The Bible says that we all sin! Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.” You probably would know that even if it wasn’t written in the Bible. We might not commit the same sins, but we still all struggle with sin.

The Bible says that some love to sin! 2 Peter 2:13-15 “They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way, they have gone astray.”

The Bible says that some love to sin! 2 Peter 2:13-15 “They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way, they have gone astray.” But most of us are not like that. For Christians, sin is not a great pleasure. Sin is a terrible constant burden that gets so heavy at times, and we get so tired of it, and we long to lay it down and be rid of it.

If you love to fill your life with sin, then I doubt this lesson will be of much benefit to you. But if you really want to become the man/woman that God desires for you to be, then I hope this lesson will be a blessing to you.

1. Understand Why We Sin 1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” James 1:14-15 “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”

1. Understand Why We Sin 1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” James 1:14-15 “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”

1. Understand Why We Sin 1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” James 1:14-15 “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” John 8:44 Satan is a LIAR!!!

1. Understand Why We Sin 1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” James 1:14-15 “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” John 8:44 Satan is a LIAR!!!

1. Understand Why We Sin 1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” James 1:14-15 “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” John 8:44 Satan is a LIAR!!!

1. Understand Why We Sin 1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” James 1:14-15 “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” John 8:44 Satan is a LIAR!!!

1. Understand Why We Sin 1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” James 1:14-15 “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” John 8:44 Satan is a LIAR!!!

1. Understand Why We Sin 1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” James 1:14-15 “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” John 8:44 Satan is a LIAR!!! Bill Slowsky

1. Understand Why We Sin 1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” James 1:14-15 “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” John 8:44 Satan is a LIAR!!!

2. Realize God’s Way is the Best Way John 10:10 Jesus came to give us a more abundant way of life. John 15:11 Jesus came to give us a life filled with joy. Psalm 119:1-2 “How blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, who seek Him with all their heart.” 2 Peter 1:3-4 “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness . . . so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”

3. Decide What You Really Want in Life … and do that NOW! Don’t wait until you’re tempted to decide. Joshua 24:15 “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

3. Decide What You Really Want in Life … and do that NOW! Don’t wait until you’re tempted to decide. 1 Peter 1:13-16 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self- controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”

4. Make an Honest Commitment to Yourself We so often talk about making a commitment to God: Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit everything you do to the Lord.” Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices.”

4. Make an Honest Commitment to Yourself We so often talk about making a commitment to God: Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit everything you do to the Lord.” Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices.” But we need to also make a very real commitment to ourselves! Job 31:1 (New Living Translation) “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman.” Job 31:1 (New American Standard) “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?”

5. Take Control of the Thoughts of Your Heart Proverbs 23:7 “For as a man thinks within his heart, so is he.” Matthew 15:19 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” What are you allowing to enter into your heart and mind?

5. Take Control of the Thoughts of Your Heart Ephesians 6:10-13 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

5. Take Control of the Thoughts of Your Heart Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

5. Take Control of the Thoughts of Your Heart What kinds of things are you putting into your mind? Are you filling your mind with spiritual things that will help you to overcome sin? Or are you filling your mind worldly things that will make it harder to overcome sin?

6. Stay Away from Temptation Psalm 1:1-3 “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals.”

6. Stay Away from Temptation Muscogee County Jail “Bridge the Gap” A program for newly- released ex-offenders

6. Stay Away from Temptation If you get into a car with 5 idiots in it, how many idiots are in the car?

6. Stay Away from Temptation

6. Stay Away from Temptation

6. Stay Away from Temptation

6. Stay Away from Temptation

6. Stay Away from Temptation

6. Stay Away from Temptation

7. When Tempted, Stop and Think Before You Act Stop and remember the decision you made that you really want to live according to God’s way. And remember you made a commitment to yourself that you would say NO when temptation comes along.

7. When Tempted, Stop and Think Before You Act Stop and remember the decision you made that you really want to live according to God’s way. And remember you made a commitment to yourself that you would say NO when temptation comes along. Stop and remember God’s promise to you that you can overcome sin! 2 Peter 2:9 “The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation.” 1 Corinthians 10:13a “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able…”

8. Have a Plan of Escape 1 Corinthians 10:13b “…God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” Make a plan: “What am I going to do when temptation comes?”

8. Have a Plan of Escape 1 Corinthians 10:13b “…God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” Make a plan: “What am I going to do when temptation comes?” Remember the advertising campaign? “JUST SAY NO!” You don’t have to have a clever reason to ease yourself out of a bad situation. Don’t stick around and try to act cool. Figure out ahead of time how you’re going to get away.

8. Have a Plan of Escape Genesis 39:7-9 “Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.  It came about after these events that his master’s wife looked with desire at Joseph, and she said, ‘Lie with me.’  But he refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘Behold, with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, and he has put all that he owns in my charge.  There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?’”

8. Have a Plan of Escape Genesis 39:10-12 “As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her.  Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside.  She caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me!’

8. Have a Plan of Escape Genesis 39:10-12 “As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her.  Now it happened one day that he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the household was there inside.  She caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me!’ And he left his garment in her hand and fled!”

9. If You Stumble, Get Back Up and Trust in God We are blessed to have a Savior who understands our weaknesses. Hebrews 4:15-16 “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.  Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

9. If You Stumble, Get Back Up and Trust in God Our God has promised to keep on forgiving us through Christ’s blood. 1 John 1:7-9 “If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

10. Ask Your Brothers and Sisters for Help James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” Hebrews 3:13 “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.” Galatians 6:1-2 “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”

Are you serious about overcoming sin? Remember there is POWER in the blood of Christ.

Are you serious about overcoming sin? Remember there is POWER in the blood of Christ. Not only to cleanse us of guilt. But also to overcome the power that sin can have in our lives. With God’s help and power, you can overcome sin!