The Domino Effect | Kick the Habit

Main Verse:

Acts 9:4-5

4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” 5 “Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.

I Timothy 1:13-16

13 …I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. 14 Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus. 15 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. 16 But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.

II Corinthians 11:23-28

Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.  Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. 28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches.

Philippians 1:12-14

 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.

Main Points:

The tImeline of Paul's Habit of Spiritual Growth

1. About 30yrs old - Damascus Road Experience

God stepped in and changed the course of Paul's life.

The Apostle Paul and Saul of Tarsus were the same person.

- Saul was his Jewish name

- Paul was his Roman name

Paul recognized the change God had brought to his life and how radical it was from who he had been.

2. About 50 yrs old after planting many churches and traveling around spreading the Gospel...Paul felt like he had to prove himself and comes across here as defensive and brash.

It’s not enough to ask, “What did I learn from this?” 

We also need to ask, “How can I grow from this?”

3. At about 57 yrs old Paul is now in prison, likely in Rome. He is in prison for preaching the Gospel and declaring that Jesus is God. He writes several letters during these years in prison which are now books of the Bible.

[Philippians 1:6]

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

He has gone from brash and trying to prove himself to the confidence of God's presence in His life.

He sees his time in prison as a good thing and that it is advancing the cauxse for which he is spending his life.

What amazing peace Paul finds in the midst of a bad situation. Focusing on his relationship with Jesus above all else gave him the ability to see life in a whole new way.

4. At about 62 years old Paul is back in prison and knows he will probably not get out of prison this time.

He dies less than a year after writing this.

[II Timothy 1:12]

…for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.

Paul has gone from brash and trying to prove himself to confident to saying, "I am sure."

Developing the habit of growth leads us to truth and confidence and freedom in Christ..

Action Steps

• What is a way you have recognized the grace of God in your life?

• Sometimes we can find ourselves focusing more on what we have done for God than what He has done for us.

• There is a freedom that comes when we focus on what God is doing instead of our efforts. It changes our perspective. It did for Paul...

• What are some of the things that God has done that you have experienced?

• Is there anything that would change in your perspective if you sought God first and focused more on what He is doing and less on what you or others are doing?

• When we choose to grow through our circumstances and experiences we gain wisdom, not just knowledge.

Discussion Questions

  • What are some things you are more sure of now than you have ever been?

  • What are some things you are still unsure about?

  • Have you seen God show up in moments or areas of your life where you were struggling?

  • What change took place?

  • What does it mean to you to trust God?

  • How can you set out to develop the habit of spiritual growth in your life?

Amanda Majors