 All right, welcome back everyone. Hope the audio is all right now. Okay, all right So we were talking about non-negotiables and Even as you set your priorities You have non-negotiables and there will be challenges in the workplace. There will be small Situations, there will be big situations But during those times draw your strength From the spiritual foundations that you have set before draw your strength from there refuse to You know bend on the principles that you have set on at the initial stages, right? Okay, next point develop a life plan review it continuously Proverbs 21 in verse 5 Anyone can read yeah Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run Hurry and scurry puts you further behind very important, right? Developer life plan review it continuously now once we have a general sense of okay God is this is my purpose in life This is what God wants me to do This is my new go non-negotiables that I am going to work on then you can sit down and Write down or develop a life plan now many of us may have already done it many of us may be still working on it and It doesn't matter how old we are whether we are young old doesn't matter We can keep reviewing it and changing it. I remember doing a work or life plan When I was I think 22 years old First time I did a life plan a life plan was one page around ten points Over time it changed right it I built on it and okay, so instead of this let me put this So I made a life plan So what I also did was I divided that life plan maybe five years And then I did one year and then I did ten years So many like that, but this life plan can be you know again One or two years or it can be a high-level plan Right now when I say for high-level plan, it's what do you feel God wants you to do? So for example, I remember writing down. I Want to be a worship leader. I want to write songs. I want to release those songs I remember writing it down when I was 22. I knew probably six or seven chords in the guitar. I Didn't know much right But I put that down. I said one day. I want to preach in the church I want to do Missions I want to teach in the Bible College. So I put that all down It's good to have that plan because when you have a life plan you are working towards something Right if you look at an entrepreneur and a person who wants to start a business Without a plan. He will not be able to do anything Yes or no Nobody is going to wake up and say okay. I have a plan now The lawyer is not going to come searching for you to start the trust You have to go you have to get things done So when it comes to a high-level plan Write down and also write down how you intend to get this get to that place Right. Otherwise it becomes wishful thinking. You know what's wishful thinking? I Wish I had this I wish I had that no You write on God is big God has big plans for us write down. What do you feel right? But what are you going to do to? See that plan fulfilled in your life write down that also then and then how you intend in getting there It is a big picture of what you feel. God is going to do with your life The biggest the big picture And I remember writing down By 28 I should be married By 30 I should have By 35 I should have two children. I wrote down. It sounded very silly Right because I was maybe 22 23, but I wrote down and I should be preaching. I should be teaching I should be ministering. I should be able to teach these subjects And how am I going to go about doing it number one start praying more Number two read the Bible more free do a lot of Bible studies Meaning sit spend time in God's word for Learn from your mistakes Right fight. Don't be discouraged when people put you down right six Have walked in integrity honesty don't lie Keep reviewing it Okay, so so five years down the line at least once I should be able to lead worship in church in the next five years I should be able to lead worship in church. So what is that? Okay? Go to your instrument learn the songs learn the listen to the songs learn the songs practice audition If you don't get through audition again, right, and then at least five years I should be able to do this How do you intend to get there and also remember that even as you do that? God will give you the wisdom. God will give you the grace. God will open doors for you Right. Don't worry if those don't open in one year two years. It's okay I give God the time. He knows when to open what to open and how to open doors Even now I was sharing last week Sometimes, you know as pastors, we're so used to going on the pulpit and preaching and teaching and all that But even now sometimes, you know, but until I get to the stage. There's this nervous. Oh, man and you know my people who are around me and You know, they say why so many times you're going on the stage. Why not still there? The moment I get the mic and start preaching then it's gone. I think youth missions was I Saw that I said God, please look the whole two days. I was like God, please you speak through me. You say, you know It's it's it's I mean, it's it's not a fear that oh, I don't want to go but it's just this feeling of okay and I'm doing I'm doing something which Which I really want to do and I know that it's a it's a higher task It's a it's a big calling people are listening to God's word. How much more? How well I should be able to present the gospel or present the word to them these are young people Right, and I remember the moment I had reached the stage that fear goes. That's normal But but then I was like I was panicking not not panicking but I was going here. I was thinking I was praying and It's a natural thing. Right But remember that you will not have the details of all you have to do in life But God will give you a sense of direction Right. He'll just say no you go here. You do this Right now this direction sometimes may not be aligned to your calling it may be aligned to your calling if it's