WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:10.000 Have you ever decided that you need to make a big change? 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:14.000 ! Anybody ever done that? 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:19.000 I hear by your murmuring that you have done that. 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:25.000 ! How many of you were successful every time you decided to make a big change? 00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:34.000 That's what I thought. If you had raised your hand, we would all be coming to you afterwards to ask you to write a book 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:40.000 and charge the small amount of $19.95 every month to help teach the rest of us how to do it. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:46.000 It is difficult, isn't it? Making a big needed change in our life is very difficult. 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:51.000 There's a little secret here. Can anybody see the clue on the screen? 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:58.000 Change your what? Habits. And then that will help you change your life. 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:05.000 That's what we're going to talk today about as we continue this series called Summer Stretch. 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:11.000 We're going to talk about changing our habits or stretching our habits. 00:01:11.000 --> 00:01:17.000 So, it might be this week we're going to start exercising, right? 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:19.000 This week we're going to start eating better. 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:22.000 This week we're going to start reading our Bible every morning. 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:26.000 This week we're going to start carving out intentional time to prayer. 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:33.000 Whatever it is, whatever habit you feel like you need to begin to change your life, 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:39.000 sometimes we start fast and then we fizzle out. 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:44.000 And that's the way of our weak flesh so often, right? 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:50.000 Well, let's kind of look at 1 Timothy 4, verses 7 through 8, 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:57.000 and see what Paul, one of the greatest figures we have in the New Testament to read about, 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:02.000 was talking about 1 Timothy 4, verses 7 through 8. 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:16.000 So far, in our Summer Stretch series, we've talked about stretching our time, stretching our talk. 00:02:16.000 --> 00:02:20.000 Today, we're going to talk about stretching our habits. 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:24.000 So, 1 Timothy 4, verses 7 through 8. 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:25.000 Let's read it together. 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:32.000 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales. 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:37.000 Rather, train yourselves to be godly. 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:45.000 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things. 00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:52.000 Holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:56.000 Let's look back at that second part of the verse. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:03:00.000 Train yourself to be what, church? 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:05.000 We can do better than that. Train yourself to be godly. 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:06.000 There we go. 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:14.000 For physical training is of some value, stick with me, but godliness has value for all things. 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:15.000 All things. 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:16.000 All things. 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:22.000 So, what is Paul teaching Timothy here in 1 Timothy 4? 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:25.000 He's teaching him about habits. 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:29.000 About training himself to be godly. 00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:34.000 Because godliness touches every area of our life. 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:41.000 God wants to transform and change every area of our lives. 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:45.000 Not just the one area that sticks foremost in our minds. 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:47.000 God wants to touch it all. 00:03:47.000 --> 00:03:49.000 He wants to transform it all. 00:03:49.000 --> 00:03:55.000 And it has effectiveness both in this life and the life to come. 00:03:55.000 --> 00:04:04.000 So, for Paul, training to be godly is not about checking off a list. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:18.000 It's about creating space for God to work in your heart to guide your attitude, your character, your relationships, definitely your habits. 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:20.000 So, that's what we're going to look at today. 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:21.000 Point number one. 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:22.000 Point number one. 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:25.000 Small steps create big results. 00:04:25.000 --> 00:04:29.000 This is the truth that we can take on stretching our habits. 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:32.000 Small steps create big results. 00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:34.000 How do we know that? 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:37.000 Well, Matthew chapter 13. 00:04:37.000 --> 00:04:42.000 We talked about this during our last series that we closed the book on not too long ago. 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:43.000 Stories of the kingdom. 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:46.000 We talked about the parables of Jesus. 