Lessons from the Road: God's Roadmap for Life

There was a time I wanted to cut down my family tree. It was broken and without hope. But then something happened to change the trajectory of my family for generations. You see, God had a better idea, and he turned a string of crimes into a string of miracles. And now, we're rooted. What does it mean to be rooted in the gospel of life through Jesus? Rooted in community? And rooted not only in the Word of God, but anchored in the heart of God? Let's find out what it means to be rooted. Hey, Victorious Living family. I'm B.J. Emerson, Digital Media Manager for Victorious Living Ministries, and I want to welcome you to Rooted. Now, if you're incarcerated today, I'd like to say that I haven't been where you are, but I've been where your children are. You see, my father was in prison most of my teenage years, but the decisions that he made there would not only transform his life, but change the trajectory for our entire family. Now, today, I want to take you on another ride. We're talking about God's roadmap for life. If you feel like you've made a wrong turn and you're on the wrong road, you're in the right place. No matter how far you feel like you've gone off the map, I've got good news for you. It's not over. So, let's take a ride and talk about it. Let me tell you about the first part of the good news related to God's roadmap for life. Number one, God knows the road that you're on.

After Adam sinned in the garden, God came looking for him for their usual walk in the garden, but Adam was not there. God asked Adam, where are you? Now, of course, God knew where Adam was. The question was really, why are you where you are? What caused you to choose this path? Have you ever asked yourself that? Why am I where I am, and how did I get here? The question isn't meant to condemn you, but have you ever found yourself lost, all alone, and maybe in the dark? Well, if you feel lost, if you feel like you've wandered so far off the map that nobody remembers you, I have good news, great news. God sees you. Just like he knew where Adam was, he knows where you are. In fact, there's not a road you can take that God does not see. The devil wants you to think you're forgotten. The Bible says the devil goes about looking for those he can devour, but there is someone else. God goes about looking for those he can restore. He wants you to know you are not forgotten. Let me be clear. I need you to hear this. The God of the universe, who created you, sees you. He knows you and the road that you're on. Now, there are many roads you can take, and he knows every one of them. This doesn't mean he wants you to stay lost and alone. He's still going to pursue you relentlessly, but gently. Now, maybe you are confident in your direction, and I think we've all been there where our pride takes over and we think our destination is just around the next corner,

but we keep getting further away from where we need to be. The road you're on right now might be hard. It might feel like a dead end. But hear this. It is not over. God isn't standing at the end of the road with a checklist of your failures. He is pursuing you. He is tracking you down, not to condemn you, but to call you home to himself. He is gentle. He is patient. But he is relentless. There's a song that I like titled, What a God, and it says this. I thought you'd show up for perfection, because what kind of God looks for the lost? They say it's over for a sinner, although you say, No, it's not. No, it's not. It is not over. Our Father in heaven is actively looking for the lost, pursuing the broken. I know that because that's where he found me. You might have taken the wrong road or feel like you've gone too far off the map, but you haven't driven off the map of his grace. The question isn't just, Where are you? The question is, Are you ready to let him go? lead you onto a new path. Psalm 139 says, you search out my path am I lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Luke 19 10 says, for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. I thought it was over. I was on the wrong road. When I came to a dead end, I told God if you can do something with this life and the mess I've made of it, you can have it all. And I handed it over to him and decided to follow Jesus. Let's move on to the next lesson from the road. Number two, you can make a u-turn. How do you make a u-turn? You start with changing your mind, changing the way you think. As Jesus started his ministry, this is what he said, repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Now many think immediately that

repent means just to change a behavior. Stop doing something you shouldn't be doing. Start doing other things you've been neglecting. But how do you do that effectively? Pure willpower? A true u-turn isn't just about changing your actions. It's about changing your thinking. The Bible calls this repentance. The original meaning goes much deeper than behavior. It's a change of mind. You see, changing your mind will result in a changed heart and eventually change behavior for good. Making a u-turn is about changing the way you think. The Bible calls it the renewing of your mind. And we need that because there's a new king and his kingdom and life through Jesus is now available. You can't drive in a new direction if you're still looking at the same old map. If you want your life to change, you have to invite the king to help you change your thinking. Romans 12 2 says, do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Transformation doesn't start in your hands or your feet. It starts in your head. When you change your mind, your heart follows. And when your heart changes, the change in your behavior finally has the power to stick. You stop trying to act like a new person and start living as the person God created you to be. Two weeks into his federal time at a penitentiary in Springfield, Missouri, this is what my father did. He repented and changed the way he was thinking. Eventually his behavior changed and I saw a transformation in not only his heart but his actions. So what's next? Number three, be ready for the long haul. The road is going to have challenges but the struggle is just part of the journey. The reality of the Christian life is that there is now a purpose to the challenges. Will life be all sunshine and roses after you follow Jesus? Will life be easier? No, but it will be better because he will be with you. God is in this for the long term. He is concerned about who you are becoming. So expect trials. There are going to be setbacks and disappointments and roadblocks but God will see you through them. He's preparing you for something greater. He is developing his character in you. If you're in a season where the road is rough and the ride is shaking you, don't take that as a sign to turn back. Take it as a sign that you're moving somewhere

