Self Control Restores Freedom (Virtues and Vices Part 6)

Описание: We rarely wake up one morning and decide to lose control of our lives. It’s quieter than that. Subtle. A little comfort here, a little distraction there. Something that feels harmless, even deserved. Then slowly, almost invisibly, what we thought we were choosing starts choosing for us. Habits harden. Desires steer. Freedom shrinks.

In this message from our Virtues & Vices series, we lean into Paul’s letter to Titus and wrestle with a tension every one of us knows: indulgence versus self-control. Paul doesn’t write like a detached theologian. He writes like a pastor who understands human nature. “For the grace of God has appeared… training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:11–12, ESV). Self-control isn’t framed as personality or grit. It’s formed by grace.

We walk through Titus 2 together and notice something striking. Paul calls every demographic toward the same virtue. Older men. Older women. Younger women. Younger men. No one is exempt because no one is immune. Indulgence simply wears different clothes depending on the season of life. For some of us it’s endless scrolling. For others, it’s entertainment overload, comfort eating, sexualized media, or busyness without purpose. Different expressions. Same drift.

But here’s where hope pushes in. The grace that saves us is the same grace that trains us. Shapes us. Reorders our desires. Jesus didn’t just forgive our lack of self-control; He lived the perfectly self-controlled life we couldn’t live and carried our disordered loves to the cross. That means change isn’t powered by shame or willpower. It begins with surrender.

If you’ve felt stuck in cycles you can’t seem to break, this conversation is for you. Watch the full message, then take a moment to reflect using the study questions below. And if something resonates, I’d love to hear your story.

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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro – How Small Desires Steal Freedom
00:09 When What We Choose Starts Choosing Us
01:02 Series Context – Virtues & Vices
01:29 Indulgence vs Self Control – Distraction or Direction
02:08 Historical Context – Titus in Crete
03:28 Self-Control Repeated Across Titus 2
04:36 Instructions for Every Demographic
04:47 Older Men – Titus 2:2
05:21 Older Women – Titus 2:3
06:05 Younger Women – Titus 2:4–5
07:07 Why It Matters – “That The Word Of God…”
07:39 Younger Men – Titus 2:6
08:54 Is Paul Stereotyping? Clarifying The Point
09:29 Core Principle Revisited
10:30 What Does Indulgence Look Like?
11:30 Ancient World vs Modern Struggles
11:45 Digital Consumption & Endless Scrolling
13:25 Entertainment Saturation & Escapism
15:09 Food & Drink As Comfort
16:33 Sexualized Media & Desire Formation
19:27 Busyness Without Purpose
21:42 The Real Question – Where Does Self-Control Come From?
22:13 Titus 2:11–14 – Grace That Trains Us
23:32 Grace For The Worn Down & Stuck
25:45 Prayer
26:24 Outro

POST-VIDEO STUDY
1. Where have small, seemingly harmless desires begun to shape your habits or direction more than you expected?
2. How have you personally experienced indulgence as distraction rather than outright rebellion?
3. Which generation or life stage Paul addresses in Titus 2 do you most identify with right now, and why?
4. In what ways have you seen self-control modelled or passed down through relationships in your own life?
5. Which modern indulgence mentioned in the sermon do you find most difficult to resist, and what makes it so appealing?
6. How does viewing self-control as Spirit-led direction change the way you think about discipline and freedom?
7. What would it look like this week to replace distraction with intentional alignment toward God’s calling?

Prayer Focus: Pray for clarity to recognize subtle indulgences, grace to repent without shame, and Spirit-led direction toward faithful, purposeful living.

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Hi, I’m Jeremy! I’m here to help you navigate the life and leadership God has called you to. Jesus is our compass, and the Bible is our map; together, we’ll journey toward God’s purpose for your life.

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