Living a Spirit-Filled Life Through Surrender

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Galatians 5:22-23
2. Romans 6:6
3. Judges 16:19-21

#### Observation Questions
1. What are the nine qualities that the Holy Spirit produces in our lives according to Galatians 5:22-23?
2. How does Romans 6:6 describe our old sinful selves and the freedom we have in Christ?
3. In Judges 16:19-21, what led to Samson's downfall and loss of strength? [53:47]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is it important to understand that the fruit of the Spirit is produced by the Holy Spirit and not by our own efforts? [44:23]
2. How does the story of Samson illustrate the dangers of not yielding to the Holy Spirit? [52:03]
3. What does it mean to live in a "cycle of surrender" as opposed to a "cycle of shame"? [58:16]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you tried to produce the fruit of the Spirit on your own. How did it make you feel, and what was the outcome? [44:23]
2. Identify one area in your life where you struggle with self-control. How can you yield this area to the Holy Spirit this week? [52:03]
3. Think about your identity as a child of God. How does this identity empower you to live victoriously over sin? [01:06:28]
4. What practical steps can you take to move from a cycle of shame to a cycle of surrender in your daily life? [58:16]
5. Choose one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit to focus on this month. What specific action could you take to cultivate it in your interactions with your family? [47:18]
6. Reflect on the story of Samson. Is there a "Delilah" in your life that you need to surrender to God? How can you take steps to do that this week? [53:47]
7. How can you remind yourself daily to yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to produce His fruit in you? Consider practical tools like prayer, scripture reading, or accountability partners. [01:15:26]

Day 1: Identity in Christ
Understanding our identity as children of God is crucial. Romans 8:15 reminds us that we have received God's Spirit, affirming that we are His children. This identity frees us from the bondage of sin and empowers us to live victoriously. When we live in this truth, we can fully rely on God and experience His victory in our lives. Our identity in Christ is not just a label; it is a transformative reality that shapes our actions, thoughts, and interactions with others.

When we embrace our identity as God's children, we are no longer defined by our past mistakes or current struggles. Instead, we are defined by the love and grace of our Heavenly Father. This understanding allows us to live with confidence and purpose, knowing that we are deeply loved and valued by God. As we grow in our relationship with Him, we begin to reflect His character more and more, producing the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. [01:06:28]

Romans 8:15 (ESV): "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'"

Reflection: How does knowing you are a child of God change the way you view yourself and your daily challenges? Take a moment to thank God for adopting you into His family and ask Him to help you live out this identity today.


Day 2: Cycle of Surrender
We have two options: live in a cycle of shame or a cycle of surrender. By yielding to the Holy Spirit, our faith is strengthened, and our actions are empowered. This cycle of surrender allows us to live closer to God and experience His power working through us. When we surrender, we acknowledge our limitations and invite God to work in and through us, transforming our weaknesses into strengths.

Living in a cycle of shame keeps us trapped in guilt and self-condemnation, but surrendering to God brings freedom and peace. It is a daily choice to let go of our own efforts and trust in God's power and guidance. As we practice surrender, we become more attuned to the Holy Spirit's leading and more capable of living a life that reflects God's love and grace. [01:08:02]

James 4:7-8 (ESV): "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?


Day 3: Holy Spirit's Role
The fruit of the Spirit is not something we produce on our own. It is the Holy Spirit living within us that produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When we try to produce these qualities ourselves, we become exhausted and frustrated. Instead, we should allow the Holy Spirit to work through us. The Holy Spirit's role is to transform us from the inside out, making us more like Christ in our character and actions.

As we yield to the Holy Spirit, we experience a supernatural ability to exhibit these qualities, even in challenging circumstances. This transformation is a testament to God's power at work within us, and it serves as a witness to others of His love and grace. Trusting in the Holy Spirit's work allows us to live a life that is not only pleasing to God but also impactful to those around us. [01:09:26]

Ephesians 3:16-17 (ESV): "That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love."

Reflection: In what ways have you been trying to produce the fruit of the Spirit on your own? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to take control and work through you today?


Day 4: Samson's Example
Samson's life illustrates the dangers of not yielding to the Holy Spirit. Despite his calling and strength, he failed to control his passions, leading to his downfall. Like Samson, we may struggle with certain sins, but we must remember that self-control is about allowing the Holy Spirit to control us, not us controlling ourselves. Samson's story serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us of the importance of surrendering our weaknesses to God.

