Make a Habit; Break a Habit, on Amazon.

I’d like to come to your church and teach your people to develop life-changing habits. Whether you want lose weight (I lost nearly 40 pounds) or develop the habit of having a quiet time, the principles in this book can change your life.

I’d like to do these seminars on a different basis than previous seminars. I’d recommend the following schedule:

• Sunday morning — preach and/or teach all adults in Sunday School.
• Sunday night — two hour session.

I’d like to do these seminars with a different cost structure. I’d ask you pay my expenses and, instead of an honorarium, buy (or ask your people to purchase) one copy of the book for each adult in attendance on Sunday morning. If each of your people will buy a book, no other honorarium is required.

Contact me at josh@joshhhunt.com or 575.650.4564 for details.

The key to spiritual growth

Jesus made some amazing statements. He offered some amazing promises. He said that He came that we might have life, and have it to the full. Question: did you get up this morning and say, “This is it! This is the John 10.10, abundant Christian life that Jesus promised! I love this life!”

Jesus promised that to all who believe in Him, “streams of living water will flow from within him.” John 7:38 (NIV) Is that how you feel today? Young’s Literal translation has, “Rivers out of his belly shall flow of living water.” John 7:38 (YLT) We tend to think of the heart as the center of affection, but the ancients thought of the belly as the center of affection. You could show affection to your wife by saying, “I love you with all my intestines.” Jesus was saying that as we follow Him, there will be an artesian well of love, and joy, and peace, and patience, and all the fruit of the Spirit that will flow from deep within him. This is very different from trying really hard to be good.

Jesus said his yoke is easy and his burden is light. (Matthew 11.30) I have asked this question to countless audiences: Is Christian living easy or hard. Always, always, always, the answer comes back as a chorus: HARD! Christians have found Jesus’ yoke to be hard when he promised it would be easy.

My experience is that it is either easy or impossible. It is easy because it is not me living it. It is Christ living his life in me. “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2.20) It is easy because I realize that my self-interest aligns with God’s interests for my life. God is a rewarder. I will be rewarded for following him. He is good. It is always good to follow Him. It is always good for me to live the Christian life. What could be easier than doing what is good for me?

I can testify that this is often (though not always) how I feel. You probably feel that way at times as well. The question is, “Why don’t we feel that way more than we do?” And, more importantly, “Is there one habit we can develop that will lead us to that life?”

Turns out, there is.

Ezra opened the book

The Bible says we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. The truth will set us free. We are not transformed by trying really hard to be good. It is not trying really hard to be good that will set us free. It is the truth that will set us free.

Who is the man, according to Psalms 1, that will be like a tree planted by streams of water that yields is fruit in season? A person who tries really hard to be good? No. A person who meditates on God’s Word day and night.

When we come to believe that God is good and that His ways are good, we will naturally follow Him. And, as simple as the gospel is—a child can understand it—we will spend a lifetime internalizing it.

We are hard-wired to believe that God is like a policeman or a school principle or someone who just wants us to behave and stands ready to punish us if we don’t. We come pre-programed to believe that the only way we can get on God’s good side is to do enough good deeds that will outweigh our bad deeds. That is not the gospel.

The gospel is that God is good and God is loving. We are bad but we are loved. God loves us even though we are sinners. He stands ready to forgive based on Christ’s finished work on the cross. It does us no good to go on pretending that we are good enough. We are not. Our righteousness is like filthy rags. (Isaiah 64.6)

But, God is loving. Our sins have been paid for. We can come into His presence and enjoy His favor. He has plans to prosper us and not to harm us. He gave us commands so that it will go well with us. (Deut. 4.40 and many others.)

As simple as these truths are, most Christians don’t really believe them. What is the solution? We need to do what Ezra did: “Ezra opened the book.” Nehemiah 8:5 (NIV) Here is your keystone habit: open the Book every day.

Once the Book is open, God starts to speak. Once the Book is open, your mind starts the life-long process of being transformed. Once the Book is open, the truth starts to set you free. Once the Book is open, Christian living starts getting a little bit easier.

Notice I didn’t say to read through the Bible in a year—although that is a great idea and you might get to that. I didn’t say to read a full chapter a day—although that is certainly a good starting point. I said to do what Ezra did. Open the Book. Open the Book every day.

When I started exercising, my goal was to exercise every day. It was not to run a mile every day. It was not to lose weight. It was to exercise every day. So far so good.

By setting the bar pretty low (some exercise—any exercise) I have been able to stay consistent. As far as health goes, it has been a Keystone habit. It was something I can do every day and motivated me to much more exercise, as well as eating better. And, yes, I have lost some weight.