Detox Part 4 – Overcoming Toxic Habits

Pastor Scott Applegate

Sermon Notes:

2 Chronicles 29

Toxic: anything containing poisonous materials capable of causing sickness or death

Habit: a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,” 1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT

To overcome toxic habits I will need to:
1. Realize that my habits shape my character and define my destiny (2 Chronicles 28:1-5)

“You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy.” Ephesians 4:22-24 CEV

2. Resolve to take action now, before it’s too late

• Hezekiah didn’t wait to make changes and he didn’t hold back (2 Chronicles 29:2)

• He opened the doors of the temple (2 Chronicles 29:3)

• They removed the things that defiled the temple and replaced them with the things of the Lord (2 Chronicles 29:4-5)

3. Replace bad habits with good ones, which takes discipline

• Discipline promotes godliness

“ … Keep yourself in training for a godly life. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, because it promises life both for the present and for the future. This is a true saying, to be completely accepted and believed.” 1 Timothy 4:7-9 GNT

 

• Discipline demands delayed gratification

“Delaying gratification is a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with.” Scott Peck

• Discipline requires discretion and accountability

“Someone will say, ‘I am allowed to do anything.’ Yes; but not everything is good for you. I could say that I am allowed to do anything, but I am not going to let anything make me its slave.” 1 Corinthians 6:12 GNT

4. Rearrange my life around the same priorities and practices of Jesus

The priorities of Jesus’ life were:

• Doing the will of His Father (John 6:38)

• Preaching and demonstrating the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14-15)

• Loving people (Luke 4:18-19)

The things Jesus practiced were:

• Consistent reading and memorizing of Scripture (Luke 4:4 “It is written …”)

(Strategic Bible passages for detoxing bad habits: Matthew 5:1-12, Galatians 5:16-23, 1 Corinthians 13, 2 Peter 1:5-8)

• Consistent time in prayer and solitude

• Constant reliance upon the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1)

“Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” Romans 8:12-14 NLT