When we rely on our own strength, we are prone to failure and frustration. However, when we allow the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us, we can overcome our struggles and live a life that honors God. Samson's example teaches us that true strength comes from dependence on God, not from our own abilities. [01:13:12]

Judges 16:20 (ESV): "And she said, 'The Philistines are upon you, Samson!' And he awoke from his sleep and said, 'I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.' But he did not know that the Lord had left him."

Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you are relying on your own strength rather than God's? How can you begin to surrender these areas to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to take control?


Day 5: Freedom in Christ
Romans 6:6 tells us that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ, freeing us from sin's power. As believers, we are no longer slaves to sin. This freedom allows us to live a life that reflects the fruit of the Spirit naturally. When we yield to the Holy Spirit, we experience the joy and freedom that comes from living a Spirit-filled life. This freedom is not just a theological concept; it is a practical reality that transforms our daily lives.

Living in the freedom of Christ means that we are no longer bound by our past mistakes or current struggles. We are empowered to live a life that is pleasing to God and impactful to those around us. This freedom is a gift from God, and it is available to all who believe in Jesus Christ. As we embrace this freedom, we can live with confidence and joy, knowing that we are no longer slaves to sin but children of God. [01:17:14]

Galatians 5:1 (ESV): "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."

Reflection: How does the freedom you have in Christ change the way you approach your daily life? What steps can you take today to live more fully in this freedom?

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "And you know what happens when we realize that Jesus has set us free from the bondage of sin? We realize that he is there cheering us on. In heaven, there is a cloud of witnesses that are cheering us on going, you can do this. You know what that does to us? It sets us free from having to live in the bondage of that sin that we try to put the hat on to do better and better and better. We're free from it." [01:06:28](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

2. "When we get our identity right, I am a child of God. When we get our identity right, we get our responses right. Good reflexes. We get our responses right. Romans chapter 8 in verse number 15, it says, Romans 8, 15, it says, So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slayers. Instead, you received God's spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him Abba Father for his spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children." [01:08:02](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

3. "God has a way that He wants you to live that really isn't that difficult. And yet you can show all of those things that we try to show. And the way that you do that is you simply yield yourself to the Holy Spirit. That thing that you think you'll never overcome, you can overcome it. Not in your power, not in your strength, not by anything that you do. You will overcome it when you yield to Him." [01:15:26](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

4. "This morning, if you're here and you don't know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, I want to challenge you. Give your life to Him. Allow Him to live and indwell you to live out the way that He wants you to live. There'll be people that'll be standing up here in just a few minutes and they'd love to talk with you and just show you how you can know Jesus Christ as your Savior. It's not difficult. It's simply trusting in Him and confessing to Him and allowing Him to become Lord of your life." [01:17:14](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

5. "You see, if you have your Bible this morning and you want to turn to Galatians chapter number 5, that's where we're going to be, Galatians 5 and we see in Galatians 5, we see the passage that talks about the fruit of the spirit, Galatians 5 verses 22 and 23. As a kid, we learned a song. I won't sing it for you but it gives you the fruit of the spirit and if you read with me here, Galatians chapter 5 verses 22 and 23, it says, But the Holy Spirit, produces this kind of fruit in our lives. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things." [47:18](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

### Quotes for Members

1. "We have two options. We can live in the cycle of shame, or we can live with the cycle of surrender. I have the right identity. I am God's child. So then I'm going to yield to the spirit. And as I yield to the spirit, my faith is strengthened, and that empowers my actions, and then I live closer to God." [01:08:02](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

2. "When we live in the power of the Holy Spirit, and we think, you know what? I have to practice self-control. And we move away from that to, I don't have to produce this fruit. If I just realize that I am God's child, his Holy Spirit lives within me. When I trust in him, my faith is strengthened, and I'm tested with self-control. And I walk away from that going, I don't know how I'm going to stand up. I don't know how I'm going to stand up. Lord, I need your help. I stand up to it. I walk away going, with God's power, I can defeat this thing. God, thank you for empowering me. It wasn't on my own that I could do this because I would have failed, but it's because of you." [01:09:26](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

3. "The pull of sin is strong but the living Christ is stronger so open yourself to his spirit and you will bear his fruit. It's not about us producing fruit, it's about us letting the Holy Spirit produce it in us." [46:16](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

