STUCK

Finding The Power & Passion To Change Your Life

STUCK (stŭk) To be caught or fixed

The truck is STUCK in the mud.

STUCK (stŭk) Caught or held in a

position so that you cannot move

The truck is STUCK in the mud. Once strapped

in the straightjacket he was STUCK.

The acid of my pain finally ate through the wall of my denial and I knew I had to change.

HELP, I’M STUCK!

. . .you were mired in that old stagnant life. . .You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living,

tell you how to live. . .

We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing,

when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. (Ephesians 2:1, 3 – The Message)

I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t

do it. Instead, I do what I hate.

But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that

the law is good.

So, I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin

living in me that does it. (Romans 7:15-1 – New Living Translation)

NEGATIVITY: I could never change!

GUILT: I don’t deserve

any better!

FEAR: I ‘m scared I might fail!

BLAME: It’s their fault!

A CASE STUDY IN “STUCK”

The Israelites

It takes eleven days to travel from Horeb to

Kadesh Barnea following the Mount Seir route.

It was on the first day of the eleventh month of the fortieth year when Moses

addressed the people telling them everything

GOD had commanded him concerning them . . .

Back at Horeb, GOD spoke to us: "You've stayed long

enough at this mountain. On your way now.

Get moving . . . I've given you this land. Now go in

and take it . . . Then we set out from Horeb . . .

Look, GOD has placed this land as a gift before you.

Go ahead and take it now . . . Don't be afraid.

Don't lose heart." . . .

But then you weren't willing to go up. You

rebelled against GOD, your God's plain word.

“How can we go up? We're trapped in a dead end. Our brothers took all the wind

out of our sails,

telling us, 'The people are bigger and stronger

than we are; their cities are huge,

their defenses massive-we even saw Anakite giants

there!' . . . now that you're here,

you won't trust GOD . . . (Deuteronomy 1:2-3, 6, 8, 19, 21, 26, 28, 33 – The Message)

What should have taken 11 days – took 40 years!

UNDERSTANDING “STUCK”!

Christ has set us free to live a free life . . .

Never again let anyone put a harness of

slavery on you . . .

I suspect you would never intend this, but this is

what happens.

When you attempt to live by your own religious

plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace . . .

It is absolutely clear that God has called you

to a free life. . .

My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit.

Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness . . .

These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one

way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day . . .

But what happens when we live God's way?

He brings gifts into our lives . . .

We develop a willingness to stick with things . . .

We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments,

not needing to force our way in life,

able to marshal and direct our energies wisely . . .

Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the

life of the Spirit,

let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a

sentiment in our hearts,

but work out its implications in every

detail of our lives. (Galatians 5:1, 4, 13, 16-18 -26, 22-23, 25-26 – The Message)

Being “stuck” is never

God’s intention

Getting “unstuck” is always my decision

When I choose to go from “stuck” to

“unstuck”, God gives me the power to do it

We saw how powerless we were to help ourselves;

but that was good,

for then we put everything into the hands of God, who

alone could save us . . . (2 Corinthians 1:9 – Living Bible)

I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift.

It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on

my weakness.

Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations

that cut me down to size -

abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks,

I just let Christ take over!

And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

(2 Corinthians 12:9-10 – The Message)

I ’M STUCK! NOW WHAT?

Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him. "If you stick with this, living out what I tell

you . . .

then you will experience for yourselves the truth,

and the truth will free you. . .

I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a

dead-end life and is,

in fact, a slave . . . if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through. (John 8:32, 34, 36 – The Message)

ADMIT – Own up to the fact

that you are “stuck”

CHOOSE – Make the

commitment to get “unstuck”

ASK – Call on God

to help you to do it

WORK – Do whatever it takes

to make it happen

TRUST – Everyday believe that God will be

there for you

PERSEVERE - Remember that

change is an ongoing process

I can do everything through Christ who

strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13- God’s Word)

“No chance at all if you think you can pull it off

by yourself.

Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.

(Luke 18:27- The Message)

this morning, here is the good news . . .

If you’re

I ’M STUCK BECAUSE OF MY WEIGHT AND I WANT TO CHANGE!

I ’M STUCK BECAUSE OF

MY PAST AND I WANT TO CHANGE!

I ’M STUCK BECAUSE OF

ALCOHOLISM AND I WANT TO CHANGE!

I ’M STUCK BECAUSE OF

SEXUAL ISSUES AND I WANT TO CHANGE!

I ’M STUCK BECAUSE OF BITTERNESS AND I WANT TO CHANGE!

I ’M STUCK BECAUSE OF . . . AND I WANT TO

CHANGE!

Let’s Pray