Lust is Never Satisfied

The main problem with Lust is that it is never satisfied, it always want more

Whether it is a physical, spiritual, or emotional need, lust can drive you to do things you never thought you would do

Eph 4: 19 " Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality and to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more."

Joshua Harris describes it this way: "You won't be able to fantasize enough to quench lust. You won't be able to sleep with enough people, and you won't be able to view enough pornography. You can gorge yourself on lust, but you're always going to be hungry."

How to Control Lust: Go to Extreme Measures

Matthew 5: 29 " Let's not pretend this is easier than it really is. If you want to live a morally pure life, here's what you have to do: you have to blind your right eye the moment you catch a lustful leer. YOu have to choose to live one-eyed or else be dumped on a moral trash pile." (MSG)

Jesus uses an extreme example to make and extreme point. Lust will consume your life.

Go to extreme measures to cut those things out of your life. Break up. unplug, delete the account. But do what you need to do to cut whatever it is out of your life.

Get to the Heart of What's Really Going On

At the heart of every lust struggle is a huge trust issue- we don't believe that God is going to deliver on all He promises

Ask God to reveal what is really going on inside of you. Psalm 139: 23 says, "search me, oh God, and know my heart"

Ask Him to show you what need you are trying to meet on your own. What are you not trusting Him to take care of? What truth of His are you not sure you are buying into.

Lust Related to Purity

Lust and purity are linked in just about every scripture about sexual immorality/integrity.

But Purity has its own complications. You can have purity issues and not necessarily have lust issues

Purity is so much more than Physical Boundaries. God calls us to be pure in our mind, heart, and body.

Purity Requires Intentionality

Proverbs 5:6 "for she cares nothing about the path to life. She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn't realize it."

Making a commitment to choose God's way of purity demands intentionality that begins in our heart and mind

Proverbs 20:11 "even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure and whether it is right"

Purity is recognizable by others because it is lived out in action. Purity starts with a commitment that is lived out in front of others.

Why Purity is More than Not having Sex

It's about purity of the heart. Every commitment begins in the heart and it has to be bigger than saying I don't want to have sex.

The challenge is to make a commitment that guards your heart, mind, and body from anything that would contaminate you with sin

Alot of us feel good about ourselves because we aren't out having sex, but the thoughts and things we put in our minds are just as damaging

Think about the things you watch, the magazines you read, the songs you listen to.

It's not about avoiding the world, it's about making daily decisions that help you maintain the purity of your mind.

It's about the Purity of Your Motives

When our heart and mind are pure the results are actions motivated by purity

Wrong motives are things that are about only fulfilling your own selfish desires, such as instant gratification or approval from others, even good things pursued with the wrong motives can be unhealthy.

Good News/Bad News

Bad news: We can't do it on our own, no matter how hard we try, the bible says are hearts are wicked and deceitful.

Good news: Jesus did it perfectly, and when we put our faith in him, he makes our hearts new and changes our desires. He also gives is the Holy Spirit to give us strength for the times we are weak.

Questions

What is a good definition for lust?

In what ways does lust reveal itself?

Why do you think lust is such a struggle?

It is possible to defeat lust? How?

What affect do you think lust has on your relationships with friends and romantic relationships, even on your future marriage?

How does exposure to TV, movies, music, and other media channels set us up to fail when it comes to lust?

What are some ways you can start fighting lust?

What words do you associate with purity?

Purity starts with a commitment. Why do you think it's important to make a commitment?

In the world do you think it's hard to maintain purity of heart and mind? What's the difference between keeping your heart and mind pure?

What are some of the main reasons people struggle with keeping their commitment to purity

What steps can you take to maintain purity in today's world?