4. "You see, Paul, he identified with us. Paul said, you know, the things that I want to do, those are the things I don't do. The things that I don't want to do, those are the things that I find myself doing. Paul was just like you and me. We read Scripture and we think, well, man, he must have been something that was special and unique. And he was very special and he was unique, but he struggled the same way you and I do. Trying to do the things that he was supposed to do in his own flesh and could never do it." [59:49](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

5. "You see, the problem with us trying to produce self-control in our life is it causes us to go into what I want to call a cycle of shame. We sin and we fall into the cycle of shame. We do something and we feel bad about it. And so then we begin this process. And if you look at the next slide here, this shows you what the cycle of shame is. I'm a failure. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to get my self-control hat on and I am going to try harder to not do that thing. But then as I try harder and I think that I've got this, I'm really doing well. I feel like I've got this thing under control. All of a sudden, a stress comes. Something in our life that causes family relationships, something at work." [56:54](Download raw clip | Download cropped clip | Download vertical captioned clip)

Well, good morning. Glad that Pastor Scott is doing well in Africa. He told us before he left, he said, "I've got an app that you can use to communicate with me." And so we've been able to communicate a little bit with him.

He said yesterday was the last part of his trip. So he got on a plane at 6:30 on Thursday or to the airport at six o'clock, 6:30 on Thursday night. And he was traveling literally for two days. The last leg of his trip was a seven-hour bus ride in Africa. And that's not like, I mean, if you've ever ridden on Greyhound, that would be luxury to what he was doing.

So he then texted me yesterday and he said, "Well, the seven-hour bus ride turned into an 11-hour bus ride." The worst part about that whole thing is he has to turn around and do that in three days. He's got to do it all again. So pray for him, pray for them. And not only for traveling mercies, but just the fact that he—what he's seeing.

And it's not just about giraffes and tigers and lions and the wildlife. They get to see what God is doing in the hearts and lives of people and men that have surrendered to preach and to pastor churches. And so they're able to see these training opportunities that they have for these men and to be able to minister to them and just absorb it all and then see how we as a church can participate in helping them in what they're doing in Africa.

So pray for him, pray for that. Pray for his transportation. Pray for his traveling. That is just, if you've ever traveled, it sounds luxurious until you have to do it for 48 hours, and then it's not luxurious anymore. So just pray for him.

But before he left, he said, "I want you to continue on with our series on the fruit of the Spirit." And in my mind, I grew up as a pastor's kid, and so I've been around church world and church life. I've lived literally all of my life, and I've heard about the fruit of the Spirit. It's not something new.

And the fruit of the Spirit, to me, as I was thinking through this whole thing, I told my wife, I said, "I think if the fruit of the Spirit was a flavor, I think it would be lemon." And the reason is because it seems like the fruit of the Spirit is always, "Life gives you lemons," and so you have to pull out of your bag the fruit of the Spirit and make lemonade out of it.

Like, I know this is really horrible, but I'm going to have to try to do the best I can. And so, I thought as I was thinking through this, I'm like, you know what? Life, the fruit of the Spirit to me has always been one of these where, all right, he's talking about love, so I've got to put my love hat on, and God's going to give me opportunities to show love. Right? Isn't that how the fruit of the Spirit works?

You know, the pastor gets up, talks about love, and we're like, "All right, I'm going to be challenged this week to show love," and sure enough, an opportunity comes, and you're like, "Yep, I'm pulling out my fruit of the Spirit love hat, and I'm going to put this sucker on, and I'm going to show love."

And then, just as you have your love hat on, all of a sudden, something comes along, and you're like, "You know what? Now I've got to show peace. I've got to show joy." And so you take your love hat off, and now you're like, "I've got to put my joy hat on because now I've got to be happy because this thing just happened in my life, and I don't really like it."

And so you've got your love and your joy hat on, and things are going pretty well until all of a sudden, something happens in your life, and you're like, "Uh-oh, now I've got another hat that I've got to wear. I've got this peace hat that I've got to put on, and now I've got to try to keep peace between this relationship, the thing that's going on."

Now, wait, no, wait, now I've got to—this thing happened in my life, and now I've got to show joy again, and then, wait, no, my wife is here. Now I've got to show love again, and you're just exhausted because then Pastor Scott gets up and he talks about goodness, and you're like, "Man, I'm going to be challenged with goodness, and now this week, I've got to love my wife, and my kids have to be good to them."

