Stop Letting Life Choose for You (Message Only) | Sandals Church

Main message: The sermon urges listeners to adopt firm, settled resolve—modeled by Ezra (Ezra 7:10)—to make the key spiritual and life decisions themselves rather than drifting or letting others decide, because that resolve leads to stability, leadership, freedom, and influence.

Key points:

• Resolve (not a fleeting resolution) is a settled purpose: decide once in advance and stick with it—study God's word, obey it, then teach it (Ezra’s pattern).
• Ezra, Jesus, and Joshua modeled resolve: they set their hearts/faces to God's mission before difficulty arrived.
• Wavering and drifting undermine prayer, wisdom, and life direction (James warns against a double-minded, unstable person).
• Benefits of resolve: turns followers into leaders, provides stability and freedom from peer pressure, increases influence and credibility, and enables faithful parenting and stewardship.
• Practical application: identify the one decision God has put in your hands (marriage, faith, parenting, purity, tithing, etc.) and resolve it personally rather than borrowing someone else’s commitment.

Scriptures mentioned: Ezra 7:10, Luke 9:51, James 1:6-8, Joshua 24:15, Galatians 6:5, Colossians 3:3