The Cycle Must Stop With You

Scripture: "There arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord." — Judges 2:10

Thought: The book of Judges is one long tragedy. The cycle repeats itself again and again...

Sin: Israel turns to idols, to false gods.

Servitude: God gives them over to foreign oppression.

Supplication: Israel cries out to God for help.

Salvation: God raises up a judge to rescue them.

The cycle plays over and over again. Seven times in fact. Generation after generation. The people swear allegiance to God, drift toward idols, experience consequences, cry out for mercy, and they’re rescued.

Sound familiar? This is not just Israel's story. It’s mine. It’s yours. And the cycle is especially damning regarding sexual sin.

We want God & our sexual sin…

This may be one of the most common idols in modern culture. And I'm talking about IN the church. Most of us are what I call porn-again Christians; we want Christ, but don’t know what to do with our porn/lust problem.

Approximately 75% of Christian men [40% of Christian women] acknowledge they watch porn. A prominent study by the Barna Group found that 86% of pastors believe pornography use is common among their peers, with 67% admitting to personal struggles.

Here is the truth: Many of us want intimacy with our spouse, intimacy with God, while secretly nurturing lust. And the consequence is simple… It’s a division of the soul. You cannot pursue holiness and feed sin at the same time.

A lot of men live spiritually weak lives, not because God has left them, but because they’re trying to walk in two directions at the same time.

Reflection: What unhealthy pattern needs to stop with you?

Call to Action: Identify one generational pattern you want to break and pray specifically about it.

Prayer: “Lord, by Your grace, help me break cycles of sin and establish patterns of faithfulness for generations to come. Amen.”

Click here to listen to listen to Lord, I Need You https://youtu.be/LuvfMDhTyMA?list=RDLuvfMDhTyMA

In Him