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[Announcer] (0:00 - 0:34) Think about the Bible like you never have before. You're listening to Christian Questions. Experience more episodes, videos, and Bible study resources at ChristianQuestions.com.

Our topic is: "Do My Habits Glorify God?" (Part 2). Have you ever been in a public setting when something came up that gave you an awkward feeling because you're a Christian?

You think, "What's wrong with me?! Why am I reacting this way? I can handle this!" Why are you reacting that way? It's a habit. How do we change it?

Here's Rick, Jonathan, and Julie.

[Rick] (0:36 - 0:46) Welcome everyone. I'm Rick. I'm joined by Jonathan, my co-host for over 25 years. Julie, a long-time contributor, is also with us. Jonathan, what's our theme scripture for this episode?

[Jonathan] (0:46 - 0:57) Romans 8:5: "For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the spirit, the things of the spirit." Habits are big.

[Rick] (0:58 - 1:55) In many ways habits, whether they are good or bad for us, dominate our lives. The odd thing is, we are not even generally aware of how deeply rooted they are and how much control they really have. In Part 1 of our two-part Habits series, we looked into the habits that define our personal lives, those things we do that may or may not impact those around us.

In this episode we're going to look into the habits that define our public lives, those things that we do when others are watching or engaging. The science of habits tells us that the human brain is capable of being rewired through our conscious efforts. While this truth might be surprising, it also offers us a foundation for change.

The Christian question here is, "Do I present myself in public in a way that brings glory to God, or do I have work to do?"

[Julie] (1:55 - 2:19) Last week, we quoted from an article called "The Science of Habit:" "Habits are routines or rituals that are unconscious or that have become almost automatic or second nature... A habit is a practice you repeat so regularly that it can be hard to change... Your sensory nervous system is always monitoring for actions you can take that will deliver a hit of dopamine, the brain's reward chemical. We're wired to seek out pleasure."

[Jonathan] (2:20 - 2:31) Dopamine is a brain chemical that transmits messages between the brain and nerve cells. It plays an important role in mood regulation, movement, and how humans experience pleasure and pain.

[Julie] (2:32 - 3:13) We talked about a really important definition last week called "neuroplasticity." That's the brain's ability to change throughout your life. There's two different kinds.

There's "experience-dependent neuroplasticity." That's the passive process of reinforcing habits by doing them unconsciously over and over again, whether they're good or bad. That's our usual amounts of habits.

The second one is a "self-directed neuroplasticity." That's what we're most interested in, the active process of consciously reflecting on how habits make us feel. This self-directed neuroplasticity is when you intentionally rewire your brain to create positive habits.

We do this primarily through active reflection.

[Rick] (3:14 - 3:17) Neuroplasticity... I've just got to pause a moment and say the word a couple of times. I just ...

[Julie] (3:18 - 3:19) I know you love that word.

[Rick] (3:19 - 3:46) ... I love that word. I love what it means. I love the fact that it gives us the ability to change the way we've always thought if we really, really work at applying it.

The other thing we talked about last week that was very, very important through that article was this "Habit Loop." What happens to create habits? You get a "Cue," you have a "Craving," you have a "Response," and you have a "Reward." Let's just reestablish those things as we get started. Jonathan...

[Jonathan] (3:46 - 3:54) Well, first "Cue:" you experience a stimulus, a trigger. It could be a certain location, smell, person, or feeling.

[Julie] (3:54 - 4:03) Then you move to a "Craving." This stimulus causes you to act. It causes you to desire a particular outcome that you find rewarding, and it motivates you to act.

[Jonathan] (4:03 - 4:09) Next, "Response:" you engage in behaviors, thoughts, or actions you take to get that outcome.

[Julie] (4:09 - 4:21) Then there's a "Reward:" the outcome occurs and you feel a sense of reward as a result, satisfying your craving. This reinforces the cue, making the cue even better at triggering craving next time.

[Rick] (4:21 - 4:54) Here you have habits: "Cue," "Craving," "Response," and "Reward." We're going to come back to that as we build around that to look at our public habits.

To look at our public habits, the best thing to do, folks, right now is to go get your proverbial mirror. Don't be looking at anybody else's public habits. Let's look at our own.

When we look in the mirror regarding our public habits, Jonathan, what should we be asking ourselves while we're looking at ourselves in the mirror?

[Jonathan] (4:54 - 4:59) As a Christian, what public habits do I have? Whom do they serve?

[Rick] (4:59 - 5:21) Okay, let's pause there. What are my habits?

This is an honesty moment. What are they and then, whom do I serve? Who benefits from them? Why is that habit there? Is that habit there for me?

Or is it there for something else or somebody else? Is it there to honor God? Those are the questions that we want to ask.

Once we start asking about our habits, Jonathan, where do we go from there?

[Jonathan] (5:21 - 5:28) Well, we need to ask as a Christian: What habits do I need to change to bring a spiritually-based balance to my life?

[Julie] (5:28 - 5:33) Why do we do what we do when we're in public? Are we blending in? Are we standing out?

[Jonathan] (5:33 - 5:35) Are we standing out for the right reasons?

[Julie] (5:36 - 5:44) Consider our interactions in school, at work, at the grocery store, traffic, with people talking about or doing things that we aren't comfortable with.

[Jonathan] (5:44 - 5:48) What's our reaction to real life or online peer pressure?

[Julie] (5:48 - 5:55) Are we missing out on opportunities because it's easier not to get involved and somebody would be better at it than we are anyway?

[Jonathan] (5:56 - 5:59) Again, why do we do what we do when we're in public?

[Julie] (5:59 - 6:09) Whatever it is, the point is we all have our normal, comfortable routines. Is there space to bring glory to God somehow by changing our actions or our reactions?

[Jonathan] (6:09 - 6:34) Deciding something needs changing is just the beginning. Deciding identifies the habit needing to be broken and opens the door to focusing on its replacement. Deciding gives us permission to act. This decision needs to be founded in the reality of the contradiction that we as Christians live daily. We will talk more on that contradiction concept shortly.

