This weeks lesson is a bit shorter but VERY important. This week we are taking a look at what to do once you have been hooked. We've all been there. We fall to temptation and we sin. It has happened today and very likely again tomorrow. Unfortunately that is part of our human nature.
Because of that fact we often get stuck in a cycle of sin. We get hooked and then we go through a series of steps that pretty much leads us back to getting hooked again. Here is that cycle.
It starts with being hooked- Satan tempts you and you take the bait…
Feel Remorse – You see that you’ve messed up and you regret it.
Feel guilty – Feeling guilty causes you to start to blame other people/things for your decision because you know you are in trouble (Adam and Eve)
Feel embarrassment – Once we are guilty we are embarrassed that everyone around us knows what we’ve done. You feel like everyone is staring at you and judging you.
You feel alone- You feel like no one else understands and you are alone in your sin. You feel that no one would like you if they knew what you had done.
You feel defeated – After being embarrassed and feeling alone, you feel defeated. This happens a lot after a retreat high. You think, man I was soooo close to God, but now I’m sooo far from Him. I give up. You are defeated
We fall victim to temptation.
We are hooked.
It's a pretty wicked cycle. But there is good news. If we begin to look at how we were hooked we can begin to overcome temptation and find redemption at the same time. We need to.
1. Acknowledge your sin - realize that you've been hooked. That's a big first step!
2. Accept God's Grace - check out the following verses.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth
(John 1:14).
Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin. Instead, you are free by God's grace (Romans 6:14).
3. Ask God for forgiveness - Honest and humbly going before Him to seek forgiveness.
4. Pursue Godliness - This is our escape from temptation. If we pursue Godliness then we are focusing on Him instead of the things that are trying to trip us up.
These are 4 things that we can do in order to overcome being hooked!
No talking questions this week, instead:
1. Take a look at your life and assess your need to take the four steps above? If you want your child to do it, the best way is to model it yourself.
2. Think through if your child knows how to go to God and ask forgiveness. Is this something you need to discuss with them?
Posted on
Wed, November 10, 2010
by Jon