Fruit That Is Never Out Of Season: Self-Control Series

I want to tell you something. While I was dating and engaged to her, I had to live this message on purity and faithfulness. We were terribly tempted the last year -- the worst thing we ever did was not get married a year earlier. We’d see each other, kiss and leave after 10 minutes. She couldn’t keep her hands off of me. We had mostly 10 minute dates our last year. It was awful. I’ll never let my kids go through that, never.

When I look you in the eye and tell you to live a pure life, I’ve lived it. I’m not going to teach and preach something to you that I don’t live. I don’t get my sermons out of a book. I don’t get them out of some little recipe over there where you kind of get three points and a poem. I try to live it. And if I can’t live it, I hope to be honest enough to have someone else come in and preach it or I’ll just skip that passage of scripture. Because the last thing you need in life is some guy up in front of you preaching messages that he doesn’t live. You don’t need better sermons, you need better preachers. And we don’t need better testimonies from Christians, we just need better lives.

2. "I will do what I say."

3. "I will be honest with others."

4. "I will put what is best for others ahead what is best for me."

Here’s an important leadership principle: the higher you go, the fewer options you have in life.

5. "I will be transparent and vulnerable."

Basically that means that when I’m wrong I’ll ask forgiveness. You don’t have a perfect pastor. That bothered me once until I realized I don’t have a perfect congregation. I looked around at the lives of those I lead and got greatly encouraged.

We’re all trying to serve Jesus. Love him, live up to the potential he created for us. And be the best person we possibly can be. Amen?