*BREAKING ADDICTIONS 2 Peter 2:19

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1 *BREAKING ADDICTIONS 2 Peter 2:19 Addiction in our country and in our community is a major problem. According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States: *17.6 million people suffer from alcohol abuse. More than half of all adults have a family history of alcoholism. More than 7 million children live in a household where at least one parent abuses alcohol. *More than 22 million Americans use illegal drugs. according to the government s 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Then there are behavioral addictions like, Gambling. More than 80 percent of Americans participate in some form of gambling, according to the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling. *12 million people have a problem with gambling. The National Council on Problem Gambling estimates magazine_index/gambling.html Other behavioral addictions include Sexual Addiction, Eating disorders, Shopping Addiction. When people eat because they are lonely or shop to feel better, that is a problem. *Look at 2 Peter 2:19 For you are a slave to whatever controls you. Who wants to be a slave? People are looking for a way to break free from addictions. *The good news is Breaking Free is possible through the power of Christ. I don't care what your addiction or habit is, Jesus can set you free. We all struggle with bad habits and behaviors that are not pleasing to God. Let s look at nine Biblical steps to break an addiction or habit. *We are going to use the acrostic B.R.E.A.K. F.R.E.E. *B - BEGIN TODAY Not tomorrow, next week, next month. Have you noticed that there are more people starting diets tomorrow than today? *Proverbs 27:1 Don't brag about tomorrow, since you don't know what the day will bring. NLT

2 Page 2 of 6 *Stop procrastinating and postponing. It's going to be harder to change tomorrow than it is today, because delay always makes a problem worse. *Ecclesiastes 11:4 If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. TLB The person who really wants to change finds a way; the person who doesn't want to change finds an excuse. Begin today. Why not start today working on that problem? *R - REFUSE TO BLAME OTHERS *This problem is as old as Adam and Eve. When Adam was caught in sin, he faced it like a man. He blamed his wife. You and I will never get set free until we accept personal responsibility for our actions. *Proverbs 19:3 People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the Lord. NLT Are you blaming someone for your bad habits or addiction? (Maybe it s your parents, spouse, children, boss, the devil, or even God.) To break free, I've got to assume responsibility for my actions. In order to break a habit, you've got to quit excusing yourself and accusing other people. *E - EXAMINE MY LIFE Ask questions like: What are my weaknesses? How long have I had this problem? Where am I tempted most? What harm am I causing others? How does this impact my relationship with God? You and I need to do an honest evaluation of our life. *Lamentations 3:40 Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. NIV To change, I've got to stop pretending that I don t have a problem. Denial prevents healing. *Psalms 32:4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. 5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the Lord." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. NLT

3 Page 3 of 6 God says just admit that you've got a problem and I will forgive and wipe out the guilt in your life! God gives grace to the humble. You and I need to continually evaluate our life. Healthy people are always evaluating themselves and keep short accounts with God. *A - ASK CHRIST TO TAKE OVER MY LIFE He's waiting to help you. You need a power greater than yourself to change. Why not go straight to the source of real power? *Romans 6:12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. 14 Sin is no longer your master NLT The solution to addiction is choosing the right master. Every day you're controlled by something: other people, fears, drugs, alcohol, food. *You Gotta Serve Somebody. You will either serve the devil or God. Why not choose to serve the one who loves you? That's where freedom comes. Often we only want God to take our problem, but we do not want Him to have the rest of our life. God says, "If you want Me to take away the problem, you've got to give Me every area of your life. When you turn your whole life over to God, you receive incredible power to change. *K - KEEP AWAY FROM THE TEMPTATION This is just plain sense. If you don't want to get stung by the bees, you stay away from them. *ILL When I was a boy my friends and I found a large hornet s nest. We got close enough to hit it with rocks. That was not a good idea! You don t want to see how close you can get to sin. You want to avoid the situations altogether. *2 Timothy 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth NIV *Ephesians 4:27 do not give the devil a foothold. NIV Don't put yourself in tempting situations. If I have a problem with drinking, I should not keep liquor in the house. If I have a problem with lust, I don't order certain channels on

4 Page 4 of 6 cable. If I have a problem with eating, I should not keep junk food in my kitchen. Stay away from the things that cause you problems. I heard about a refrigerator that tells you your weight every time you open it. That just might help me to avoid being tempted. The key to overcoming temptations is to decide in advance to avoid it. It may mean choosing some new friends or changing jobs. When you flee temptation, don t leave a forwarding address. Burn your bridges! Do the smart thing and stay away from situations that tempt you. *F - FOCUS ON SOMETHING BETTER *Proverbs 4:23 Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts. GNT The spiritual battles of our life are fought in the mind. If you want to change your life, it starts with your mind. Whatever captures my attention, captures me. The key to resisting temptation is not simply resisting the thought, but to refocus your mind. If you concentrate on your diet, all you can think about is food. The key is to turn your mind and focus on something better. Switch channels. What do you focus on? *Philippians 4:8 fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable. GNT This is the principle of replacement. You replace the bad with the good. You may say you're going to get rid of that thought by emptying your mind. But that just does not work. *Ill Think of a red face monkey. Now stop thinking of it. Hard to do. *But now think of a blue face monkey. That is the principle of replacement. *Romans 12:2 says, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. NIV Your life is transformed as you mind is renewed by filling it with the Word of God. *R - RESTORE BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS Why is this important? Anything that is out of control in your life usually hurts somebody else. Go to those people you've hurt and restore those relationships. *Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. NIV

5 Page 5 of 6 That may take some time. Make a list of people that your habit has harmed and get started. It may take time, but take the initiative. Ask forgiveness and make restitution where possible. This is probably the hardest step. A clear conscious is essential for change. *Psalms 66:17 For I cried to him for help with praises ready on my tongue. 18 He would not have listened if I had not confessed my sins. TLB Without confession of sin, there is no power to live free. *E - ENLIST A SUPPORT GROUP *Call in the Calvary. We all need reinforcements. We all need support. Who can you call on when you are struggling with sin? *Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. NLT You and I need friends who will pray for us, care enough to encourage us, and confront us when we get off track. That is the purpose of small groups in our church. Most of our groups meet on campus on Sunday morning. Bev and I want to start one in our home, on Thursday nights. Every Christian needs to be in a small Bible study group. *E - EXTEND MYSELF TO OTHERS There is no substitute for getting my focus off myself and helping others. That is why God put you in this world and saved you. It was so that you might make a difference in the lives of others. *2 Corinthians 1:4 He (God) helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help that we ourselves have received from God. GNT God wants to set us free from the things that enslave us so that we can turn around and help other people with the same kinds of problems using the grace He has given us. God wants to take your greatest weakness and make it your area of ministry. *Galatians 6:2 Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. NIV God wants our church to be a place where we carry each other's burdens, and where we help others get set free.

6 Page 6 of 6 *Challenge: What's out of control in your life? If you want to live a life of freedom, take these steps. Prayer: Thank You God, that you are loving and gracious and forgiving. Help us to surrender our whole life to you so that you might set us free.

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