Kingdom Tension Part 17

At Keys Vineyard Church, we are presenting a series called ‘Kingdom Tension,’ which we post here on Online Bible Institute.

Last week in our ‘Kingdom Tension’ series, we talked about living in the overflow of God’s love and letting His love pour into us so much that it spills over into everything we do. This week, we are building on that by talking about something very practical: being more consistent in choosing the right tree.

Philippians 3:12-16 (NIV)
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 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, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

In Philippians 3:12 16, Paul reminds us that none of us has arrived yet. We have not reached perfection. However, we can choose to press on and continue moving toward the goal God has called us to. That means intentionally turning away from the things that drag us down and leaning into the things that lead us toward life.

James 1:14-15 (NIV)
14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

James 1:14–15 paints a very clear picture of how temptation works. It starts with desire. Then comes the choice to act on that desire. And if we follow through, it can develop into a pattern that leads to destruction. It is not complicated, but it is sneaky. Most of the time, it is a three-step cycle: trigger, action, reward. Do it enough times and it becomes a habit.

Here is how it plays out. You are feeling anxious. That is the trigger. Instead of going to Scripture or prayer, you grab the gallon of chocolate ice cream from the freezer. That is the action. The ice cream makes you feel better for a little bit. That is the reward. And just like that, the cycle is reinforced.

Or maybe you are feeling discouraged. You run into someone and make a cutting comment about another person. It gives you a little boost because you feel better about yourself for a moment, but that is gossip, and it is sin. Still, the cycle repeats.

The truth is, sin feels good for a moment, but it never lasts. It always leaves us empty. James warns us that this path only leads to death and not to life.

Here is the good news. You can break that cycle. The Holy Spirit gives you the ability to interrupt the pattern. When that old trigger shows up, whether it is anxiety, boredom, loneliness, or stress, you do not have to go back to the old habit. You can choose differently.

That is where Philippians 3 comes alive. Paul says, “Forgetting what is behind, I press on.” We can replace old triggers with new actions such as prayer, Scripture, worship, or talking to a trusted friend. Every time we do, we are choosing the right tree, the tree of life, instead of the tree of death.

This weekend at Keys Vineyard Church, we will discuss all this and more, so be sure to join us in person or online.

Steve Lawes is a pastor at Keys Vineyard Church and also the founder of the Online Bible Institute Network.