The message opens by framing the start of 2026 around a clear spiritual priority: if believers want to “maximize” their church experience and their new year, they must come asking God to speak, stay actively engaged, and approach the service as a congregation being addressed by God—not as an audience watching a performance. The pastor connects this posture to the church’s yearly theme from Romans 11:36 (“of Him, through Him, and to Him”), emphasizing that God must be seen as the source, sustainer, and purpose of life. With that foundation, he introduces a new Sunday-night series idea: “Where to put God”—examining different areas of life where God must occupy the right place. Tonight’s focus is the first of those areas: decision-making, because beginning a new year well requires making wise choices that align with God.

The sermon centers on Proverbs 3:1–9, especially verses 5–6: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart… In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Before explaining those verses, the pastor spends time building context from Proverbs 1–2 to show that Proverbs is not merely a collection of sayings, but (especially at the beginning) a father’s urgent instruction to a son—wisdom given for everyday life. He recalls learning Proverbs as a teenager and being encouraged to read one chapter daily since the book has 31 chapters, making it a consistent source for wisdom. He also references a practice of reading all of Proverbs when facing major decisions, highlighting the book’s role in shaping judgment, direction, safety, provision, and peace. Still, he stresses that the primary difficulty in Proverbs 3 is not understanding the words—it is having the effort and trust to live them. People often know what God says, but allow worldly experience, fear, and convenience to reshape what they truly believe, producing decisions that drift from God’s way.

From Proverbs 1, the pastor defines real wisdom as beginning with “the fear of the Lord” (1:7). He clarifies that this fear is more than terror; it is a healthy reverence and respect for God’s authority and holiness. He describes wisdom in Proverbs 1 as calling out publicly, urging people to listen and respond—yet many ignore that call. This becomes a picture of Israel’s repeated pattern: continuing religious activity outwardly while their hearts remain turned away from God. The sermon then outlines “evidences” of foolishness from the text: fools despise wisdom and instruction, are easily enticed by sinners (those in rebellion against God), align themselves with the wrong influences, and become driven by greed for gain—not only money, but a self-centered hunger for what pleases them. The pastor frames life as containing a continual choice: decisions will either be God-pleasing or self-pleasing, and self-pleasing choices ultimately end in destruction.

From Proverbs 2, the pastor emphasizes the blessings promised to those who actively pursue wisdom. The passage describes receiving God’s words, inclining the ear, applying the heart, crying after knowledge, and seeking wisdom like treasure. This pursuit leads to understanding the fear of the Lord and receiving discernment that delivers a person from destructive paths—symbolized by the “evil man” and the “strange woman,” both representing harmful influences that lure people away from God. The pastor applies this broadly: what a person allows into their mind—through friends, media, music, and influences—either draws them closer to God or pulls them away. He stresses that following God’s path not only keeps someone in the way of righteousness but also leads them toward good people and a good place. He illustrates this with a simple idea: “Just because it fits doesn’t mean it works.” A person might “fit” easily into the world, but that does not mean that path produces life, stability, or spiritual fruit. God’s way may feel disorienting and difficult—like being told to go forward without seeing the destination—but it ultimately leads to what God has prepared.

With that groundwork, the pastor returns to Proverbs 3 and answers the central question: How do we put God in His place when it comes to our decisions? He presents three main requirements drawn from the passage.

First, putting God first in decisions requires obedience from the heart. Proverbs 3:1 says, “Forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments.” The pastor highlights that the text does not merely demand outward compliance; it demands inward devotion. Without heartfelt obedience, a person cannot expect God’s promised results—described in verse 2 as “length of days… long life… and peace.” He illustrates the danger of doing “spiritual” things in a convenient or self-directed way rather than God’s way, referencing David’s attempt to transport the ark more conveniently, which resulted in tragic consequences when God’s instructions were not followed properly. The point is sharp: someone may be attempting to follow God, but if they insist on their own method, they step outside God’s order and invite spiritual damage. He also warns against “robot Christianity”—doing religious actions that look impressive on paper while the heart is absent. In that condition, works become empty, done for self, and unacceptable to God. The pastor ties this to Jesus’ words: love and obedience are connected, because keeping God’s commandments is an expression of love, not merely duty.

Second, putting God first requires trusting God rather than leaning on personal understanding. Proverbs 3:5 commands trust “with all thine heart,” and the pastor admits this is simple to say but difficult to live. He notes the wisdom of Proverbs’ structure: the command to trust comes after two chapters explaining fear of the Lord, the call of wisdom, and the consequences of rejecting God’s counsel. Trust becomes easier when a believer recognizes God’s character and God’s desire to lead them toward what is right. The pastor offers diagnostic signs from Proverbs 3:7: a person is truly trusting God when they are not wise in their own eyes and when they depart from evil. He connects this to the pattern in Judges, where doing what is “right in their own eyes” led Israel down a moral and spiritual slope, requiring repeated intervention to call them back. Trust is therefore not a feeling; it shows up when a believer stops forcing their own way and instead turns away from what God calls evil.

Third, putting God first requires acknowledging Him in all ways, not selectively. Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” The pastor explains “acknowledge” as more than casual recognition—it involves knowing God by experience, submitting the will, and letting God’s authority shape choices. When someone truly acknowledges God, it produces a life that naturally honors Him. This honor includes giving—yes, even materially—but the pastor broadens it beyond money: do believers give God praise, recognize what He is doing, and give Him glory publicly? He uses familiar examples of proclamation (like the idea of making joy and salvation known) to emphasize that gratitude and testimony flow out of a life that truly sees God as active and worthy. When a believer acknowledges God, they do not treat God’s commands as mere obligations; instead, they want others to know what God has done and who He is.

The sermon concludes with direct, personal application for the new year: believers should examine whether their decisions are marked by heart-level obedience, wholehearted trust, and complete acknowledgment of God in every area. The promise attached to this posture is clear: God will direct the path. But the pastor also warns that trying to keep one foot in self-will and one foot in God’s will produces double-mindedness and instability—because a person cannot truly hold both. The final prayer asks God to work in hearts so the church would fear Him properly, incline their ears to wisdom, avoid foolish influences, and genuinely put God first in decisions throughout 2026.