Life's Little Roadmap

transcript

by John Odziemek

and Geoff Pope. All rights

reserved.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version,

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To fi nd out more about the authors, please visit www.johnodz.com and www.geoffpope.com.

Life. Who said it was

easy? It’s not. But life can be better—

much better than you ever imagined! Life can be

excellent when you follow a godly lifestyle. That’s why Geoff

and I wrote Life’s Little Roadmap. This short book is an encouraging and

precautionary guide to help you get through

life’s journey—kind of like a road sign on the side of the highway on your summer

vacation. Road signs are strategically placed to offer directions, warnings,

rules, and other information to get you safely to your destination.

So buckle up, put on your driving gloves, and get

ready for a most excellent journey:

Props.To my loving

wife, Alison and our dog, Brinkley:

two of the best road trip companions a man

could ask for! And to Mr. Young, my driver’s education

instructor, who taught me the fear of God while I was learning how to drive.

<John>

To my dad, who taught me how to drive, and who has driven in style as long

as I can remember: Mercury Cougar, Ford Thunderbird,

Porsche 914, Mazda RX7, Lincolns, Cadillacs,

and now a Jaguar.

<Geoff>

Life’s Little Lesson

How can s t u d y i n g

and further-ing my education

make my life better?

#1: Further your education!Before you proceed with any project,

passion or vision, learn the proper lessons and get a valuable edu-

cation. Never stop learning!

Proverbs 19:2“It is not good to

have zeal without knowledge, nor

be hasty and miss the

way.”

Go!W r i t e

d o w n some ideas

on how you can complete or fur-

ther your education:

How can you keep

an honorable lifestyle with so

much peer pressure?

#2: Obey the rules!You’re cruising along and think, “If I go

faster, I can get there quicker!” Then all of a sudden you get pulled over and

receive a ticket. All it takes is one slip up, and you’re busted.

Hebrews 13:17“Obey your lead-

ers and submit to their au-

thority.”

Go!L i s t

s o m e benefi ts of

obeying rules, and consequenc-

es of breaking them:

What are some things

that can cause you to lose your

way in life? How can you get back on track?

#3: Ask for directions!When you are struggling for direction in

life, don’t be afraid to ask others wiser for advice. They’ve probably been

down the same road before.

Proverbs 3:13“Blessed is the man

who fi nds wisdom, the man who

gains under-s t a n d -

i n g . ”

Go!Name a

few people you can turn

to when your life’s direction is off-

track:

Ever run into a Dead

End? How did you get out of the

situation?

#4: Don’t take shortcuts!There’s nothing worse than taking short-

cuts, then expecting the end result to turn out positive. Keep the course—

even when it’s diffi cult—and see your character grow.

Hebrews 6:12“We do not want

you to become lazy....”

Go!L i s t

some ways you can better

attain excellence at work or school:

H o w does poor

planning affect opportunities for

achievement?

#5: Find the best route!Lewis and Clark were great trailblaz-ers, and without tireless planning

their mission would have failed.

Psalm 33:11“But the plans of the Lord

stand fi rm forever, the purposes of his

heart through all generations.”

Go!W r i t e

down a major life goal

and the best route to get there:

W h a t h a p p e n s

when you get sidetracked on a

project or goal?

#6: Keep your eye on the road!You might not arrive at your destination

because of too many distractions.

Hebrews 12:1b-2a“...let us run with perserver-

ance the race marked out for us. Let us fi x our

eyes on Jesus, the author and per-

fecter of our f a i t h . ”

Go!L i s t

s o m e ways you can

achieve your life goals without getting

too distracted:

Why is a good work

ethic so impor-tant? How can you

improve it?

#7: Life takes hard work!No matter what your job is, do it with the

best of your ability, knowing later on a job well done will be rewarded.

Colossians 3:23“Whatever you do, work

at it with all your heart, as working

for the Lord, not for men.”

Go!Get in-

volved with assoc iat ions

related to your career. Name a few:

How can n e g a t i v e

friends and ac-quaintances dis-

rupt your life?

#8: Careful who you ride with!The people you choose as friends can liter-

ally make your life better or cause you to crash and burn. Choose them wisely.

Proverbs 18:24“A man of many com-

panions may come to ruin, but there

is a friend who sticks closer

than a broth-

er.”

Go!List a

few posi-tive attributes

of good friends and acquaitances:

How do n e g a t i v e

movies, songs, or TV programs

affect your attitude?

#9: Listen to the right music!You’ve heard the saying, “Garbage in.

Garbage out.” Music affects us in many ways, including our attitude, so make

positive entertainment decisions.

Psalm 34:1“I will extol the Lord at

all times; his praise will always be

on my lips.”

Go!W r i t e

down how musicians and

movie stars can af-fect the way you feel:

W h a t can you do

today to get more exercise

and stay healthy?

#10: Maintain your vehicle!Regardless of your make and model,

keep yourself in good condition; you’ll run, look, and feel much better.

3 John 2“Dear friend, I pray that

Life's Little Roadmap

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