Uphill Habits

We form habits then our habits form us.

Most people have uphill hopes and

 downhill habits.

✓ When we lose hope, we need hope 

for the future.

(Jeremiah 29:11) “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

✓ We need a course correction 

from the past.  

(Philippians 3:13) Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

✓ When we have God on our side, we can form uphill habits.

(Romans 12:2 MSG) Fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

Habit #1

Focus on what I do first.  

If God is in your life, but He is not first. Then, He is not in your life.  

1. Put God first.

Get rid of your excuses.  Everything worthwhile is uphill!  God will help you.  

(Genesis 1:1) In the beginning God...

(Exodus 20:1-3) And God spoke all these words: “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.”

2. Give God the first of everything.

(Leviticus 27:30) A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.

(Deuteronomy 14:23 LB) The purpose of tithing is to teach you to always put God in first place in your life.

✓ The first of my year

.  21 Days of Prayer and Fasting.  

A Complete Fast is no food, just juice.

A Selective Fast is removing certain foods.

A Partial Fast is fast meals. 

A Soul Fast is social media. 

✓ The first of my month.

✓ The first of my scheduling and budgeting.

✓ The first of my week.  

Worship and rest the whole day on Sunday. 

✓ The first of my day.  

15 minutes with God.  5 minutes reading the Bible.  5 minutes of worship.  5 minutes in prayer.

3. Expect God to bless the rest.

(Proverbs 3:6-10) In all your ways acknowledge him...Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands

Video

https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/habit-1

Discussion Guide

https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/files/groups/guides/1-8-2017_updated.pdf

All scripture is from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.