Bulking Up My Spiritual Health: Defeating My Idols

SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES ARE OFTEN LINKED:

“As the deer pants for…as the deer longs for

Psalm 42

Performance, Punishment, and Penance

• JESUS WANTS US TO SEE ITS ABOUT PURSUIT
• Spiritual discipline is about pursuit.
• Streams of water, so my soul pants after you.”
• An idol is anything or anyone that competes for our
• affection.

Who’s the hardest couple to counsel or reach?

• The couple just blame each other for everything
• The couple who has a third-party involved.
  • adultery and idolatry; when we pursue someone or something before, we pursue the heart of God, it is a third-party involvement.

Psalm 115:1Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name
be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

SYMPTOMS THERE’S AN IDOL IN YOUR LIFE

• A general sense of entitlement
• A lack of gratitude
• You’re easily offended
  Your self-worth comes from comparisons
• You criticize and blame
• You’re constantly anxious
• You’re defensive.

Psalms 115:2-4
Why do the nations say, “Where is their
God?”3Our God is in heaven; he does whatever
pleases him.4But their idols are silver and gold,
made by human hands.

5 Questions to Help

1. With what are you most disappointed in your
   life?
2. What do you complain about the most?
3. What do you sacrifice your time and money for?
4. What do you worry about?
   Henry Blackaby “An idol is anything you turn to
   for help before first turning to God.”
5. What brings you the most joy?
   

Psalms 115:5-9
5They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but
cannot see. 7They have hands, but cannot
feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a
sound with their throats8Those who make them
will be like them, and so will all who trust in
them.9All you Israelites, trust in the Lord—he is
their help and shield.

The number one, most difficult couple to work with: they don’t care

Psalms 15:14-18 “May the LORD richly bless you. May
the LORD richly bless both you and your children. May
you be blessed by the LORD; may you be blessed by the
LORD who made all of heaven and earth. The heavens
belong to the LORD, but he has given earth to all
humanity. The dead cannot sing praises to the LORD for
they have gone into the silence of the grave. But we…we
can. We can praise the LORD, both now and forever.
Praise the LORD!”