When I was growing up, one of the hot Christmas toys that kids found under the tree was the Magic 8 Ball. Do any of you remember having one? It was a hollow black ball with the number 8 painted on it. Underneath was a little square black screen that would reveal the answer to any yes-no question you could ask. You'd ask the question, shake the ball, turn it over and the answer would appear right before your eyes.

The Magic 8 Ball had twenty responses: as I see it, yes; ask again later; outlook good; outlook not so good; without a doubt; it is certain; don't count on it...Interestingly, ten of the twenty responses were affirmative (go for it!); five were negative; and five were ambiguous.

Boys and girls spent hours in fantasy land playing with the Magic 8 Ball. We'd ask the most important questions of life. Will Sarah be my girlfriend? Am I the best looking guy in class? Am I the best hitter on the team? Should I pick a fight with Paul after school?

The good thing about the Magic 8 Ball is that there is only a 1 in 4 chance you will get a negative answer. And even if you get a negative answer, you can always pretend you didn't see it, shake the ball again, and turn it over for a fresh answer.

Since the Ball appeared in 1946, it has re-appeared in a number of variations. One is an Affirmation Ball, containing 20 positive responses like: your breath is so minty; you look marvelous. And then there is the Sarcastic Ball that, as you can imagine, responds with: yeah, right; or do I look like I care?

[If can get a ball, have some fun: Am I the best preacher in Chapin? Should everyone give $1,000 in the offering plate today?]

Wouldn't it be great if all of life's difficult issues could be resolved simply by going to the Magic 8 Ball? And wouldn't it be even greater if the Ball could answer all questions, not just the yes-no ones? Should I trade in and get a car that gets better gas mileage? What should we do to address the growing issues of the 11:05 service? What do I preach about in 2008? But life's not like that, is it?

In our series of Christmas messages we are looking at the question: What is your impossible? The theme verse for these four messages is Luke 1:37—"For nothing is impossible with God." In other words, God can because nothing is impossible with God. The first week we said, "God can relate." He can relate to everything you go through in life because as God in the flesh, He went through all you and I go through. The second week we said, "God can impact." He can impact the world through one ordinary life, just like He did through ordinary Mary.

Today, God can guide. No matter what difficult decisions you are facing, God can guide you down the right path. As we go through life, decision making can become a difficult process. We're beyond the childhood issues of who is prettier, stronger, and smarter. Now we have to deal with other matters: Should I take the new job offer even though it requires me to move out of state? Which bill should I prioritize since my paycheck won't cover them all? Is there any hope for my marriage? Is it time to implement tough love with my teenager? How can I restore a broken relationship with a friend or family member? How can I conquer this depressed state that I'm in?

God can guide you. You may think your situation is impossible. But with God all things are possible. And He can and will guide you.

One of the favorite parts of the Christmas story is that of the wise men. They saw the star in the East and it took them right to Jesus. What an awesome miracle surrounding the nativity story. People have debated the nature of this star for centuries. But our purpose this morning is not to provide a scientific explanation of the star's existence. Our purpose is to affirm that something unusual appeared in the sky, unusual enough to get the attention of the magi who lived a far piece from Bethlehem. They began following the star, and it miraculously led them to Jesus. Let's read the story in Matthew 2:1-12.

Let's deal with this issue of God's guidance. One of the most common and complex questions that people ask me is: How can I know God's will? Most of the decisions we face are not clear-cut, black-white issues. There is a lot of gray in life. The magi had the fortune of following a star that led them to right where they needed to be. But we don't have that star. And most of the time we don't have any visible sign. So making tough decisions is not easy.

Let me give you a few principles that will help you receive God's guidance in your complex situations. Before I give these to you, I'm going to assume that you understand that there are some things God makes very clear in the Bible. They are black-white issues. You don't even need to pray about them. Should I go out and get plastered with the guys tonight? No. Getting drunk violates God's will for your life. Should I have sex with my girlfriend? Yes, as long as your girlfriend and your wife are the same person. Otherwise, no—a direct violation of God's laws. Should I move in with my boyfriend? No. You don't even have to pray about that one. Should I tithe? Yes, the Bible teaches clearly. Some things are crystal clear.

Now for those complex issues that don't have clear answers, take heed to these four principles. First, read and study God's Word. The Bible is like the star the Wise Men followed. The Bible says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (Psalm 119:105). Do you need God to shed some light on your difficult situation? Go to His Word. I believe God's Word can clarify any issue that you're facing. "Yeah, right. I can go to the Bible and it will tell me which bill I pay and which bill I don't pay. I looked in the Concordance and it doesn't list Time Warner or Mid Carolina Electric."

