DAILY BIBLE VERSES AND PRAYER THOUGHTS:

MONDAY - VERSES: Hebrews 11:4-5, 23-27; Revelation 3:21; 12:9-
11 PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank God for all of the examples in the Bible of those who have overcome sin and temptation.

TUESDAY - VERSES: Acts 8:9-10,13,18-24; Romans 6:17-22; 2 Peter 3:17-18 PRAYER THOUGHT: Ask God for strength to lay aside the sins that have ensnared you in the past and to avoid becoming entangled in sin in the future.

WEDNESDAY - VERSES: Galatians 1:3-5; Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24 PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank God for sending Jesus to die for your sins and ask Him to forgive you for the pain you have caused Him when you sinned.

THURSDAY - VERSES: Colossians 3:5-9; James 1:14-15, 21; Romans 8:13 PRAYER THOUGHT: Ask God to help you recognize any sins that are still clinging to you that need to be thrown off.

FRIDAY - VERSES: John 17:4; 19:30; 2 Timothy 4:6-8 PRAYER THOUGHT: Ask God for strength and courage to run the race and finish it strongly.

SATURDAY - VERSES: Galatians 6:1; James 5:19-20; 2 Peter 2:20-
22 PRAYER THOUGHT: Ask God to bring you into contact with others who are struggling with sin and need help to get themselves free of the entanglement.

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* To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.

Abraham Lincoln

* There is only one thing that can keep you out of heaven - your own sin. Get rid of it! Or you are simply running in place going nowhere.

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ASSIGNMENTS

1. Daily read over this material and read or sing the song.

2. Place the scripture where you will see it each day.

3. Think of times when sin has ensnared or trapped you and made you less effective.

4. Write down the ways you have resisted sins snares.

5. Plan to tell the class how you have resisted being entangled by sin in the past, or tell how you have been held back by being bound and weighed down by sin.

SPIRITUAL HEALTH REGIMEN - WEEK 27

SINLESSNESS - 1-20-13 to 1-26-13

SCRIPTURE - Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

COMMENT - Sin binds us and weighs us down, keeping us from doing those things which God wants us to be doing. The word ensnare indicates hidden dangers and entrapment by sin.

SONG – CONSIDER HIM

1. Surrounded by those who have traveled this road, We throw off the heavy and hindering load. The sin that entangles we lay it aside, And run with our eyes on the One crucified.

2. The Author and Perfecter of our faith paid the cost, For the joy set before Him He suffered the cross. Scorning its shame He sat down by the throne, And smiled as He watched His lost children come home.

REFRAIN: Consider Him, who endured such opposition from sinful men. Consider Him, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Consider Him, consider Him.

THOUGHTS

When Leonardo da Vinci was painting his masterpiece, The Last Supper, he selected as the person to sit for the character of the Christ a young man, Pietri Bandinelli by name, connected with the Milan Cathedral as chorister. Years passed before the great picture was completed, and when one character only -- that of Judas Iscariot -- was wanting, the great painter noticed a man in the streets of Rome whom he selected as his model . . . With shoulders far bent towards the ground, having an expression of cold, hardened, evil, saturnine, the man seemed to afford the opportunities of a model terribly true to the artist's conception of Judas. When in the studio, the profligate began to look around, as if recalling incidents of years gone by. Finally, he turned and with a look half-sad, yet one which told how hard it was to realize the change which had taken place, he said, "Maestro, I was in this studio twenty-five years ago. I, then, sat for Christ."

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In the past we renamed sins, calling them diseases that at least needed curing, now they are admired and trying to correct them is a sickness.

A flippant youth asked a preacher, "You say that unsaved people carry a weight of sin. I feel nothing. How heavy is sin? Is it ten pounds? Eighty pounds?" The preacher replied by asking the youth, "If you laid a four-hundred- pound weight on a corpse, would it feel the load?"

The youth replied, "It would feel nothing, because it is dead." The preacher concluded, "That spirit, too, is indeed dead which feels no load of sin or is indifferent to its burden and flippant about its presence." The youth was silenced.

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The Sunday School teacher asked her class: "What are sins of omission? After some thought one little fellow said: "They're the sins we should have committed but didn't get around to."

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"A friend of mine stopped smoking, drinking, overeating and chasing women-all at the same time. It was a lovely funeral!"

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In God's Smuggler Brother Andrew tells in the first couple of chapters the story of his early life - one section dealt with his days in the Dutch Army in Indonesia. While serving in that area, fighting against Sukarno in the late 40's he bought a young monkey, a gibbon, who took to him and Andy treated him as a pet in the barracks. He hadn't had the monkey for many weeks before he noticed that when he touched the monkey in some areas around the waist it seemed to hurt him. So he examined the gibbon more closely and found a raised welt that went around his waist. So he carefully laid the animal down on his bed and pulled back the matted hair from this welt until he could see what was causing the problem. And he discovered that evidently when the monkey had just been a baby, someone had tied a piece of wire around his middle and never taken it off. As the monkey grew larger the wire became embedded in his flesh. Obviously, it must have caused him a great deal of discomfort.

