Discussion Jumpstarter
Study leader reference - not a definitive answer
Question 8
The teacher says a practical weapon in temptation is to tell yourself, “I have a choice,” even giving a concrete example (“somebody walking with really revealing clothes”); what would it look like to practice that moment-by-moment choice without denying weakness, and how might this reshape habits you currently treat as inevitable?
Another way to ask: What would it look like to tell yourself “I have a choice” in the middle of temptation while still admitting you’re weak? How could that change habits you usually act like you can’t help?
Discussion Jumpstarter
Direct Answer
Practicing “I have a choice” means taking responsibility in the moment—refusing the belief that you must sin—while still admitting you need God’s strength and the church’s help. The teacher suggests this mindset breaks the spell of inevitability and turns temptation into a place to actively choose obedience.
- He recommends a specific tactic: “in the heat of the moment… just remind yourself… ‘I have a choice.’”
- Concrete example: “somebody walking with really revealing clothes… remind yourself… we don’t have to just be carried away by our bad habits.”
- He connects choice to free will: “we have been given free will and we need to choose the way of life.”
- He balances choice with weakness and need for help: free will “doesn’t mean I’m in this alone… I need grace. I need strength.”
- He points to prayer/fasting and Scripture as resources, including remembering “we are able” and that temptation is tied to “our own desires” (James).
- He emphasizes community: “discipleship and accountability… we are a body… we don’t go it alone.”