Watch the video above and talk about it with a group or mentor. Learn more.

Everyone sins. Sin is anytime you trust in your own ideas or opinions above what God says. Basically, when you disobey God, you are sinning. Every lie, lust, and evil thought is a sin. But God teaches us how to handle the sin in our lives.

You might be tempted to ignore the sin in your life, but this is foolish. Sin is powerful and has painful consequences for us.

Genesis 4:7 Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.

If we don’t deal with our sin it will control us. Even sins that seem small have big consequences in our lives. For example, pushing the boundaries in your dating relationships might feel good, even right at times. But that doesn’t mean it is right. God says that you must pursue holiness in your dating relationships. And, if you allow sin to continue it will create all sorts of problems in your life and relationships.

So, what should we do with our sin?

Confess it to God
God wants us to tell him about our sins. This is what confession is. We own our sin. We are honest to God about it, and we don’t make excuses for it. And the good news is that God forgives us when we confess our sins to him.

1 John 1:9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Talk about it with someone else
Many Christians confess their sins to God, but stop there. God also tells us to talk about our sins with others. This is the best way to break the sin cycle. When we confess our sins to others, they can pray for us and remind us of God’s love for us.

James 5:16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

We don’t confess our sins to someone to find forgiveness. Forgiveness comes from God. But when we confess our sins, we find that sin’s power is weakened in our lives. And we can experience real healing. Be sure to confess your sins to someone who you can trust who won’t share what you tell them with others.

You don’t have to let sin control you. You can fight it with the help of God and his people. And if you fight your sin, you will save yourself from a world of trouble and live a life that honors God.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
  2. What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
  3. Why is sin so powerful in our lives?
  4. Read Genesis 4:7. Have you ever felt like sin was controlling you? Explain.
  5. What does it mean to confess your sins to God? What does real confession look like as opposed to just making excuses for your sin?
  6. Read James 5:16. Have you ever confessed your sin to someone else? Explain what happened. Who do you have in your life right now that you can confess your sin to?
  7. Write a personal action step based on this conversation.

 

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