Off to a Great Start

Week 1
Main Point and Overview:   

What if God offered to you anything that you wanted. What would you choose? That is exactly what God offered to Solomon. The son of King David was now “taking over” for his father. There was a ton of pressure, and Solomon realized it. His father had been the greatest leader in Israelite history, and he was now in line to assume those immense responsibilities. So, when God offered such a shocking gift, Solomon responded with an even more shocking response. He chose wisdom over wealth. He chose purpose over power. He chose compassion over control. God was pleased with his request. One thing that we see early on in Solomon’s life and leadership is that he was a forward-thinker. He had the maturity to “see beyond” instant gratification to eternal impact. Soon after assuming leadership of the Kingdom, he was faced with an intense battle of two women both claiming to be the mother of a single child. Solomon didn’t panic. He didn’t rush to judgment. Instead, he used the wisdom that God has given to him to expose whose claim was a bold-faced lie. The wisdom of that decision spread throughout all of Israel, and people became enamored with his great discernment. In time, his visionary mindset led him to achievements and accomplishments that God intended for him to experience. It’s a great reminder that God is working in our lives to achieve and accomplish his eternal purposes. Are we available to be used by him? Do we even care? Remember, our mission statement at Emmanuel: “We exist to honor God by making passionate disciples!” Passion is in focus. God has an amazing purpose for each of us that coincides with Kingdom impact. Solomon was passionate to build the “Temple of God” – a dwelling place for the Lord God. He saw that project as part of his eternal purpose. What is your eternal purpose for the glory of God? As we look at several snapshots of Solomon’s life, what we see is someone who had an amazing start to his career as Israel’s king. Much of his “early on success” revolved around the fact that he was a “forward thinker” for the glory of God. He saw the future as being more important than the present. What about you? Are you “counting the cost” of the many choices that you are presently making?