Romans 7:15

Habits
Can you name a habit you are proud of?
Can you name a habit you are not proud of?

Habit – a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.

“a habit is a behavior that starts as a choice, and then become a nearly unconscious pattern” – Charles Duhigg

More than 40% of our actions come from habit rather than decisions.

Lamentations 3:22-23

Habits make self control easier!

“Virtue is what happens when wise and courageous choices become second nature.” – N. T. Wright
“habits eat willpower for breakfast.” – Paster John Ortberg

Titus 3:4-6

Proverbs 26:11

Holy Habits
– Hebrews 10:24-25
– Joshua 1:7-8
– James 5:16
– Luke 18:1
– Isaiah 1:17
– Philippians 4:8
– Ephesians 4:15

Habits are like Elephants – Psychologist Jonathan Haidt
“a strong, tireless animal”

The Habit Loop
Cue (What triggers your brain to do something) -> Routine (The action or behavior) -> Reward (The prize) > Cue (again) to create a craving

Habits can inform our prayer life and discipleship

Habits help us translate what we believe into how we behave – Drew Dyck

Habits are best started one at a time.
And bad habits are fixed often by good ones
“A nail is driven out by another nail. Habit is overcome by habit” – Theologian Desiderius Erasmus

Spiritual Keystones
Prayer
Makes you nicer, more forgiving mare trusting, and offsets the negative effects of stress

Spiritual Keystones
Bible Reading
“Nothing has a greater impact on spiritual growth than reflection on Scripture… Bible-engagement is the single most spiritually catalytic activity a person can engage in.”
– Hawkins & Parkinson Study Found

Spiritual Keystones
Church Attendance
“one of the most striking scientific discoveries about religion in recent years is that going to church weekly is good for
you”
– T.M. Luhrmann Professor of Anthropology Stanford

Challenge #1
What habit do you feel God calling you to focus on?
Make a 60 day commitment
See how you might grow and God might bless you

Challenge #2
Make Giving a Keystone habit in your life
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.
Malachi 3:10