarrassed in front of our friends
00:14:36.031 --> 00:14:37.633
Or our enemies.
00:14:37.633 --> 00:14:39.335
Remember nehemiah?
00:14:39.335 --> 00:14:40.703
He had a dream.
00:14:40.703 --> 00:14:42.037
He wanted to rebuild the wall around the city of jerusalem,
00:14:42.037 --> 00:14:45.007
But he had two people who were always trying to discourage him:
00:14:45.007 --> 00:14:48.610
Sanballat and tobiah.
00:14:48.610 --> 00:14:50.813
Nehemiah had publicly stated his dream while he had two
00:14:50.813 --> 00:14:54.083
Antagonists who tried to discourage him from his dream.
00:14:54.083 --> 00:14:56.719
Even well-meaning friends will sometimes be a discouragement
00:14:56.719 --> 00:15:01.023
To you and your dreams, which is why you ought to keep
00:15:01.023 --> 00:15:03.792
Your dreams to yourself for the most part.
00:15:03.792 --> 00:15:06.061
I remember 25 years ago i had a real clear revelation of what
00:15:06.061 --> 00:15:10.833
My life purpose was going to be, and as a part of that life
00:15:10.833 --> 00:15:14.603
Purpose that i'll share with you in a moment i decided that one
00:15:14.603 --> 00:15:18.107
Way to fulfill that life purpose was to start writing books.
00:15:18.107 --> 00:15:21.577
And so i announced to some of my friends i'm going
00:15:21.577 --> 00:15:24.346
To become an author.
00:15:24.346 --> 00:15:26.115
Everybody applauded.
00:15:26.115 --> 00:15:27.449
"that's great, robert.
00:15:27.449 --> 00:15:28.784
You ought to be an author."
00:15:28.784 --> 00:15:30.119
About a month later my friends started asking,
00:15:30.119 --> 00:15:31.520
"now when's your book coming out?
00:15:31.520 --> 00:15:33.989
What's the publication date?"
00:15:33.989 --> 00:15:36.392
There was no publication date 'cause i didn't have a book.
00:15:36.392 --> 00:15:38.494
All i had was a desk filled with rejection slips from publishers.
00:15:38.494 --> 00:15:42.297
It would have been better to keep that dream to myself
00:15:42.297 --> 00:15:45.501
Until it came to fruition.
00:15:45.501 --> 00:15:46.835
The same thing is true for you.
00:15:46.835 --> 00:15:48.670
Secondly, some people say, "my objection to planning is,
00:15:48.670 --> 00:15:51.940
Well, i've got plenty of time.
00:15:51.940 --> 00:15:54.476
There's no hurry," or, "i don't have enough time to
00:15:54.476 --> 00:15:58.480
Fulfill my dream.
00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:00.049
There's no use to do it."
00:16:00.049 --> 00:16:01.517
Both views of time, by the way, are erroneous,
00:16:01.517 --> 00:16:04.787
The idea that i've got plenty of time or that i don't have
00:16:04.787 --> 00:16:08.157
Enough time.
00:16:08.157 --> 00:16:10.793
I remember reading rabbi harold kushner's--what he called
00:16:10.793 --> 00:16:14.463
Instant coffee theory of life.
00:16:14.463 --> 00:16:18.300
Rabbi kushner said that life is like a new jar
00:16:18.300 --> 00:16:21.503
Of instant coffee.
00:16:21.503 --> 00:16:23.372
When you open it up at first, you tend to be very generous in
00:16:23.372 --> 00:16:27.009
Your portions of coffee you dole out because after all you
00:16:27.009 --> 00:16:29.778
Have a whole jar.
00:16:29.778 --> 00:16:31.747
About halfway through that jar you start to get more
00:16:31.747 --> 00:16:34.083
Conservative in your portions.
00:16:34.083 --> 00:16:36.819
By the time you get to the bottom of the jar,
00:16:36.819 --> 00:16:38.654
You're searching around the corners looking for
00:16:38.654 --> 00:16:40.889
Every grain possible.
00:16:40.889 --> 00:16:43.258
You know, life is a lot like that, isn't it?
00:16:43.258 --> 00:16:45.828
At the beginning of our life when we're teenagers we think,
00:16:45.828 --> 00:16:48.497
"i've got all the time in the world.
00:16:48.497 --> 00:16:50.699
What's the big hurry?"
