Today I want to talk to you about how to discern before

you decide. Discerning is a strength you already have in you, and it is

there to help you with every decision. In I Kings 3:5 (NIV) God says to

Solomon, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." In Verse 9 Solomon

says, "So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and

to distinguish between right and wrong." The two key words he used in

Hebrew are Shama and Byin. Listen and discern. We all have decisions to

make… decisions, decisions. Should I take this job? Is this the right

house to buy? Should we move across the country to Arkansas? I was

preaching at a church in California and a man came up after the service

and said, "I'm dating and I want to know if she is the right one for

me." Big decisions, destiny-determining decisions. These decisions we

make and all the degrees in the world will not help you know if this

person you're dating is right for you. The most educated people in the

world will still make bad decisions. The arrogant in Hollywood who would

tell you they know so much more than all of you have no idea how to stay

in love or raise children. Fame and fortune, nor education nor

information will help you in your decisions. The world does not make

good decisions. We don't know what to do with terrorism, we don't know

who to elect president, I mean we can't even figure out which bathroom

to use. People buy into evolution, they buy into hate, they buy Barbara

Streisand albums. Proverbs 16:25 says "there is a way that seems right

to a man but leads to death"… Whoa! Don't do what seems right, use

supernatural God-given discernment! You need insight. You need

discernment. Discernment is the ability to distinguish right and wrong.

You may not know what the future holds, but you can ask someone who

does. And so today He asks of you, "What do you want" – you say, "I want

discernment" - He says, "I've already given it to you." You have the

Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and discernment. Today I'm going to

talk to you about three ways we must discern BEFORE we

decide.