Playlist: Self Control (topic)

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Self Control

Sermonette by James Beaubelle

Self-control helps us to restrain ourselves from harmful lusts of the flesh, including gluttony, intoxication, sex outside of marriage, and drug abuse.


True Self-Control

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Self-control is the ability to focus our attention so that our decisions will not be directed by wrong thoughts. If we change our thoughts, we change our behavior.


Liberty Through Self-Control

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Only by using God's Spirit can we gain the self-discipline, self-mastery, and self-control to put to death the carnal pulls, giving us freedom from sin.


The Essence of Self-Control

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

A lack of self-control, as well as the cultivation of self-indulgent perversions, will characterize large segments of our society living at the end times.


Control and Self-Control

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Paradoxically, when we yield to God's sovereignty, He wants to cede control over to us, teaching us to develop self-control as an ingrained habit.


Our Part in the Sanctification Process (Part Ten): Cultivating the Fruit of Self Control

Sermon by David F. Maas

It is impossible to cultivate self-control unless one uses God's Spirit to reprogram the desires of the heart from self-centeredness to submission to God.


Sanctification, Teens, and Self-Control

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Young people are responsible for the spiritual knowledge that they have learned from their parents, as well as the custodianship of spiritual blessings.


God and Self-Government

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The New Covenant, wherein God writes His law on the heart and gives His Spirit, empowers God's people to obey without the need for external control.


Self-Government (Part Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

If we govern ourselves, God will take care of us. Government of any kind will not work unless people govern their own nature. Self-control enables us to show love.


Flee From Idolatry (Part One): Self-Discipline

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Though Paul's spiritual credentials outstripped all of his coworkers, Paul used none of his rights as an apostle, but gave his life as a sacrifice.


Self-Discipline

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Protestant theology recognizes that Christian self-discipline presents a major logical difficulty in its keystone doctrine of 'by grace alone.'


Self-Government

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

Submitting to a human government is a work that requires self-government. Paul thoroughly disciplined his body as he followed the example of Jesus Christ.


Self-Government (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Regardless of whether one submits to God, government, or community, self-government is the best means to having a safe, smooth course toward an objective.


Self-Government and Responsibility (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Jacob's Trouble, or the Great Tribulation, comes about because people are not meeting their God-given responsibilities: keeping His Commandments.


Self-Government and Responsibility (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We need free moral agency to be transformed into God's image. Unless one has God's Spirit, he cannot exercise the internal control to be subject to the way of God.


Self-Government and Responsibility (Part Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Our experiences prepare us to be a better judge or king. Though we may exercise righteous judgment, we dare not pass judgment nor justify sin in ourselves.


Optimus Modus

Sermonette by Mike Ford

Proverbs 25:16 stresses that moderation is the best policy. Of all the fruits of God's Holy Spirit, self-control is the most difficult to attain.


The Small and Great Standing Before God

Sermonette by Martin G. Collins

The greatest, according to Jesus Christ, can be determined by the one who serves the most with an attitude of humility, generosity, and other-centeredness.


Perfect, Gentle Courtesy (Part 2)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Good manners are not just an accomplishment, but a duty that everyone must practice in order for society to move smoothly.


If You Do These Things, You Shall Never Fall

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Mark Schindler

God has not set up us for failure, but if we can't control our inordinate pride, we could destroy our own chances of fulfilling God's purpose for us.


Essential Characteristics of Our Calling

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Doctrine and practice be evenly balanced. If the behaviors are detached from principle and doctrine, the weightier matters of the law will be neglected.


Displaying Virtuous Character

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Self-control has both an inward and outward dimension, the latter concerned with human relationships, manners, and reflecting God's orderly mindset.


The Meek

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Meekness is the opposite of weakness, exemplifying self-control under immense pressure, demonstrated by Jesus refusing to retaliate.


Paul's Letter to Titus (Part 2)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

The last two chapters of Titus emphasize the importance of sound doctrine to neutralize the negative worldly aspects of culture and the attending heresies.


Ground Hog Day - Again?