00:16:50.699 --> 00:16:53.068
Then when we reach about halfway through our lives,
00:16:53.068 --> 00:16:55.270
Midlife we realize we have as many years behind us as we do
00:16:55.270 --> 00:16:57.840
In front of us.
00:16:57.840 --> 00:16:59.541
And when we get close to the end we wonder,
00:16:59.541 --> 00:17:02.144
"where did it all go, and how did it go so quickly?"
00:17:02.144 --> 00:17:05.814
That's not an original observation.
00:17:05.814 --> 00:17:08.383
Moses wrote the very same thing in psalm 90,
00:17:08.383 --> 00:17:12.354
The oldest psalm in the bible.
00:17:12.354 --> 00:17:15.023
In psalm 90, verse 10 he said, and this is from the
00:17:15.023 --> 00:17:18.293
Living bible, "seventy years are given to us.
00:17:18.293 --> 00:17:21.830
Some even live to eighty.
00:17:21.830 --> 00:17:24.066
But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble,
00:17:24.066 --> 00:17:27.302
Soon they disappear, and we fly away.
00:17:27.302 --> 00:17:30.706
Therefore," verse 12, "teach us to realize the brevity of life,
00:17:30.706 --> 00:17:35.277
So that we may grow in wisdom."
00:17:35.277 --> 00:17:37.279
You know, the verse as, "lord, teach us to number our days so
00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:40.315
That we might present to you a heart of wisdom."
00:17:40.315 --> 00:17:43.385
I remember the first time i ever heard that verse.
00:17:43.385 --> 00:17:45.621
I grew up in church, but i never remember hearing that verse
00:17:45.621 --> 00:17:47.956
Until, seniors, i was your age.
00:17:47.956 --> 00:17:51.160
It was at the end of my senior year.
00:17:51.160 --> 00:17:54.029
I was sitting in the orientation session at baylor university and
00:17:54.029 --> 00:17:57.032
The chapel speaker was preaching on this verse.
00:17:57.032 --> 00:18:00.836
"lord, teach us to number our days and realize
00:18:00.836 --> 00:18:03.438
How few they are."
00:18:03.438 --> 00:18:05.541
And the chapel speaker kept talking about
00:18:05.541 --> 00:18:07.176
How quickly time goes.
00:18:07.176 --> 00:18:09.611
I remember sitting there looking at him thinking,
00:18:09.611 --> 00:18:11.713
"you old codger, you don't know what you're talking about.
00:18:11.713 --> 00:18:14.616
What do you mean how quickly it goes?"
00:18:14.616 --> 00:18:17.352
I was sitting there in that chapel.
00:18:17.352 --> 00:18:18.887
Amy was down at the pagan university of texas as
00:18:18.887 --> 00:18:21.857
A freshman and was going to be 2 weeks until i got to go see her,
00:18:21.857 --> 00:18:26.862
Travel the 90 miles down i-35, and time was creeping along.
00:18:26.862 --> 00:18:32.167
It seemed like those two weeks will never pass.
00:18:32.167 --> 00:18:35.537
That was my perspective as a senior in high school.
00:18:35.537 --> 00:18:38.674
Let me tell you from my perspective as an old codger.
00:18:38.674 --> 00:18:41.944
It goes by very, very quickly.
00:18:41.944 --> 00:18:45.547
That seems like just yesterday.
00:18:45.547 --> 00:18:47.849
You wonder, "where did the time go?"
00:18:47.849 --> 00:18:50.919
There are a lot of people who will say,
00:18:50.919 --> 00:18:52.521
"well, i've got all the time in the world."
00:18:52.521 --> 00:18:53.855
No, you don't.
00:18:53.855 --> 00:18:55.190
Time is a precious commodity.
00:18:55.190 --> 00:18:57.659
Use it wisely.
00:18:57.659 --> 00:18:59.628
But other people go to the other extreme.
00:18:59.628 --> 00:19:01.263
They say, "okay.
00:19:01.263 --> 00:19:02.764
Well, you know, i'm 60, 70 years old.
00:19:02.764 --> 00:19:04.366
I don't have enough time now to realize my life dream."
00:19:04.366 --> 00:19:07.636
That's also an equally erroneous view of time.