aligned to your calling beautiful You know, okay. God is leading me this if it's not aligned stay faithful there So okay, God, I'm gonna do it, but I know that through this you may open a door for me, right? Now in drawing a life plan three important key facets that you must remember And apply in your life number one the person you believe you will become as You write down this life plan. So for example If you're writing down this life plan for one year In one year What are the changes I want to see in my life? I'm not talking about only it could be physical also Exercise be healthy be strong eat healthy all of that Spiritually, where do I see myself? Have I improved in my teaching have I improved in my preaching or or if you're working in the corporate sector Have I improved in what God's grace? It could be just you know Something that you're doing in the in the computers, right? Maybe back and work on your computer Have I improved in that? Have I am I doing better? Am I able to walk in love in the church office in that in sorry in the office? In church, it's easy to walk in love but in office. It's really a different world altogether And the reason I'm saying this is because I've worked in the corporate sector and now I've been working in the church They they both an organization, but it's it's cruel sometimes The world the workplaces in you know that that are not led by good principles It's a cruel world many times my bosses my boss has come up to me and said Paul you have to do this You have to do this for the team you have to change this Any times many times my colleagues have come and said hey You know we'd all apply for sick leave so that he you know my team leader will You know he'll learn a lesson because of what he did last week So all of them apply I didn't apply And so in the whole team of 18 people two of us came to the office my boss asked what is this? Why two of you know all of them apply for sick leave. Why didn't you apply? I said I'm not sick Why would I apply for sick leave and then you know so so when you Have certain these these non negotiables you can write down the person that you want to be You have a passion for teaching you have a passion for music for writing. I don't want you want to do Right develop that plan five years ten years review it right and To the place you believe that you should position yourself now this place These could be geographic professional or society places for example if you are in the corporate sector you feel that Ten years down the line. I should have I should be working abroad in This country for example in America. I should be working in America I should be able to land a good job and I should be able to provide for my family Greetings Right nothing wrong nothing wrong in writing down those plans, right? If you feel God is calling you to another country right or not Right, this is what I want to do or if it's professional. Okay, right now. I am a team leader Five years down the line. I want to see myself as an assistant Director of the company five years So I'm gonna write it down Right the place the post the place that God wants you to be right now It's something that you feel right. It's not necessarily that you know It has to be exactly that you're or exactly what you're right Something that you feel get what I'm saying, right? Three the purpose that will be released through your life So what is it that God wants to release through your life? Right, so three things number one is The person that God wants you to be to the place Not only geographical but also in terms of position where God wants you to be and three the purpose So as you write down you can Divide your life plan into these three facets the person the place and the purpose right and Look at the example of Abraham. It is perfect. I look at this example. I just read Genesis 12 1 to 3 Now the Lord had said to Abraham Get out of your country from your family and from your father's house To a land that I will show you I will make you a great nation I will bless you and make your name grade and you shall be a blessing I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you and in you All the families of the earth shall be blessed. Now. This is God talking to Abraham Look at the three things. God has touched upon Number one the person initially, what was his name a Bram that means father The father of many father of many now God is saying I'm going to make you into a different person Abraham the father of many nations So you see the person that God is making him to be to the place God tells him Go from your father's house to a land. I will show you and I will make you a great nation So you will not stay in this land that you're staying in right now Abraham Get up Leave your father's take your people take everyone and go to the land that I will show you so in Abraham's case It was a physical geographical location Now in the case of you and me it need not be a physical geographical location God may tell you hey leave this company That you're working in and I have a different company. It may be in the same city Maybe in the same area itself, but drawing this company because I have something better for you here Example right. I'm just giving an example. So the place Right or God may say you might say right now. I'm a team leader now I'm gonna be a manager in the next year. So God you're taking me from one place or one position to another position right Three is the purpose. What is he say here? Why am I taking you to this nation? I will bless you I will make you your name great and you shall be a blessing I will bless those who bless you and I will curse those who curse you and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed See those three things person No more a brahman, but Abraham place If you're stuck with your in their parents house, I can't do anything for you. You're going to remain there So Abraham get