Sermonette by Bill Onisick

If we become stiff-necked, like our ancestors at Sinai, we are not submitting to God's Holy Spirit, sabotaging our overcoming and our path to salvation.


Christians in the Spotlight

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We must let our lights shine by our moderation, self-control, attitude, and behavior, realizing that we are reflecting the characteristics of God Almighty.


Displaying Gentle and Patient Conduct

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

God's people must follow the spirit of the law regarding the treatment of others, being humble, sincere, and gentle, esteeming others before themselves.


Eternal Servant Leadership

Sermon by Mark Schindler

Our responsibility should be to learn to serve rather than to emulate the pompous gentile leaders who love to domineer over their subjects.


The Meekness and Gentleness of Christ

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Jesus demonstrated His meekness in His treatment of many with whom He interacted. Balancing firmness and gentleness, He seeks to save rather than destroy.


Patience (2019)

Sermonette by Ronny H. Graham

Patience, a fruit of God's Spirit and a trait He abundantly displays, is not a passive turning away, but an active effort to control bursts of anger.


Maintaining Good Health (Part 11)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Human nature takes chances, assuming the day of reckoning will come later, not sooner. We cannot ignore truth or God's laws without paying a horrific price.


How to Have a Great Feast

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Feasts of God are not vacations, but are holy convocations when God assembles His family for the purpose of enabling us to learn to fear and honor Him.


Blessed Are the Meek (2014)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

In Paul's listings of virtues, meekness always appears near the end, reflecting its difficulty. Meekness is the gentle, quiet spirit of selfless devotion.


Elite, Special Spiritual Forces Training

Sermonette by Bill Onisick

Like a muscle, God's Spirit must be continually used to overcome Satan's attacks in our minds which are, without discipline, hostile to God's laws.


Delusions of Perfection

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We need to exercise humility and forbearance when we deal with the weaknesses of our brethren, restoring them in love as we would expect them to do for us.


Modesty (Part One): Moderation and Propriety

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. Collins

We must avoid the world's extremes and sensual excesses in matters of dress and fashion, adopting instead humility, chastity, decency, morality, and self control.


Prepare for Your Future Now

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John O. Reid

We have been base and ignoble, but Christ has enabled us to be cleaned up and transformed or shaped into offspring of God to be joint heirs with Christ.


Prepare to Teach

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. Collins

We will be kings and priests, responsible for those coming out of the tribulation. We must prepare now to fill the entire earth with the knowledge of God.


Our Part in the Sanctification Process (Part Nine): Cultivating the Fruit of Gentleness

Sermon by David F. Maas

Biblical meekness brings strength under control, enabling God's called out ones to tame the temper, calm the passions, managing the unruly impulses.


Our Reasonable Service

Sermonette by Bill Onisick

One really cannot have proper spiritual health without maintaining a physical regime of diet, exercise, and rest. We have a responsibility to educate ourselves.


Dystopia? Utopia?

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Great Tribulation is the ultimate dystopia. The return of Christ will avenge all the crimes committed against God's people, as God's Kingdom is restored.


Sanctification and the Teens

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Young people in the church must realize that they are not invincible. Not only is God's law no respecter of persons, but also sanctification can be lost.


Unity (Part 8): Ephesians 4 (E)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The group that one fellowships with is less important than the understanding that there is one true church, bound by a spiritual, not a physical unity.


Facing Times of Stress: Hopeless Regrets

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

It sometimes appears that people outside the church have fewer problems and anxieties, having been spared Satan's onslaught of temptation and deception.


Humanism's Flooding Influence (Part Three)

Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

James Madison and the other founding fathers realized that a democratic republic would only work in a godly, moral, or Christian administration.


Loyalty and Submission (Part 3)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

As wives are admonished to emulate the ideal of the Proverbs 31 woman, husbands must emulate the sacrificial spirit of Jesus Christ.


The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Gnostics criticized by Paul in Colossians 2:16-17 were guilty of bringing in ritualistic ascetic discipline to propitiate demons.


Titus 2:11-14

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We are obligated to dress and keep what is placed in our care, improving what He has given to us. We dare not stand still, but must make effort to grow.