00:19:07.636 --> 00:19:11.406
I heard time management expert ted engstrom say one time,
00:19:11.406 --> 00:19:15.510
"we tend to overestimate how much we can accomplish in
00:19:15.510 --> 00:19:19.181
A year, but we severely underestimate how much we can
00:19:19.181 --> 00:19:23.485
Accomplish in five years."
00:19:23.485 --> 00:19:26.421
The fact is god has given each one of you here today just the
00:19:26.421 --> 00:19:30.259
Right amount of time you need to fulfill his plan,
00:19:30.259 --> 00:19:34.062
His dream for your life.
00:19:34.062 --> 00:19:36.164
A third objection some people have to making plans is,
00:19:36.164 --> 00:19:39.134
"well, doesn't the bible warn against planning?
00:19:39.134 --> 00:19:43.105
Doesn't the bible say we shouldn't make plans?"
00:19:43.105 --> 00:19:46.174
And they always like to turn to james chapter 4 as a reason not
00:19:46.174 --> 00:19:50.979
To make goals or set plans in life.
00:19:50.979 --> 00:19:53.448
Well, let's look at these familiar words.
00:19:53.448 --> 00:19:55.217
Turn over to james chapter 4 beginning with verse 13 and
00:19:55.217 --> 00:19:59.421
Let's see what james really says and what he doesn't say
00:19:59.421 --> 00:20:02.291
About planning.
00:20:02.291 --> 00:20:03.725
Verse 13 says, "come now, you who say,
00:20:03.725 --> 00:20:06.328
'today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city,
00:20:06.328 --> 00:20:11.166
And spend a year there and engage in business
00:20:11.166 --> 00:20:14.069
And make a profit.'
00:20:14.069 --> 00:20:15.637
Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.
00:20:15.637 --> 00:20:18.874
You are just a vapor," a mist, "that appears for a little while
00:20:18.874 --> 00:20:23.645
And then vanishes away.
00:20:23.645 --> 00:20:25.247
Instead, you ought to say, 'if the lord wills,
00:20:25.247 --> 00:20:30.118
We will give and live and do this or that.'"
00:20:30.118 --> 00:20:34.890
Some people say, "see what james said?
00:20:34.890 --> 00:20:36.758
Don't make plans.
00:20:36.758 --> 00:20:38.860
Just kind of flow along with life.
00:20:38.860 --> 00:20:41.396
Don't make any plans."
00:20:41.396 --> 00:20:42.731
That's not what he's saying.
00:20:42.731 --> 00:20:44.933
He's not saying there's anything wrong with making plans.
00:20:44.933 --> 00:20:47.636
What he's saying is what is wrong is to make plans without
00:20:47.636 --> 00:20:50.405
Any thought of god whatsoever.
00:20:50.405 --> 00:20:53.141
What he's saying here is go ahead and make your plans,
00:20:53.141 --> 00:20:56.244
But always preface your plans with these words and more
00:20:56.244 --> 00:20:59.348
Importantly this attitude: "if this is god's will,
00:20:59.348 --> 00:21:04.753
This is what i want to happen."
00:21:04.753 --> 00:21:08.023
There's nothing wrong with making plans,
00:21:08.023 --> 00:21:10.625
But always remember your plans, my plans are subject to
00:21:10.625 --> 00:21:13.528
The sovereignty of god.
00:21:13.528 --> 00:21:16.498
When we make our plans, our attitude ought to be,
00:21:16.498 --> 00:21:19.368
"god, this is what i believe you placed in my heart to do.
00:21:19.368 --> 00:21:23.071
This is what i would like to do, but i am laying them at your
00:21:23.071 --> 00:21:26.408
Feet to do or not to do according to your wise
00:21:26.408 --> 00:21:29.711
And good plan."
00:21:29.711 --> 00:21:32.147
We submit our plans to the sovereignty of god.
00:21:32.147 --> 00:21:35.083
Making plans--listen to this.
00:21:35.083 --> 00:21:37.953
Making plans that are within the will of god for the glory of god
00:21:37.953 --> 00:21:43.392
Are pleasing to our god.
00:21:43.392 --> 00:21:47.396
God says we ought to make plans, but make them within
00:21:47.396 --> 00:21:51.299
The boundaries of his will.
00:21:51.299 --> 00:21:52.968
Listen to proverbs 19, verse 21.
00:21:52.968 --> 00:21:54.936
"many plans are in a man's heart,
00:21:54.936 --> 00:21:57.539
But the counsel of the lord will stand."