new and you're being transformed while you're on the way. You are being refined. God is using the rough patches to refine your faith. The pressure you feel today is not just to break you, it's to strip away the parts of your life that were keeping you from being the man or woman he called you to be. Don't curse the road because it's hard. Recognize that the road is actually building the endurance you need for the journey ahead. Once you're on the right road, formation as a believer is what's next. You are being conformed into the image of Christ. James chapter 1 says, Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy, for you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Galatians 6.9 says, And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. So let's go to some application. So how do you know if your U-turn was actually effective? How do you know if you're really on the right road toward God? How do you know that you are actually using his roadmap? When you're riding, you look for road signs to tell you you're headed to the right destination and you're gaining traction. Here are four signs you're on the right road. Number one, you start to reflect his character. You're starting to look like Jesus. When you spend time on the road with someone, you start to pick up their habits. When you walk with God, the fruits of the Holy Spirit start showing up in your life. You find yourself becoming more patient when you'd normally be angry. You find yourself choosing kindness when it would be easier to be harsh. When you start seeing his fruit, love, joy, peace, patience, growing in your life, that's a sign you're moving in his direction. I saw this in my father even when he was in prison. Something had changed on the inside and instead of complaining when I talked to him on the phone, he was thankful.

I didn't understand it at the time, but there was a power that was working in him and good fruit was coming out of him. Number two, you're becoming rooted in his word. You can't navigate the curves of life without a map. If you find yourself actually wanting to open the Bible, not because you have to, but because you're hungry for the truth, that's an important sign. The word of God starts to become the standard for your decisions. You stop asking, what do I want? And start asking, what does he say? You're trading your old broken map for his direction in your life, the perfect road map. Number three, you're experiencing his power. You're doing things you couldn't do before. This is the evidence that it's not just willpower and you are no longer just doing the things in your own strength. You'll find yourself overcoming things you thought were permanent, habits that you've held for years start to lose their grip. You'll look back at a situation that would have made you snap and you realize, I didn't lose my cool. That's not you, that's his power working through you. If you're seeing change that willpower alone could never produce, you're definitely on his road. Number four, you're engaging in his community. You're not riding alone anymore. No one is meant to ride this road solo. There is a massive community of believers and followers of Jesus ready to help you. New roads mean new relationships. You'll start to notice that you crave the company of others who are also seeking him. You'll find yourself looking for people who sharpen you, who challenge you, and who point you back to the truth. Even in the most isolated places, when you start looking for kingdom people, God provides

them. Seeking and finding that fellowship and those relationships are sure signs you're headed in the right direction. I remember when I first came to Christ, I was broken and lonely, needing fellowship with mature believers who could help me walk through some very difficult circumstances. God surrounded me with those people and their wisdom helped me at a desperate time. One of those people was my father who had gotten out of prison and who had been a believer for about six years at that point. The work that God did in my father while he was in prison was later used to help me during this critical time in my life. God knows what he's doing. These aren't just feelings. These are the markers of a life being redeemed. If you see these signs, keep going. Don't look back at the wrong roads you've taken. Keep your eyes on the King, trust the map he's given you, and keep writing. It's not over. Your best miles are still ahead. Now, if you've gotten this far, let me invite you and challenge you to change how you're thinking. Remember what Jesus said about repentance, changing and renewing your mind. Are you ready for that? Are you ready to make a U-turn? If so, I want you to pray with me and you can tell God about your decision today. Let's pray. God, I want to get on a new road. I'm at the end of myself and today I want to surrender my life to you. Make me hungry for your word that will guide me through this new life in Jesus. Renew my mind as I follow him. Help me develop your character through the power of your Holy Spirit and lead me into

a community of other believers that will help me grow. Thank you for the forgiveness that Jesus offers through his life, death, and resurrection. I receive this forgiveness and I put my trust in him for each one of us. life. In Jesus name, amen. If you've made this decision today, we'd love to hear about it. So write to us at the address at the end of this video. If you'd like to learn more and grow in your faith, watch more of the videos on the Victorious Living channel. God bless you and see you next time. Thank you for watching our broadcast. Are you an incarcerated brother or sister? Who needs encouragement? Write to us at Victorious Living Correspondents PO Box 2751 Greenville, North Carolina 27836 or email us at hope at VLMag.org. To view Victorious Living magazine in its entirety, please have your chaplain contact us at 352-478-2098 or email us through our website at VLMag.org. We are happy to provide our Victorious Living magazine free of charge, in bulk, with or without staples.