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:48.000 The stories that he was teaching us. 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:51.000 And the truth that he was teaching us through those stories. 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:56.000 And one of them that we studied, and we'll jump back into it for a moment here, is the mustard seed. 00:04:56.000 --> 00:05:03.000 The kingdom of heaven, Jesus teaches us, is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:09.000 And it's the smallest of all the seeds, but when it grows, it's the largest of garden plants. 00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:15.000 And we put up a picture on the screen of a tiny little mustard seed, tiniest thing you can imagine. 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:20.000 And then it grows into this massive tree with all these branches. 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:22.000 And the birds will come and perch in the branches. 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:23.000 It serves a purpose. 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:25.000 A good purpose. 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:29.000 So, something that starts so small can become huge. 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:33.000 Now that can be good or bad in our lives, right? 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:41.000 Sometimes you can look at a bad habit that seems so insignificant, so small. 00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:51.000 But before you know it, when it's unaddressed, it all of a sudden becomes much bigger and has much more effect in your life than you ever thought possible. 00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:56.000 And that's why it's impossible with something that in your mind was so small, so meaningless, so insignificant. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:58.000 Well, I'm the only one that it affects. 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:01.000 And that's a lie we often tell ourselves, right? 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:03.000 It's not hurting anybody but me. 00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:06.000 And I choose this, so it's all right. 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:20.000 But on the other side of the coin, something good, a good habit, or a good deed that God wants to work through you, though it seems so small and insignificant. 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:23.000 Anybody ever hear the song in church? 00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:28.000 I think the Gaithers sing it and many others that says, little is much when God is in it. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:30.000 It's going back a little bit. 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:32.000 Labor not for wealth or fame. 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:36.000 There's a crown and you can win it if you'll go in Jesus' name. 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:41.000 Whatever God wants you to do, go with Him and do that. 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:42.000 Because it might seem small. 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:44.000 It might seem insignificant. 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:55.000 If you follow the life of Jesus, so much of His time on this earth was spent with seemingly small, insignificant people. 00:06:55.000 --> 00:07:03.000 Whether He was healing the least of these, or meeting a need for people that didn't have a whole lot to offer Him. 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:08.000 Or pouring in through the rabbi's school dropouts who became His disciples. 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:10.000 The ones who didn't make the time. 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:18.000 These were the ones that Jesus spent His time with, but He used them to change the world. 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:25.000 He used them to start a movement that still to this day has not died. 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:29.000 So little is much when God is in it. 00:07:29.000 --> 00:07:32.000 Small steps can create big results. 00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:34.000 That's the way of God. 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:37.000 Let's look in Luke chapter 16. 00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:45.000 Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much. 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:50.000 And whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:52.000 There's a principle there, isn't there? 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:56.000 You're thinking of the parable of the talents. 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:58.000 We covered that not too long ago as well. 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:04.000 Where the master gave just a little bit to the one he knew he might not be able to trust. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:07.000 And then he gave more to his more trustworthy servants. 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:15.000 And sure enough, those trustworthy servants invested that little bit wisely and gave him great return on his investment. 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:17.000 And so he blessed them even more. 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:25.000 And the one to whom he gained so little, sure enough, he did what he thought his master would do. 00:08:25.000 --> 00:08:28.000 And he didn't invest it wisely at all. 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:31.000 God might give you a little to start with. 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:34.000 Invest it wisely. 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:36.000 Back in his kingdom. 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:39.000 Not according to what we think is best. 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:43.000 Not according to what our desires and our flesh will crave. 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:46.000 But giving it back to God in accordance with his will. 