[Rick] (6:34 - 7:34) The idea of this contradiction is that we're human beings with a spiritual goal. That is a fundamental contradiction-- sinful human being, godly spiritual goal. The two don't work well together. They don't play nice. What we need to do is develop the kinds of habits that we can move up away from the humanity, the imperfect humanity, towards spirituality. To do that, we have to engage our mental process. We've got those four--the "Habit Loop"--but there's a mental process for establishing new and spiritually sound public habits. This mental process is four things. Interesting, just like the "Cue," "Craving," "Response," and "Reward," it's four things: "Decide," "Apply," "Engage," and "Enforce." We're going to call this our "Thinking Loop;" "Decide," "Apply," "Engage," and "Enforce," that's our "Thinking Loop."

[Julie] (7:35 - 7:38) It does line up with the "Habit Loop" of "Cue," "Craving," "Response," and "Reward."

[Rick] (7:39 - 7:45) Let's get started. Let's introduce this.

In terms of the "Thinking Loop," first is "Decide." Julie?

[Julie] (7:46 - 8:08) We want to "decide" to move forward with new habits, knowing the challenges that come with change. Nobody likes change. We all have to admit that we can do better.

Our "new creatures in Christ," like you said, Rick, they're still walking around in these sinful bodies. By definition, there's going to be a contradiction. If we're not serious about taking this decision step, we're not going to ever advance our goal of being more Christlike.

[Jonathan] (8:08 - 8:48) Sometimes our actions don't coincide with our desired spiritual focus. The Apostle Paul used the Old Testament Jewish Law to prove his point in Romans 7:14 & 15: "For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am a flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate." How many times have we felt we were a walking contradiction just like Paul did? We all do what we wish we didn't, and it's good to acknowledge this. We have to recognize our shortcomings in order to keep moving forward.

[Rick] (8:48 - 9:21) The deciding is the acknowledging, saying, "Okay, this is what I'm made of." Look, folks, we are in good company because the Apostle Paul is explaining it, saying hey, this is my challenge. Look, it's my challenge, too. How about that? I could be just like the Apostle Paul if I continue with what the Apostle Paul was driving us towards. He here is accepting his natural state of being born into corruption because of sin. He's accepting it. This is where I am.

Jonathan, let's go to Romans 7:18:

[Jonathan] (9:21 - 9:29) "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not."

[Julie] (9:30 - 9:41) He knows what the right thing is. He wants to do it, but he can't. He's incapable of keeping the Law and he wants to serve God perfectly, but is bound to this sinful condition by his weaknesses. That sounds familiar.

[Rick] (9:41 - 10:01) But see, there's hope in that frustration. Paul is showing us that this acceptance of where he is and what he's able and not able to do, it doesn't damage his decision. This acceptance of who he is defines his decision and we can see that in Romans 7:21, the next verse:

[Jonathan] (10:01 - 10:19) "I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good." Paul isn't saying this to reinforce that he's a failure. He's showing us how to establish a craving for moving upwards instead of giving up and staying comfortable in our miserable ways.

[Rick] (10:20 - 10:55) Yes, "evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good." There's the walking contradiction, and in that walking contradiction there is the hope. When we decide to move forward with those new habits, we have to take a look at where we are. Be honest. That's why we've got our proverbial mirrors out for this entire podcast.

Be looking at that mirror constantly as we go through and say, okay, how do we now, with our "Thinking Loop," how do we go from decision to the next step, which is to "Apply" that which we've decided?

[Julie] (10:55 - 11:01) That means to begin to embrace the thinking and motivation that spiritually sound habits are fed with.

[Rick] (11:01 - 11:21) We have to embrace what we've decided. We've got to make it real. The Apostle Paul's application of his decision finds its strength where?

Not in his, "This is what I'm going to do right now." It's in his faith and it's in his godly focus. Romans 7, we're going to go now to verses 22-25:

Jonathan

"For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?"

[Julie] (11:56 - 12:59) I have to comment on "Who will set me free from the body of this death?" There's many Bible commentaries. I'm just going to read from one from Bible.org: "Who will set me free from the body of this death? The Romans sometimes compelled a captive to be joined face-to-face with a dead body, and to bear it about until the horrible effluvia (odor, secretion or discharge) destroyed the life of the living victim. The ancient Roman poet Virgil describes this cruel punishment: “The living and the dead at his command were coupled face to face, and hand to hand; Till choked with stench, in loathed embraces tied, The lingering wretches pined away and died.” I like the visualization of this because without Christ, it's like we're shackled to this dead corpse of our sin. The visual on this, being tied to a dead body, should make us all stop and think about what we're doing. We carry around this tendency to sin.

Something dead and putrid is strapped to us and we're lugging it around. Something interesting; apparently no one was allowed to remove that dead body under penalty of death.

[Rick] (12:59 - 13:02) Great. You just made my day. I mean ...

[Jonathan] (13:02 - 13:03) What a picture.

[Julie] (13:03 - 13:05) But can you see that visual?! It's just -- BLEH!

[Rick] (13:06 - 13:26) It's gross! It's absolutely gross. It's hideous that anyone would think to make somebody else go through such things, but that's the world the way it was at that time. Again, the visual helps us to see the necessity of leaving sin and death behind as best as we possibly can.

[Jonathan] (13:26 - 13:46) Let's continue with Romans 7:25: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin." The next verse in sequence is Romans 8:1: "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

[Julie] (13:47 - 14:03) Remember the visual of that dead body? The person couldn't remove the body and no one else could either because they would be put to death by the authorities. We're free from the penalty of sin because Jesus died in our place.

We have no ability to release ourselves. Jesus removed that from us.

[Jonathan] (14:03 - 14:11) Does "no condemnation" mean we're no longer responsible for the sin of Adam, even though we're still physically dying?

[Rick] (14:11 - 14:44) The idea of "no condemnation" means that the sacrifice of Jesus lifted us from its penalty. We are still responsible for sin within us, but the penalty of the sin of Adam, if you are justified by faith through Christ through the begetting of God's spirit, you are lifted out of that. The question is, what do we do with it, alright? We're talking about developing habits. We're developing this "Thinking Loop" to decide to apply, and now we have to go to "Engage." We see the importance of changing, but now we have to do the engagement. Julie, what is that?

[Julie] (14:45 - 14:48) Do the work! Start on the path, knowing the pitfalls of our daily reality.

[Jonathan] (14:49 - 15:13) Paul shows us that making these changes requires us to engage, to put our minds in gear. He's going to contrast his life in the spirit with his life in the flesh. Romans 8:5-6: "For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace..."

