We continue through the Sermon on the Mount series, where Jesus addresses another fundamental "heart" issue; cultivated lust -- Looking in order to Lust.  

Listen to the sermon on SoundCloud here

Here is the assigned homework:

KINGDOM Citizen "Homework"

 ^" For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."  JESUS; Matthew 5:20

How to deal with cultivated lust/coveting

1) Understand that our "cultivated lust" is a "will" issue. 

It's a "Have it your way" Kingdom issue. But we have surrendered our will to God and we no longer have to have it our own way.

Memory verse: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil,  and he will flee from you. " James 4:7

2) Have a right view of persons created in the image of God.

A person is “an unceasing Spiritual being with an eternal destiny in God’s Great Universe”  -- Dallas Willard

A woman is "Somebody's daughter... somebody's sister" -- Pastor John

3) Take whatever drastic measures are needed to stop cultivated lusting in its tracks.

• confession is the first step
• Removing temptation is key
• Implementing Spiritual disciplines is where we should focus our effort (principle of indirection)

4)  Resources on Spiritual Disciplines:

• Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney. 
• Habits of Grace by David Mathis. 
• A Place of Quiet Rest by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. (for women)
• Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard J. Foster (I have this one ---you can borrow it)
• The Spirit of the Disciplines : Understanding How God Changes Lives by Dallas Willard
• Disciplines of a Godly Man  by Kent Hughes or Disciplines of a Godly Woman by Barbara Hughes

5) Books to help overcome pornography

• Finally Free: Fighting for Purity With The Power of Grace by Heath Lambert.  (this is the book I have used to help people struggling with cultivated lust  -- very grace-filled approach --- which is the approach I will use)
• Sexual Detox: A Guide for Guys Who Are Sick of Porn by Tim Challies. (This book provides more emergency (Cut off the hands and pluck out the eyes kind of emergency actions)  But is grace-filled as is "Finally Free"
• Sex and The Supremacy of Christ by John Piper, Justin Taylor, and others.  A “positive” book about God’s view of sex for both men and women. Aims to show the beauty and wisdom of God in His definition, design, and provision of sex.
• Surfing for God: Discovering the Divine Desire Beneath Sexual Struggle  by  Michael John Cusick (I've heard good things about this book but have not read it)

Memory verse: “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl." Job 31:1