by R. Kent Hughes
- The Discipline of Purity
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- A poll showed 1 out of 8 pastors have committed adultery.
- The statistics are shocking when it comes to pornography and sexual sins in ministry. If these statistics are amongst pastors, how much more so amongst the congregation?
- If holiness is so absent in ministry, no wonder we are losing our power and influence.
- King David’s sexual sins desensitized him from God’s influence in his life.
- When lust takes control, reality of God fades.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 — it’s God’s will to be holy. Lev 19:2
- Enlist help from accountability and prayer from others.
- Job 31:1 — make a covenant with your eyes. If Job were alive today, how would he handle TV, surfing the internet, or phone usage?
- Don’t flirt, even in jest. It’s better to be considered rude than to give the wrong impression or give way to temptation.
- Don’t be so blind thinking you could never fall.
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- The Discipline of Marriage
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- Marriage love claims everything. Death to self and giving up all you have to your spouse.
- Prayerful intercession is needed for your spouse.
- Is your spouse more like Christ because of you or in spite you?
- We are commanded to love our wives as we love our own body.
- Marriage is a discipline of commitment. If there’s a thought in your mind that you could end things, you do not have the discipline of commitment.
- Marriage is a discipline of communication. You must schedule time to communicate with words and emotions.
- Are you working on the second most important relationship in this world, your marriage?
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- The Discipline of Fatherhood
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- If we as saved men do not help our children and others, what hope is there from the world?
- Fathers that criticize their sons often bring them to discouragement.
- Don’t be overstrict with your children.
- Inconsistency exasperates your children. Don’t make promises you cannot or will not keep.
- Favoritism exasperates your children.
- Your children need tenderness. You’re more manly when you show tenderness than when you do not.
- Don’t leave the discipline to your wife.
- Excessive busyness cannot always take precedence. We must have constantly evaluate our time, our children will not be at home forever.
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- The Discipline of Friendship
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- One study says 10% of men do not have friendships.
- You need your wife as a friend, but you also need other male friends as well.
- Friendship is loving and encouraging.
- Place yourself in ways to find and have friendships.
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- The Discipline of Mind
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- There are too many Christians that don’t think Christianly.
- Philippians 4:7-8
- Psalms 101:3. We should consider our TV viewing.
- You cannot have a Christian mind without reading regularly the word of God. The way of a Christian mind is through the word of God.
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- The Discipline of Devotion
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- Prayer bends our will to God’s will.
- To meditate on God‘s word means to mutter it. Memorize a verse or passage and say it over and over to yourself.
- There can be no discipline or devotion without confession.
- Unconfessed sins makes it feel like heaven is shut up, but confession opens the pathway to commune with God.
- Reverence is needed for the discipline of devotion.
- Sing songs, hymns, and spiritual songs back to God.
- The reason many do not have a special time of devotion is because they have not planned for it.
- Are we men enough to meditate, adore, submit, and confess?
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- The Discipline of Prayer
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- Pray in the spirit. Ask Him to help you, using the strength and continuance of the Holy Spirit.
- Pray continually. 1 Thes 5:17
- Praying continually is not an amount of time but a body posture of the heart.
- Persistent prayer. Moses, with his hands up in Exodus 17. The widow before the ungodly judge, and Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane.
- Do we pray for our families, our lives, our congregations, the lost, and others?
- Do you have a prayer list? Use one to remember, to not neglect, and to not become distracted.
- You need a quiet time. We wake up to a noisy world, go to work with noise around us, and rarely have a time to think or be in silence.
- You need the practice of prayer, a place for prayer, privacy for prayer and list for prayer.
- The busyness of life will crowd out your prayer.
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- The Discipline of Character
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- Character and integrity lack today. There is a character crisis in our world today.
- Companies pay a large percentage of loss yearly because theft of employees.
- Integrity is one of the greatest needs in the church today.
- If you have a clear conscience, you can weather the storms in life.
- Deception becomes a habit.
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- The Discipline of Tongue
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- The tiny tongue is a fire and has awesome potential for destruction.
- James 3:3-5. Control the rudder and you control the ship.
- Gossip is subtle but it does great damage.
- Flattery works ruin.
- Criticism hurts and cuts down many.
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- The Discipline of Work
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- Christians should be the best workers wherever they are.
- Work with excellence. Work for the glory of God.
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- The Discipline of Perseverance
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- Keep your focus on Jesus.
- Keep your focus on His focus.
- Consider our Lord. Run the race he has for you.
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- The Discipline of Church
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- God uses the church in a Christian’s life.
- Some men ask if they have to go to church to be a Christian. The answer is no. You also do not have to go home in order to stay married, but it would sure help your marriage.
- Men, you will not grow if the church is not part of your life. Do not be a hitchhiker church member, going from one place to another and never belonging anywhere.
- Commit to give to your church, pray for your church, be involved in your church And love your church.
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