Jesus and the Feast (Part Two): Belief in the Spirit

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

On the last day of the Feast, Jesus proclaimed Himself as the One who will dispense God's Spirit, amplifying the promise He had made to the woman at the well.


Blessed Are: Summary

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

In the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, Jesus exposes the depths of His own heart, while demonstrating the deficit of our own carnal hearts.


Marriage and the Bride of Christ (Part Eleven)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Our concept of marriage must be positive and more mature, modeled after Christ's attentiveness toward the Church, as opposed to the world's distorted concept.


The Christian Walk: In Love

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

If we submit to God, allowing His spirit to guide us, we can live in the spirit, walking in love.


Gentle and Lowly in Heart

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Paul displayed a gentleness not grounded in weakness, but in strength, a gentleness which showed anger, but only at the right time and to the right degree.


Dogs and Sheep

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The sheepdog must be instantly obedient to the master's commands, self-controlled, able to influence and direct without unduly frightening the sheep.


What Spirit Are You Drinking?

Sermonette by Ronny H. Graham

During the pagan holiday season, the world becomes intoxicated, both deadening its senses physically and spiritually to God's purpose and master plan.


When Emotions Take Over

Sermonette by Ted E. Bowling

Emotions, including fear and anger, are a gift from God, but we must use them responsibly. Uncontrolled emotions can keep us from the Kingdom of God.


Titus (Part Four): Traits of a Healthy Church

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Titus 2 gives specific instructions to senior members of the congregation, followed by instructions to the youth, explaining their responsibilities.


Marriage and the Bride of Christ (Part One)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Wives are admonished to submit to their husbands, children to their parents, servants to their overseers, and we all are admonished to submit to one another.


Facing Times of Stress: Fear of the Future

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Paul's admonition to Timothy to stir up God's Holy Spirit applies just as much today when we sometimes become blindsided by fears about the future.


Are You Fighting the Good Fight?

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Mainstream Christianity espouses the pernicious doctrine of, 'Let go and let God,'" which releases us from any obligation to overcome and build character.


Deuteronomy (Part 3)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Our goal shouldn't merely be to be saved, but to finish the spiritual journey God has prepared for us, developing the leadership to help those who follow.


Maintaining Good Health (Part 9)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Good spiritual health follows the same patterns and laws as do physical and psychological health. Any permanent change in character must come from within.


Maintaining Good Health (Part 4)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

While drunkenness and gluttony show self-centeredness and lack of discipline, often leading to poverty and ill health, moderation is the way to glorify God.


Be Angry and Do Not Sin

Sermonette by Clyde Finklea

Righteous anger is controlled, short-lived and unselfish, while unrighteous anger is uncontrolled, selfish, hard-hearted, and likely to foster bitterness.


Our Part in the Sanctification Process (Part Five): Cultivating Patience

Sermon by David F. Maas

Numerous scriptures show the bad effects of impatience committed by ancient Israel, while the patriarchs, Jesus Christ, and the Father set examples of true patience.


Living Abundantly In Tough Times

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Lived properly, a Christian's life is scintillating and deeply satisfying, full of rewards, even though it involves responsibility and self-control.


Spiritual Maturity

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The Kingdom parables allude to the process of spiritual maturity, depicting a planted and cultivated seed becoming a sprout, eventually bearing fruit.


Trumpets, Christ's Coming, and Works

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Because the exact time of Christ's return is not known, we must always be ready, as though His return is imminent. Those not prepared will be blindsided.


Titus (Part Five): A Church in Training

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Paul, realizing that the tiny flock was no match for the Roman Empire, did not crusade to abolish slavery, but instead taught the church how to deal with it.


Titus (Part Two): A Faithful Ministry

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Titus had the remarkable ability for being a problem solver, exercising tact, diplomacy, strength, stability, and leadership when sent to problem areas.


Wilderness Wanderings (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Israel's trek was not only a physical journey, but a mental wandering caused by rejecting God's leadership. The potential to sin is a test of resolve.


Hope to the End (Part Three)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Faith, hope and love are spiritual gifts which safeguard us from discouragement and depression, giving us a mature perspective that will last eternally.


