Identity - Self-control - Richard Sutton - Aug 9th.
Teachers
Lesson Summary
In this Bible study class, Richard Sutton introduced self-control as the third spiritual quality in the ongoing series on identity and embracing our true nature. Using the children's story "Frog and Toad Together," where two friends repeatedly fail to stop eating delicious cookies despite knowing they should, Sutton illustrated the universal human struggle with self-control. He defined self-control as one's ability to manage impulses, emotions, and actions—choosing to do what is right even when facing temptation, peer pressure, or desire to do otherwise. Sutton grounded his teaching in 2 Peter 1:5-7, where the Apostle Peter describes a progression of spiritual qualities: faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and Christian love. Self-control, he emphasized, is crucial because without it believers are unlikely to achieve anything of lasting value in their Christian walk and may cause harm to those around them. The Greek word "ekratia" literally means "strength to master self," reflecting that self-control is not external but an internal discipline we must develop. Sutton connected self-control to the long-term Christian goal of eternal life with God, positioning it as the ability to resist short-term temptations for greater spiritual objectives. He concluded that the biggest obstacle to self-control is often ourselves, making this quality both difficult and essential for living out our true identity as followers of Christ.
Key Scriptures
A man without self-control is like a city that has been broken into and left without walls.