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:48.000 And then we'll reap his results. 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:51.000 And then we'll get blessed as he wants to bless us. 00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:57.000 Whoever can be trusted with little can be trusted with much. 00:08:57.000 --> 00:09:02.000 But if he can't be trusted with little, he can't be trusted with much. 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:06.000 So, little things can become big things. 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:10.000 Small steps can create big results. 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:12.000 There's a couple of key thoughts here. 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:18.000 First, it's not the size of the step, but the heart behind it. 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:25.000 You might be at a little stage in your life where God is giving you little right now. 00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:28.000 And wanting to give you more. 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:31.000 That might be in the area of your relationships. 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:34.000 Might be in the area of inner peace. 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:37.000 Might be in the area of finances. 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:38.000 I don't know. 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:41.000 God doesn't promise us material gain on this earth. 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:44.000 He will give us the resources that he knows we need. 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:51.000 But what he does promise is that we always have access to his peace. 00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:52.000 His power. 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:53.000 His comfort. 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:54.000 His healing. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:56.000 We have access to all that. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:10:01.000 And so, if you aren't experiencing that in his fullness right now. 00:10:01.000 --> 00:10:04.000 Then it's time for a heart check. 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:07.000 Is my heart aligned with the heart of God? 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:20.000 Because if it's not, then I'm living outside of his bubble of peace and comfort and joy, patience, etc. 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:26.000 So, it's not the size of the step that God's wanting you to take right now. 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:29.000 It's the heart behind it. 00:10:29.000 --> 00:10:36.000 Likewise, it's not the size of the step that you're taking away from God right now. 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:37.000 It's the heart behind it. 00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:41.000 You see, for years, I had this mixed up in my mind. 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:44.000 And I know many of you did as well because I've talked to you about this. 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:54.000 We get this idea that there's this list of things that God says, if you do this, then you won't have a good relationship with me. 00:10:54.000 --> 00:11:01.000 And there's no bigger lie on this earth than that. 00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:10.000 Because it's not what you do that gets you further away from your father as his heart. 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:16.000 It's whether your heart is pursuing him or not. 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:22.000 Because you can do all the things that you think a child of God would do. 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:25.000 But your heart is not for them. 00:11:25.000 --> 00:11:34.000 Likewise, you can fail in all kinds of areas that you should not fail in. 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:38.000 But your heart is still faithfully after God. 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:43.000 And so he's still drawing you back to himself. 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:48.000 And often, he still blesses you in spite of those areas. 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:51.000 So it's not the size of the spot. 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:56.000 Not even necessarily the thing you're doing is where's your heart. 00:11:56.000 --> 00:12:06.000 That was the point of every sermon on every one of those Sundays when we were looking at the story of the kingdom, the parable of Jesus. 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:11.000 In the kingdom of this world, we look on the outside. 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:16.000 In God's kingdom, we look on the inside. 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:18.000 So little can be much. 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:22.000 It's not the size of the step, but the heart behind it. 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:28.000 And then secondly, habits are formed by small, faithful steps toward Jesus. 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:31.000 So does it not matter what we do then? 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:33.000 No, it absolutely matters. 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:38.000 Because what we do eventually will come from our heart. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:41.000 What we say will come from our heart. 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:43.000 What we think will come from our heart. 00:12:43.000 --> 00:12:52.000 So if God has our hearts, then we will eventually start forming habits that lead us to Him. 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:57.000 Now, that doesn't mean that you've been saved for 40 years. 00:12:57.000 --> 00:13:00.000 You've been a child of God for 40 years. 00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:06.000 So you're way further down the line than those who have only been saved for 10. 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:08.000 It's not always a matter of time. 