00:21:57.539 --> 00:22:00.876
Fourth, some people object to making plans by simply saying,
00:22:00.876 --> 00:22:04.179
"i don't know how to make a plan.
00:22:04.179 --> 00:22:06.481
I don't know how to determine what my dream in life is and
00:22:06.481 --> 00:22:09.951
A roadmap for how to get there."
00:22:09.951 --> 00:22:13.088
If this is true of you, what you're going to hear in the next
00:22:13.088 --> 00:22:15.991
Few minutes will be an invaluable help to you.
00:22:15.991 --> 00:22:21.663
If you want to know how to determine what god's dream is
00:22:21.663 --> 00:22:25.267
For your life and how to get there,
00:22:25.267 --> 00:22:27.769
There are three keywords you need to understand.
00:22:27.769 --> 00:22:31.373
One is purpose, the second is objectives,
00:22:31.373 --> 00:22:35.076
And the third is goals.
00:22:35.076 --> 00:22:38.113
If you want to know where god wants you to go in life and
00:22:38.113 --> 00:22:41.183
How to get there, first of all, you need to have a clear
00:22:41.183 --> 00:22:44.252
Purpose in life.
00:22:44.252 --> 00:22:47.022
A clear purpose, that's foundational.
00:22:47.022 --> 00:22:49.724
A purpose statement answers the question,
00:22:49.724 --> 00:22:53.428
"why do i exist?
00:22:53.428 --> 00:22:56.031
Why do i exist?"
00:22:56.031 --> 00:22:57.432
By the way, some people use the word dream for purpose.
00:22:57.432 --> 00:23:00.635
That's okay, too.
00:23:00.635 --> 00:23:02.204
A dream is the difference you want to make in
00:23:02.204 --> 00:23:04.706
This world before you die.
00:23:04.706 --> 00:23:06.641
A dream is the difference you want to make in this world
00:23:06.641 --> 00:23:08.643
Before you die.
00:23:08.643 --> 00:23:09.978
So whether you call it a purpose or a dream,
00:23:09.978 --> 00:23:11.313
It doesn't matter.
00:23:11.313 --> 00:23:12.681
A purpose statement answers the question,
00:23:12.681 --> 00:23:14.483
"why do i exist?"
00:23:14.483 --> 00:23:16.384
Now, stay with me on this.
00:23:16.384 --> 00:23:17.953
There's a general purpose for which all christians exist.
00:23:17.953 --> 00:23:21.456
The "westminster shorter catechism" says man's chief end
00:23:21.456 --> 00:23:24.960
Is to glorify god and enjoy him forever.
00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:28.697
We were all created to have fellowship with god.
00:23:28.697 --> 00:23:32.334
That's a purpose that applies to all of us.
00:23:32.334 --> 00:23:35.237
Jeffress: each of us is called to make plans that are
00:23:39.374 --> 00:23:42.177
Within the will of god for the glory of god that are pleasing
00:23:42.177 --> 00:23:46.581
To god, and at "pathway to victory" it's our hope that
00:23:46.581 --> 00:23:49.951
These daily programs become a guiding force in your life
00:23:49.951 --> 00:23:54.456
As you discover how god's plan for you is revealed when you
00:23:54.456 --> 00:23:58.593
Immerse yourself in the counsel of his word.
00:23:58.593 --> 00:24:02.497
In closing, as you count on "pathway to victory" to help
00:24:02.497 --> 00:24:05.834
Guide your daily walk with god, may i count on you to faithfully
00:24:05.834 --> 00:24:10.105
Support this ministry month by month?
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Today, i'm urging you to become one of our pathway partners.
00:24:13.441 --> 00:24:17.312
A pathway partner is someone who agrees to pray for us regularly
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And give on a monthly basis.
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So please join forces with us by becoming
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A pathway partner today.
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God will use your monthly investments to reach people
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All across america and around the world with
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The truth of his word.
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Now, please stay right there.
00:24:37.632 --> 00:24:39.568
I'll be back with more "pathway to victory" in just a moment.
00:24:39.568 --> 00:24:44.205
Announcer: all around us, people are struggling in their
00:24:44.272 --> 00:24:46.274
Finances, their marriages, and their careers,
00:24:46.274 --> 00:24:48.977
Not because they don't want to live well, but because no one
00:24:48.977 --> 00:24:51.813
Has given them the wisdom to do it.
