Self-Control

In reading about the lives of great people, the first thing you find is that the first victory that won was over themselves.

A reporter once asked the great evangelist, D.L. Moody, which people give him the most trouble. He answered immediately, “I’ve had more trouble with D.L. Moody than any man alive.”

A classic Jack Paar line: “Looking back, my life seems to be one long obstacle course, with me as the chief obstacle.”

Sign in an office: “If you could kick the person responsible for most of your troubles, you wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week.”

The Greek word for self-control comes from a root word meaning “to grip” or “to take hold of.” This word describes people who are willing to get a grip on their lives and take control of areas that will bring them success or failure.

“A man without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls.” (Proverbs 25:28)

Anything uncontrolled can harm your relationships:
*Uncontrolled anger – Proverbs 29:11
*Uncontrolled lust – Proverbs 6:26
*Uncontrolled spending – Proverbs 21:20
*Uncontrolled drinking – Proverbs 23:29-35
*Uncontrolled ambition – Proverbs 23:4

My Time With God

Preparation Time
Abraham Lincoln said, “I will get ready and then perhaps my chance will come.” Too often, the disciplines have not been developed and an opportunity is missed.

Begin spending your time with God by listing the areas in your life that are not developed:

Waiting Time
During your waiting time let God…

Love You.
“God, I feel your love today, especially in the area of…”

Search You.
“God, You have permission to reveal any undisciplined areas in my life.”

Show You.
“God, is there anything that I need to know as I enter this day?”

Confession Time
Right now, determine to take responsibility for the undisciplined areas of your life.
Begin to confess to God those areas where you lack self-control.

Bible Time
We can never pray out of God’s will when we pray God’s Word.

…Read Galatians 5:19-26 slowly a couple of times.
…Close your eyes & allow a main truth to surface in your heart.
…Pray the Scripture and allow God to minister to you.

Meditation Time
After praying the Scriptures, write down the thoughts that God has impressed upon your mind.

I would be true, for there are those who trust me;
I would be true, for there are those who care;
I would be strong, for there are those who suffer;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare;
I would be friend of all – the foe, the friendless;
I would be giving, and forget the gifts;
I would be humble, for I know my weakness;
I would look up, and laugh, and love, and lift.

Intercession Time – Praying for Others
Begin this time with a prayer of blessing and thanksgiving for the people for whom you will now intercede.
Name Request

Petition Time – Praying for Yourself

How to Petition God Properly
Talk to Him about the “little things”
Be honest with God
Pray “Thy Will be Done”

Prayer Requests

Application Time
The smallest obedient act is better than the greatest intention.

Q: What is the main thing that God has impressed on me today?

Q: What am I going to do about it?

A self-discipline strategy:
…List your 3 weakest areas
…Which one hurts you the most?
…Work on that area daily
…Have someone hold you accountable
…Chart your progress

All worthwhile people have good thoughts, good ideas, and good intentions, but precious few of them ever translate those into action.


Faith Time
Faith is our positive response to what God has said. Spend a few moments praying, through your eyes of faith. Tell God the positive things you see happening because of His goodness!

Praise & Thanksgiving Time

Praise God by recognizing WHO HE IS!

Thank God by recognizing WHAT HE HAS DONE!

This Week’s Memory Verse: (2 Peter 1:5-8)

This Week’s Time Alone With God

Monday – This Lesson

Tuesday – Friday
For the next 4 days, study and respond to…
John Wesley’s Four Questions:

1.) What known sins have you committed? If there is such, what do you plan to do about it?

2.) What temptations have you faced?

3.) How were you delivered from these temptations?

4.) What have you thought, said or done, of which you are uncertain whether it was sin or not?

Walk The Walk

“So I say, walk by the Spirit.”-Galatians 5:16-

When you took your first steps as a baby, everyone praised you. But that was not your crowning achievement as a biped, because you went on to run, skip, jump, and dance, among other things. Nobody praises the 9-year old child for walking across the living room into their mother’s open arms. No one cheers as the 42-year old woman navigates her way around the dining room by holding on to the edge of the table. Learning to walk was just a normal part of growing up.
Over the years, sometimes your feet have taken you places you weren’t supposed to go. You directed your own steps according to your objectives, often influenced by the people you were walking with. Sometimes you walked in the dark and it was difficult to see where you were going. Sometimes you ran right into trouble. Other times you strolled in the sunshine and everything was good.
You have been on a parallel path in your spiritual walk. You took your first steps when you were saved, but that was only the beginning of your journey. Sometimes you stumbled in the dark, losing your way. Other times you took a deliberate detour and found yourself alone. But many times, you followed closely in the footsteps of Jesus. You “kept [your] feet from every evil path” (Psalm 119:101); you chose to “run in the path of [His] commands” (Psalm 119:32). And you discovered the beautiful truth that “blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord” (Psalm 119:1).
That’s being a disciple. That’s pursuing Jesus. And the more the two of you walk together, the more you walk the way He does.