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:13.000 It's a matter of how much has Jesus captured the Lord of God. 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:20.000 We're going to have it performed by small, faithful steps toward Jesus. 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:28.000 And when we are taking small, faithful steps toward anything else, we're forming the moment in heaven. 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:34.000 I'm not even talking about going out and getting hooked on prescription drugs. 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:38.000 I'm not talking about going out and abusing alcohol until it comes to an addiction. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:50.000 I'm not talking about going out and forming a tobacco addiction or pornography addiction or any of the other addictive substances out there that can create these negative habits in our lives. 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:54.000 Obviously, those are never what God designed for us. 00:13:54.000 --> 00:13:58.000 That will do nothing but pull us away from God. 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:02.000 Those are not taking small, faithful steps toward Him. 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:08.000 They're taking small, faithful steps toward the opposite of what our God wants for us and desires for us. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:14.000 And He's not out there shaking His fist saying, how dare you go and look at that website? 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:18.000 How dare you go and put that in your body? 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:24.000 He's grieving and saying, you're moving further away from me. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:32.000 And I'm the only chance you have to find that peace, that comfort, that wholeness you're looking for and you're craving. 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:36.000 And you're running away from it. 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:42.000 So we're all taking small, faithful steps toward something. 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:52.000 The habits Jesus wants us to form are habits that will take small, faithful steps toward Him. 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:56.000 We're going to look at that a little bit more in just a moment. 00:14:56.000 --> 00:15:08.000 But I wanted to share this quote by Gretchen Rubin that says, what you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:14.000 We're talking about small, faithful steps. 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:25.000 Anybody can have a burst of energy that can accomplish something powerful. 00:15:25.000 --> 00:15:29.000 Have you ever heard of the mother bear stories? 00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:41.000 Where a mom, not talking about a bear, but a human mom, just has this incredible burst of strength and lifts up the back of a car or something to free her child. 00:15:41.000 --> 00:15:44.000 It's just like, where did this come from, right? 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:47.000 Is she really that strong? 00:15:47.000 --> 00:15:56.000 No, she hasn't trained consistently to become that strong or achieve that level of consistent strength. 00:15:56.000 --> 00:16:10.000 But that burst of adrenaline, that burst of fear, oh no, I've got to save my child, can help her do extraordinary things that normally she wouldn't be able to do. 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:17.000 The same is true of walking with Jesus. 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:23.000 In a moment, you can accomplish something powerful for God. 00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:27.000 Is that normal? 00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:28.000 No? 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:30.000 That's alright. 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:31.000 Okay, stop. 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:32.000 Hey, that's good. 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:33.000 That's okay. 00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:34.000 That's okay. 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:35.000 That's okay. 00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:36.000 That's okay. 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:39.000 In a moment, you can accomplish something powerful for God. 00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:45.000 God can work through you as long as you're not totally close off to Him and just like, God can't wait for me. 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:47.000 Then God can use you to do something great. 00:16:47.000 --> 00:16:53.000 That doesn't mean that you have a close, daily relationship with Him. 00:16:53.000 --> 00:16:56.000 I can take it out of the mercy of God. 00:16:56.000 --> 00:17:03.000 There have been moments when I know in my heart, I'm nowhere near where I want to be with Jesus. 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:08.000 But in a moment, God can use me to accomplish something great. 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:16.000 But I promise you, this walk with Jesus is a marathon, not a 40 yard dash. 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:18.000 We've got football season starting. 00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:22.000 Coach Jones, we've got any good 40 yard dash athletes? 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:27.000 We've got anybody like, I'm not going to look for four fours, but do we have any like four sixes maybe? 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:31.000 We'll say four sixes, that works. 00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:37.000 You can run fast for a small amount of difference. 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:39.000 But it's harder. 00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:46.000 It takes forward training to get up to the running fast over a long difference. 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:49.000 Jesus is in it for us. 00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:52.000 He's in it for the long haul of us. 