And, oh man, now he's going to talk about self-control. I hate him. Why, one more hat that I've got to wear? And now I'm walking around with nine hats going, "This isn't nine, I understand that." Now I'm walking around with nine hats, and I'm going, "How do— which one do I put on? I'm supposed to show love, and now I'm just happy, and my wife thinks I'm nuts, and she's like, 'What are you so happy about? You're supposed to be loving me.'"

And you're like, "Oh, wait, now I'm supposed to be joyful, and I'm just going to love you," and you're just exhausted trying to put on the fruit of the Spirit. That is never the way that it was intended.

The fruit of the Spirit is not a bunch of hats that we have to wear. The fruit of the Spirit is something that the Holy Spirit produces in us that we don't have to try to do. Yesterday we were driving, and as we were driving, Rebecca obviously knew that I was speaking today, and I am not the best driver when it comes to being a kind driver.

I like to drive. Like when I get behind the wheel, I am a NASCAR driver. I'm an Indy One driver. Cars are made to be driven, not to be patient. So I leave my patient hat at home, and I don't bring that with me in the car. And so she knew I was speaking, and I stopped, and I allowed like two or three cars to pull in front of me, and she's like, "You're practicing self-control, aren't you?" I said, "Yes, I am."

And that last car that got in front of me did not know how to drive. So my self-control of like, "I'm going to let you come in. Patience. I'm putting that hat on." All of a sudden that person, the gap between that person and the person in front of them kept getting bigger, and the rage in me started getting stronger, and I realized at that moment, I am trying to produce the fruit of the Spirit in my life that I was never intended to produce.

It's not about me producing something; it's about allowing the Holy Spirit to live in me so that the fruit of the Spirit is then produced. Pastor Scott, through this whole series, has been giving us a poem that he has helped us to think through the fruit of the Spirit.

And so this morning, we're going to see this poem, and we're going to say it together again as we did last week. And so I'll read it, and you guys just follow along, and then we'll say it together. It says, "The pull of sin is strong, but the living Christ is stronger, so open yourself to his Spirit, and you will bear his fruit."

It's not about us producing fruit; it's about us letting the Holy Spirit produce it in us. So would you say this with me this morning? "The pull of sin is strong, but the living Christ is stronger, so open yourself to his Spirit, and you will bear his fruit."

You see, if you have your Bible this morning and you want to turn to Galatians chapter number 5, that's where we're going to be, Galatians 5. And we see in Galatians 5, we see the passage that talks about the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5 verses 22 and 23.

As a kid, we learned a song. I won't sing it for you, but it gives you the fruit of the Spirit. And if you read with me here, Galatians chapter 5 verses 22 and 23, it says, "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things."

You see, when we are saved, when we ask Jesus Christ to save us, he comes in and he fills us, and we are not supposed to live a spirit—we are supposed to live a spirit-filled life, not a spirit-filled moment. You see, if you're following along in our outline this morning, that's point number one. We are supposed to live a spirit-filled life, not a spirit-filled moment.

But it seems that as we talk about the fruit of the Spirit, that we think that it is these hats that we have to put on, that we're going to be challenged with opportunities, that as Pastor Scott or whoever talks about the fruit of the Spirit, that you're challenged then that this week I'm going to have to work on joy because he's going to talk about joy, or here's another opportunity for me to work on my love for somebody that is not lovely.

Here's my opportunity to have self-control, and I'm going to have to learn how to control myself. And we walk around with these hats thinking that I'm going to have to put these on when reality is that it's not a hat that we put on; it is something that indwells us that just oozes out.

There's a man in the Bible that I want you to look at this morning. His name is Samson. And Samson, in the book of Judges in the Old Testament, the book of Judges talks about the nation of Israel and how they had gone from Moses to Joshua as their leader, and then all of a sudden Joshua passes away, and now they were judges, people that came up in power that God raised up to lead the children of Israel.

And these different men or women would lead, and as they did, God used them mightily in the life of Israel. And one of those men in the book of Judges, chapter number 13, we see a man and a woman that an angel appears to and says, "You're going to have a baby. And this baby I'm going to use to lead the children of Israel."

Now, it was an unusual situation because this baby was not just, "Hey, you're going to have a baby," like the angel appeared to Mary. This was a situation where they said, "Now, your son is going to be very odd." Seventh-grade boys just naturally fit into that. But this was not just his seventh and eighth-grade year. This was going to be his entire life.

And they said, "He's never going to cut his hair." Now, imagine never cutting your hair. How long would it be? And later on in the story, we see that he had seven locks of hair that had probably been matted together into seven like dreadlocks that flowed from his head.