So that evening Andrew began the operation, taking his razor and shaving off all the monkey's hair in a three-inch-wide swath around his middle. And while the other boys in the barracks looked on he cut ever so gently into the tender flesh until he exposed the wire. The gibbon lay there with the most amazing patience. Even when he obviously was hurting him the monkey looked up with eyes that seemed to say, "I understand," until at long last he was able to get down to the wire, cut it, and pull it away. Instantly, as soon as the operation was over, the monkey jumped up, did a cartwheel, danced around his shoulder, and pulled Andy's hair in joyful glee to the delight of all the boys in the barracks. "After that, my gibbon and I were inseparable. I think I identified with him as strongly as he with me. I think I saw in the wire that had bound him a kind of parallel to the chain of guilt still so tight around myself -- and in his release, the thing I too longed for."

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At a summer religious camp for children one of the counselors was leading a discussion on the purpose God had for everything He created. They began to find good reasons for clouds and trees and rocks and rivers and animals and just about everything else in nature. Finally, one of the children said, "IF God had a good purpose for everything, then why did He create poison ivy?" The discussion leader gulped and, as he struggled with the question, one of the other children came to his rescue, saying, "The reason God made poison ivy is because He wanted us to know there are certain things we should keep our cotton-pickin' hands off."

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RUNNING THE CHRISTIAN _________

INTRODUCTION - HEBREWS ____:1-4

I. LAY ASIDE ____________ WEIGHT - LUKE 8:___; ____:26; 1

______________ 6:9-10

II. LAY ASIDE _____ - EPHESIANS __:17-22; __________ 7:22-23

III. ___________ THE RACE - GALATIANS 5:__; PHILIP. __:13-14

IV. LOOKING TO ________ - COLOSSIANS __:1-4; _________ 3:1

CONCLUSION - _________ 21:33-36

RUNNING THE CHRISTIAN RACE

SCRIPTURE - (Heb 12:1-4) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, {2} looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. {3} For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. {4} You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

INTRODUCTION

A. WE ARE IN A RACE, THE CHRISTIAN RACE.

1. THE RACE FOR HEAVEN

2. THE RACE FOR LIFE, ABUNDANT & ETERNAL

3. THE RACE TO LIVE WITH GOD FOREVER

4. THE RACE FOR PERFECTION, A PERFECT LIFE & WORLD W/O SUFFERING, CORRUPTION, EVIL, SUFFERING, OR DEATH

5. THE RACE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, JUSTICE & GODLINESS

6. THE RACE TO REALLY KNOW GOD

B. WE BEGIN THE RACE WHEN WE BECOME CHRISTIANS AND END IT AT DEATH

C. WE MUST STAY ON THE NARROW COURSE - (Mat 7:13-14) "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. {14} "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

D. WE MUST COMPETE ACCORDING TO THE RULES - (2 Tim 2:3-5) You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. {4} No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. {5} And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

I. LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT

A. ANKLE WEIGHTS, WRIST WEIGHTS, HAND WEIGHTS

B. THINGS WHICH WOULD SLOW US DOWN

C. THE WEIGHT MAY BE CARES RICHES AND PLEASURES OF THIS LIFE - (Luke 8:14) "Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

D. THE WEIGHT MAY BE PEOPLE (Luke 14:26) "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.

E. THE WEIGHT MAY BE A DESIRE FOR RICHES - (1 Tim 6:9-10) But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. {10} For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

II. LAY ASIDE SIN

A. PUT TO DEATH SIN - (Eph 4:17-22) This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, {18} having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; {19} who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. {20} But you have not so learned Christ, {21} if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: {22} that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,

B. FLESHLY LUSTS WAR AGAINST THE SOUL - (1 Pet 2:11) Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,

C. SIN SHOULD NOT CONTROL YOU - (Rom 6:12) Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

D. SIN EASILY ENSNARES US - (Prov 7:22-23) Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, {23} Till an arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life.

1. SNARES OF THE TONGUE - (Prov 6:2) You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth.

2. SNARES FROM ASSOCIATIONS - (Prov 22:24-25) Make no friendship with an angry man, And with a furious man do not go, {25} Lest you learn his ways And set a snare for your soul.

3. SNARES OF TRANSGRESSION - (Prov 29:6) By transgression an evil man is snared, But the righteous sings and rejoices.

4. SNARES OF FEAR - (Prov 29:25) The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.

5. SNARES OF LUST - (Eccl 7:26) And I find more bitter than death The woman whose heart is snares and nets, Whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God shall escape from her, But the sinner shall be trapped by her.

III. FINISH THE RACE

A. A GOOD START IS IMPORTANT BUT DOESN'T GUARANTEE SUCCESS - (Gal 5:7) You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

B. TRAIN WELL - (1 Cor 9:27) I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

C. BE DILIGENT - (Rom 12:11) not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

D. PERSEVERE - (1 Cor 15:58) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

E. MAKE A CONCENTRATED EFFORT - (Phil 3:13-14) Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, {14} I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

IV. LOOKING TO JESUS

A. (Col 3:1-4) If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. {2} Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. {3} For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. {4} When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

B. (Heb 3:1) Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,

C. (1 Pet 2:21) For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

D. HE IS THE AUTHOR (BEGINNER) & FINISHER OF OUR FAITH

E. HIS FAITH TOOK HIM TO THE CROSS

1. THERE WAS JOY AHEAD

2. HE ENDURED THE CROSS

3. HE DESPISED THE SHAME

4. HE WAS REWARDED BY SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD

CONCLUSION

A. GET RID OF THE WEIGHT OF SIN BEFORE THE SNARE OF DEATH - (Luke 21:33-36) "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. {34} "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. {35} "For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. {36} "Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

B. HOW ARE YOU DOING IN THE CHRISTIAN RACE?

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.