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:57.000 And He cares far more about what we do every day. 00:17:57.000 --> 00:18:01.000 He wants to transform every day with us. 00:18:01.000 --> 00:18:05.000 Not just those short bursts of every once in a while. 00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:11.000 So, what we do every day matters more than what we do once in a while. 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:15.000 Now folks, it's confession time. 00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:28.000 While we're speaking on this topic, I have to confess to you that I know from personal experience that doing something every day has transformed you far more than doing it once in a while. 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:29.000 And I don't know why. 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:33.000 Because about a year ago, I ran a 510. 00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:35.000 And it was awesome. 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:38.000 And we had a great time up at Wichita Falls. 00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:40.000 I had trained for that and trained for that. 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:43.000 Started late spring last year. 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:49.000 Trained all the way through and ran that race in September, October. 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:50.000 It was tough. 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:55.000 Especially training during July and August in Texas, November. 00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:56.000 Right? 00:18:56.000 --> 00:18:57.000 But I did it. 00:18:57.000 --> 00:19:00.000 And I got to the point where I could run that 5K. 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:02.000 For some of you, a 5K is like nothing. 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:04.000 For me, it was the hardest thing I've ever done. 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:12.000 Now, I would love to say that I kept up consistent training from then on. 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:13.000 You know what I did? 00:19:13.000 --> 00:19:15.000 I said, man, I hit my goal. 00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:18.000 I'm going to give myself a little break now. 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:23.000 I will get back into it, but I earned myself a break. 00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:25.000 Guess what? 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:27.000 Still on break. 00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:28.000 Still on break. 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:29.000 I love it. 00:19:29.000 --> 00:19:31.000 Alright, not anymore. 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:32.000 I have gotten back into it. 00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:34.000 But I'll tell you what. 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:40.000 I never stopped wanting where that race had gotten me. 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:42.000 I had lost some weight. 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:43.000 I was feeling better. 00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:45.000 I never stopped wanting that. 00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:47.000 You know what I also never stopped doing? 00:19:47.000 --> 00:19:53.000 I never stopped trying to get back in shape and start working out again. 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:55.000 I never stopped trying. 00:19:55.000 --> 00:20:00.000 That means every once in a while, I'd show up at the gym. 00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:03.000 Every once in a while, I'd go out for a run. 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:06.000 Every once in a while, I'd try to be healthy. 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:09.000 I kept trying, man. 00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:10.000 I kept at it. 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:12.000 You know what I stopped doing? 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:13.000 I stopped praying. 00:20:13.000 --> 00:20:15.000 There you do. 00:20:17.000 --> 00:20:26.000 Shortly after I got here, I preached a sermon about training, not trying. 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:29.000 And we've got to get back to that principle. 00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:35.000 There's a principle there that not only helps us with our physical bodies, because what did we read in 1 Timothy? 00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:45.000 Physical exercise can help you a little bit, but godliness can help you in every way. 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:50.000 And there is a principle here that I can't ignore and you can't ignore. 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:54.000 So, number two, how do we stretch our habits? 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:57.000 Training beats trying. 00:20:57.000 --> 00:20:58.000 Every time. 00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:01.000 Training beats trying. 00:21:01.000 --> 00:21:04.000 Trying is spontaneous. 00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:06.000 It might happen. 00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:07.000 It might not. 00:21:07.000 --> 00:21:10.000 Training is planned. 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:12.000 Trying wants something. 00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:15.000 Training commits to something. 00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:24.000 Paul's word for train in 1 Timothy 4, 7 and 8 that we just read a moment ago comes from the same root word as gymnasium. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:28.000 In case you were unclear what he was talking about. 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:31.000 He was saying get in the gym and train, okay? 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:40.000 But he's talking in this passage about the spiritual gym, spiritual training, godliness, training in godliness. 