And if you know Samson, oftentimes we think that he was this muscular guy. If you see pictures of him that people have drawn, he's this guy with big muscles. But scripture doesn't say that he looked to be this intimidating thing. It says that the Holy Spirit came upon him. And when the Holy Spirit came upon him, he had great power.

So he probably just looked like you and me, except he had really long hair. And he had another problem. So when Samson was born, he was dedicated to the Lord, and his parents took what was called the Nazarite vow. So there were several things that he couldn't do. He couldn't touch a dead body, animal or human. He couldn't drink alcohol. And he could not cut his hair.

And so you have this guy that he was unique. He was called by God. But all of his life, he struggled with something that kept defeating him. You see number two on your paper, Samson is an example of someone who did not live with self-control.

Now, self-control, as we see in Galatians chapter 5, we think that again, that is something that now, this week, since we're talking about self-control, that this week I'm going to have to wear this hat, carry this hat of self-control around with me because I'm going to be given opportunities that I'm going to have to practice self-control.

And that's what Samson did. Samson, though he was dedicated to the Lord, he never allowed the Lord to lead him, the Holy Spirit, to be spirit-controlled through him. He always thought, "If I can just control myself, then I can stay out of danger."

But in the book of Judges, chapter number 16, if you'll look at that with me, Judges chapter 16, in verse number 19, we get down to the end of Samson's life. Samson had ruled Israel. He had been a judge of Israel, but he had one thing that kept drawing his heart away, and that was women. Not just women in general, but pagan women.

Women that he was not supposed to have a relationship with, but he kept going to that nation. He kept seeing ladies, and he's like, "I want that one. Mom and dad, get me that one." And he didn't just stay with one woman. He kept going from woman to woman to woman to woman.

And we see in Samson's life that his problem, that he could not—that he tried to control himself, but he didn't allow the Holy Spirit to control, was his appetite for women. And now we see in Judges chapter 16, verses 19 through 21, we see the end here of Samson's being able to rule Israel.

It says, "Delilah," which was the lady that he had a relationship with, and he wanted to make his wife. Delilah lulled Samson to sleep with his head on her lap. And then she called in a man to shave off the seven locks of his hair. And in this way, she began to bring him down, and his strength left him.

Then she cried out, "Samson, the Philistines have come to capture you." When he woke up, he thought, "I will do as before and shake myself free." But he didn't realize that the Lord had left him. You see, Delilah, several times before this, had said, "Samson, if you love me, will you please tell me the secret of your strength?"

And he said, "Well, if you do this, then I won't have any strength." And so she would do that, and she would call out, "Samson, the Philistines are here." And he would jump up, and he'd rip the cords or whatever she had bound him with, and he would rise up in power and defeat the Philistines.

But this time, he didn't even realize that the Lord had left him. And he said, "Samson, the Philistines are here." He didn't even realize that he had been lulled to sleep spiritually, and the Holy Spirit had left him. And when he got up, he didn't even realize.

And as a result of not allowing the Spirit to lead him and guide him, he fell. He was captured, his eyes were gouged out, and they used him to grind mill at a mill, just like the animals did. And they all rejoiced at the fact that they had captured Samson.

You know, you and I are very much like Samson. Samson lived a called life, which we as believers are called, but he had failed to live a life fully surrendered to God. There was almost every area that he had given to God, but there was this one thing that he could not capture, one thing that he did not want to turn over to God.

Samson crushed his enemy, but he could never crush his own passions. And isn't that like you and me? Can we just be honest for a minute? Hebrews 12, verse 1 says that we, like Samson, have a sin that so easily trips us up.

And you know what that thing is. I don't have to tell you what that thing is. You know what it is in your life because that's the thing that you constantly say, "God, why do I keep doing this? God, why can't I get control of this thing? God, why does that thing keep taking me down? God, I know that I did it. I'm surrendering it to you. I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to become like that. I don't want to do those things. I don't want to do that."

And why do I always keep failing? It's because we are trying to put on the hat of self-control and say, "I'm not going to do that again." And we try really hard, and we work really hard, and we say, "I'm not going to do it." But then all of a sudden we find ourselves doing it. We say, "I'm a failure. I'm never going to defeat that thing."

The problem is that self-control is not us controlling ourselves. Self-control is about allowing the Spirit to control us. And if we ever can get to that point where we realize that it's not about me, it's about the Holy Spirit living through me, I don't have to worry about controlling myself because the Spirit will produce that fruit naturally in my life.