up Move out. I have a better place for you. You will inherit this land Maybe it's an empty land. Nothing is there But I will take you to that land three the purpose Now God is not just saying you get up and go He didn't say where to go, but he said what he's going to do to Abraham You see that he says the purpose you will be a blessing to Many nations through you all the families of the earth will be blessed Look at Hebrews 11 8 by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place Which he would receive as an inheritance and he went out not knowing where he was going See Abraham didn't have all the details yet. He stepped out right imagine if Abraham said no, but God My parents are your who look after my parents or I have to Everything is comfortable here. Why would I want to leave this place and who's going to travel? You know during those days, it was not like buying a ticket and just going They had to take their you know wife and children and our livestock and all of them and travel It's not a easy task But Abraham did it So what is it that we can learn? when you and I are Writing up this life plan that God has for us be open to his leading Right. He may lead us to a different place. He may make us a different person He may choose to bless us in different ways The way God uses you may not be the way God uses somebody else The blessings may be different the way that he chooses to use you may be different Could a life of Abraham and you compare the life of Daniel or you compare the life of Joseph. They all had different lives Right. It was not the same But they had a purpose They knew their purpose But Daniel knew his purpose. We said Early in his life What does he say? I resolved in my heart that I will not eat of the King's temple Daniel was probably 17 18 years old young boy And I think Daniel's one chapter one was eight, I guess says Daniel resolved in his heart. He had decided Can you imagine that 17 18 years old? He's decided. I will not eat of the King's table and defiled myself Because that food is offered to the idols of the Babylonians. I will not eat it. There was no There was no way that Daniel could be, you know, it was a non-negotiable for Daniel So look at Joseph as well Joseph's the same story. What if his wife comes up to him and says, what does he say? Oh, he runs away. He says, lest I do something against God and my master Now in both cases, God was not, I mean people were not around But it was not like Daniel is 17 years old. His parents are saying See, you should be very careful what they say. No, nobody's there He's taken to a different country. He can do whatever he wants. He could have said, okay, I'll eat two bites Just to keep you happy. No What about Joseph? Nobody was there. She says, okay, five minutes. No problem But he ran away. So what do we learn from that? When you and I have non-negotiables It helps us to write down our plans, our purposes And and God begins to enable us to fulfill it in our life The moment we don't have these principles set in our life We will be like A boat on the storm Have you seen a boat on the storm? What what's happening Wherever the storm goes the boat will go Or wherever the wind comes The boat the boat will be moving towards that way The storm on the sea This rattling here and there you and I have to have principles and I believe that you know, when we look at what's happening around us many of many of these ministries and ministry leaders and organizations fail. Why? Because lack of principle When you and so it's very good at a young age itself put them down No, you don't have to show everyone. Okay. These are the principles. I or these are the non-negotiables I have put them down write it down keep it in your bible Say god, this is what I will work with wherever you take me whether I'm in ministry or not in ministry Right meaning uh full-time ministry Wow, whatever it is I will work with these principles That is why in the beginning of the session I said 20 years back Things have changed or 10 years back things have changed But these principles remain same throughout generation after generation It doesn't change. I cannot say oh god, you know Uh during those days if you get sexual immorality was wrong. Oh, it's okay Office, it's okay. Nobody knows It's not a big deal At home the wife is there but here it's okay There's nothing wrong in that That is all 10 years 20 years back. That's the old mindset. It's not an old mindset It's principles Right or before money laundering and bribery. Oh, it's very bad. Don't do it. But now it's common Say, okay god, it's okay. It's it's just once a year, but I It's fine. No Those principles remain the same They transcend time They transcend ages Right, so you and I must have principles So here's what I want you to do, right? Many of us may have already done it right I'm not going to ask you to write down a life plan But I just want you to maybe take some time during this week And write down certain principles you feel you want to You know learn or want to develop And maybe two or three whatever you feel like and also write down principle new principles or You know new things that you want to develop in your life One may be things that you're already working on but you need to grow in that Also, write down new principles or non negotiables that you will stand by Excuse me, right? Non negotiables. So you write it down Right or you can put it on your laptop as well I don't maybe three or four Non negotiables not as long as I'm a student in this bible college. These are three non negotiables for me Right or as long as I am You know going to work In or for my family. These are three non negotiables And help me to stand by it. So I want you to do that, right? Write it down Prayerfully write it down and you say god This is what I want And what you're doing Is you're building a strong foundation That you know, even as you graduate