Whose body is it anyway? Real life, Real answers

Okay, this is not my favorite topic but it is a critical part of our sanctification. Knowing God's Word and connecting the truths to moment-by-moment life can be a struggle. Today the ladies share practical ways to connect the dots between scripture and daily life. Knowing AND doing biblical principles is possible!

Laziness

Laziness is defined in Scripture as indolent (love of ease), slothful, sluggish, not easily aroused to activity and an unwillingness to work. If you think about it too, laziness and selfishness are closely connected. Often because I'm selfish, I'm too lazy to take care of my responsibilities. We shared many verses about laziness - what are some others? As you evaluate this in your own life, are there areas where you could be more diligent with the right motivation?

Sexual Immorality, continued...

If you have sinned in this area, we want to offer you the hope that is found in Scripture. We studied in length 1 John 1:9 the promise of God's forgiveness. If you have sinned in this area and have not sought the Lord's forgiveness, do so! He promises to forgive! Recognize your sin, repent and confess and God will truly forgive. If you have been hurt by one who has committed this sin, Scripture gives us hope in Isaiah 41:10 - He will be with you, He will strengthen you, He will help you and uphold you! Be careful to take heed the warning in Hebrews 12:15 as well to not become bitter, but take the grace of God! Many have fallen into this sin and many have been hurt because of sexual immorality. Many need help to see the truth of God's Word. How can you encourage others in this area?

Sexual Immorality, continued...

How can we stop wrong thinking so that it goes on no further? This is a tough question and yet through the hope we find in God's Word we can see that we can be in control of our thought life. Yes, even our thoughts regarding those of the opposite sex can be sinful and God says in Matthew 5:27-29 - even thinking immoral thoughts is just as sinful as actually practicing the sin. It is important we control our thoughts. Philippians 4:8 is a good reminder of the things we ought to be thinking on. A favorite verse we share often is 2 Corinthians 10:5 - to take EVERY thought captive. Yes, it's possible to do this, but it takes work. Are you willing to work hard to remain pure?

Sexual Immorality

As we begin this discussion today, we want to remind you that sex was designed by God and is a beautiful thing in the context of marriage (Gen. 2:24). We do not have to sin in this area and yet many have perverted this gift that God has given. Once again, we are blessed to see that God's Word has much to say regarding even this and we need to pay attention to God's Word. All Christian women need to take heed to to the warnings and guidelines God gives. It is our prayer that through this study you will be challenged even more to live a pure life and to give you hope if you have sinned in this area.

Slander/Gossip

Slander and gossip are two words which can give us the "shivers" as we know the destructiveness of them! The word for slander is the same word that is used to describe Satan who is the "father of lies" (John 8:44). To slander is to side with Satan to oppose the cause of God! Scripture tells us that God hates a lying tongue (Prov. 6:16,19), that false teachers and the unsaved are slanderers (1 Tim. 6:3-4, Rom. 1:28-30) and that we are commanded to keep our lips from evil (Psalm 34:13). We know the truth, but why do we have such a problem with slander and gossip? Why is it that our tongue gets us into so much trouble in this area?

Anger

The blessing of God's Word is that it has much to say regarding the desires of the flesh. We are so thankful for all God has given to us - that He doesn't leave us hanging as to how to live a godly life. In Scripture we find His answers to our sinful behavior. Praise God! We hope that through sharing of verses that you will see that answers are found in His Word and that you will take advantage of seeking these answers out. Again, Scripture has much to say about anger. We've shared many verses regarding this - do you have any to add? Ask yourself - what is your trigger to anger and how can you prepare your mind to avoid getting angry?

Jealousy

Second on our list of "desires of the flesh" is jealousy. Again, Scripture has much to say regarding this topic. We know that there are always more verses we could share and so we hope that you will dive into Scripture to find out more for yourself. The jealousy we are discussing is the sinful jealousy that our fallen sinful nature has. There are many consequences for jealousy. How do we combat jealousy? What are some practical guidelines?

Gluttony, continued...

As we wrap up the topic of gluttony today we discussed some practical guidelines of ways to help ourselves and others stay in control. These included: 1) Being accountable to someone, 2) Purchase healthy items, 3) Get rid of junk food if you cannot exercise self-control, 4) Keeping a journal, 5) Watching portion sizes, especially at restaurants, 6) Setting Captives Free - http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/. Do you have any other practical suggestions?

Gluttony

As we dive into the topic of gluttony we see that Scripture has much to say regarding this topic. We know that the wicked are addicted to it (Phil. 3:19), it is forbidden (Prov. 23:1-3), it leads to poverty and destruction (Prov. 23:19-21). We give many excuses for gluttony and we must see that our solution to this problem is the Biblical way. We need to keep the right perspective (1 Cor. 10:31 and exercise control (Prov. 25:16, Gal. 5:22-26). We shared many verses regarding this topic. What are some others that have helped you to think biblically regarding this topic?

Getting Specific

As we study the "desires of the flesh" in 1 John 2:16, we would like to give some specific examples of these desires as they pertain to women. Over the next couple of weeks we will be looking at 6 different desires: Gluttony, Jealousy, Anger, Slander/Gossip, Sexual Immorality, and Laziness. It is our desire to look into each of these topics to gather a biblical view of them as well as give hope on how we can avoid each of these. Please study along with us. As always, if you have any comments or questions, please feel free make a comment on this post.