[Rick] (15:13 - 15:57) We have this walking contradiction and the question is, where do I apply myself to the mind of flesh, to the mind of the spirit? We decide, we apply that decision and now the engagement is looking at those things and saying, "I need to go right, not left. I need to go up, not down. I need to change direction, not stay the same." Those are the pieces. We have this mindset and it elevates what we stand for. This is the thinking.

This is the thought process that we're going through as we move to understand how to change our lives, especially in a public way. Jonathan, let's continue Romans chapter 8. Let's jump down to verses 14-15:

[Jonathan] (15:57 - 16:10) "For all who are being led by the spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, Abba! Father!"

[Julie] (16:11 - 16:23) "Abba, Father!" is an expression of a profound, deep relationship. It's used three times in the Bible, and here it's about leaving our sinful human nature to become God's sons. It's about incredible trust under great duress.

[Rick] (16:23 - 16:38) These are all parts of the "Engagement" part of the "Thinking Loop." You've got to be engaged and you draw all these things to you, and then comes the last piece of this "Thinking Loop," and that's "Enforcing" these three previous things.

[Julie] (16:39 - 16:43) Always focus on the joy that your journey brings in spite of the hardships that we face!

[Rick] (16:44 - 17:16) We have to choose what it is we will focus on. Here's where it oftentimes breaks down, because we often naturally focus on the wrong thing instead of the positive thing. Unless we focus on that which is positive, we're not going to go in the direction which is positive.

The Apostle Paul teaches us how to focus on things-- see our experiences through the spiritual reward. Romans 8:18; this verse is one of those tremendous focus verses, if you just get what it's saying:

[Jonathan] (17:16 - 17:24) "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

[Rick] (17:24 - 18:10) You see the comparison? "Sufferings of this present time..." How often do we focus on those things? The difficulties, the trials, the failures, the ups and downs, the "didn't finish" ... all of those things versus what the Apostle says is all of that stuff is "not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us." Not even worthy essentially to be in the same sentence. Put it away from you. Enforce your decision. Enforce the application of the decision. Enforce the engagement by saying the glory that comes later is so much better, it's incomparable. Absolutely incomparable! That's how this "Thinking Loop" needs to work. Jonathan, Having Helpful Habits: where are we?

[Jonathan] (18:10 - 18:30) As we expand our thinking towards our public habits, the same basic guidelines apply. Be aware that we are likely steeped in habitual behavior that developed in a largely subconscious manner. Let us be prepared to face and change those habits knowing that being in Christ invites us to step up to higher habits and a fuller life.

[Rick] (18:30 - 18:48) We're dealing with our subconscious in a conscious way to actually be able to make changes. Personal habits that others may or may not see are hard enough to deal with. Facing our habits that are on display, well, that's an even bigger challenge!

[Jonathan] (18:49 - 18:56) Our public habits likely need serious attention. This can be challenging. What area of life should we focus on first?

[Rick] (18:57 - 19:40) Well, let's start with our public habits in relation to our fellow Christians. This is an environment that should foster strong spirituality. The question here, the question is, "Am I contributing to a strong God-honoring spirituality when I'm with the brotherhood? Or do I, in any way, detract from that objective?" We have to look at ourselves and say, "Okay, where am I sitting with all of this?" Remember this "Habit Loop" we talked about: the "Cue," the "Craving," the "Response," and the "Reward." Jonathan, what are the big overriding questions?

[Jonathan] (19:41 - 20:16) As a Christian, what public habits do I have regarding my fellow disciples? Whom do my habits serve? As a Christian, what habits do I need to change to bring a spiritually-based balance to my life? All habits aren't bad. We have to figure out which ones to change. For example, I've tried to make it a habit to seek out those at church who are sitting alone in between services.

I want them to know I care for them and that they are important. I used to be shy, but now I'm fighting my fleshly tendencies by approaching others so that I can be a blessing and honor God.

[Rick] (20:16 - 21:00) It's such an important thing to change a habit. You don't just stop a habit, you replace a habit. You replace that natural subconscious thinking by going through all of this effort from Part I and Part 2 here to put something new in place. Jonathan, that's a public habit that you just described. It's something that affects other individuals, and that's huge. When we can develop a habit that affects other individuals in a positive way, we're definitely heading in the right direction.

Let's look at Romans 12:2, kind of as a baseline to lift off, if you will, as we go forward toward changing our public habits that subconsciously were already set to things that are consciously God-honoring.

[Jonathan] (21:01 - 21:11) "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

[Rick] (21:11 - 21:58) How's our mind "transformed?" By the "renewing" of God's spirit within us. That's the key! That's the transformation. It's not me deciding to do something differently, it is relying on God's spirit. This is accomplished by giving His spirit precedence over our own thoughts and desires. You know what that means? It means giving it permission to guide us, to direct us, because God's spirit won't take us over.

We have to relinquish power to it. Transforming your mind; "do not be conformed to this world," but let God's spirit transform your mind to lift you up to a higher level. Now we're focusing on the body of Christ. Let's look at a very specific habit-identifying question. Julie?

[Julie] (21:58 - 22:16) We're going to use the word "Selah." That's an expression used in the Psalms that means "to pause and consider." We're going to take a "Selah moment" here. Do I in any way contribute to or support strife (meaning friction or discord) or are my words and actions Christlike reflections?

[Rick] (22:16 - 23:01) That's a big question. What do my words and actions produce when I'm before others? Do they produce that goodness of Jesus, or do they produce murmurings and second thoughts and all of those kinds of things?

First, before we get into developing that, we're going to go in the opposite direction for a moment. We need to look at a straightforward example of our need to stand against those who misrepresent Christ. Now we've just been talking about you've got to build each other up, you've got to build each other up, you've got to build each other up,... and you do! However there are times, there are situations, where we need to stand against things. This is just an important baseline. We're going to touch on it and then just move on from it.

2 Peter 2:17-19:

[Jonathan] (23:01 - 23:27) "These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved."

[Rick] (23:27 - 24:17) This is talking about false Christians that are drawing individuals away from the foundational principles of Christ in the name of Christ. It's a hideous misrepresentation, and we don't cozy up to that. We have to stand away from it-- we have to walk away from it. These scriptures show us two things. First, it blatantly identifies those we need to be separated from, and secondly it shows us the powerful captivity of earthly habits. The last phrase of 2 Peter 2:19 is, "...for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved." Are we "overcome" by our earthly habits, by our subconscious thinking? Or are we "overcome" by the glory of Christ, by the goodness, by the spirituality, by the maturity, by the harmony, by the wisdom, by the power, by God's providence? What are we "overcome" by? Let's move forward.