Pursuing Today
Can you see maturing fruit in your life? That’s the best way to know if you have progressed from baby steps to mature strides. If you haven’t already, memorize this scripture: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. . . . Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23, 25). List that “fruit” on a notecard and put it in an obvious place where you will see it each day.

Holy Comforter

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”
(2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

In a museum in northern France, you can view the Bayeaux Tapestry. It is so long that it wraps around the walls of a large room, like the longest cartoon strip ever, with hundreds of scenes and captions. It dates from the late eleventh century and tells the story of the Norman Conquest. The Latin captions were first translated into English in the 17th century.
One scene depicts William the Conqueror urging his troops forward into a bloody battle at lance-point. The caption on the panel is translated, “William comforts his soldiers.” Pushing them into battle. Urging them on with the tip of his blade. Something must have been lost in translation, right? But this is not a mistake. The translation was made around the time when Bibles were first coming out in English, giving us the term Comforter for the Holy Spirit, and comfort had a different meaning than it does now.
So why am I telling you this? Because these days, when we think of a comforter, we think of a nice soft blanket. We want to stay in our comfort zones, take comfort measures, and eat comfort food. We enjoy creature comforts like comfortable homes and comfy clothes. But the word really means “with great strength.” It carries the idea of encouragement in the strongest sense of the word, because it includes the idea of pressing someone to take an action that could mean discomfort. When you think of the Holy Spirit, put your warm fuzzy feelings aside.
Yes, he will come alongside you to comfort you in your grief. He is more than capable of giving you peace that is not dependent on your circumstances. But the Comforter also might shake you up and dislodge you from your safe and comfortable rut, especially when a battle rages just ahead.

Pursuing Today
How have you experienced the Holy Spirit? Recall the times He has stimulated you and strengthened you to face challenges. How has His comfort both calmed you and given you strength? In your own words, contrast the pursuit of comfort with the pursuit of the Comforter.

Exhale, Inhale

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
-Galatians 5:25-

The teaching of Bill Bright, co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, has helped me learn to become a follower of Christ who is filled with the Spirit. He taught a spiritual exercise called “spiritual breathing.” The basic idea is that you learn to live with a moment-by-moment awareness of the Spirit until walking in the Spirit becomes as natural as breathing. It just becomes a part of who you are.
Here’s how it works: The moment you become aware of an area of sin in your life, you exhale. When you exhale, you breathe out the impurity of your sin and repent of it. Repentance becomes a natural response, clearing out space in your heart for the Spirit to fill you. The moment you become prideful, jealous, lustful, harsh, selfish, dishonest, impatient, etc. — you exhale and repent on the spot.
And then, you inhale. You breathe in and pray to be filled with the Spirit. You surrender control to Him. You thank Him for forgiving you, and you receive the purity and fullness of the Holy Spirit. You let Him empower and direct you.
As you practice this spiritual breathing, it teaches you to keep in step with the Spirit. It will probably seem unnatural at first. Your first few tries will be self-conscious and you will feel like a toddler learning to walk. It will take your total concentration. But before long, you will be putting one foot in front of the other and walking will feel completely natural.
Spiritual breathing is an exercise of your faith, and it enables you to experience God’s love and forgiveness on an ongoing basis.

Pursuing Today
Starting right now, try this simple exercise. Exhale. (What do you need to confess? In what ways are you still striving to live in your own power?) Inhale. (Surrender yourself again to the work and power of the Holy Spirit inside of you.) Repeat. Give Him room. Let the Spirit breathe through you.