You see, the problem with us trying to produce self-control in our life is it causes us to go into what I want to call a cycle of shame. We sin, and we fall into the cycle of shame. We do something, and we feel bad about it. And so then we begin this process.

And if you look at the next slide here, this shows you what the cycle of shame is. I'm a failure. So what I'm going to do is I'm going to get my self-control hat on, and I am going to try harder to not do that thing. But then as I try harder and I think that I've got this, I'm really doing well. I feel like I've got this thing under control.

All of a sudden, stress comes. Something in our life that causes family relationships, something at work, something just personally, something that you see, something comes, stress comes, and all of a sudden it creates that weakness that you do the thing that you don't want to do.

"I've got my self-control. I've got my self-control. I've got my self-control. I've got my self-control. I've got my self-control hat on, but why am I still doing this thing that I don't want to do? I'm trying really hard, and so it throws me into guilt and shame. I'm never going to be able to achieve this."

And we find ourselves going in this circle, this cycle of shame, constantly in our lives, and we can't seem to get it out. And I'm really trying really hard. What's wrong? What is the problem? Why can't I defeat this? Am I the only one that feels this way, or do you all understand what I'm saying?

Like, you get it, right? Like we have this thing, and it's different for each one of us. There's something that you know that you battle with that Hebrews 12:1 says, "I have this thing that so easily sets me off." It might be anger. It might be, "Well, I just have a short fuse." No, you just aren't allowing the Holy Spirit to produce self-control in you.

And so you fall into this cycle where I'm never going to be able to overcome you. "Well, you don't understand." No, I probably don't understand, but I do know that the Holy Spirit says that if we have him dwelling in us, he will produce the fruit of self-control.

And when I am not able to exercise self-control, that means that I am not yielded to the Holy Spirit. Just like the other day when we were driving and my wife says, "Oh, you're speaking on the Holy Spirit. I am practicing self-control." And as soon as I said that, that person did something that I thought they shouldn't do.

And I said, "Well, I'm not able to do that." And as soon as I said that, that person did an up-reared-its-ugly-head of patience. "Oh, trying to produce patience? We'll see. Man, I can't do this." Exactly right. I can't do it. But when I see that thing rear its ugly head, all of a sudden I know I am not yielded to the Holy Spirit.

You see, Paul, he identified with us. Paul said, "You know, the things that I want to do, those are the things I don't do. The things that I don't want to do, those are the things that I find myself doing." Paul was just like you and me. We read Scripture and we think, "Well, man, he must have been something that was special and unique."

And he was very special, and he was unique, but he struggled the same way you and I do, trying to do the things that he was supposed to do in his own flesh and could never do it. So we begin to think that there is something that we are missing. We begin to think there's something that I'm missing. What is it?

And so we begin to think, "Is it something that I'm not doing? Is it something that I'm not saying? Is there something that I'm missing?" And Romans chapter 7, verse 24 gives us the answer to this question. You see, Paul says in Romans chapter 7, verse 24, he says, "Oh, what a miserable person I am."

What a miserable person I am. If you look at your cycle of shame there, it begins with a failure. "What a failure I am." That is identity. I am a failure. Paul did the same thing. "What a miserable man I am." He identified himself as a miserable person.

But notice what he says next. It's not something that you are missing; it is someone that you are missing. Verse 24 says, "Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?" You see, it is not something that we are missing or something we're not doing. It is someone that we have not invited into our life.

That doesn't mean you're not saved. That just means that you are not allowing the Holy Spirit to live through you to produce the Spirit that is called the fruit of the Spirit. And so it's not something that you're saying, "Man, if I could just try harder than I can do." No, if I could yield myself to the Holy Spirit, then I'm able to live the way that He wants me to live.

"Who will free me?" The answer is in Jesus. If you've not read the book of Romans, I would challenge you as you're thinking through this, that there's this thing that so easily besets me. How do I beat it? What do I do? Romans is a great book to help us to understand what we can do to beat it.

In Romans chapter 6 and verse number 6, it says, "We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might not lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin." We have to understand that we've been set free from sin.

This morning, if you are a believer, if you have received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, if you are a follower of Christ, you are no longer a slave to sin. Whatever it is that you think that you can't beat, you can beat. Not because of you, but because of who you have living inside of you. You are free.