[Julie] (24:18 - 24:50) Being a "mere" child in Christ is symptomatic of allowing too many earthly habits into our spiritual fellowship. Now the Corinthian church struggled with the pressure of adapting to their morally corrupt environment. They were too spiritually immature to withstand a lot of these temptations around them and within the church themselves.

They weren't behaving or thinking in a spiritual way so the Apostle Paul, who had originally established that church, had to set them straight. We're going to look in. Are any of my habits reflected in the behavior of the Corinthian church?

[Jonathan] (24:50 - 25:20) Let's look at the Apostle Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 3:1-7, starting with verses 1-3: "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?"

[Rick] (25:21 - 25:44) "Walking like mere men." People say, "Grow up, be a man," okay? What he's saying is, no, that's merely being a human being.

To walk as "mere men," when we're called to follow Christ, it reveals a serious lack, because we're staying on a physical, earthly, sinful level, where we need to be rising above such things. That's where we need to be.

[Jonathan] (25:44 - 26:19) Paul was trying to provoke them to do better. The Corinthians were elevating certain church leaders over others, jeopardizing their unity. Paul continues in verse 4: "For when one says, I am of Paul, and another, I am of Apollos, are you not mere men? What then is Apollos, and what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth."

[Julie] (26:20 - 26:28) The emphasis on "I" was the problem. "I" am of Paul, "I" am of Apollos. Paul corrected the attitude to "WE" are of God.

[Rick] (26:28 - 27:01) If we see our humanity overriding our spirituality in any way in our interactions with our fellow disciples, we know what we have to do. We have to think through this, and we have to do some changing. Let's see how the "Thinking Loop," those four things we just talked about in the last segment, line up with the "Habit Loop." There's those two loops. We've got the thinking, and then we've got the habits that are developed. The "Thinking Loop" begins with "Decide." Decide to move forward with the new habits, knowing the challenges that come with change. That's where we start! Romans 12:9:

[Jonathan] (27:05 - 27:10) "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good."

[Rick] (27:10 - 27:22) Alright, "let love be without hypocrisy." It's saying be genuine, be clear, be free of all other things. We've got that decision, okay? Now we go to the "Habit Loop," which is the "Cue." What's the cue here?

[Julie] (27:22 - 27:27) Our decision can be founded upon the broad basis of loving genuinely and loving righteousness.

[Rick] (27:28 - 27:50) That's where the habit can begin. We make a decision, and it can create the cue. See, and so it's the beginning of the process.

Now let's go back to the thinking part. The "Thinking Loop: Apply." You've decided, now you have to apply what you've decided. Begin to embrace the thinking and motivation that spiritually sound habits are fed with. Let's continue in Romans 12:10 & 11:

[Jonathan] (27:59 - 28:00) "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord..."

[Rick] (28:00 - 28:22) Love that! "Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." That is the application.

Say, "Okay, this is what I'm after! This is what I'm going for. This is what I'm going to put in place." That's the thinking. We're looking at applying it. What we have to look at now is how it engages the "Habit Loop." Julie, next on the "Habit Loop" is "Craving."

[Julie] (28:22 - 28:33) That's to be fervent. It literally means "to boil with heat," meaning to be really engaged. If you want to boil with heat and zeal for God, great! Loving the brethren IS profoundly serving the Lord.

[Rick] (28:34 - 29:24) That's one of the things that sometimes we just sort of put aside. Well, yeah, loving the brethren, that's a good thing. It's a good...

No, it is a necessary thing for our spirituality to be able to grow! We want to develop that craving! We look at applying this and say, "Okay, this is something really, really good to work towards." We've got the application and the craving. Now we go back to the thinking. What's going on in your head?

Then we're going to talk about what happens in your habit-making. What's going on in your head in the "Thinking Loop" is now you have to "Engage." You have to get yourself in process.

Do the work! Start on the path, knowing the pitfalls of our daily reality. Get yourself going! Romans 12:12-13, and listen to how these verses just make you go to work:

[Jonathan] (29:34 - 29:37) "...rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality."

[Rick] (29:37 - 29:54) You can't just think about "rejoicing in hope." That's not good enough. You don't just think "persevere in tribulation." You have to do it! These are "do" things. Engage in the process and by doing so, you're contributing to the "Habit Loop." The next piece of the "Habit Loop" is our "Response." Julie?

[Julie] (29:55 - 30:09) Our craving to serve and glorify God needs to be enacted in very practical ways or else it's just an emotional feeling. We want to take action! This is the difference between wishing we could change and actually taking the steps. We take action. We do something about it.

[Rick] (30:09 - 30:44) By engaging in our brains, we're actually contributing toward the development of that "Habit Loop." Let's go to the next step. The next step of our brains, the "Thinking Loop," is to "Enforce." We've got started here, but now we've got to continue. The "Thinking Loop" is enforced. Always focus on the joy that your journey brings in spite of the hardship that we might face.

Focus on the joy of the journey! The hardship will become smaller in your mind if your focus is not on it. Romans 12:14-16:

[Jonathan] (30:44 - 31:00) "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation."

[Rick] (31:01 - 31:37) The enforcement, the enforcing here, what we're doing is we are saying--especially with the brotherhood--be kind, be generous, be upstanding. If things aren't going well, don't be the one to contribute to what's not going well. Focus on the joy of the journey! Focus on the fact that we are to be looking at the brotherhood through the eyes of godliness and the eyes of faithfulness. That's where we go. The enforcing, that's that thinking process, can contribute to the reward, which is the end of the "Habit Loop." Julie, let's go there.

[Julie] (31:37 - 31:46) Our reward is to be more like Jesus. He in no way was full of himself. On the contrary, he was full of loyalty to his Father. That's our example.

[Rick] (31:46 - 32:05) You don't get a better example anywhere at any time under any circumstances than that one! Here's what Jesus said about this idea of being in the lives of the brotherhood; something small that he said here in John 13:34-35:

[Jonathan] (32:05 - 32:32) "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." When we rise up over our fleshly habits and focus our lives on loving the brethren, it is observed by others and it can become contagious.

Others will soon engage themselves in blessing those around them as well. I think of the concept of "leading by example."

