Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 NLT
3 PARTS
1. THE SOUL
MIND
WILL
EMOTIONS
“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord .” Joshua 24:14-15 NLT
2. THE BODY
Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. James 1:14-15 NLT
3. THE SPIRIT
'Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart… Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT
But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 NLT
And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. Romans 7:18-20 NLT
YOU CAN’T GET YOUR EXTERNAL LIFE IN ORDER IF YOUR INTERNAL LIFE IS OUT OF ORDER.
Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Romans 7:24 NLT
Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 7:25 NLT
WHO IS IN CONTROL?
1. ARE MY CHOICES LEADING ME TOWARD COMPROMISE?
You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12 NLT
DON’T SETTLE FOR TEMPORARY CRAVINGS THAT CAN NEVER SUSTAIN YOU!
2. IS MY LIFE REFLECTING GOD?
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:14;16 NLT
For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man. 2 Corinthians 8:21 NIV
THE WORLD SHOULD SEE OUR LIVES AND DESIRE WHAT WE HAVE IN JESUS!
Most People are insecure... Give them Confidence
Most People want to feel special... Compliment them
Most People want a bright future... Give them hope
Most People need to be understood... Listen to them
Most People want direction... walk with them
Most People are selfish... speak to their needs first
Most People get emotionally low... Encourage Them
Most People want to be included... Ask their opinion
Most People want success... Help them win
Most People want to be appreciated... Give them credit
3. AM I TREATING MY BODY AS TEMPLE?
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT
WHAT IF YOU VIEWED YOUR OWN BODY WITH THAT MUCH RESPECT AND REVERANCE AND STRIVE TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE?
Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! 1 Corinthians 6:15 NLT
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8 NIV
The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:20-21 NLT
ACTION STEPS
JESUS DID THREE SIMPLE THINGS.
1. HE MEASURED ALL INVESTMENTS OF TIME AGAINST HIS PURPOSE.
2. HE TOOK TIME FOR SOLITUDE WITH THE FATHER.
3. HE DIDN’T TRY TO DO TOO MUCH.
Properly understood and managed, time is easily one of our best friends. poorly appreciated and mismanaged, it becomes a formidable enemy. Gordon MacDonald
ALONE TIME
PERSONAL TIME
GROWTH TIME
Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. II Corinthians 4:16 NKJV
Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:8-9 NLT
Tree of Life TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD & EVIL
*FREEDOM *BONDAGE
*GRACE *THE LAW
*ETERNAL LIFE *LEADS TO DEATH
*GOD IS GOOD *GOD IS GOOD TO HIS FAVORITES
*GOD IS FORGIVING *GOD IS A JUDGE
*GOD IS LOVING *GOD IS ANGRY
SIN SEPARATES US FROM LIFE AND BROADCASTS THE MESSAGE OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE.
This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Colossians 1:21 NLT
…God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. Colossians 1:20 NLT
For “Everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 NLT
EVERY PERSON CAN LIVE IN FREEDOM THAT COMES FROM JESUS!
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 NLT
1. THE DEVIL MAKES YOU QUESTION GOD'S COMMANDS
He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1 NIV
THE DEVIL CANNOT TAKE AWAY THE PROMISES OF GOD, BUT WHAT HE CAN DO IS MAKE YOU QUESTION THE PROMISES OF GOD
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy... John 10:10 NLT
So that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes. 2 Corinthians 2:11 NLT
But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” Genesis 2:16-17 NLT
The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” Genesis 3:1 NLT
THE MOMENT YOU START WRESTLING WITH A SIN YOU WILL ALLOW YOUR EMOTIONS TO DO THE ANSWERING
Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Amos 5:14 NLT
2. THE DEVIL MAKES YOU QUESTION GOD’S INTENTIONS
16. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— 17. except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” Genesis 2:16-17 NLT
THE DEVIL WANTS YOU TO IGNORE THE FREEDOM GOD GIVES YOU AND ONLY FOCUS ON YOUR LIMITATIONS
GOD IS NOT ROBBING YOU, HE IS PROTECTING YOU!
God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. Psalms 18:30 NLT
For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation Psalms 100:5 NLT
3. THE DEVIL TAKES US THROUGH THE PROCESS OF TEMPTATION
Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. James 1:14-15 NLT
TEMPTATION
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:15 NIV
FANTASY
“You will never make yourself feel that you are a sinner, because there is a mechanism in you as a result of sin that will always be defending you against every accusation. We are all on very good terms with ourselves, and we can always put up a good case for ourselves. Even if we try to make ourselves feel that we are sinners, we will never do it. There is only one way to know that we are sinners, and that is to have some dim, glimmering conception of God.” -Martyn Lloyd-Jones
STEP TOWARDS SIN
Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22 NIV
ACT OF SIN
DEATH
There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Proverbs 14:12 NLT
4. THERE IS VICTORY OVER TEMPTATION
So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. James 1:16-17 NLT
The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT
ACTION STEPS
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 NIV
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16 NLT
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 NLT
WE CAN LIVE IN FREEDOM EVERYDAY
Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 2:8-9;16-17 NLT
KNOWLEDGE IS YOUR MINDSET.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” Genesis 3:1 NIV
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:4 NLT
The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:2-5 NIV
There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Proverbs 14:12 NLT
There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. Proverbs 16:25 NLT
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Genesis 3:6 NIV
3 ROOTS OF SIN
For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:16-17 NIV
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Genesis 3:7 NIV
THE CHOICE BETWEEN DEATH & LIFE
DEATH SAYS: GETTING TO GOD MEANS I MUST DO MORE
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT
LIFE SAYS: RECEIVE THE FACT THAT JESUS HAS ALREADY DONE IT
“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life. John 5:39-40 NLT
DEATH SAYS: KEEP TRYING TO GET GOD’S APPROVAL
…So they hid from the lord God among the trees. Then the lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” “Who told you that you were naked?” the lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” Genesis 3:8-11 NLT
LIFE SAYS: RECEIVE THE FACT THAT HE ALREADY LOVES YOU
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8 NLT
DEATH SAYS: WE OBEY OUT OF DUTY
LIFE SAYS: WE OBEY OUT OF DELIGHT
In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome…Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:3;12 NIV
TEMPTATION OR COMPROMISE DOESN'T EXPOSE OUR WEAKNESSES IN WILLPOWER, BUT A WEAKNESS IN OUR RELATIONSHIP.
ACTION STEPS
1. FALL IN LOVE WITH JESUS
If you love me, keep my commands. John 14:15 NIV
2. SERVE GOD THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS NOT RULES
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. Matthew 5:17 NIV
3. RESPOND TO ALL SIN WITH LIFE
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Romans 8:1-2 NLT
4. GUARD YOUR HEART FROM GOING BACK.
Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9 NLT
* WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO BE RIGHTEOUS AND GODLY?
Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life… Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NLT