00:24:51.813 --> 00:24:54.015
That wisdom is found in god's word, and it's exactly what
00:24:54.015 --> 00:24:57.352
Dr. robert jeffress unpacks in his best selling book,
00:24:57.352 --> 00:25:00.288
"the solomon secrets."
00:25:00.288 --> 00:25:01.957
In this practical biblical guide, you'll discover
00:25:01.957 --> 00:25:04.693
Ten principles from the book of proverbs for success in every
00:25:04.693 --> 00:25:07.729
Area of your life.
00:25:07.729 --> 00:25:09.431
Jeffress: solomon had more wealth and opportunity than
00:25:09.431 --> 00:25:11.666
Anyone of his era.
00:25:11.666 --> 00:25:13.568
And he discovered that real success only comes when you
00:25:13.568 --> 00:25:17.172
Build your life on the wisdom god provides.
00:25:17.172 --> 00:25:20.508
In my book, "the solomon secrets," i'll show you how to
00:25:20.508 --> 00:25:23.712
Apply that wisdom to your marriage, your parenting,
00:25:23.712 --> 00:25:26.948
Your career, your finances, and so much more.
00:25:26.948 --> 00:25:30.552
Announcer: request your copy of "the solomon secrets" when you
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Give a generous gift to "pathway to victory."
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And when your ministry gift is $75 or more, we'll also send you
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The complete "solomon secrets" teaching series on dvd video and
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Mp3 format audio disc.
00:25:43.231 --> 00:25:45.266
Jeffress: god wants you and me to be prosperous, successful.
00:25:45.266 --> 00:25:50.338
The key is defining what god means when he uses the word
00:25:50.338 --> 00:25:55.010
Prosperous and success.
00:25:55.010 --> 00:25:57.379
Announcer: thank you for partnering
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With "pathway to victory."
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Your generosity puts god's word in front of people at the exact
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Moment they need it most, bringing life-changing hope of
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The gospel to a world that's searching for truth.
00:26:06.121 --> 00:26:09.024
Together, we're piercing the darkness
00:26:09.024 --> 00:26:10.992
With the light of god's word.
00:26:10.992 --> 00:26:14.129
Jeffress: in my ministry as a pastor,
00:26:15.430 --> 00:26:17.165
I often hear from people who say,
00:26:17.165 --> 00:26:19.434
"i wish god would just tell me what to do and script out
00:26:19.434 --> 00:26:23.171
My personal plan for the future."
00:26:23.171 --> 00:26:25.707
Well, sometimes it's frustrating to figure out god's will for our
00:26:25.707 --> 00:26:29.544
Lives, but in reality god has given us a concrete plan through
00:26:29.544 --> 00:26:33.848
His word and there is no book that's clearer about life than
00:26:33.848 --> 00:26:38.019
The book of proverbs.
00:26:38.019 --> 00:26:40.021
So join me again next time as i want to give you
00:26:40.021 --> 00:26:43.191
A detailed plan.
00:26:43.191 --> 00:26:45.293
It's a plan to take you from where you are right now
00:26:45.293 --> 00:26:47.929
To where god wants you to be.
00:26:47.929 --> 00:26:50.365
Stay tuned for a preview of what's coming up next on
00:26:50.365 --> 00:26:53.435
"pathway to victory."
00:26:53.435 --> 00:26:56.471
Jeffress: how do you feel right now about the life that
00:26:56.538 --> 00:27:00.241
You're painting, and how are you going to feel if you reach
00:27:00.241 --> 00:27:03.978
The end of your life?
00:27:03.978 --> 00:27:06.047
And we're all going to reach it sooner than we think.
00:27:06.047 --> 00:27:08.349
How are you going to feel if you reach the end of your life not
00:27:08.349 --> 00:27:10.585
Having reached your dream or even having attempted to do so?
00:27:10.585 --> 00:27:16.057
Announcer: set your dvr and join us next time for part two
00:27:16.057 --> 00:27:18.259
Of the message, "if you don't know where you're going,
00:27:18.259 --> 00:27:21.029
You're going to end up somewhere else"
00:27:21.029 --> 00:27:23.098
Here on "pathway to victory."
00:27:23.098 --> 00:27:23.098

Robert Jeffress - If You Don't Know Where You're Going, You're Going To End Up Somewhere Else (Part 1)

July 13, 2026 | 27:29

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