Outdoor Object Lesson 88: Self-Control, Man's Best Friend

Key Verse

“Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.”” 1 Corinthians 15:33 (WEB)

Lesson

Dogs are man’s best friend. It has been this way for thousands of years. There is something mysterious yet undeniable about it. Dogs are able to bond with their masters unlike most other animals. There is no other animal as popular for a pet as a dog. One of the key reasons for this is their faithfulness. Dogs can be faithful to their masters even to the point of laying down their life for their owner. Another reason is their usefulness. Dogs are capable of being trained to do numerous tasks. Dogs are incredibly smart and able to learn a wide variety of complex commands. Also, there are numerous dog breads with a wide variety of looks and temperaments. According to the American Kennel Club there are over 340 dog breads around the world. This variety means owners have many options to choose which size, color, temperament or other features suit their needs or desires.

Humans and dogs have a lot in common. Like humans, dogs can read facial expressions, display empathy, jealousy, anger and joy. They can show favoritism to one person over another. They can cooperate with us and with other dogs to accomplish a common task. Dogs are incredibly good at living with humans because they are social animals. In the wild, dogs are pack animals, and this makes forming a social bond with humans natural. Perhaps the biggest reason the two species get along so well is because we have more in common than different. Like humans, dogs have personal preferences and unique personalities. Dogs have been compared to human children in their intelligence and emotional expression. We understand each other well. It also helps that dogs are so loyal. They love us no matter what.

A recent study looking at humans and dogs found another interesting comparison. Both dogs and humans can exercise high levels of self-control. We are both able to control and resist impulses to do things that are not beneficial. This is an important skill for survival. It is key for forming and maintaining social bonds. The most surprising finding that resulted from the study was that after exerting self-control for a period of time, both humans and dogs had a diminishing ability to control their impulses. After resisting their impulses for an extended period in one area humans and dogs were more likely to give into their impulses in another area, to act more aggressively, and to have increased difficulty with problem solving. Basically, the longer they had to engage self-control, the harder it was to resist temptation.1

There is a spiritual lesson here for us humans to learn. The Bible informs us that we will face temptation in this life to do evil. Satan is constantly working to trick us into doing things we know are wrong. Paul tells us that we are in a war against our own impulses to do evil. It is something that we must fight every day. The Bible also warns us not to put ourselves into a place where we know we will be tempted. In the key verse we are warned that hanging out with the wrong crowd will make it hard for us to stick to good morals. If your friends are doing things you know are wrong, things that you are tempted to do, than staying around them is going to make it even harder for you to exercise self-control. The lesson here is that we should avoid putting our self in to tempting situations. As the study demonstrated, the longer we have to exert self-control, the more likely we will give in. We should avoid putting ourselves near temptation when possible. When it is not, God will give us power to resist. This quote states it well, “Those who operate through the Holy Spirit are more equipped to resist temptation.” – Monica Johnson

Questions

What is your favorite kind of dog?

Is it wrong to struggle with temptation?

What methods does the Bible provide for resisting temptation?

When will temptation go away?



Sources

1. Stanley Coren, “Self-Control in Dogs Is a Limited Resource,” Psychology Today online, last updated July 16, 2014, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201407/self-control-in-dogs-is-limited-resource.



Written by David F. Garner
Photo credit: Pexels via www.pixabay.com

Leadership Lessons Series: Sexuality

Key Text

"And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8 (WEB)


Lesson

Discussing sex in ministry is usually uncomfortable. So we often avoid it. But discussing it is necessary and beneficial. I have found my listeners appreciate hearing a Biblical perspective. You don't have to lead an open discussion. You can do all the talking and they can do all the listening. This often makes it a bit less awkward. I begin by telling my listeners that I am about to give them a talk on Biblical sexuality and they don't have to discuss it unless they want to. I tell them I will be available afterword for private questions. I have heard a lot of talks on this subject delivered in a judgmental and hurtful way. So I have shared my notes below from a talk I gave about this topic in the hopes it will help others to approach this subject in a non-judgmental and less awkward manor.

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Our culture tends to take sex for granted. God has a different plan, to Him, sexuality is something special. See Matthew 19:5; Proverbs 4:23. As the creator and originator of sexuality God knows best how it should work. God offers us a better way that will lead to happiness and wholeness for us and our family. Our culture promotes doing what feels good now, but God asks us to be patient so he can give us something better.