The Healing of a Man Born Blind (Part One)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Ironically, the blind man who could not see physically eventually sees spiritually, but the Pharisees, who could see physically, could not see spiritually.


Satan, Division, and Humility

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Competition is the root cause of war, business takeovers, and marital discord. Solomon describes man's rivalry with one another as a striving after wind.


Giving All Diligence!

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

The recipients of Peter's epistle were having difficulty holding on to their faith, having succumbed to fear as a result of lack of discipline and laziness.


The Great Flood (Part Three)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Genesis 6:1-4 summarize what led to God's rejection of the pre-flood civilization: men chose wives solely on the basis of sex appeal and external beauty.


Principled Living (Part Four): Giving of Ourselves

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

As Christ sacrificed for us, we are called to sacrifice for others. Love is an action, a behavior, rather than an emotion, described in I Corinthians 13.


Our Personal Plumblines

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. Maas

we learn righteous judgment through learning to see the consequences of our thoughts, words, and behaviors as they affect us and the lives of others.


Meditate on These Things

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

We must avoid shallow thinking, developing spiritual depth by meditating upon God's creation, His truth, His Law and His standards of righteousness.


How Emotions Affect Spiritual Maturity

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

God displays emotions, but they are always under control, unlike mankind. Using God's Spirit, we can grow into emotional (not emotionless) spiritual maturity.


Words of Life, Words of Death

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. Maas

By exposing the negative self-talk, we can turn the self-imposed words of death into words of life.


Leavening: The Types

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The holy days are reliable teaching tools, emphasizing spaced repetition to reinforce our faulty memories and drive the lesson deep into our thinking.


Anger (Part One)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Unrighteous anger, whether explosive or smoldering, can lead to high blood pressure, migraine headaches, or can ultimately lead to our spiritual demise.


The Feast Brings Hope

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John O. Reid

The Feast of Tabernacles gives us hope that all the perversions will be destroyed, making way for God's righteousness to prevail upon the earth.


The Unleavened Life Is a Happy Life!

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The Days of Unleavened Bread define our responsibility in God's plan to purge out habits, attitudes, and teachings that do not conform to God's way.


Spiritual Minefields

Sermon by John O. Reid

To navigate safely through Satan's minefield, we must ask for God's protection, maintaining humility, watchfulness, and diligence in our task of overcoming.


Division, Satan, Humility

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Throughout the course of Biblical history, whenever sin appears, confusion, division and separation are the automatic consequences.


Love's Greatest Challenges

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

An irrational fear of loss prevents the development of agape love — we fear that keeping God's commandments will cause us to lose something valuable.


Matthew (Part Five)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

The word 'blessed' in the Beatitudes means happy from within, not dependent on circumstances. It comes from having God's spirit and hope for the future.


The Purposes of Aging

Sermon/Bible Study by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Modern society is obsessed with youth and staying young, but aging is a natural process God intended as part of life. Aging is a process for gaining wisdom.


Worry and Seeking the Kingdom

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Worry is a wired-in proclivity of carnal human nature, a response that Satan has programmed in a perpetual state of discontent and distrust in God.


God Expects a Return on His Investment (Part Five)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. Maas

The sanctification process is slow and methodical with no dazzling pyrotechnics. Each of us are given a basic set of gifts to serve our spiritual siblings.


Titus (Part Three): Rebuking False Teachers

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The congregations in Crete were beset with insubordination, subject to no authority, full of meaningless and senseless talk, distracting the overseer.


Attitude Is Everything

Commentary by Bill Onisick

We must wrest control of the narrative away from Satan, the Destroyer, expert in promulgating misinformation, focusing instead on the end of the story.


The Convicted Soldier

Sermonette by Ted E. Bowling

A good soldier must exemplify honesty and self-control, qualities God desires in us. Uriah demonstrated this high standard by refusing to violate his code of honor.


The W's and H's of Meditation (Conclusion)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. Maas

Because we will ultimately turn into what we assimilate, we must take back the hijacked tool of meditation to drive out carnal thoughts.


