Abundant Living.L25.Relapse Prevention

STEPPING INTO ABUNDANT LIVING - RELAPSE PREVENTION - CONTINUING OUR GROWTH & HEALING

'BLESSED/HAPPY are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake (for being and doing right), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!’
Continuing our healing and growth…
Causes of Reverting back to old patterns of behavior
 Matthew  5: 13 You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltiness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men.

Either of the main functions of salt, as flavor or as preservative, fits the image. The rabbis used salt as a symbol for wisdom (loses its saltiness is lit. ‘becomes foolish’). ^[1]

The fact that we, as believers, are to be like “salt” (5:13) communicated the prophetic function of living righteous lives and calling others to repentance. It meant having an impact for God and not being ineffectual. Salt, by its very nature, flavors and preserves everything that it comes in contact with. If it did not do these things, then it would not be salt. Salt, a valuable commodity in the dry Middle East, was used in the biblical period for barter. In fact the word “salary” comes from the Latin salarius (“salt”). A person lacking integrity might have mixed white sand with the salt and then had more for trade. But salt mixed with sand lost some of its salty quality and became useless^[2]

Salt was required in all the sacrifices (Lev. 2:13), in Ezekiel’s mystical temple, Eze. 43:24^[3] 

Listen to audio for details of the below:

1. Complacency- 1 Cor 10:12  So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!
2. Confusion
3. Compromise
4. Reverting to willpower   John 3:21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."^[a]
5. Ignoring the truth / not ‘doing’ God’s  word 
Psalm 119:11    I have hidden your word in my heart  so that I won't sin against you. – ex from the daily bread – memory impaired
6. Trying to do it alone without support
How can we prevent going back to old patterns?  

Principle:  Reserve a daily time with God for self-examination, Bible reading, and prayer in order to Know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will.

Do regular C H E C K-UPs
HALT – Hungry?  Angry?  Lonely?  Tired?
HEART – Hurting? Exhausted? Angry? Resentful?  Tense?

R  E  L  A  P  S  E   PREVENTION

END WITH CHARACTERISTICS OF A GROWING CHRISTIAN - Listed on audio

GROUP WORK    

1.     Evaluate your current growth position.  Are you going backwards or forwards?  Why?

2.     If you are reverting back to old patterns, what causes can you relate to that were shared tonight?

3.     Share your response to the check ups.

4.     Who is in your support network that would confront you if you were truly going backwards and didn’t realize it?

5.     What steps will you take to safeguard from going back to old patterns?

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^[1]Carson, D. A.: New Bible Commentary : 21st Century Edition. 4th ed. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA : Inter-Varsity Press, 1994, S. Mt 5:11

^[2]Hughes, Robert B. ; Laney, J. Carl: Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary. Wheaton, Ill. : Tyndale House Publishers, 2001 (The Tyndale Reference Library), S. 401

^[3]Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody : Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Mt 5:13