We are in a faith fight that started with original sin in the Garden of Eden. Satan first attacked Eve's hope by questioning God's love for her (Gen 3:1). Next, he challenged her faith by twisting God's Word (Gen 3:4) saying, "You will not surely die." With a foothold, Satan substituted a new belief system (Gen 3:5); if she eats from the tree, she "will be like God, knowing good and evil."

From Abel we learn to put God first. Abel believed in God because he walked with God and talked with God (Genesis 4). So did Cain. Abel brought the first fruits as an offering to the Lord. But, Cain brought his offering over the course of time. Abel put God first. If you want to please God with your faith, God must be first and foremost. It's not just what you do, it’s the order in which you do it. Your priorities matter.

As we remember the attacks on September 11th, we also recognize the parallels to the spiritual attacks that we as Christ followers experience. These attacks come against us as believers, the church of Jesus Christ, and the purposes and plans of Jesus on the earth.

In John 13, Jesus gives us a new command. He establishes his love as the measure for how we should love others. Not just are we to do unto others as we would have them do unto us, we are now called to a higher standard, to love others like Jesus has loved us.

We often want people to tell us what to do, but the Lord wants to teach us how to think and make good decisions. When we are making decisions, we have to ask ourselves good questions. Ask the Integrity question: Am I being honest with myself? Ask the Legacy question: what’s the story I want to tell? And ask the Conscience question: is there a tension that deserves my attention?

Our greatest power in life is our power to decide. Pausing to ask ourselves great questions helps us to make better decisions. This week, we are asking the legacy question. What story do you want to tell? Or, more directly, what is the story that will be told?

We are in a series of learning how to make better decisions. The greatest power God has given you is the ability to choose life or death. In order to make better decisions, you need to ask yourself better questions. Developing the discipline to pause and ask questions will result in better decisions and fewer regrets. The first question we must ask ourselves when making decisions is:

“Am I being honest with myself…really?”

At the end of his life, Moses wrote the book of Deuteronomy to record the mighty works God did and every word he spoke to the children of Israel. In the 30th chapter God reveals the power you have to decide.