It's awesome to be free when you realize that I don't have to do that thing anymore, that I am not a slave to that anger that rises up in me. I am not a slave to that impatience that rises up in me. I can love as God wants me to love because I'm no longer a slave to anything else. You can live free.

And when you know you can live free, everything changes. You ever been told you couldn't do something? "Oh, you can't do that." Want to see? I may not do it right, but I'm going to try it. I can do it. Would you ever have anybody tell you?

Whenever I do marriage counseling, I always tell the wife, I said, "Your husband is just a big boy." If you have a son and he begins to color and he takes out a piece of paper and he scribbles all over that thing and he brings it to you, that's a big boy. That's a big boy. And he's like, "I made this for you."

And you as a mom, you're like, "Oh, that is the best thing ever." And you take it over and you put it on the refrigerator. What does he go do? He goes right back to the coloring table, takes out another piece of paper, scribbles all over it, brings it back to you. And you're like, "See, he does it again."

How many times does he do that? About a thousand. And each time you have to react the same way. And I tell wives that are getting married, "Your husband is just a big boy. Tell him you can do it." You may be thinking, "He ain't going to do it." But if you tell him he can do it, he is going to do it.

He's going to try his hardest. But if you tell him, "You can't do that," what are you doing? You know what? He won't even try it because you've deflated him. He's just looking for somebody to go, "You can do it."

And you know what happens when we realize that Jesus has set us free from the bondage of sin? We realize that he is there cheering us on. In heaven, there is a cloud of witnesses that are cheering us on going, "You can do this." You know what that does to us? It sets us free from having to live in the bondage of that sin that we try to put the hat on to do better and better and better.

We're free from it. Romans chapter 6, verses 12 through 13, it says, "Instead, give yourselves completely to God. For you were dead, but now you have new life so that your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God."

You've been set free, so now with your body, use it as an instrument to serve God. And when we fully rely on God, we see that we have his victory in our lives. And we can do it. And when we fail, it's not me going, "Man, I just need to try harder."

When we get our identity right, I am a child of God. When we get our identity right, we get our responses right. Good reflexes. We get our responses right. Romans chapter 8, in verse number 15, it says, "So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves."

You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him Abba Father, for his spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children.

That Holy Spirit lives inside of us to affirm that you are God's child. You are not a failure. You're not a miserable man. You are not something that is lacking something. You are God's child. And when we live in that spirit, we are God's children.

In that truth, my dad always used to say to me when I would go out, he'd say, "Chris, you should remember that you are my son." Sometimes I didn't live up to that. But in the back of my mind, I always thought, "I'm his son."

We are God's children. And when we live as the fact that we are God's child, we will live in the victory that he has given us. And that then puts us into a cycle of surrender.

We have two options. We can live in the cycle of shame, or we can live with the cycle of surrender. I have the right identity. I am God's child. So then I'm going to yield to the Spirit. And as I yield to the Spirit, my faith is strengthened, and that empowers my actions, and then I live closer to God.

You ever seen that you could do something that you thought you couldn't do? And the first time you do it, you walk into it very hesitantly. The second time you walk into it, you're like, "I can do this because I've already done it."

The third time, you actually don't even think about it. You're just like, "Oh, I can do this." When we live in the power of the Holy Spirit, and we think, "You know what? I have to practice self-control."

And we move away from that to, "I don't have to produce this fruit. If I just realize that I am God's child, his Holy Spirit lives within me. When I trust in him, my faith is strengthened, and I'm tested with self-control."

And I walk away from that, and I'm tested with self-control. I walk away from that going, "I don't know how I'm going to stand up. I don't know how I'm going to stand up. Lord, I need your help."

I stand up to it. I walk away going, "With God's power, I can defeat this thing. God, thank you for empowering me." It wasn't on my own that I could do this because I would have failed, but it's because of you.

And it sends me in the cycle that I can trust who God is. I know who I am in him. I can trust that his power is working through me. His Spirit is working through me. I don't have to produce self-control anymore. I allow him to produce it in me, and as he produces it, I trust in him, and my relationship grows in him, and I can continue on this cycle.

See, Craig Groeschel, he says, "Self-control is choosing what you want most over what you want now." Choosing what you want most over what you want now. Our news cycle is filled with people choosing what they want now over what they want most.

Kids beating up other kids, getting arrested, thinking, "Why is this happening to me?" You chose what you wanted now over what you wanted most. People going to jail, why? Because they've chosen what they want now over what they want most.

