Cultivating_Control.docx

Devotional

Day 1: Self-Control Is the Spirit’s Gift, Not a Tool for Power

True spiritual authority is not about controlling others or circumstances, but about learning to govern oneself through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit grants believers the ability to align their desires and actions with God’s will, rather than using faith as a means to manipulate outcomes or people. This self-control is not about denying our humanity, but about allowing the Spirit to shape our responses, making room for genuine love and freedom to flourish in our relationships.
When we practice self-control, we resist the urge to impose our will on others. Instead, we create an environment where grace and freedom can grow. This discipline is a sign of spiritual maturity, showing that our lives are being transformed from the inside out, reflecting Christ’s love in a world that often values dominance and control.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.” (Titus 2:11-12, ESV)

Reflection: Where in your life do you most often try to control others or situations? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to help you practice self-control instead today?

Day 2: Guarding the Mind: Choosing What Takes Root

The mind is a battleground where countless thoughts and temptations pass through each day. While we cannot always prevent what enters our minds, we are responsible for what we allow to settle and grow. Paul teaches that spiritual growth involves learning to recognize the difference between fleeting temptations and the mindsets we choose to nurture.
Setting our minds on what the Spirit desires is an intentional act. It means dismissing thoughts that lead us away from God and choosing to dwell on what is true, noble, and life-giving. This daily practice shapes our character and responses, helping us become people who reflect Christ’s peace and wisdom, even when our thoughts are under attack.

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2-3, ESV)

Reflection: What is one recurring thought or temptation you struggle with? What practical step can you take today to set your mind on what the Spirit desires instead?

Day 3: Faith Is Not a Tool for Manipulation

Throughout history, people have tried to use religion as a way to control others—through force, pressure, or even spiritualized language. But true Christian influence is not about coercion or bending the world to our will. Instead, it is about being transformed ourselves so that we can faithfully represent Christ’s love and truth.
Rejecting manipulation means letting go of the need to have power over others and trusting God to work in their lives. It calls us to humility and honesty, recognizing that our role is to love and serve, not to dominate. When we live this way, our faith becomes a witness to the freedom and grace found in Christ, rather than a tool for control.

“But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:2, ESV)

Reflection: Is there a relationship or situation where you have tried to use your faith to get your way? What would it look like to let go of control and trust God with the outcome?

Day 4: Responding with Grace in a Hostile World

Living in a world that often feels offensive or antagonistic to Christian values can tempt us to respond with anger or defensiveness. Yet, the call of Christ is to embody grace, patience, and compassion—even toward those who oppose or misunderstand us. This posture requires both strength and humility, rooted in the Spirit’s work within us.
Choosing to respond with love rather than offense is not a sign of weakness, but of deep spiritual maturity. It means trusting that God’s grace is sufficient, even when we feel misunderstood or mistreated. As we practice this, we become living examples of Christ’s love, offering peace and hope in a divided world.

“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Romans 12:17-18, ESV)

Reflection: Who is someone you find difficult to love or understand right now? How can you show them grace and patience today, even if they never change?

Day 5: Meditating on God’s Word Shapes Our Desires

Sustaining a Spirit-led mind is not just about willpower; it requires a deep delight in God’s Word and regular meditation on His truth. As we continually orient our thoughts around Scripture, God’s law shapes our desires and responses, providing a foundation for lasting spiritual fruit.
Meditation is more than reading—it is allowing God’s Word to sink deep into our hearts, transforming the way we think and act. This daily practice brings blessing and stability, helping us to remain rooted in God’s love no matter what challenges we face.

“My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.” (Proverbs 4:20-22, ESV)

Reflection: What is one verse or passage you can meditate on today? How might regularly reflecting on God’s Word change the way you respond to challenges this week?

Sermon Summary

of the Sermon**

In this sermon, Pastor Mark Lovato explores the concept of control from a biblical perspective, focusing on Romans 8:5-6. He challenges the common Christian impulse to control others or the world, tracing this tendency through history and contrasting it with Paul’s teaching on the Spirit-led life. Rather than using faith as a tool to manipulate circumstances or people, Paul calls believers to cultivate self-control through the Holy Spirit. The sermon emphasizes that while we cannot always choose which thoughts or temptations come our way, we do have the power to decide what we dwell on and how we respond. Ultimately, true spiritual maturity is marked not by dominance over others, but by a Spirit-empowered self-control that reflects Christ’s love and grace in a broken world.

