Study

How To Kill A Bad Habit

6 Days
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Ben Stuart
Introduction
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6

The Anatomy of A Temptation

Day 1

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Day one of “How to Kill a Bad Habit” comes with a question from Ben Stuart: Where and when do you encounter temptation the most regularly?

Temptation is everywhere, constantly searching for a way to disrupt and destroy our relationship with God, and the consequences of giving in are grievous:

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

James 1:14-15

Today, listen as Ben delves into the practicalities of what temptation is and how your thought patterns directly affect you.

 

Summary

Temptation is something we all wrestle with. Whether you call it a habit, addiction, or sin, it all begins with temptation and ends with death.

We may have engaged in these habits because we thought they would relieve us from our pain or bring pleasure into our lives. And for a little while, engaging in these activities may have temporarily satiated our desires. But now, it has led us to the absence of life. It has cost more than we want to pay.

The lure of temptation gets your attention. You don’t just think about it, it entices you, stirring your affections. What you think about is what you care about, and what you care about is what you chase.

If you want to save yourself from the consequences of a bad habit, it starts by being a student of yourself.

There is hope today. If we are willing to step outside of the cycle of sin and shame and take stock of where we are likely to succumb to temptation, we can put a strategy for victory in place. Let’s find a way forward together.

What's next?

Get out a piece of paper and write out the anatomy of your temptation as specifically as you can. What do you think about, care about, what are you chasing, and why?

  1. As you think of these things, try your best to turn down the shame that may arise in this analysis process. Be curious, not condemning. Ask yourself what the specific behavior is that you don’t want to repeat.

  2. Look at the beliefs behind it. What do you believe it will give you or accomplish?

  3. Analyze the environment. Look for clues. Where is it that you’re doing this thing?

  4. Look for patterns. When are you doing this thing?

Scripture References

31.Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32.I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
5.Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6.Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
13.When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
47.For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “ ‘I have made you13:47 The Greek is singular. a light for the Gentiles, that you13:47 The Greek is singular. may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’13:47 Isaiah 49:6”48.When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
20.We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21.God made him who had no sin to be sin5:21 Or be a sin offering for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
2.Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verses 16 and 19; and in 2:1, 5, 14; 3:10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19. whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3.because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4.Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5.If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
41.“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
14.but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15.Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.16.Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17.Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
17.Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18.He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

 

About the Contributor
Ben Stuart is the pastor of Passion City Church D.C. Prior to joining Passion City Church, Ben served as the executive director of Breakaway Ministries on the campus of Texas A&M. He also earned a master’s degree in historical theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Donna, live to inspire and equip people to walk with God for a lifetime. View more from the Contributor.