God's plan for sexuality is that it be only between one man and one woman in exclusive marriage. Sin has perverted sexuality. Premarital sex and cohabitation are normal in our society. These are not the best way to find a happy marriage. Our sexual urges are perverted too. The Bible says in Matthew 5:28 that lusting after a person is not healthy and wrong. Lusting means things like pornography and desiring someone for only what you can get.

Our perverted sexual urges mean that some people struggle with all sorts of unhealthy sexual desires such as desiring multiple wives, boyfriends, or sexual partners at the same time. Others include bisexual and homosexual attraction. The Bible tells us acting on these urges or temptations is unhealthy and wrong. There is also mounting scientific evidence that doing these things (premarital sex, cohabitation, divorce, pornography, polygamy, homosexuality, and lust) can be unhealthy. You likely know someone who has been hurt by divorce and how unhealthy it is for everyone involved.

Many of these things may seem impossible to avoid or overcome, but they are not. Jesus promises to give us the strength and ability to overcome. I have personally known many people who have stayed free from these unhealthy sexual acts. That does not mean they were not tempted, even Jesus was tempted. But it is certainly possible. Jesus even calls some people to celibacy. Jesus promises to give us the power to do what he asks.

The most important thing to remember is that sexuality is only part of who a person is. Sexual desires are part of a deeper desire for intimacy and love. We all long for love and that is what we need most, 1 Peter 4:8. And you can have that right now. You do not have to wait for marriage or the right person. Love and intimacy can come from any relationship, parents, sibling, grandparents, friends. Love and intimacy are part of every relationship not just romantic ones although it may be shown differently. The best thing is that we can have love and intimacy with the Creator and King of the Universe right now.

So what about people who have not lived up to the standards God calls us to? Anyone who has been in a Christian church very long has likely heard about purity. You may feel negative towards the idea. Perhaps you think that once you have stumbled, your purity is gone forever. Here is some news: you were born impure! Everyone has inherited a sinful nature from Adam and Eve. Jesus is the only one who can make us pure, our actions cannot, Romans 11:6. The great news is that Jesus can restore our purity no matter what we have done! If you or someone you know struggles with unwanted sexual temptations, please talk to someone like a pastor, mentor, or counselor. They are trained and want to help!

We must respect everyone who has not lived up to God's standards, because neither have we. We also must respect their freedom to choose not to live by those standards. God gives them (and us) that choice and so must we. So how do we act towards people who have not lived up to the standards God calls us to? Ganoune Diop, a leading religious freedom advocate delivered an address to a United Nations conference in 2016 about Biblical teaching on human sexuality in which he answers this question. He said, “It means saying ‘No’ to discrimination or any form of violence. It means demonstrating that people can believe differently, and be different, while sharing the same humanity; it means living in the common public space with respect for the dignity of every person; it means recognizing that each person has been granted the right — and responsibility—of freedom by their Creator.”1

Sources
1. Bettina Krause, “Adventist Leader Discusses Sexuality at UN Conference,” Adventist Review Online, posted JUNE 29, 2016, accessed January 3, 2017, http://www.adventistreview.org/church-news/story4137-adventist-leader-discusses-sexuality-at-un-conference.

Written by David F. Garner

Photo Credit: Pexels

Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 21: Rock and Water

Key Verse

“To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭2:7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Lesson

Note: This lesson is best done in an area where listeners can see rock that has been eroded by water.

What is stronger but softer than rock? Water of course. How can this be you may be thinking. The banks of most water ways are dirt or mud that the water easily washes away. But water can also carve away solid rock. Rock is strong and durable, but given enough time, water will erode the rock away. What is the secret behind water's strength? It is the persistence of water. Day after day, year after year the water flows over the rock and washes it away a little at a time. What may seem impossible becomes possible through persistence.

Persistence means to keep trying at something until succeeding. The Bible also calls this perseverance. There are many things in life that are too big to change all at once. We may not be strong or powerful enough to change something quickly. We may not succeed on the first try. James Watkins a prominent Christian author once said, " A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence." That is why water, which is softer than rock, can still overcome it.

Paul reminds us in Romans 2:7 that it takes persistence to live the way Jesus wants us too. We have to keep trying, every day, to do good and avoid evil. Only when we reach heaven will we no longer be tempted to sin. Even though we are saved, we sill need to persist against temptation. Persistence is important in many other areas of our lives. Like water, whenever we hit a barrier that is difficult to overcome, all we need is a little persistence— to keep trying until we succeed.

Questions

What is something you have persisted at and overcome?

When we struggle to avoid evil and temptation, where can we get extra strength to persist?

In what other areas of life is persistence useful?

Written by David F. Garner
Photo Credit: BKD via www.pixabay.com