Defining goals

John 9:4 “We must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”
The words above, spoken by Jesus showed the goal-directed pursuit he lived while in the world physically. Time waits for no man. We should not live as though time would wait till we have done our lot in this life. The Bible teaches that there is Time for every purpose and a season for everything under the sun. If we live to do everything that demands our attention, we would discover towards the evening of our lives that we have only survived and watched other people perform in life. May God give us wisdom to be participants rather than spectators. We begin the journey by defining our destination. Only then can we measure our progress and eventual success.
1.       Examples of goals:
i.                     Matt 1:21-Jesus
ii.                   Luke 4:18-Jesus
iii.                  Exod 3:10-Moses
iv.                 Gen 37:8,10-Joseph
v.                   Acts 22: 10,18, 21-Paul
2.      Examine how goals are discovered and defined
i.                     Heb 10:7 Bible study (difference between study and reading)
ii.                   Luke 3:4 –Prophetic declarations
iii.                  Dreams
iv.                 Ambition/training
v.                   Prov 23:7a-thinking through
vi.                 Esther 4:14c-contemporary events relative to placement /endowments
vii.                Any other ideas?
3.      Ingredients of a well-defined goal
i.                     Time bound
ii.                   Aims at bringing benefits to others and not only self
iii.                  It is specific
iv.                 It is realistic
v.                   Heb 12:2-Energised by a reward
vi.                 Exod 2:11,12-Stems from dissatisfaction by the status quo
4.      Sources of help
i.                     Loved ones (Joseph’s father, brothers)
ii.                   Pastors
iii.                  ISam 3:8,9-Mentors
iv.                 Exod 18:19-21-Counsellors
v.                   Training-academic, social, spiritual
5.      Receiving spiritual insight
i.                     Psa 119:105- within the word is light
ii.                   Rom 8:26 –Pray in the Spirit
iii.                  James 1:5- request for wisdom
6.      Worksheet-prayerfully write down your goals-longterm (if known) and for the year 2011.

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