Lives being destroyed because people choose what they want now over what they want most. Gordon McDonald says, "The objective of the enemy is to deny God the pleasure of his glory being reflected in us, and to deny us the pleasure of being what God created us to be."

You see, that frustration that lives in you, that frustration that you deal with on a regular basis, I know because I have that sin that so easily sets me off. God does not want me to live in that frustration. I know that. I know the frustration of that.

God wants me to be set free from it, and as I'm set free, I am able to live as he intended me to live. I brought something with me that I keep on my desk. Ten years ago on Father's Day, this coming Father's Day, ten years ago, my daughter, she was 15, and she didn't have any money.

And you know how it is when your kids are like, "Hey dad, I want to buy you a Father's Day present. Can I have some money?" How much do you want? That thing that I want is really expensive. So she didn't have any money as a 15-year-old girl, and so she did something that she could afford, and she printed out a piece of paper and bought a little plastic stand-up sign.

But this sign has stood on my desk for the last 10 years, and so every day I look at it. Every day I see this sign, and I'm like, "Oh my God, I see this." And the reason that I'm bringing it up today is that the Holy Spirit wants you to live a certain way.

It's not a bunch of rules and regulations and law that he's wanting you to follow. This sign says, and it's on the— it will be on the screen here, it says, "My father didn't tell me how to live. He lived, and let me watch him do it."

I don't give her a list of things. I don't give her a list of things. I don't give her a list of things. I don't give her a list of things. "Jules, this is what I want you to do. If I'm going to love you, this is how I want you to live. This is what I want you to be."

She just simply said, "Dad, I see in you what I want to become." I think that each one of us, we have this ideal of what we want to be as a husband, as a father, as an employee, as an employer, as a pastor, as a neighbor, as a friend.

We have this ideal, and the problem is that we are all carrying around, it seems, we're all carrying around these hats, and we're trying to keep the hat on that we need to keep on so that we can keep up the appearance of the person that the people around us think that they want us to be.

And God doesn't want us to live that way. He has a way better plan for you to live as a husband, as a wife, as a father, as a mother, as a son, as a daughter. God has a way that He wants you to live that really isn't that difficult.

And yet you can show all of those things that we try to show. And the way that you do that is you simply yield yourself to the Holy Spirit. That thing that you think you'll never overcome, you can overcome it. Not in your power, not in your strength, not by anything that you do.

You will overcome it when you yield to Him. That's all you have to do. It seems so simple. And you're like, "But what happens when I get angry?" You aren't yielded. "What happens when I become impatient?" You're not yielded.

And so I can go back to the cycle of surrender. And I can say, "I am God's child. I will yield to the Holy Spirit. I will do what the Holy Spirit wants me to do. I will act the way He wants me to act. And I will live empowered to live closer to God."

This morning, if you're here and you don't know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, I want to challenge you. Give your life to Him. Allow Him to live and indwell you to live out the way that He wants you to live.

There'll be people that'll be standing up here in just a few minutes, and they'd love to talk with you and just show you how you can know Jesus Christ as your Savior. It's not difficult. It's simply trusting in Him and confessing to Him and allowing Him to become Lord of your life.

This morning, maybe you're thinking, "I'm never going to overcome that thing. It has such a stronghold on me." If you are a child of God, you are not a slave to that thing. Jesus Christ set you free. You can live free.

And do you know what it's like to live free? You know what it's like to not have that thing have a hold on you anymore? Maybe you're like, "I don't know." This morning, you can know. If you simply step into that cycle of surrender and say, "God, I am your child. I can't do it, but I know that you can empower me to live the way that I need to live."

You'll see that fruit that will rise up, and you'll think, "Man, I'm free." The next time it happens, a car pulls in front of you, and you're like, "Oh, it's going to happen." And it doesn't happen. The incredible Hulk does not rear up inside of you.

You know, you can start feeling it in your neck, and you're like, "Oh, it's coming." And then it goes back down, and you're like, "Oh, Holy Spirit, thank you." You can live that way. And when you do, it is such a joy. Life is free, and you can be that person that you want to be for the people around you.

Father, thank you for this time we've had together. Lord, I pray that you would help us just to be encouraged by your word, that we'd be challenged to live for you in a way that you want us to live.

Lord, help us to be yielded to the Holy Spirit, that his fruit is produced in us, and we don't have to worry about producing it ourselves. Father, we thank you and praise you for your truth that we can live. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.