Moving Sidewalk

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you — they are full of the Spirit and life.”
-John 6:63-

My family and I flew into the Atlanta airport one time on a vacation trip to Florida. (By the way, I believe you are going to have to go through Atlanta to get to heaven some day!) After landing, we grabbed our bags and began the long hike to our connecting gate. When we travel, my wife and I split the luggage responsibilities: One of us packs lots of stuff, and one of us carries it everywhere. That’s how we have worked it out. So, I’m carrying about a half dozen bags through the airport. They’re hanging all over me. It’s just a moving pile of bags with my head sticking out the top. We turn to go down a hallway that is about 100 yards. My wife & kids all get on a moving sidewalk. But carrying my wide load, I’m not able to navigate the turn and I miss my on-ramp. I wish you could have seen what it looked like from my perspective. They set their few bags they have on the moving sidewalk and just stand there watching me. I’m sweating like, well, like a man carrying a half dozen suitcases through an airport. I’m trying to keep up with the pace. We end up arriving at the end of the sidewalk at about the same time, but there’s a difference. I’m frustrated, exhausted, and annoyed, and they are ready to keep moving on.
That’s what our lives look like when we try the self-empowered hike instead of the Spirit-filled walkway. You can try to play the role of the Holy Spirit, but trying to be God has a tendency to wear you out.
Jesus knew that would happen. So, He promised to give us an an advocate to help us and be with us (see John 14:15-17). His Spirit teaches us, gives us life, guides us into truth, convicts us of sin, and reminds us of what Jesus said. He gives powerful gifts that we could never manufacture on our own. And He always, always points us to Jesus.

Pursuing Today
Do a quick search with your Bible app or an online Bible version (or a good, old-fashioned concordance) for the word SPIRIT. Look up several of the first verses that come up. Using short phrases — 2 or 3 words — write down several observations about the activities of God’s Spirit. What are some ways you have experienced that active presence in your own life as you pursue Him?

Outsider

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.”-John 14:16-

Growing up, I was an outsider in my own family. In Pennsylvania, hunting is the norm for almost everyone. When you are a child, you can’t wait to get to be 12 years old so you could take your hunter’s safety course and get your hunting license. It’s just as important as becoming 16 and getting your driver’s license. It’s just what you do. Everyone does it and you are expected to do it. There are no written rules, of course, but it is certainly implied that when you become 12, you hunt; no doubt about it.
The problem for me was, I hated hunting! I had no interest in hunting! I couldn’t stand the thought of killing an animal! But, I was expected to hunt and so I went along with it. I wanted to be a part of the group and the crowd when they talked about hunting — and they talked about hunting a lot. In fact, it was all they talked about all the time!
I had other interests. I would much rather have been listening to music or reading or being involved in musicals at school, but that wasn’t part of the family tradition of hunting. Early on, I went along with it, but when I got into high school, I decided I was going to do my own thing and feed my own interests and the rest of the family weren’t quite sure what to do with me.
This is how a lot of Christians approach the Holy Spirit. To them, He is sort of like the Cousin Eddy of the Trinity – the one you’re not quite sure how to relate to. It never occurs to some of us that He (not “it,” by the way) may be our vital link to the Father & Jesus. We promise ourselves and others that we’re really going to change this time. But the change lasts only a few days. We keep striving to obey Jesus’ commands on our own, as if it were somehow possible to actually love our enemies, forgive those who hurt us, or consistently consider others better than ourselves. On our own, it just doesn’t work. When we try to pursue Jesus without being filled daily with the Spirit, we find ourselves frustrated by our failures and exhausted by our efforts.
Here’s the bad news: You can’t live the life Jesus calls you to in your own strength. But here’s the good news: You were never meant to. And here’s even better news: For the Christian, the power of God’s Holy Spirit is already available inside of you. Begin discovering the Spirit’s power by asking God to give it to you today and then paying attention to the ways it shows up in your life. It may manifest as extra patience with a family member, or an unusual amount of self-control with a temptation, or maybe you will experience a supernatural sense of peace in the midst of an overwhelming difficulty. God has given you this gift; make sure you open it.

Pursuing Today
What life circumstances are currently overwhelming you? What areas of your life are you trying to manage on your own? What promises have you made again that you have failed to keep again? (Be honest here; put words to your weaknesses and write them down.) Now compare your list to the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. Identify where the power of the Holy Spirit can give you victory, and then begin to surrender to Him daily. DON’T BE AN OUTSIDER!!

Freedom of Choice

The people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods! . . . We too will serve the Lord, because He is our God.”-Joshua 24:16, 18-

Christian philosopher Peter Kreeft says, “The opposite of theism is not atheism. It’s idolatry.” Everyone is going to worship a god of some sort (yes, even atheists), because we were created to be worshipers. It’s written into our genetic code. It’s an inescapable part of our job description as human beings. Worship comes as factory-installed, standard equipment in any member of the human race who has a body, a mind, and emotions.
The question, of course, is whom or what you will choose to worship personally. There are lots of options, and most of them are not “religious.” In whom or what do you put your hope? What do you pursue? In short, to what do you give the bulk of your life’s attention?
Here are some choices that reveal the god or gods you may be worshiping:
* How you spend your day off or your free time
* Whom you choose as friends & which ones you call in a crisis
* What you do for a living
* How you manage your money
* What you watch on TV or what websites you visit
* What clothes you wear (or wish you could afford to wear)
* What food you eat
* What you think about
* How you spend your Sundays
* What type & level of education you have gotten or are getting
* Whether or not you a time with God — every day of the week

Instead of worrying about the question, “What god am I serving?” Look at your choices. You really are free to choose. But choosing well can be difficult.