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Key Takeaways

1. Self-Control as Spiritual Authority: The only form of control the Spirit grants us is self-control, not dominion over others or circumstances. This discipline is not about suppressing our humanity, but about aligning our desires and actions with the Spirit’s leading. When we practice self-control, we become less likely to impose our will on others, creating space for genuine love and freedom to flourish.
2. The Battle of the Mind: Paul’s teaching assumes that while we cannot prevent every thought from entering our minds, we are responsible for what we allow to take root. The difference between a passing temptation and a settled mindset is the choice to either entertain or dismiss what comes. Spiritual growth involves learning to recognize this distinction and intentionally setting our minds on what the Spirit desires.
3. Rejecting Manipulation in the Name of Faith: The sermon critiques both historical and modern attempts to use religion as a means of controlling others, whether through force, cultural pressure, or spiritualized “manifesting.” True Christian influence is not about coercion or bending the world to our will, but about being transformed ourselves so we can faithfully represent Christ’s love and truth.
4. Living Peacefully in a Hostile World: The call to self-control is especially vital in a world that often feels offensive or antagonistic to Christian values. Rather than responding with offense or hatred, we are invited to embody grace, patience, and compassion—even toward those who oppose or misunderstand us. This posture requires strength and humility, rooted in the Spirit’s work within us.
5. Meditation and Delight in God’s Word: Sustaining a Spirit-led mind requires more than willpower; it calls for a deep delight in God’s Word and regular meditation on His truth. As Psalm 1 reminds us, blessing comes to those who continually orient their thoughts around God’s law, allowing it to shape their desires and responses. This practice is foundational for cultivating the kind of self-control that bears lasting spiritual fruit.

Bible Study Guide

**Small Group Bible Study Guide: Cultivating Spirit-Led Self-Control**

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### Bible Reading

- **Romans 8:5-6**
“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”

- **Galatians 5:22-24**
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

- **Psalm 1:1-2**
“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.”

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### Observation Questions

According to Romans 8:5-6, what is the difference between a mind set on the flesh and a mind set on the Spirit?
In Galatians 5:22-24, what is listed as the fruit of the Spirit, and which one is emphasized in the sermon as the only kind of control the Spirit gives us?
What does Psalm 1 say is the result of delighting and meditating on God’s law?
The sermon mentions historical and modern examples of Christians trying to control others. What are some of these examples?

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### Interpretation Questions

Why does Paul focus on self-control as a mark of spiritual maturity, rather than control over others or circumstances?
How does the difference between “having a thought” and “setting your mind” on a thought help us understand the battle of the mind described in Romans 8?
What dangers can arise when faith is used as a tool to manipulate or control others, as seen in the sermon’s examples?
According to the sermon, how does meditating on God’s Word (like in Psalm 1) help believers develop self-control and respond with grace in a hostile world?

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### Application Questions

Think about a recent situation where you felt the urge to control someone else or a circumstance. How did you respond, and how might you respond differently if you focused on self-control instead?
Are there certain thoughts or temptations that keep coming to your mind? What practical steps can you take this week to “set your mind” on what the Spirit desires instead of letting those thoughts take root?
Have you ever tried to use your faith to get your way or to change someone else? What would it look like to let go of that impulse and trust God to work in their life?
The sermon challenges us to live peacefully and graciously in a world that often feels offensive or antagonistic. Can you think of a person or group that you find difficult to show grace to? What is one way you could respond with patience or compassion this week?
The pastor said that self-control is the antidote to controlling others. In your relationships (family, work, church), where do you see a need for more self-control? What is one specific change you could make?
Psalm 1 talks about delighting in and meditating on God’s Word. What is one way you can make time this week to meditate on Scripture, and how do you think this could help you in your daily battles of the mind?
When you notice yourself becoming offended or defensive in conversations about faith or values, what is a prayer or practice you can use to invite the Holy Spirit to help you respond with humility and grace?

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Sermon Quotes

Paul boldly states that we as humans have the power to decide what we will allow our minds to be set on. We can’t always control what comes and goes, but we have the capability to decide whether to let those things stay or move on.

The Spirit-anointed person is not given a form of spiritual life that allows us to control others, circumstances, or the world. The only form of control that the Spirit-anointed person receives is self-control.

Self-control becomes the antidote to controlling others. Those who have developed self-control can often be the people who allow others to be themselves and don’t feel the need to dominate them.

Paul never taught that the spiritual power within was one to be utilized to bend the world to one’s own will. Rather, the Spirit is the transforming Divine person who changes us so we can be faithful to God in the world.

While other belief systems may claim to give people lordship over others or the world, Paul envisions something different: a movement of people so rooted in the life of God that, in an uncontrolled world, they exhibit self-control, bringing peace and grace wherever they go.

Maybe our goal never was to be a Christian nation that forces itself on the world, but instead, to be focused on being more like Jesus—allowing sinners to feel loved, desired, and valued enough to see the true light.

We need to be self-controlled enough to live in an offensive world without being constantly offended. We need to be strong enough to not become hateful to people who only know how to live by the flesh.

Having a thought and setting one’s mind on a thought is far from being the same thing. You can’t always control what thoughts come, but you can choose which ones you let stay and shape your life.

Paul is not saying we should ignore the evils and dangers around us, but that we should make better choices about how we exhibit truth and light—eliminating selfish desires and focusing on a discipleship that allows God’s power to work within hearts.

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Cultivating_Control.docx

Devotional

Day 1: Self-Control Is the Spirit’s Gift, Not a Tool for Power

Day 2: Guarding the Mind: Choosing What Takes Root

Day 3: Faith Is Not a Tool for Manipulation

Day 4: Responding with Grace in a Hostile World

Day 5: Meditating on God’s Word Shapes Our Desires

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Quotes

Chatbot

Cultivating_Control.docx

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