Choice

Choice sits at the center. Deuteronomy sets the stage by laying life and death, blessing and cursing in front of a person, and God calls heaven and earth to witness the choice made. Joshua presses the urgency and clarity of the moment by saying, choose today whom you will serve, and stakes his own flag with, as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. So the call to choose brings three things with it, every time. Free will makes choosing possible. Wisdom steers the choosing. Consequences follow the choosing, for good or for harm.

Romans 4 then shows how Abraham chose. Scripture counts him righteous, not by works, but by faith. Faith here looks like a string of deliberate choices. First, the promise names him ahead of the fulfillment, and Abraham follows God’s pattern by calling those things which do not exist as though they did. The name “Abraham” becomes public confession that God’s word outruns his eyes. Hebrews says faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, so Abraham’s mouth carries the promise until it shows up.

Second, contrary to hope, in hope he believes. When the odds say impossible, hope holds its ground because God spoke. Third, he does not consider his own body or Sarah’s womb. He refuses to let what is aging, aching, or “already dead” preach the final word. Fourth, he does not waver through unbelief, but is strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. Thanksgiving and worship become warfare. When unbelief knocks, he resists it, takes the thought captive, and keeps praising until his heart stands steady. Fifth, he is fully convinced that what God promised, God is able to perform. The weight of fulfillment sits on God’s shoulders, not his.

This righteousness is imputed, credited, ascribed to Abraham. Galatians says those of faith are the true children of Abraham and share the same blessing by faith. A key distinction shows up. Abraham looked forward and was accounted righteous before the cross. Believers now look back to a finished work. Jesus is the author and finisher of faith. Yet growth remains. Second Corinthians says believers are transformed from glory to glory, so daily choices still matter. And Sarah is not left out. Hebrews 11 says Sarah receives strength to conceive because she judges him faithful who promised. In short, choice operates with free will, demands wisdom from the Word, and brings real consequences. “Choose life” lands on the tongue, in the mind, and in the habits of praise.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Choice carries heaven’s witness. God sets life and death before a person and then calls heaven and earth to record the response. That framing gives weight to ordinary moments, because every “yes” or “no” is heard in two realms. Accountability is not meant to crush but to steady the heart toward life. The gravity of choice becomes a guardrail for joy. [06:06]
• 2. Faith speaks before it sees. Abraham’s name change trains his mouth to agree with God ahead of results. Speech becomes cooperation with promise, not denial of facts but allegiance to God’s word. Confession does not conjure; it aligns and endures until fulfillment arrives. Words become the runway for the promise to land. [13:12]
• 3. Hope endures impossible odds. When hope looks foolish, promise keeps it alive. Christian hope is not wishful thinking; it is confidence anchored in the character of the One who spoke. Such hope can outlast timelines and taunts because it feeds on God’s faithfulness, not on visible progress. In that diet, delay cannot starve it. [17:46]
• 4. Stop considering limiting facts. Abraham refuses to let aging bodies set the boundaries of obedience. Facts matter, but they are not masters when God has promised. To “not consider” is to downgrade the ruling power of what is seen and upgrade the ruling power of what God has said. That mental math frees holy perseverance. [18:36]
• 5. Worship strengthens faith against unbelief. Unbelief visits even the faithful; wavering gets resisted, not ignored. Thanksgiving reorients the heart, shifting attention from pressure to promise and from self to God’s capacity. Paired with rebuking intrusive thoughts, worship becomes practical warfare that restores clarity and courage. [20:33]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [03:52] - Defining choice
• [04:20] - Free will, wisdom, consequences
• [05:29] - Choose life, choose blessing
• [06:06] - Heaven and earth witness choices
• [07:31] - Joshua’s call to decide today
• [12:00] - Abraham’s faith choices begin
• [13:12] - Call things that are not
• [17:46] - Hope against hope
• [18:36] - Refusing natural limitations
• [20:33] - No wavering, glory to God
• [24:58] - Fully convinced of the Promise
• [26:51] - Not for him alone, for us
• [32:38] - Sarah’s faith counts too
• [39:56] - Prayer and charge

Bible Reading
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NKJV)
"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days."

Romans 4:17-21 (NKJV)
"(as it is written, 'I have made you a father of many nations') in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken... And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform."

Hebrews 11:11 (NKJV)
"By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised."

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Observation questions

1. What two options does Deuteronomy 30:19-20 set before people, and what does God specifically urge them to choose?
2. In Romans 4:17, how does God describe His power in relation to Abraham’s circumstances? What phrase emphasizes this?
3. According to Romans 4:19-20, what physical limitations did Abraham refuse to focus on, and what was his response to God’s promise? [18:36]
4. What action did Sarah take in Hebrews 11:11 that mirrored Abraham’s faith?

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Interpretation questions

1. Why do you think God calls heaven and earth as witnesses to human choices in Deuteronomy 30:19? What does this reveal about the significance of daily decisions? [06:06]
2. Abraham’s faith involved “calling things that do not exist as though they did” (Romans 4:17). How does this redefine what it means to live by faith rather than by visible circumstances? [13:12]
3. The sermon mentions that “hope endures impossible odds” because it’s anchored in God’s character. How does Abraham’s refusal to consider his age or Sarah’s barrenness demonstrate this kind of hope? [17:46]
4. Sarah’s faith in Hebrews 11:11 is tied to her judgment of God’s faithfulness. How does trusting God’s character differ from merely wishing for an outcome?

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Application questions

1. What is one area of your life where you need to “call things that do not exist as though they did” (e.g., speaking God’s promises over a situation before seeing results)? How could you practice this daily? [13:12]
2. When have you faced a situation where the odds seemed impossible, like Abraham and Sarah? What practical step could you take to anchor your hope in God’s faithfulness instead of visible progress? [17:46]
3. The sermon warns against “considering limiting facts” (e.g., age, resources, past failures). What “facts” are you tempted to focus on that contradict God’s promises? How can you intentionally “downgrade” their influence? [18:36]
4. How could thanksgiving and worship become a form of “warfare” in your life when doubt or unbelief arises? Share a specific habit or prayer you could adopt to strengthen faith. [20:33]
5. Sarah’s faith involved partnering with Abraham’s calling. Are there relationships or communities where you need to align your faith with others to see God’s promises fulfilled? How?
6. What is one choice you need to make today—big or small—that requires prioritizing God’s wisdom over fear, convenience, or cultural pressure?