Pursuing Today
Ask yourself, “What choices am I making? Have I been influenced by the choices of my friends and family? The culture around me? Consider your answers to the choices listed above. Stop for a moment and weigh your options. Then complete these sentences, using the same language the people of Israel used. “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve [ ]. We too will serve the Lord because [ ].

SUCCESS

Success is relative — The more success, the more relatives!

3 men were trying to come up with a definition of “success.” Said the first, “I would consider myself successful if I could have a private, personal conversation with the President of the United States in the White House Oval Office.” The second man said, “I would consider myself successful if, while I am having a private personal conversation with the President of the United States in the White House Oval Office, his hotline rings and he ignores it.” Said the third man, “For me to feel successful, I would be having a private, personal conversation with the President of the United States in the White House Oval Office, the hotline rings, he answers it and says, ‘It’s for you.’ ”

A survey of 100 executives asked this question: “What does success mean to you?” These were their top 10 answers:
Do you agree or disagree with them?

1.) Possessing something specific and worthwhile.
2.) Experiencing a special feeling.
3.) The process of going from point A to point B.
4.) Reaching my maximum potential at any given moment.
5.) Overcoming obstacles.
6.) Success is work.
7.) Success is power.
8.) Not looking back with regret.
9.) Success is production.
10.) Success is lasting.

John Maxwell’s Definition of Success
KNOWING God and His desires for me;
GROWING to my maximum potential;
SOWING seeds that benefit others.

My Time With God

Preparation Time
Read Genesis 1:27-28.

Verse 28 says that God expected Adam (man) to be successful.
Verse 27 says that God equipped Adam (man) to be successful.

God expected Adam to have the success image. He expected Adam to do that which was right and pleasing in His sight, and so gave him instructions. The only way failure could gain entrance to Adam’s life was for him to disobey.

As you spend time with God, remember…
Success is Obedience to God!

Waiting Time
During your waiting time, let God…

Love You.
“God, I feel Your love today, especially in the area of…”

Search You.
“God, You have permission to reveal any wrong motive in my life.”

Show You.
“God, is there anything that I need to know as I enter this day?”

Confession Time
If success is obedience to God, take a moment and confess to Him any area in which you are disobedient to Him.

Bible Time
We can never pray out of God’s will when we pray God’s Word.

… Read Psalm 1 slowly a couple of times.
…Close your eyes & allow a main truth to surface in your heart.
…Pray the Scripture & allow God to minister to you.

Meditation Time
After praying the Scriptures, write down the thoughts that God has impressed upon your mind:

Intercession Time – Praying for Others
Begin this time with a prayer of blessing & thanksgiving for the people for whom you will now intercede.
Name Request

Petition Time – Praying for Yourself

How to Petition God Properly
Talk to Him about the “little things”
Be honest with God
Pray “Thy Will Be Done”
Prayer Requests

Application Time
The smallest obedient act is better than the greatest intention.

Q: What is the main thing that God has impressed on me today?

Q: What am I going to do about it?

Steps to take in my obedience to God:

Faith Time
Faith is our positive response to what God has said. Spend a few moments praying, through the eyes of faith. Tell God the positive things you see happening because of His goodness!

Praise & Thanksgiving Time

Praise God by recognizing WHO HE IS!
Thank God by recognizing WHAT HE HAS DONE!

This Week’s Memory Verse – Joshua 1:8

This Week’s Time Alone With God:

Monday – This lesson.

Tuesday – Read again the “Preparation Time.” When Adam sinned, the nature of sin became a part of the human family. Our sinful nature causes us to…
1.) Disobey God
2.) Keep a distance from Him
3.) Withhold affections from God
4.) Avoid responsibility for wrong-doing

Wednesday – Memorize John Maxwell’s definition of success.

Thursday – Which of the 3 parts of Maxwell’s definition of success do you find the most difficult?

Friday – Make a commitment to work on that difficult area.

