16 October 2011 - ENCS

Pastor Larry brought the 'Change for Good' series to an end
After the head and heart, about habits he did attend
He started by reading from Romans 12 verse two
Don't fit into culture without thinking about what we are to do
Most of us know about killing a frog by bringing it to a boil
Ditto for our lives, from sinful habits we tend not to recoil
A habit is like a recovery pattern with frequent repetition
Also, be aware that a bad habit can become an addiction
"We are what we repeatedly do", said Aristotle the Greek
So instead of bad habits, it is good ones that we should seek

There are four characteristics of a habit Pastor did say
About each of them we must understand and of course pray
What we do automatically is number one
In the morning or stressful times, this is what gets done
What we do unconsciously is number two
From triggers or trauma these actions are due
What we do skilfully is number three
Years of practice make things seem easy
What we do comfortably is number four
Although we must exit our comfort zone a bit more.

For our habits, there is a battle ragin’
The enemy wants us to habitually sin
This can destroy our destiny- not to mention our life
Which inevitably leads to trouble and lots of strife
Paul talked of this in Romans 7:15 and 20
Even he faced trials and battles a-plenty
Pastor said we need to change our to-do list
If from our lives, big messes are to be missed

Habits are like a rut from which it is hard to move
Pastor said if we are in a rut, we should change our groove
For sin is a rut that is often hard to fix
Therefore, we need to die to sin, per Romans 6:6
James 4:17 instructs us all to live for God
Cain knew what to do but still gave sin the nod
Titus 2 verses 11 and 12 says we need to pray for grace
Saying no to ungodliness and passions of this temporal place

Like a wheel you cannot get off, habits can unfortunately be
If stuck living the rat race, God's purpose you should instead see
Romans 12:2 talks about God's perfect will
Daniel, Joseph, and Job led lives that prayer did fill
Like them, prayer should be something we do more naturally
Pastor told us 1 Corinthians 9:27, we should see
Our bodies should be disciplined like an athlete
For changing habits is no easy feat

Habits are like taking steps within a small range
If out of line, our steps must therefore change
Remember that to sin is to miss the mark,
Which of course leads us to live in the dark

In regards our habits, don't let the enemy win
Into our lives, allow God's destiny to climb in
It takes twenty one days for a bad habit to break
At the same, however, a good habit we can make