We are talking this week about bad habits. We have all been tempted to cover up a bad habit or to act like our bad habits are not a big deal. We often fake it rather than fixing the behaviors. Unfortunately, we do not usually discover or choose to discover, these bad habits until they have taken over. The good news, however, is that God has more for us than being stuck in our bad habits. We are going to talk about this today and discover how to fight against those bad habits that pull us away from the things that matter most, honoring God and growing His Kingdom.
What is one part of your daily routine that you wish you could eliminate without any consequences? Why?
1. What bad habits do you see people around you falling into?
2. When it comes to bad habits, why do you think fixing them instead of faking it is so difficult for many of us?
3.Read Romans 7:18-25. Can you relate to what Paul is saying here? Why or why not?
Romans 7:18-25 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. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
Romans 7:18-25
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. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.
4. What bad habits do you find yourself struggling with? What hope do you find in these verses in the battle against your bad habits?
5. Read Romans 12:1-5. Why does Paul urge us to renew our minds and change the way we think and act (verse 1)?
Romans 12:1-5 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
Romans 12:1-5
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
6. Why do you think changing our thought patterns is so very important in battling bad habits?
7. Name one bad habit that you want to begin fighting against this week.
As you think about the bad habit that you want to begin fighting against, pick one tactic that we talked about in this weekend's message in your fight against your bad habit: find freedom through what Jesus did on the cross (spend time throughout the week reading in your Bible about Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection), renew your mind, or replace your bad habit with something good. Tell your group which tactic you will focus on this next week and the steps you will take as you fight against your bad habit.
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1 Corinthians 10:13 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
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.
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