IQ, EQ, GQ?

Sermonette by Bill Onisick

We understand IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and EQ (Emotional Quotient), but do we also have 'GQ' (Godly Quotient)?


Leadership and Covenants (Part Twenty-Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Much of Protestantism misconstrues the significance of the New Covenant as a 'free pass into Heaven' without paying attention to the Law within the Covenant.


Fire Igniter or Fire Extinguisher

Sermonette by Bill Onisick

Relationships in the church have been charred by loose lips and careless tongues described in James 3:2, setting on fire the course of nature by hell.


From Faith to Love

Sermonette by Clyde Finklea

Peter provides not only an effective antidote to corrosive heresies, apostasy, and false teachers, but also a practical formula for spiritual growth.


The Overcoming Skill

Sermonette by Bill Onisick

With God's Spirit, we can develop the overcoming skill, using self-control to make firm commitments to our small, yet progressively significant choices.


Servant Attitude

Sermonette by Bill Onisick

If we follow Christ's example of assuming the attitude of a servant, living in accordance with the will of God, the fruits of the Spirit should be recognized.


Biblical Principles of Justice (Part Three)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Though the Old and New Testament are complementary to one another, the emphasis of justice in the New Testament switches from national to personal in scope.


What You Feel vs. What You Believe

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Feelings and emotions may throw our faith off course. Our moods are mercurial and we must control them with daily prayer and Bible study.


Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Twenty)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Our supreme objective in godly living is attainment and cultivation of wisdom, which consists of attributes giving us skill in living.


Battling the Tempter

Sermonette by Ted E. Bowling

We all have different life experiences and temptation thresholds. Satan knows how to package sin and temptation to correspond with our greatest weaknesses.


Genesis 3:16: Consequences for Eve

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Spiritually, male and female have equal potential. Rights and legalities are far less important than spiritual development, subject to God-ordained gender roles.


Who Are You?

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John O. Reid

God chooses the base and the foolish of the world, giving them the precious truth leading to sanctification and glorification, making us unique to God.


Seeing Sanctification as an Exciting Adventure

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. Maas

The events in today's news can seem overwhelming, but there are strategies to turn the sanctification process into an exciting adventure.


Facing Times of Stress: Contentment

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

If we trust God, we do not have to worry about the future. Having abundance and having need both have their unique problems and difficulties.


Dating (Part 3): A Love Worthy of Your Life

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Society's interpretation of love is lust or infatuation. Premarital sex leads to long-term devastating effects, and never leads to adjustment in marriage.


Looking Forward (Part 2)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Which button would someone have to push for you to leave the truth of God? The doctrines of grace and liberty have been perverted into tolerance of sin.


Principled Living (Part Two): Conquering Sin

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Christ warns that we must do everything possible to annihilate sin - surgically going right to the heart or mind: the level of thought and imagination.


What's the Problem?

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Until they become spiritual problems, we need to deal with the physical or psychological problems that often masquerade as graver spiritual problems.


God the Father (Part 2)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Throughout Christ's life, the relationship between Him and His Father exemplified perfect, reciprocal, unconditional love, providing a perfect template.


Building the Wall (Part Two)

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Building a wall requires standing, holding firm, showing alertness and a readiness for action, even if it requires self-denial and unpleasant dirty work.


God's Rest (Part 2)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The two principal robbers of peace are pride and the drive to have complete control of our lives. Discontent and imagined victimization led Adam and Eve into sin.


Elements of Motivation (Part One)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Fearing God leads to a determination not to bring shame on God's name or offending and hurting the relationship between God and us.


Joseph: A Saga of Excellence (Part Three)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Even allowing for mankind's free moral agency and propensity to stumble, God still works out His purpose, even when people do not know it is for their good.


Amos (Part Four)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh

Amos, like a circling hawk, makes dire pronouncements on all of Israel's enemies but reserves the harshest judgment for Israel, who should have known better.


Matthew (Part Seven)

Sermon/Bible Study by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

Jesus, showing the spirit of the law, warns against rash divorces, taking oaths, invoking God's name frivolously, realizing that a covenant is binding.