The first time I ever preached a sermon I might have plagiarized Steven Covey. At least, I know that I referenced him and told everyone my sermon was going to be based on his spin-off book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens. I think I was a freshman in high school, had been raised a Christian, and had been baptized for three years. When the opportunity came to preach a sermon, I didn’t know where to start, so I got the idea to put my own spin on Steven Covey:

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Christians.

I can’t find the sermon notes I had, but I remember it went a little something like this:

Be Proactive

Don’t wait for God to tell you what do to. The Bible tells you what to do. Look for opportunities to let your light shine.

Begin with Heaven in Mind

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteous, and all these things will be added unto you.

Put God First

Everything else will follow.

Relationship Treasures in Heaven

Put your treasure in Heaven, and make your relationship to God and his people your most precious possessions.

Seek first to Understand, then to be Understood

Listen before you talk. God gave you two ears, one mouth.

Synergize

You’re not doing this alone. Work with others in the church to grow.

Sharpen the Spiritual Sword

Keep using your Bible. Study, study, study.

Indeed, the outline probably looked something like that. I have to say, I am impressed with how a young me thought to adapt a popular motivational book into a 7-point spiritual lesson. I think the points are still good. Maybe I’ll add an 8th one…