Battling Sin at the Root (Fight Clubs Recap)

[powerpress]

Recently we spoke with Jonathan Dodson, author of Fight Clubs: Gospel-Centered Discipleship.

• Read the book.
• Listen to Part 1 of the interview (7:35).
• Listen to Part 2 of the interview (14:05).
• Listen to Part 3 of the interview (12:01).
• Download the full interview as one audio file (33:35).

Fight Clubs are small, simple groups of 2 or 3 Christians who meet regularly to help one another beat the desires of the flesh and find supreme delight in God.

If you struggle with lust and/or pornography temptation, how can you implement some of these ideas in your accountability relationships? Reflecting on the principles in this book, I have applied them to our fight against lust and pornography. Over time, as we fight these specific sins, we can expand our questions to include many other struggles.

Here are some suggestions . . .

. . . .

Fight Clubs – Rule #1: Know Your Sin

Stirring up lustful fantasy, looking at pornography, or engaging in cybersex are surface sins fueled by deeper sin that hides in our hearts.

The following questions are designed to help you and your accountability partner(s) to peel away the layers of sin, to move from the fruit to the root.

1. Have you glorified God and honored Christ in the quantity and quality of time spent online?
2. Have you seen anything online recently that tempted you?
3. Have you lingered anywhere online that encouraged you to fantasize about someone?
4. Have you seen or interacted with anyone online or offline recently who lustfully enticed you?
5. Have any mental images or memories emerged that lustfully enticed you?
6. In the moment of enticement, how did you react? Did you notice it as an enticement at first? Did you justify indulging it? Did you minimize the evil in it?
7. Do you notice any patterns in the moments you are enticed? (A pattern can be a similar time of day, similar location, similar circumstances going on in life, or similar disposition in your heart.)

. . . .

Fight Clubs – Rule #2: Fight Your Sin

When you come together with your accountability partner(s) the goal is to slay sin at the root, to not only expose and confess the wrong (Know Your Sin) but to expose the lies we are cherishing that drive it (Fight Your Sin). We pursue the pleasures of sin because we believe the false promises sin promotes.

We sin because we cherish and believe something that will not ultimately satisfy. Instead of running to our supremely satisfying God, we run to idols.

“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food” (Isaiah 55:1-2).

When you come together with your accountability partner(s) begin asking the question: “When you do _____ what false promise of satisfaction do you think you are believing?”

. . . .

Fight Clubs – Rule #3: Trust Your Savior

We conquer a desire for sin only by yielding to a greater desire for God. Sin loses its luster only as we are more enamored with the glory of Christ.

Below are Scriptural promises that can help focus our attention on being deeply satisfied and joyful in all Christ is and promises to be to us now and for eternity. As accountability partners, spend time praying through and reminding one another of these promises.

Psalm 37
Matthew 5:1-10
Romans 8:18-30
Ephesians 5:1-20
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Titus 3:3-8
Hebrews 12:14-29
1 Peter 1:3-16
2 Peter 1:3-21
1 John 3:1-3

Each time you come together with your accountability partner(s) make the text of Scripture your focus. Pray for wisdom to interpret it rightly. Make the text personal, asking yourselves: Have I actively trusted Christ for these promises? Do I desire God as He has revealed Himself in His Word? Do I see my love for and trust in God affect my moment-to-moment decisions?

. . . .

Discipleship 101

Read our latest series on discipleship/mentoring.

• Mentoring Like Jesus
• Modern Objections to Mentoring
• Biblical Accountability
• Nuts and Bolts