May 26, 2024 | Dave McGinley
Passage: Romans 7:15-25
If a bat and a ball cost $1.10 collectively, and the bat costs $1 more than the ball, how much does the ball cost?
Self-control requires us to think deeper than our reactions.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” Romans 7:15
Paul’s struggle is our struggle.
“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” Romans 7:15
“Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” Romans 7:16-18
“We were buried therefore with him (Jesus) by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4
We are saints who struggle with sin.
“And Jesus said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Mark 7:20-23
“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:24-25a
Self-control does two things:
1. Lets go and trusts God’s provision
“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.” Proverbs 25:28
2. Holds on to Christ’s instruction with a transformed life of obedience
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2
The Holy Spirit’s fruit:
1. Rooted in Christ’s work
2. Grows gradually
3. Grows simultaneously
Series Information
Have you ever seen an apple tree grow lemons? Of course not! In fact, one of the ways we identify plants and trees is by the kind of fruit it produces. Being a follower of Jesus is a lot like growing a certain kind of tree. Too often the world sees Christians and feel like we claim to be one kind of tree but our fruit looks totally different. So what does the fruit of a Christian look like? Join us as we peel back what it looks like to cultivate a fruit that not only changes our lives but our communities and our world for the better in our new teaching series PEELED: Cultivating What’s Underneath”