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:44.000 He's emphasizing that spiritual growth is like physical fitness. 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:47.000 It's not about a burst of effort. 00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:55.000 It's not about a burst of duty or guilt-driven action like sometimes Christians are known for. 00:21:55.000 --> 00:21:57.000 Man, I feel bad. 00:21:57.000 --> 00:22:01.000 Let me go do something for somebody to make myself feel better. 00:22:01.000 --> 00:22:04.000 Man, I feel like I haven't been living like I should. 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:08.000 Let me open up the Bible this morning to make myself feel better. 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:10.000 That's not what it's about. 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:20.000 It's about building deliberate, repeated practices, habits that create space for God to work in our hearts. 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:23.000 So, I'm back training again. 00:22:23.000 --> 00:22:30.000 If any of you want to see, I'll show you on my little Nike app right here my training history, okay? 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:35.000 Not that you can see that, but I'm just telling you, I've been doing it, alright? 00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:37.000 Here we go. 00:22:37.000 --> 00:22:38.000 See this? 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:39.000 We're going down. 00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:41.000 We're going down a little ways, alright? 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:45.000 I'm not going to go down too far because that's about as far as it goes, but... 00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:47.000 I'm back training again. 00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:50.000 And I always pick the hottest time of year to do it. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:51.000 That's really dumb. 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:52.000 Alright. 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:53.000 But this is what it's about. 00:22:53.000 --> 00:22:55.000 It's about building habits. 00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:57.000 So, three-step training plan. 00:22:57.000 --> 00:22:58.000 Three-step training plan. 00:22:58.000 --> 00:22:59.000 Here we go. 00:22:59.000 --> 00:23:02.000 Number one, the two-minute rule. 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:04.000 Start small so it's harder to fail. 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:07.000 What do we mean by two minutes? 00:23:07.000 --> 00:23:08.000 Pray for two minutes. 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:11.000 Might be two minutes more than you prayed yesterday. 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:13.000 Read the Bible for two minutes. 00:23:13.000 --> 00:23:15.000 It might be two minutes more than you did yesterday. 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:22.000 Don't sit down and say, I'm going to spend the next hour in prayer when you haven't been consistently praying. 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:30.000 It's like me going to the gym and saying, I'm going to bench press 500 pounds tomorrow. 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:31.000 But no, you're not. 00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:33.000 I'll let anybody do it. 00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:38.000 I can't go from zero to hero in one day, right? 00:23:38.000 --> 00:23:40.000 And neither can you. 00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:42.000 But we can all do something. 00:23:42.000 --> 00:23:44.000 We can start small. 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:47.000 I can't go out and run a 5k tomorrow. 00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:49.000 I have to work up to that. 00:23:49.000 --> 00:23:51.000 I can run a mile. 00:23:51.000 --> 00:23:52.000 And then a mile and a half. 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:53.000 And then two miles. 00:23:53.000 --> 00:23:56.000 I can start working up to it. 00:23:56.000 --> 00:23:57.000 And you can too. 00:23:57.000 --> 00:24:02.000 So, if you haven't been doing what you know you should be doing. 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:03.000 Why? 00:24:03.000 --> 00:24:04.000 So, God is happy with you? 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:05.000 No. 00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:06.000 Jesus loves you. 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:07.000 He's happy with you. 00:24:07.000 --> 00:24:09.000 You're his favorite. 00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:11.000 I am his, by the way. 00:24:11.000 --> 00:24:12.000 We're all his favorite. 00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:13.000 We're all equal. 00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:15.000 He died for all of us. 00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:17.000 He loves us equally. 00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:25.000 And so, if you know how these things will lead you to that, start small. 00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:26.000 Start with one verse. 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:44.000 Man, the Bible app, you put it on your phone, download the YouVersion Bible app, it literally 00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:49.980 gives you a verse a day. It'll pop up on your phone. Here's a verse. Fine. Read that verse. 00:24:50.980 --> 00:24:56.779 And then tomorrow, start a Bible plan. Start a devotional plan. There's Bible reading plans 00:24:56.779 --> 00:25:02.619 that you can do. Y'all, in 2025, every resource is available to us. We have no excuse. 