and whatever god's called you to do You know starting a ministry I think most of you are going back to help your parents in the ministry You'll have non negotiables You'll have principles set Now this something may have been happening in church past 10 years. Don't worry When you have your principles, right people will watch it people will learn it People will see it And then They may say hey, but you know last 10 years we did it this way. Who are you to come and say you're so small You're so young. Don't worry about that principles transcend age and time And you hold on to it. God will give the favor Right. God will give you the favor. God will bring in people into your life No, I always I always think of this in mango. I was very young. You know what I was 25 26 and these and they were all senior citizens in the church Yet they they you know, they they always were there for us They say no, no We we are there. We'll come We'll be available Because they were because they knew if nobody comes it will still be there Remember I told you about the Wednesday prayers Wednesday Bible study So whether you come or no, it's there Right now they knew it So nobody's calling and asking do we have prayer on Wednesday? No, it's it's there It's already set Right. So over time the church people knew Whether I'm there or not there by the off church will be open on Wednesday Right for prayer So it's my responsibility to go for the Bible study So what started with one or two people eventually grew many people came Right now, why did they come? It was not because I was doing some great eschatology and Daniel and all of that. No, I was doing who we are in Christ Okay, simple books But they came because they they saw that hey certain principles here Right It was not like a big teaching and all very simple stuff. So principles And over time people noticed oh Whether we are there or no atm prayer starts So then the church got to know People got to know right if if if it's atm church I'm not there also church of that Atm they go the prayer has started so they was you know, some of them came because they felt pity So sad nobody's there for prayer But over time many of them started coming Right. Why principles? I remember the first time I went to mangrove. They said nobody come will come to church early in mangalore They came and told me that nobody will come to eight o'clock is if 8 30 you start worship will come only at 8 45 I said I remember telling this Church from I said, I think it's time. We changed that. No, it's not a good principle to have It's not a good thing. We shouldn't boast about it. It's a it's a bad thing. We need to correct ourselves for that Oh, and you know, they were quite surprised, but that's the truth I mean you stand on principles You will see that God begins to work in your life So that's what I want you to do write down Principles That you will stand by can we do that? Right, maybe even if it's one, it's all right. What do you write it down? It could be as simple as Okay, I'm going to read my the bible for 10 minutes every day Or I'm going to listen to a podcast Every day or I'm going to listen to two songs every day two gospel songs Right, or this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to save up certain amount for my future for the ministry Whatever it is Write them down Keep it ready Right, so we'll stop here What we'll do is we'll pick up from next class Next class we look into The career plan because I don't want to start it and stop in between You don't have time to complete this entire chapter So we'll stop here and we'll pick up from next class on career plan. So now that in this chapter we have Establish the fact number one god has a plan number two We need to have Priorities non negotiables in our lives Three we need to develop a life plan and work towards it Now once this is done, this is like the foundation now from chapter two We'll talk about career Right now when we go into this chapter next class Well, I just I just set the stage so that next class we will We'll understand where we are going to Now a career plan is basically what I want to do In my life right now. No, it's not like You know, I want to It's not like these life goals that we write always right New year resolutions. It's not that Carrier a place where Where I'd be going to work And this work is going to pay me and I'm going to spend most of my time Doing this job Right, whatever that career is. So we'll talk about career plan how to Find out what is my career? What is it that god is calling me for? And even as you plan out how god can Position us from One career to another or sometimes he may just keep us in that same Position always meaning in that same Carrier always so we'll learn more about that from next class Right. Okay. Let's just close it in prayer. Many questions. Those who are online Okay, let's pray Father we thank you so much for this Beautiful day god. We thank you for this new year especially We thank you lord for your faithfulness over the year of 2023 through every season through every Challenge through the good times and the difficult times lord. You have been so faithful And lord even as we enter this new semester spring 24 of god we We pray god that you will continue to speak to us Speak in us lord that your word will Bear fruit in our lives that we will learn that we will open our hearts We will open our minds that are that everything that we learned throughout the semester lord it will It will be be rooted into our hearts into our spirit We pray god that that everything that we learned lord will give you glory and honor that you will use us Greatly for your kingdom and for your purposes of god. We thank you lord We just submit this entire semester this entire year into your hands lord may your name Be glorified in and through our lives in Jesus name. We pray Amen Amen. God bless you all. I'll see you next Monday