[Rick] (32:32 - 33:21) Yeah, it's kind of like an icebreaker. If somebody steps up and steps out a little bit, others tend to follow along. Now when I said Jesus had this little comment in John, this was a life-changing thing.

I'm giving you a "new commandment!" When they heard the word "commandment," that was a big, big, big reverential attention getter. This new commandment is "to love one another, even as I have loved you." The new commandment is: DO what I do and don't only SAY what I say. That is how our responsiveness to the brotherhood should be focused every single day. Folks, look, it's not always that way. We're human beings. We're all trying to work through things. Jonathan, let's look at Having Helpful Habits to help put this in perspective.

[Jonathan] (33:22 - 33:46) Let's face it. Truly loving the brotherhood can sometimes be a challenging task. Why?

Because they're going through the same daunting process of being formed into the likeness of Christ that we are. They also have to combat their own earthly habits. Let us embrace this privilege by seeing Christ in them by working to change our earthly sight into godly vision.

[Rick] (33:47 - 34:38) Face it. We all want others to give us space, right? Hey, give me a break.

Give me a break. I'm trying. I'm trying.

Well, the space and the break that we desire from others, we ought to be first to be handing out to our brethren and say, "I get it! You and I are the same. We're struggling together." It's so easy to look at something that happens and just go back to that subconscious habit that says, "They don't care about me! They don't this, they don't that." That's not where we need to be. We need to be able to rise above it. You rise above it by working on your thinking so that you can change your habits. That's the point of all of this! It's very, very profound if we allow it to be. Looking at the reward for truly loving those whom God has called is profoundly worth all of the effort it takes to build these new habits.

[Jonathan] (34:39 - 34:46) Developing good brotherhood relationship habits is one thing. What about those in our lives who are not Christians?

[Rick] (34:47 - 35:17) Okay, change gears a little bit. We all have this challenge. Jesus told us that we are to "be in the world, but not of the world." This means that our old habits as sinful human beings may need serious overhaul, especially when--we say that again, especially--incoming--especially when dealing with family, with friends, with coworkers, and with others we regularly associate with.

[Jonathan] (35:17 - 35:37) You mean I have to be scrutinized by everyone that knows me? They're going to think I've gone off the deep end and ask, who are you? Change is hard.

Is it worth it? The answer is yes! It's mandatory we put the flesh behind us and work through this challenge so we can reflect Christ.

[Rick] (35:37 - 36:18) Here's the challenge about the challenge; it's mandatory! When we say something's mandatory, we say, "Oh, that's work." It is blessed! It is a blessed approach. It is a blessed outcome to focus on these things.

Change the way we see it! Remember that "Habit Loop." If we understand the "Habit Loop," we can contribute to creating higher habits: "Cue," "Craving", "Response," and "Reward." Jonathan, again, every single time we approach this from a different aspect, we're to stop and ask the same questions, because this is all about you and your mirror, me and my mirror. Jonathan, what are the questions?

[Jonathan] (36:18 - 36:32) As a Christian, what public habits do I have regarding my worldly associations? Whom do my habits serve? As a Christian, what habits do I need to change to bring a spiritually-based balance to my life?

[Rick] (36:32 - 36:56) What habits do I have? Whom are they really serving and what do I need to change? Not what does Jonathan need to change, not what does Julie need to change? It's all about Rick.

If you want it to be all about yourself, this is the time. It's all about me. What do I need to change?

In relation to those around us that are not Christians, Julie, what's our specific habit-identifying question?

[Julie] (36:56 - 37:08) "Selah," pause and consider. Do I have a habit of integrating myself into the world's contexts, or do I have a habit of applying spiritual integrity in each and every circumstance I encounter?

[Rick] (37:09 - 37:24) What are my habits? Not somebody else's, what are mine in relation to the people that I am surrounded with regularly? Let's go back to Romans chapter 12, and this time we're going to look at verses 17-19, 21:

[Jonathan] (37:24 - 37:49) "Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY, says the Lord. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

[Rick] (37:49 - 38:49) Here you have this sense of, "I need to rise above what everybody else seems to be engaged in on a regular basis without giving it a second thought, because we're just always creating the rattle of life by going back and forth and paying back evil for evil, and I'll get them, and now I'm jealous, and now I'm going to make them jealous..." All of that stuff! We don't want to go there.

How do we avoid it? We look at an example. We look at an example, we work on our thinking, and then we develop the ability to create new habits.

Let's look at the example of the Apostle Paul because he had very finely-tuned, spiritually centered habits. We're going to look at just one example. Going back to our "Thinking Loop," okay, it's about the thinking process, so we can develop the "Habit Loop." The "Thinking Loop" begins with "Decide," just like we said before. Decide to move forward with new habits, knowing the challenges that come with change. We're going to look at Acts 17:16-17 to start with:

[Jonathan] (38:49 - 39:05) "Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present."

[Julie] (39:05 - 39:44) He's waiting for Silas and Timothy. Bible commentary from Frank Shallieu: "He went to the synagogue to reason and converse with the Jews. The city was 'wholly given to idolatry.' It has been said that a tourist walking through the streets of the city would meet more gods than people... Therefore, he also went to the marketplace, which was like a gossip center. New ideas could be presented there, so Paul preached Jesus and the resurrection." Interesting fact, Athens is named for Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom. It was the cultural center of the world at that time so the people were highly educated. We know Paul had a highly educated background also, so it would have allowed him to easily talk with the people.

[Rick] (39:44 - 39:53) Here he is walking through this ultra-idolatized city, and, you're walking down the street thinking, 'What am I doing here?!"

[Julie] (39:53 - 39:55) Yikes! I don't belong.

[Rick] (39:55 - 40:26) Right! I don't. I don't belong here. This is contrary to everything I stand for! Folks, have you ever had that feeling? What do you do? He could have borrowed a club from somebody.

He could take it and start to smash the idols to show his disgust. Here's what happened: He had to decide, how do I handle this in a godly fashion? This creates the "Cue." This is the "Habit Loop," okay? The thinking is, "I've got to decide what to do because my spirit, it says--the scripture says, 'my spirit is provoked.'" Here's the cue. Julie?

[Julie] (40:27 - 40:41) Though he was provoked, which can mean "to sharpen or exasperate," Paul didn't outwardly start criticizing or even avoiding the idolatry. Instead, he did what he always did. He applied wisdom and restraint, and he taught in the synagogue and in the marketplace.