00:25:03.619 --> 00:25:08.839 You can get online and hear preachers. You can hear podcasts. You can go listen to our... Well, 00:25:08.920 --> 00:25:13.359 I wasn't able to make it on Sunday. You can go watch the video online on YouTube. You can go on 00:25:13.359 --> 00:25:20.439 podcasts and listen to it. There's all kinds of ways for you to get scripture, biblical teaching, 00:25:20.899 --> 00:25:26.659 time with God carved into your busy day. Yes, we're all busier than probably we've ever been. 00:25:27.240 --> 00:25:32.500 The world is probably busier than we've ever been. We hate to slow down. We hate to stop. We hate to 00:25:32.500 --> 00:25:38.199 wait. We hate to be patient. I hate to wait and be patient. I promise you. But sometimes, 00:25:38.200 --> 00:25:44.539 God wants us to slow down. So there are all these resources available for us, even if it's five 00:25:44.539 --> 00:25:52.000 minutes, even if it's two minutes. Start small so it's harder to fail. You might read the Bible for 00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:57.740 an hour one day, but the next day, you don't have an hour. And so you don't do it at all. 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:05.779 And then you get out of forming a habit. Then number two, habit stack. Attach your habit to 00:26:05.779 --> 00:26:09.700 something you already do. What are we talking about? This is simple. If you get up and drink 00:26:09.700 --> 00:26:13.920 a cup of coffee in the morning, then say, tell yourself the night before, maybe even write yourself 00:26:13.920 --> 00:26:18.799 a note and put it on your coffee maker that says, while I drink my coffee, I'm going to pray. 00:26:19.399 --> 00:26:24.399 While I drink my coffee, I'm going to read this passage from the Bible and have your Bible sitting 00:26:24.399 --> 00:26:29.839 there open to that passage. So when you sit down, it's everything you can, you can, you can only just 00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:36.819 choose to avoid it because it's sitting there ready for you, whatever it is. When I'm in the habit of 00:26:36.819 --> 00:26:41.039 training that I've got to set out my clothes the night before, because I'm not going to want to 00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:45.539 do that in the morning. So I've got to get up earlier than the kids do and get them ready for 00:26:45.539 --> 00:26:51.899 school and all that. So I got to get up earlier and go out and do this. So stacking our habits onto 00:26:51.899 --> 00:26:58.599 something we already have. If it's just brushing your teeth and put a sticky note on the mirror that says, 00:26:58.599 --> 00:27:03.359 pray while you brush your teeth. What? Well, you don't have to pray out loud, by the way. 00:27:04.079 --> 00:27:09.539 I love you. You can actually pray in your mind. God hears it just the same. All right. 00:27:11.719 --> 00:27:16.559 Whatever it is, attach your habit to something you already do. And then number three, don't break the 00:27:16.559 --> 00:27:20.939 streak. Track your progress daily. That's why I use it out because I don't like to break the streak. I 00:27:20.939 --> 00:27:25.719 like looking back and saying day after day after day after day, I went out and did it. Maybe it wasn't as 00:27:25.720 --> 00:27:29.600 long as I did every day. You know, maybe it wasn't the same amount. Maybe it wasn't the same amount of 00:27:29.600 --> 00:27:34.319 time. Maybe I didn't go the same amount of distance or the same amount of speed, but did it every day. 00:27:34.839 --> 00:27:39.880 Now look, the danger of this is if you do miss a day, then it's like, oh, the streak's broken. It's 00:27:39.880 --> 00:27:46.240 over. Forget it. Nope. A righteous man falls seven times and rises yet again, the Bible teaches us. 00:27:46.299 --> 00:27:50.980 That means you can fail over and over and over again. And then the next day you get up and say, 00:27:50.980 --> 00:27:55.660 we're starting a new streak. Starting a new streak with Jesus today. All right, Jesus, here we go. 00:27:55.860 --> 00:28:06.240 Streak number 47 starting now. Don't break the chain. Galatians chapter six gives us a little bit 00:28:06.240 --> 00:28:15.339 of motivation, a little bit of reassurance. Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time 00:28:15.339 --> 00:28:25.679 we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. I have to decide that if getting myself in better health 00:28:25.679 --> 00:28:29.240 is worth the harvest that that could reap. 00:28:31.720 --> 00:28:39.659 You have to decide that whatever God has for you in this moment, if it's becoming a kinder person, 00:28:39.660 --> 00:28:45.540 if it's conquering those forces of fear and doubt that attack you, 00:28:46.540 --> 00:28:54.720 if it's being more faithful in church, if it's being there for people that you haven't been there 00:28:54.720 --> 00:29:03.220 before. Whatever it is for you, maybe picking up the Bible and spending time in that treasure chest 00:29:03.220 --> 00:29:10.039 of spiritual riches every day. Maybe getting alone and talking, having it out with God, 00:29:10.120 --> 00:29:16.740 your Father who loves you and cares for you with no strings attached. Whatever habit you need to form 00:29:16.740 --> 00:29:24.180 that stops a bad habit, stops a channel of evil and starts a channel of good, 00:29:24.180 --> 00:29:29.840 whatever that habit. Whatever that is, think of the harvest that can be reaped. 00:29:31.019 --> 00:29:37.799 Think of the goal. Think of the end reward. Is that worth it? So then the encouragement is, 00:29:37.960 --> 00:29:45.740 don't get weary during the hard part. It's going to be hard. Anything worth doing is, right? 00:29:45.740 --> 00:29:55.880 Stop trying and get back to training. You might be thinking, I'm not disciplined enough. 00:29:57.700 --> 00:30:05.440 I don't feel particularly close to God in this moment. That's all right. We're talking about a 00:30:05.440 --> 00:30:12.920 relationship here. And every relationship has its peaks and valleys. This is a lifelong walk. 00:30:12.920 --> 00:30:21.279 It's not a sprint. It's not a sprint. Every person who's strong in their faith started where some of 00:30:21.279 --> 00:30:30.640 you are right now. Started where some of you might find yourself again right now. You know, the only 00:30:30.640 --> 00:30:40.759 difference in a black belt and a white belt is a black belt is a white belt who never quit. Black belt 00:30:40.759 --> 00:30:47.000 is a white belt who never stopped training. Kept training. You don't jump in and just become a 00:30:47.000 --> 00:30:52.759 black belt just like that. Austin knows that. He went and did, he got his white belt, did the classes, 00:30:53.059 --> 00:30:58.319 all that. They didn't give him a black belt in that moment. And he would have had to keep training if he 00:30:58.319 --> 00:31:04.759 wanted one. That's how it is with Jesus. That's how our walk with Jesus is. 00:31:08.519 --> 00:31:15.259 You and I have a choice every day. Am I going to try today or am I going to train today? 