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Biblical
references in Gahanna-Jefferson Church of Christ's nondenominational sermon
outlines are linked directly to text of the King James version of the Bible.
Bible quotes you hear in the streaming audio may be from the New King James
version of the Bible.
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The Need for Self-Discipline.
Introduction.
1. Do you remember when you what it was like to get your drivers license?
2. You are in control!!
Body.
I. What is Self-discipline?
A. Discipline - Imposed discipline.
1. Child - Parent.
2. Soldier - Army.
3. Student - Teacher.
4. Christian - Church.
5. Dog - Leash.
6. Over-eating - chain & padlock.
7. Speeding - Governor.
B. Imposed discipline is of limited value.
C. We don't have anyone telling us how to live the Christian life.
1. How long to read.
2. How often to attend.
3. How often to pray.
4. How many neighbors to invite.
5. How much to give.
6. What TV show not to watch.
7. When to visit the sick.
a. Isthmian games and Olympics.
b. Vow to train for 10 months and give up certain foods.
c. Pine wreath.
D. Discipline is what we need the most and want the least.
1. Students dropping out of school.
2. Husbands and wives looking for divorces.
3. Christians becoming unfaithful.
4. Many don't have the discipline to see our problems through.
a. looking for the easy way out.
b. running from our problems.
c. Quitting when it gets rough.
II. Why do we need discipline?
A. Only the disciplined ever get really good at anything.
1. Ambitions never realized.
2. Goals never reached.
3. Visions never materialized.
a. Doctor.
b. Musician .
4. Dreams not beyond abilities, but beyond their discipline.
B. The Christian life is no different.
1. To one who said, "I would give my life to know the Bible like
you",
Gus Nichols said, "That is what it has taken."
2. John Wesley:
a. up at 4:00 AM.
b. Preached 40,000 sermons.
c. Wrote 400 books.
d. Knew 10 languages.
e. At age 83 he complained that he could not write more than 15 hours anymore.
f. At age 86 he wrote in his diary that he had a tendency to stay in bed until
5:30 and could not preach more than 2 sermons a day.
III. What aspects of our lives do we need to discipline?
E. Our speech.
IV. The dangers of discipline.
A. Self discipline by it's self doesn't make us right with God.
2. Pharisees.
C. Too harsh.
1. Asceticism.
a. Monks.
b. Prohibitions and rules concerning things that are petty.
c. Despise that good thing of life.
Conclusion.
1. If we are going to mature we must develop self-discipline.
2. All of the preaching in the world will not help if we don't.
3. We need three things.
a. A desire on our part.
b. The will power to see it through.
c. The power God offers us through His Jesus.
-- Don Treadway, March
2002 -- |