[Rick] (40:42 - 41:32) He did what he always did. This was a horrible environment--an absolutely terrible environment! The cue could have easily gone down the wrong, the negative road, but he decided he's there to be a witness. He uses wisdom and restraint, and he does what he always does. He preaches. He goes to the synagogue, he starts conversations in the marketplace. He's working. That's what the decision was; work it. Work it. This is how he applies.

This is the "Thinking Loop." You decide, and then the "Thinking Loop" says, now you've got to apply what you decided to do. Applying means to begin to embrace the thinking and motivation that spiritually sound habits are fed with.

He's working it now. This is where you're beginning the process. It's a long process.

He's beginning, thinking, applying. Acts 17, let's go to verses 18-20:

[Jonathan] (41:32 - 42:11) "And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, What would this idle babbler wish to say? Others, He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection." Let me stop here. In Greek, the word for "deities" means "demons, devils, or evil spirits." They suspected Paul was teaching a false demonic religion.

Of course, the opposite was true. Continuing: "And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? For you were bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean."

[Julie] (42:11 - 42:31) Continuing the commentary from Shallieu: "Rome and Greece each had an established 'orthodox' religion, and one could believe in many gods as long as there was a statue for that god. To introduce any new or strange gods in Athens brought a death penalty. While Athens had many gods, the people were not amenable to a new one."

[Jonathan] (42:31 - 42:50) "The Areopagus was the civic square, a place of judgment. The name literally means 'hill of Ares,' the Greek god of war and courage. These false gods permeated everywhere! Paul's doctrine about Jesus and the resurrection was so new and strange that it was regarded as dangerous. He had to watch his words very carefully."

[Rick] (42:51 - 43:04) He did, and he had people questioning him. Here's the "Craving." Here's where the "Habit Loop" comes into play. You've got the "Cue," there's things that can be done here. Here's the "Craving." Julie, what happens here?

[Julie] (43:04 - 43:17) Paul and his teachings were noticed, and he was now being given an open invitation to proclaim the gospel, but still he needed wisdom and restraint. Not only could he turn people off from his words, he could get in a lot of trouble for preaching in this way.

[Rick] (43:17 - 43:41) The whole point is -- this craving is, "Hey, I get to talk about God's word. I get to preach the gospel. That's what I get to do!" That's the craving. Now comes the engagement; back to the thought process. You decide, you apply that decision, and in the "Thinking Loop," now you "Engage" in that decision. Now you do the big work! You start on the path, knowing the pitfalls of your daily reality. Let's go back to Acts 17:22-25:

[Jonathan] (43:42 - 43:58) "So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects." He starts out with a compliment for their desire to worship something bigger than themselves. Maybe he even waved his hands toward all the statues as he spoke.

[Julie] (43:58 - 44:09) Remember, to introduce any new or strange gods in Athens brought a death penalty. There already had to be a statue to that God. Paul found an ingenious way to preach about the true God!

[Jonathan] (44:09 - 44:44) Continuing with verse 23: For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you." Can we see how smart Paul was to choose an existing statue? Continuing: "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things..."

[Rick] (44:44 - 45:06) He's doing the work! He's preaching, he's using wisdom, and he's making the point with great, great care so that he can draw the people to him instead of push the people away. For us, his "Thinking Loop" was "Engage"-- go do the work. That feeds the "Habit Loop", which means here's the "Response" to what's happening.

[Julie] (45:07 - 45:29) The response was Paul met them where they were. They weren't bad people. They were simply misled.

He introduced truth in a way that they'd be open to hearing and considering. We use the idiom "reading the room," meaning observing a group of people. You understand their collective mood and their opinions and tendencies.

Paul was a master at "reading the room." He tailored his message and delivery to his specific audience.

[Rick] (45:30 - 46:29) Here you have him in a place where he is drawing people to him because he's wise. He's not reactionary. When you're dealing with the people of the world around you, do what Paul did. Think the way Paul thought. Don't reject them, find a way to SHOW them. His response is meeting them where they are. Patiently guiding them, showing them wisdom, showing them godliness. This brings us back to the thinking, okay?

In thinking, once we begin to do the work-- we're engaged-- now we need to enforce what we have thought about. We have to continue and go that next step: "Enforcing." Always focus on the joy that your journey is bringing you in spite of the hardship that you face. He's walking on eggshells in every word that he's speaking, but he's got the confidence to do this in a godly, clear, focused fashion.

Let's look at Acts 17:30-34:

[Jonathan] (46:29 - 46:59) "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising him from the dead. Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, We shall hear you again concerning this. So Paul went out of their midst. But some men joined him and believed..."

[Rick] (46:59 - 47:34) What you have is he does the preaching, and he gets results. He gets results. Now, it's a mixed bag of results, but what else are you going to expect?

The point is he enforced, he laid out, he put to work, and then he followed up and reinforced what he was all about, and there was a result. When it comes down to the "Habit Loop," that brings us to the end --and this is important--because when you get to the end of that "Habit Loop," there has to be a "Reward" that makes you want to go back to it. Julie, what's the reward here?

[Julie] (47:35 - 48:00) Well, his reward--he loved it! The truth was spoken! The gospel was spread! The call continued to go out, and as a result, some actually accepted discipleship! What could be more gratifying than that? His method was not to go tearing down the idols, but instead to seek good hearts.

He was teaching in a positive rather than a negative. That's something we can take. We won't necessarily see these kind of amazing results in our witnessing efforts, but by God's grace, we still try.

[Rick] (48:01 - 48:52) When we're dealing with the people around us, it doesn't always come down to the words. It comes down to being a light! Being different. Rising above the, "Oh, I'll get you! Yeah, you'll get... you watch it... and then I'll... and then you... and then I'm going to text it... and then you're going to send it on social media.. and then it's going to be.. and you just watch...!" Be above all of that.

Be above all of that, and be a person that people can look at and say they're trustworthy. They're safe because there's something bigger about them. That's what the apostle is teaching us here in terms of dealing with the people who are around us in the world and not Christians as we are.

Our mission amongst those in the world is very, very, very straightforward. It's very straightforward. Peter explains it to us in 1 Peter 2:9,11-12:

[Jonathan] (48:52 - 49:25) "But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation."