00:31:15.259 --> 00:31:23.299 I have a choice every day. Am I going to go out and run? Am I going to go to the gym? When it's time 00:31:23.299 --> 00:31:30.440 to eat, how am I going to approach that? How am I going to spend my downtime? Is this going to absorb 00:31:30.440 --> 00:31:35.740 my life? Is the TV going to absorb my life? Is the computer going to absorb my life? Is the tablet 00:31:35.740 --> 00:31:42.259 going to absorb my life going to absorb my life? What is going to take up my time? You and I have that 00:31:42.259 --> 00:31:49.720 choice every day. Don't become weary in doing good. At the proper time. It's not going to all come at 00:31:49.720 --> 00:31:57.680 once. It'll come at the proper time. We will reap a harvest, but only if we don't give up. 00:31:57.680 --> 00:32:11.279 The only promise that I will never improve my health is if I give up. But I'm not giving up. 00:32:12.560 --> 00:32:18.759 And you don't give up either. You don't give up either. You might have been a Christian most of 00:32:18.759 --> 00:32:27.000 your life. And by this time, you have tried and failed so many times that you think, what's the use? 00:32:27.680 --> 00:32:34.779 God's probably sick of me coming back to him and saying, I messed up again, God. The one thing 00:32:34.779 --> 00:32:41.700 that God never gets sick of is you coming back to him. Even if it's for the same thing over and over 00:32:41.700 --> 00:32:49.259 again, I promise you, the one thing a parent never gets sick of is their child coming back to meeting 00:32:49.259 --> 00:32:56.440 them again. And God doesn't have our weak flesh. He doesn't get annoyed and irritated. 00:32:57.680 --> 00:33:05.080 He welcomes our approach every time. So don't give up. He promises you a harvest. 00:33:05.779 --> 00:33:13.799 And that's our takeaway for today. Stop trying. Start training. It's the same as it was, what, 00:33:13.960 --> 00:33:19.460 year and a half ago? Stop trying. Start training. Would you bow your heads with me? 00:33:19.460 --> 00:33:28.519 Paul didn't tell Timothy, try to be godly. He said, train yourself to be godly. 00:33:31.120 --> 00:33:39.880 Trying is a burst of effort. Training is a way of life. It's a life that invites the Spirit of God 00:33:39.880 --> 00:33:48.420 God to take over, to control us, to teach us, to mold us, to shape us, to train us in a new way of life, 00:33:48.940 --> 00:33:56.280 a new level of relationship with him. So pick one thing. Pick one godly habit to start with. 00:33:57.180 --> 00:34:00.920 Y'all, I got multiple areas of my life that I want God to help me in. 00:34:00.920 --> 00:34:09.240 But let me start with one right now. Why don't you start with one right now? Make it small. 00:34:10.539 --> 00:34:20.159 Stack it. Track it. Keep showing up time and time again, day after day. Over time, God will take those 00:34:20.159 --> 00:34:27.099 small, Spirit-driven steps toward Jesus and turn them into something that you never thought possible. 00:34:27.099 --> 00:34:33.599 I believe it. I'm not giving up. I don't want you to give up either. 00:34:39.259 --> 00:34:44.839 Jesus said, I am the way. I am the truth. I am the life. You can pursue any other kind of self-help book. 00:34:45.099 --> 00:34:49.699 You can go online and find gurus that'll try to help you turn your life around. But I promise you, 00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:55.519 the only one, the only answer is Jesus Christ. If you haven't experienced that, then I want you to 00:34:55.519 --> 00:35:00.280 experience it today for the first time. If some of you need to open up your heart and say, today is 00:35:00.280 --> 00:35:06.900 the day that I let Jesus in. I know that I'm a sinner. I know that Jesus died on the cross for me. 00:35:07.340 --> 00:35:12.119 I know he rose from the dead and he's alive today. And I want to pray to him and invite him in and say, 00:35:12.219 --> 00:35:20.960 God, forgive me of my sin. Cleanse me. Wash me. Make me your child. If that's you today and you would 00:35:20.960 --> 00:35:25.940 like to pray that prayer, would you slip your hand up right now? I want to invite you to do that today. 00:35:26.900 --> 00:35:33.559 Thank you. Thank you. Let me ask this question. How many of you would say there are some habits 00:35:33.559 --> 00:35:41.720 that I need to stop or some habits that I need to start? And I want God's help with me to stop trying 00:35:41.720 --> 00:35:48.159 in my strength and start training by his spirit, letting his spirit train me in what he wants to 00:35:48.159 --> 00:35:52.519 change in my life. If that's you, do you say, I've got something I need to start or something I need 00:35:52.519 --> 00:35:57.059 to stop? Would you slip your hand up and I'll pray for you as well? Thank you. We need to be in prayer 00:35:57.059 --> 00:36:01.539 for each other through this. Thank you. You can put your hands down. Let's do this. You can join me in 00:36:01.539 --> 00:36:06.319 this or not. You can say it in your head. You can say it out loud, just kind of like we did last Sunday. 00:36:06.659 --> 00:36:12.119 Either way, but I want to offer a prayer to God right now on behalf of myself and our church. 00:36:12.119 --> 00:36:18.619 church, it goes like this. God, help me start right where I am. 00:36:20.559 --> 00:36:30.079 Train my heart. Train my hands. Guide my habits to follow your plan. In Jesus' name, amen. 00:36:31.159 --> 00:36:38.839 God, you hear that prayer. You know our hearts. They're so easily deceived. But God, right now, 00:36:38.840 --> 00:36:44.800 I ask you to train us to be different, to train us to be more like you. We come to you with that 00:36:44.800 --> 00:36:49.200 request as a church. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Church, would you stand to your feet? 00:36:53.300 --> 00:36:57.160 Make it easy for somebody to slip out if they need to. If you'd like to spend the next couple of 00:36:57.160 --> 00:37:01.440 minutes down here in prayer, if you'd like to meet me or Jared down here in prayer to pray with, 00:37:01.620 --> 00:37:05.880 we're available for that. If you just want to sit at your seat, sit back down, kneel down, 00:37:05.880 --> 00:37:08.000 whatever you'd like to do. Let's spend a moment.