I want to clarify something that I don't want you to miss. The Bible can help you with any decision in life. God can guide you to the best decision. But the best way for the Bible to help you is for you to develop a life-long habit of reading it every day. Some people use the Bible as a desperate last-second shot. You're in a mess. Nothing else has worked. So you run to your Bible with no clue where to read. So you just close your eyes and open a page at random and read. Now I'm not saying that God can't use that approach. But what if you use that desperation method and the verse your finger lands on says, "And Judas went out and hanged himself"? Then what do you do?

No, the Bible must become a part of your life-blood. The more you read it, the more God's truth has been planted in your soul. And the more of God's Word you have in your soul, the more spiritual resources you have to make the best choices in your complex situation. Asking "what would Jesus do" is not a bad option. But unless you are a student of God's Word, how would you know what Jesus would do?

But, Ken, I need guidance now. Don't make me feel bad that I haven't been studying God's Word like I should. My advice to you—start reading it today. And pick it up again tomorrow and the next day and the next. See what begins to happen if you develop this as a daily priority in your life.

Do you need God's guidance? The second thing you need to do is to pray with a submissive heart. I started to just say "pray". But I have a feeling that when you get complex situations that don't have easy answers, you do pray. But do you pray with a submissive heart? What does this mean?

I was reading in 1 Samuel this week about Hannah. She was completely distraught over the fact that she was unable to have children. One of her relatives had the knack of rubbing it in. Hannah took her concern to God. "Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. And she made this vow: ‘O Lord of Heaven's Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime'" (1 Samuel 1:10-11). She poured her heart out to God and then rose from her prayer at peace and completely submitted to however God wanted to handle her situation.

To pray with a submissive heart means that you completely surrender the situation and your whole life to God. You don't tell God what to do. You lay your heart before Him and say, "God, I don't have a clue what I need to do. I need Your guidance. I submit to do whatever You lead me to do. I want You to be honored through my decision. In Your own timing, Lord, show me what to do."

A common problem for many people is that they use God as a bail bondsman. They do their own thing and are in charge of their life…until they get into a bind. Then they run to God. They will be in church the next Sunday. Don't get me wrong. You're going to the right source. But when the decision is made and the crisis is over, they're back to doing their own thing once again (that is, until they need God to bail them out again.) This is not praying with a submissive heart.

Think about your current situation. You desperately need God to guide you in this matter. Certainly, you have prayed about it. But have you prayed with a submissive heart? Have you prayed with a spirit of surrender? Have you prayed with the motive of wanting God to be glorified through your life?

The third principle for receiving God's guidance is to seek the counsel of godly people. The Bible says, "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice" (Proverbs 12:15). As vital as receiving counsel from others is, don't use it as a substitute for studying God's Word and praying. Share your dilemma with two or three trusted friends whom you know to be godly people. Don't rely on them to make your decision for you. But you'd be wise to listen to their advice.

Men, I advise that you not go to a woman for advice, unless it's your wife. Women, I advise that you not go to a man for advice, unless he's your husband. And make sure that the person you seek advice from is a highly respected believer. I've counseled people before on various issues. I will give advice. But they have received different advice. Who from? Their drinking buddy or their fellow worker who's going through a divorce. Don't you want to know God's will in your matter? Then who should you listen to? People whose lives are screwed up? People who are living far from God? Or people whom you know to have a close walk with God?

Fourth, count on God's peace to confirm your decision. I'm a firm believer that when a person is walking closely with Christ and he makes the best decision in a difficult situation, God will give him/her His peace. If your heart is still troubled, maybe you need to back up and pray through the situation some more. Maybe you made the wrong decision or maybe you made the right decision but the timing was wrong. Ask God to give you His peace as you follow His guidance. The Bible says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).

What impossible situation are you in right now? Where do you need the guidance of God? I want you to go back to the story of the wise men again. As I close I want to point out something that I believe lies at the heart of this issue of receiving God's guidance. Look at verse 2: "We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." Look at verse 11: "On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him."

The star guided the wise men to Jesus. And when they reached their destination, they fell on their faces before the Savior of the World and they worshiped Him.

It's all about worship. Seeing God work miracles in your life, asking God to do the impossible, seeking His guidance in your difficult dilemma—it's all about worship. I'm not talking about a church service. I'm talking about a lifestyle of worship. I'm talking about a 24/7 walk with Jesus Christ that seeks to honor and glorify Him in everything you think, say, and do. Most likely, God's not going to put a star in the heavens to guide you to the right decision. But the one who digs into His Word daily, who prays with a submissive heart, who seeks godly counsel from others, and who counts on the supernatural peace of God…that person will discover the guidance of God.