[Rick] (49:25 - 49:56) You're a "royal priesthood," "a holy nation," "a chosen race." A "priesthood" is engaged with the people. Keep your behavior above! Create habits that are God-honoring when it comes to the everyday people around you, be they family, friends, work associates, fellow students, whomever they are. Be above the fray and have the habit of Christlikeness as you walk the walk of your life. Jonathan, Having Helpful Habits: where are we?

[Jonathan] (49:57 - 50:20) To be a disciple of Christ in the midst of worldly activity is to be a witness to Christ by character first. Such an example can open the door for observation, restraint, patience, wisdom and truth, which may lead to sharing the gospel with words. These spiritually-driven habits are essential to develop not only for ourselves, but for those around us as well.

[Rick] (50:20 - 50:42) There's so much good that comes from deciding to set spiritually-oriented, God-glorifying habits. An example like Paul's should stop us dead in our tracks and make us ask ourselves about how we glorify God every day.

[Jonathan] (50:43 - 50:52) We have looked at our habits with fellow Christians and our worldly associations. What about reshaping our habits regarding those who don't like us?

[Rick] (50:52 - 51:46) Alright, now we're getting to it! By God's grace and spirit, we can look at replacing our earthly habits with God-glorifying habits in every area of our public lives. Admittedly, doing this regarding someone who has done or would like to do us harm can be a significant challenge. It's in these circumstances that adhering to godly instructions becomes most critical. I didn't say HEARING godly instructions becomes critical, it's ADHERING to godly instructions. It's not enough to hear. We have to adhere. We have to be glued to them.

Let's remember the "Habit Loop" because we need to develop habits of spiritually sound thinking in this area when we're dealing with those who may not like us. The "Habit Loop:" "Cue," "Craving," "Response," and "Reward." Jonathan, what are those basic questions?

One more time.

[Jonathan] (51:46 - 51:59) As a Christian, what public habits do I have regarding those who stand against me? Whom do my habits serve? As a Christian, what habits do I need to change to bring a spiritually-based balance to my life?

[Rick] (52:00 - 52:07) Make sure you look in the mirror and ask those questions. Julie, the specific habit-identifying question here, what is it?

[Julie] (52:08 - 52:33) Again, we're going to "Selah," pause and consider for each one of us. Do I have a habit of speaking words or taking actions that trade my beliefs for comfort if others are angry? In other words, do I lash out at them?

Or do I have a habit of gently and wisely speaking truth and acting with God's grace instead? How can we be restrained and rise above the circumstances? You all can answer that for yourselves.

I know my answer. It's not great.

[Rick] (52:34 - 52:52) But see, your answer is an opportunity, and that's the whole point of all of this. Why are we asking these questions over and over and over and over and over again? To get them into our little brains that we need to ask, we need to observe, and we need to do things that are going to be different.

[Jonathan] (52:53 - 53:09) Jesus gave us a very clear and inspiring answer to this question. Luke 6:27-28: "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."

[Julie] (53:09 - 53:11) Yikes, this is difficult to do!

[Jonathan] (53:11 - 53:15) Notice the four things: "Love," "do good," "bless," and "pray for."

[Julie] (53:15 - 53:19) Yes, but what if they are mean to me and they are just going after me?

[Jonathan] (53:20 - 53:23) "Love," "do good," "bless," and "pray for."

[Julie] (53:23 - 53:27) Okay, but what if I'm clearly right and they're just wrong and...

[Jonathan] (53:27 - 53:35) "Love," "do good," "bless," and "pray for." This is what Jesus did and what he tells us we are capable of doing.

[Rick] (53:35 - 54:08) Thanks, "Dad!" That was great. No, look, it's the reprogramming of our hearts and minds, and if we look at this with the idea that this is what Jesus said, this is what Jesus did, I can be more like him. That's how we need to frame all of this so we put it in clear perspective. Stephen, the follower Stephen, gave us a very, very clear and noble example of living this answer of "love," "do good," "bless," and "pray," literally, in Acts 7:55-60. This is the end of Stephen's life.

[Jonathan] (54:09 - 54:54) "But being full of the holy spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside the robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against them! Having said this, he fell asleep." This is an ultimate example of loving your enemies.

[Julie] (54:54 - 55:07) Did you catch that? A young man named Saul? It's hard to believe that this is the same Saul who would become the Apostle Paul and so wisely know how to bring some from the idolatry of Athens into Christ.

[Rick] (55:07 - 55:36) We're dealing with those who may not like us: "love," "do good," "bless," and "pray." Those are the things that Stephen showed us, that Jesus taught us. Jesus showed us as well. Let's get more practical now. The next scriptures we're going to deal with are from James chapter 3. Now, these scriptures are not primarily focused on dealing with those who would strongly oppose us, but the principles of these scriptures have very clear applications to our question. Let's start with James 3:8-10:

[Jonathan] (55:37 - 55:52) "But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way."

[Julie] (55:52 - 56:09) Our habits of anger can overpower us with an immediate and very temporary dopamine rush. Remember Paul, both blessing and cursing. "I am not practicing what I would like to do, but the very thing I hate. Wretched man I am, who will set me free from this body of death?" We're truly walking contradictions.

[Rick] (56:09 - 56:19) We are, we are. In James, it's focusing on our words. Why are we focusing on words?

Because they reveal some of our deeply ingrained habits, as in Matthew 12:34:

[Jonathan] (56:19 - 56:22) "...For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart."

[Rick] (56:23 - 56:39) Now we want to look at how do we deal with those who may not like us. Let's go back to the "Thinking Loop." What is the thought process?

First, we have to "Decide." Decide to move forward with new habits, knowing the challenges that come with change. Back to James 3:11-13:

[Jonathan] (56:40 - 57:03) "Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh. Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom." This is a great lesson from nature. If bitterness and sweetness are coming from the same heart, that's hypocrisy.

[Julie] (57:04 - 57:22) A fig tree is the source of figs. Fountain is the source of water. The heart condition is the source of words.

If our habit is using words of criticism, judgment, bitterness, or even evil intent, what's going on with our source? Proverbs 18:21 warns, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue."

[Rick] (57:22 - 57:43) What am I going to do when I'm dealing with those who may not like me? I have to decide to assess how I'm working, how I'm thinking, what my habits are, and say, "Okay, is this where I really, really want to be?" This helps to establish what the "Habit Loop" is. That begins with the "Cue," the thing that starts the habit. What's the cue here?