The Least of These

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
-Matthew 25:40-

Jesus tells a story in Matthew 25 that haunts me from time to time. Though it follows a string of parables, this story is not one. It’s a straightforward depiction of what will take place when Jesus comes back again.
On that day, Jesus will separate everybody in the world into two groups — the righteous “sheep” on His right and the wicked “goats” on His left. He’ll tell them two slightly different versions of the same story. To the sheep: When I was hungry and thirsty, you fed me. When I was a stranger, you were hospitable and invited me into your house. When I needed some clothes, you gave me a couple of shirts and a nice pair of pants. That time I was sick? You nursed me back to health. That time I was put in prison? You showed up during visiting hours.
Those listening will be more than a little confused. “When did we see you like this?” they’ll ask. “We never knew you were hungry or thirsty. When did we see you a stranger or without clothes? We don’t remember you being sick or in prison and coming to visit you. When did we meet these needs? The sheep wait for an answer, scratching their heads and exchanging puzzled looks.
Finally, Jesus breaks the silence and replies: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). This crowd smiles and exhales in unison. Then Jesus rewards them with a blessing — an inheritance in His kingdom.
But to those on His left, He gives a scathing rebuke: I was hungry & thirsty, and you couldn’t even scrounge up any leftovers. I was a stranger, and you looked right past me. I didn’t have any clothes, and you couldn’t find anything to spare out of your overflowing closets. I was sick, and you turned a blind eye. I was in prison, and you just wrote me off as someone else’s problem.
The goats squirm nervously. They too respond, in an almost defensive, desperate tone: “We never saw you like that . . . did we? When did that happen ? When did we not meet your needs? If only we’d known it was You!”
And Jesus replies: “Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me” (Matthew 25:45). Then the goats are sent away for eternal punishment.
It’s a simple story making an obvious point. You and I will have opportunities to see Jesus; you are probably realizing now that you already have. Maybe you saw him today as you drove to work. Maybe he keeps to himself in the cubicle just down the row from you. Maybe he lives next door to you. Maybe you read about his arrest in the paper.
So, when you see him, will you recognize him? And perhaps more important, will you respond by serving him?

Pursuing Today
The application is clear. Keep your eyes open for opportunities to serve “the least of these.” Ignore the excuses that pull at you (“He’ll probably spend my money on alcohol,” “She got herself into this mess,” “He’s just really difficult to love”). Serve. Give. Love. For Christ’s sake, don’t miss your opportunity.

Every Knee

“Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”(Philippians 2:9-11)

The older I get, the more attention I pay to my knees. I used to give them no thought at all, except maybe when I skinned one as a kid or injured one playing football. But now I’m aware of the relentless wear & tear they suffer, and I don’t take them for granted. As the largest joints in the human body, they are sturdy enough to support me when I stand up, and also flexible enough to bend with every step I take. I command my knee to move with enough strength to kick a ball, yet I can’t control an involuntary reflex to the light touch of a well-place reflex hammer.
My knees also make it possible for me to kneel down to pray on the floor next to my bed each night or in my closet as I start each morning. And this outward physical posture is a reflection of an inward spiritual one: A bowed knee demonstrates a humble heart.
Carl Jung, the famous psychotherapist, used to tell a story about a rabbi. Someone asked the rabbi, “Why did God often show himself to people in ancient times, but today, no one ever sees Him?” The wise rabbi answered, “Because now no one bends low enough to see God.”
Jesus modeled this posture perfectly for us. The apostle Paul writes that even though Jesus could have used His God-nature to His own advantage, “he made Himself nothing and humbled Himself even to the point of death on a cross (see Philippians 2:6-8). He didn’t play His “God card.” He stepped down to take on human form, and then He knelt further in the posture of a servant. And when He did, God exalted Him.
We are called to this mindset as well. As God’s sons and daughters in this self-sufficient age, let’s be counter-cultural. Let’s value others above ourselves because we value Christ above all. Together and individually, let’s bend low enough so that we too can get a glimpse of God.
Standing proudly in the presence of someone who is greater will never get us very far. In fact, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). Our pursuit of God should always begin on our knees.

Pursuing Today
Read Philippians 2:1-4, highlighting or underlining phrases that describe a humble posture toward others. Pray about some practical ways you can “look to the interests of others” today. Write them down, and commit to doing them. An additional thought: For some of you, getting on your knees to pray will feel more than just physically uncomfortable. There is something humbling about it, and that’s the point. Find a quiet place, get on your knees, and ask God for help. Begin your prayer with these 3 simple words: “I need You . . .”