·         Our lives are affected by what we allow into them. What we see and hear most often shapes how we think, whether we know it or not.

·         1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits." NKJV  The Apostle Paul is literally telling the church, “Don’t fool yourselves, evil company will eventually poison your mind.”

·         Tonight’s discussion involves considering the things in our lives that affect our choices for both good and for evil.

1.  What is an Influence?

i.        Webster’s 1828 Dictionary—comes from Latin word meaning  “Literally, a flowing in, into or on, and referring to substances spiritual or too subtle to be visible, like inspiration. Hence the word was formerly followed by into.”

a.  In a general sense, influence denotes a power whose operation is invisible and known only by its effects, or a power whose cause and operation are unseen. For example: the effect of the moon on the tides.

ii.      It is anything that flows into our lives whose effects are seen but whose power is unseen.

iii.    Illustration: Magnet on metal. Use a large magnet and different pieces of metal.

a.  Our choices

b.  We have been discussing choices for six weeks. Our choices are greatly influenced by the ‘invisible powers’ –influences we let flow into our lives.

B.  Describe a time in your life when you were influenced to do something good? What influenced you to do good?

C.  Read Mark 4:24 & 25 from the Amplified “And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you — and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.” AMP

i.     What are two things that Jesus points out in this passage that influence us?

ii.      What you hear and what you think about determines what comes back to you and more besides.

iii. Ie. Song lyrics: “O be careful little ears what you hear…”

2.  How Am I Influenced?

A. Go around your group and let each person contribute to things that influence us. Make a list. Television, radio, advertisement, friends, parents, teachers, sports heroes, books, internet.

i.        The average child is influenced by over 400 advertisements a day or over 20k adverts a year. The advertisements are designed to create: narcissism (self-focused), entitlement (I deserve), dissatisfaction so that we purchase what is being advertised.

ii.      Grey Advertising Inc. states that “…busy parents no longer act as a filter between their kids and the outside world.” Business week ’97 David Leonhardt

iii.    What food commercial do you see or hear that makes you want to eat/or eat something specific? Outback, Doritos, Dr Pepper, Papa Johns, etc.

iv.    How does these influences affect your choices?

B.  Read the first part of Proverbs 23:7 “As a man thinks in his heart so is he.”

i.     What affects our thinking? The ‘stuff’ that flows into our lives. What we see, what we hear, what we experience.

ii.  What does Proverbs 23:7 say about how our thinking affects our choices? What we think about most is what comes back to us multiplied.

C.  Describe a time in your life when you were influenced to do something bad. What was the seen or unseen force that caused you to choose unwisely?

3.  Choosing Godly Influences

A. Make a list of Godly influences. Bible, Mature Christians, Christian radio/music, etc.

ii.      In comparison, what percentage of your time is given to Godly influence verses secular influence? How is that percentage affecting your Christian walk?

iii.    What is your greatest fear of allowing more Godly influence into your life?

i.        Acts 2:42 “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. NKJV 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart.” NKJV What does the word continued imply?

ii.      Acts 5:42 “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” NKJV What does the word ‘daily’ imply?

iii.    Acts 17:10-12 “Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.” NKJV What do the two underlined phrases imply?

C.  We have the gift and the power to choose what influences we allow into our lives. 

i.        What change in influence would help your Christian walk the most?

ii.      How would making that change, change your walk with God or your maturity in Christ?

·         Influences or what flows into our lives greatly affects our choices.

·         Dream for a moment of what your life would look like if you chose to allow more Godly influences into it.

·         Dream for a moment the impact on your friend’s lives if you chose to allow more Godly influences into your own.