[Julie] (57:43 - 57:54) Recognizing the reaction to lash out or be angry or judge unrighteously is a sign that we can see well enough to open the door to godly wisdom and understanding.

[Rick] (57:55 - 58:34) If I'm looking in my mirror and I'm looking at how I react and respond to those who don't like me or against me, whatever the case may be, and I'm able to identify, "Rick, you're not doing so well." That's good news because I identified it! Take it as good news to say, "Okay, I'm seeing something I couldn't see before. Now I have to go to a different level." Let's go back to our thinking. We're finding a way to establish a habit and you establish it by the way you think.

The "Thinking Loop" says, now that you've made the decision to pay attention, now you "Apply," you begin to embrace the thinking and motivation that spiritually sound habits are fed with. Next verse, James 3:14:

[Jonathan] (58:34 - 58:44) "But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth." Again, carefully examine the source, our heart condition.

[Rick] (58:44 - 59:08) If your heart is full of jealousy and selfish ambition, you're lying against the truth. You don't want to be there! The application is, I'm looking and saying, "This has got to go, that's got to go, this little tiny piece, that can stay." That's the way we have to look at it.

Here is where we establish the "Habit Loop," the "Craving." What do we have here?

[Julie] (59:08 - 59:18) We have godly truth because we were called to it by God Himself! Is it more appealing to entertain and prop up our human emotions or to stand for that godly truth?

[Rick] (59:19 - 59:29) What am I driven by in my interactions with others? Am I driven by revenge, by ignoring them, by putting them in their place, by shunning them?

[Julie] (59:29 - 59:31) ...being right, by being right.

[Rick] (59:31 - 1:00:07) Or am I driven by, I've been given the truth. I've been given something so much higher than this and it's so much more beautiful than this. I want that! That is the dark chocolate for me of loving your enemies. I want to rise above! I want to be like Jesus! You establish the craving. Once you have that craving, you see it in the positive sense. Let's go back to our minds, the "Thinking Loop." Now you "Engage." Now you do the work. Now you start on the path of knowing the pitfalls of your daily reality, especially when you're dealing with those who may not like you.

Let's look at James 3:15-17:

[Jonathan] (1:00:07 - 1:00:31) "This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy." Our sinful human nature or the wisdom from above-- pick a side!

[Rick] (1:00:32 - 1:00:54) Yeah, and then we pick the godly side, the side that glorifies God, that lifts Him, that's reverent, and we engage in it. We go to work and that feeds the "Habit Loop." The next piece of that "Habit Loop" is the "Response." We've had the "Cue," we've had the "Craving"-- the thing we're after. Now here's the "Response." What is that?

[Julie] (1:00:54 - 1:01:17) Not only are the sources of our reactions clear, but the sources of input, whether they be earthly, natural and devilish, or heavenly, godly and wise, are completely manifest. It's time to work! Mahatma Gandhi has a great quote: "Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny."

[Rick] (1:01:18 - 1:01:36) You have this process of building. That's everything we're talking about. Especially when it comes to those who may stand against what we believe in or stand against us, whatever the reason, we need to look at this and say, "Where am I? How am I working toward godliness in this area?"

[Jonathan] (1:01:36 - 1:01:58) What produces godliness? This is how we engage with those who would stand against us. It's not about them.

It's always about God. It's about reverence and looking up. Serve Him first! Focus on God and Jesus and their perspective so that we can see our enemy as someone who needs understanding and compassion and not to get revenge on them.

[Rick] (1:01:58 - 1:02:29) We've got the engagement, and now we have to keep that engagement going. That's when we go back to the "Thinking Loop" to what goes on in our brains. Now we have to "Enforce" the things that we've decided and applied and engaged in working toward being better at dealing with those that we may be out of harmony with. That enforcing is always focusing on the joy that your journey brings. If you don't focus on the joy, you don't take the journey! You focus on the joy that your journey brings in spite of the hardships you might face. James 3:18:

[Jonathan] (1:02:30 - 1:02:36) "And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

[Rick] (1:02:36 - 1:03:18) Here you have the joy! "The seed whose fruit is righteousness." Can you even imagine being righteous in the sight of God by what you do?! By having God look upon your actions and reactions with those who don't like you and look at you and say, "My dear son, Jonathan, my dear daughter, Julie, you are such wonderful Christlike examples. Keep up the good work!" I mean, think about that! That's the joy of the journey! This is where the "Reward," the "Habit Loop" now, the reward comes in, which makes you want to do this again and again. Julie, what's the reward here?

[Julie] (1:03:18 - 1:03:23) Matthew 5:9: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

[Rick] (1:03:25 - 1:04:11) Nothing more to say! We need to put those habits in place so when we're dealing with those who may stand against, we can be peacemakers and be blessed with the idea of being called "sons of God." Let's back up and let's put this all in perspective.

Is breaking as many of our old sinful public habits as we possibly can and replacing them with God-glorifying righteousness worth all of this effort? Because what we've laid out is a lot of work! Here's what the faithful are promised.

Let's think about this as the massive reward at the end of this "Habit Loop:" the "Cue," the "Craving," the "Response," and the "Reward." Here's how it gets summed up in Romans 8:35, 37-39:

[Jonathan] (1:04:11 - 1:04:41) "Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?... But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

[Rick] (1:04:41 - 1:04:56) "Any other created thing..." Our habits are created things. We need to uncreate them by overriding them by putting things in the environment they belong in.

Jonathan, finally, Having Helpful Habits: how do we wrap this up?

[Jonathan] (1:04:57 - 1:05:22) As human creatures of habit, our public lives are shaped by countless subconscious habits we've developed over a lifetime. As true followers of Christ, our privilege is to learn to recognize those public habits that detract from Christ's likeness, and one by one, build new and reverential habits in their place. We give God glory when those around us can see Christ reflected in us.

[Rick] (1:05:22 - 1:06:11) There you have it. Folks, is it work? Certainly is! Is it worth it? Oh, you have no idea! You have no idea how big it is when we embark on the journey of this change.

It is glorious--difficult, but glorious; challenging, but wonderful; engaging, but blessed! Let's put it all in perspective. Work on those public habits and do our Heavenly Father proud.

Let Him look at us and say, "You are blessed!" Think about it. Folks, we love hearing from our listeners.

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