The Power of Decision | Bishop Eric Ellis

He opens with lively worship and warm greetings, then moves quickly into a single, urgent theme: the power of decision. With frank humor and raw honesty, he presses congregants to choose obedience to God over comfort, fear, or the easy sway of fleshly desire. Decisions are framed not as private choices but as communal responsibilities—what one person decides affects others and may uproot personal comfort for the sake of a greater calling. He acknowledges fear in making bold moves, admitting personal reluctance about relocating and the cost of obedience, yet insists that obedience outranks sacrifice because eternity demands an account.

Personal testimony weaves through the encouragement: a daughter rescued from a near-fatal overdose becomes a living example of restoration, prompting joyful praise instead of mourning. That testimony supports a larger point that spirit can be thicker than blood; chosen, spiritual family often offers the love, accountability, and ministry fruit that biological ties sometimes fail to provide. Practical ministry life gets attention too—gratitude for staff and volunteers, calls for more service, and a reminder that earthly accolades and possessions are temporary. He confronts the persistent reality of sin in the believer’s life without sentimentalizing it—temptation remains, the flesh continues to war against the spirit, and continual vigilance is required.

Throughout, prayer and perseverance are elevated as strategic responses: keep praying even when appearances discourage, pray for those who oppose, and refuse self-defeat. The talk closes with an invitation to repentance and a concise profession of faith, reciting the basics of conversion—confession, belief in Christ’s death and resurrection, and the declaration of being born again. The tone combines pastoral tenderness with prophetic urgency, calling listeners to decisive, costly faith that trusts God’s direction and advances the work of Christ in a world that tempts retreat.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Decisions determine spiritual direction Decisions are rarely neutral; indecision is itself a choice that often entrenches defeat. When God calls, responding aligns personal trajectory with kingdom purposes and prevents the slow drift into comfort-driven compromises. Choosing deliberately reorients daily habits, priorities, and the legacy left for others who depend on that obedience. [39:12]
• 2. Obedience requires stepping from comfort Obedience frequently demands leaving familiar ground—relationships, routines, and securities that feel safe. The cost is real, but the point is not risk for its own sake; it is ordering one’s life so God gets the glory rather than convenience. Movement toward God’s call reshapes identity and enlarges influence beyond private comfort. [39:51]
• 3. Spiritual family can surpass blood Spirit-wrought relationships sometimes provide the nurture and accountability that biological ties do not. Investing in spiritual sons and daughters is a sober strategy for discipleship: it recognizes that grace can rebuild what blood has fractured. This reframing frees believers to love chosen family with the same sacrificial commitment as kin. [44:45]
• 4. Sanctification is ongoing; flesh fights Being born again does not erase desire or history; it activates a lifelong engagement against the appetites of the flesh. Honest confession of ongoing struggle is not failure but realism—what matters is refusing to let issues master the soul. Persistent discipline, prayer, and reliance on the Spirit are the means by which victory becomes habitual. [80:13]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [29:40] - Worship and Encouragement
• [32:21] - Lively Introductions and Humor
• [35:05] - Introducing "Power of Decision"
• [39:12] - Decisions Shape Destiny
• [40:47] - Trusting God (When Details Are Hidden)
• [41:12] - Honest Talk About Temptation
• [42:11] - Daughter's Testimony of Recovery
• [44:45] - Chosen Family: Spirit Over Blood
• [70:26] - Eternal Priorities vs. Temporaries
• [82:32] - Prayer, Repentance, and Salvation Prayer

1. According to the passage from Proverbs, what are the two things we are instructed *not* to do, and what is the one thing we are instructed *to* do?
2. What is the promised result of trusting and acknowledging God in this way?
3. The speaker mentioned that "obedience is better than sacrifice" [39:51]. What does this reveal about the nature of a decision that pleases God?
4. The speaker stated, "spirit is thicker than blood" [44:45]. What biblical event did he reference to support this idea of a spiritual family?

1. The proverb says God will "make straight your paths," but it doesn't promise He will reveal the entire journey at once. Why might God choose to only reveal our next step rather than the whole plan?
2. The speaker was very honest about still facing temptations even after decades of faith [01:20:13]. How does this reality fit with the concept of God making our paths straight? Does struggle mean we are off the path?
3. What does it look like practically to "acknowledge him" in *all* our ways, especially when making a difficult decision that involves leaving our comfort zone?
4. The idea that "spirit is thicker than blood" [44:45] can be challenging. How does this concept both affirm the value of biological family and also expand our understanding of what family can be in God's kingdom?

1. What is a decision you are currently facing where you are tempted to "lean on your own understanding" instead of trusting God? What would it look like to acknowledge Him in that specific situation?
2. The speaker said, "if you don't make a decision, you've already made a decision to live with your defeated decision" [39:12]. Is there an area of your life where you have been avoiding a decision out of fear or comfort? What is the "defeated" outcome your indecision is creating?
3. Obedience often requires stepping from comfort [39:51]. What is one comfort zone—a relationship, a routine, a security—that God might be asking you to step out of for His glory?
4. Are you so consumed because your "blood don't call you" [44:45]? Who has God placed in your path as spiritual family that you need to appreciate and invest in more intentionally?
5. The speaker admitted, "my flesh still has an old appetite" [01:20:13]. What is one ongoing "appetite" or struggle you have to fight against regularly? Who can you be honest with about this fight to find accountability and support?
6. How can you shift your focus this week from the "temporary" things like cars and houses [01:10:26] to the eternal things you are doing for Christ? What is one practical step?
7. The speaker encouraged us to pray for people who despise us [01:18:55]. Who is one person who has been negative towards you that you can begin to sincerely pray for as fuel to move forward?