Friday, February 12, 2010

Soft addictions and vices

We will be starting a new sermon series at our church entitled "Breaking Free". And the aim will be to not just break free FROM things but to break free INTO better things.

I believe that's what Jesus came to do - to set us free FROM things and set us free to step INTO better things

So I'm studying the facts and points for the first message and an incredible thing happened to me.

I'm looking at all the things we need to be set free from - some of them big like alcohol, pornography and anger. While others are soft like gambling and over-working and debt. And what I noticed is this. There are levels or types of each of these addictions and vices that people partake in. And as long as you do them at a low level then society kind of winks at it.

Take for instance gambling. it spans from Bingo to Bookies, from the Lottery to the casinos. And for the most part if you keep it on the "soft" side then it seems to be OK.

Even the church struggles to challenge people to heavily in the low, soft levels of any one of the hundreds of vices and addictions. And as I asked myself why, here's what I discovered was true for me. I was reticent to address the topic because I didn't have a Bible verse or a clear principle to challenge with. But, the real answer that I feel the Lord challenged me with was this: I was intimidated to challenge and loving confront issues in others peoples lives because I had some soft, low level ones in my own life

That has to change. We cannot sit around and let all the low, soft vices, addictions and weights slow us down. We have to open up our hearts and lives to be set free from them and set free to experience better things

It's like the Lord is opening up my eyes to this in my own life. I'll be talking about them during this series so I hope you can make it. But, here's one of the experiences I've had this week...

I'm in the office looking at all the levels of destructive addictions and vices and I'm working on pornography and I notice that there is soft porn and hard core porn. There is visual porn (pictures) and written porn (books). So I'm looking on the Internet at what "SOFT" porn is. And it goes from seemingly harmless to borderline destructive pictures and words and while I'm viewing what soft porn is a guy walks by. And in my heart I wondered if he saw what I was doing? But, regardless I felt like in that moment the Lord said to me. That is how the devil works to keep us all bound and small in our walk with God. It's not the big stuff that destroys us it's the little, innocent, soft area's that keep us limited

How many area's of our lives are filled with "SOFT" addictions and vices? How many times do we throw people off the path of righteousness because our lives are not a clear reflection of freedom? How many people do we neglect to challenge or encourage in a "grey" area because we have shades of gray in our

For me I want to be set free to pursue righteousness and holiness will you join me? If so I hope to see you during this sermon series.