Skip to content How to Keep First Things First, Part 2 Aug 11 · 31 min ...more
How to Keep First Things First, Part 2
August 11, 2025 · 31 min
Putting first things first is important. How do you keep those priorities in place? Chip explores the essential elements that must be in place in order for you to keep your priorities in line.
Series Balancing Life's Demands August 11, 2025 · 31 min · Balancing Life's Demands
Putting first things first is important. How do you keep those priorities in place? Chip explores the essential elements that must be in place in order for you to keep your priorities in line. ...more Show the full description Show less Putting first things first is important. How do you keep those priorities in place? Chip explores the essential elements that must be in place in order for you to keep your priorities in line.
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Chip Ingram is an American Christian pastor, author, and teacher. He is the founder, teaching pastor and CEO of Living on the Edge, an international teaching and discipleship ministry.
618K followers
Understanding Temptation and Accountability 0:01 Do you know someone that has an addiction? Alcohol, drugs, eating disorder, and they were doing so well, and then they fell off the wagon? How do0:13 you keep from falling into temptation? How do we keep from falling into the very thing that we know we don't want to do, but find ourselves repeatedly failing? The answer to that0:25 is today.0:30 Thanks for listening to this edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. We are an international teaching and discipleship ministry motivating Christians to live like Christians. We're in the middle of our series,0:42 Balancing Life's Demands. We hope Chip's words have challenged you to refocus and reprioritize your life on what matters most. And to help others experience a more joyful and peaceful life, take a minute0:54 after the message and share it with someone. Now you can do that through the Chip Ingram app or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for passing on what you're learning through this series. Well, with that, let's join1:04 Chip now for the second half of his talk, how to keep first things first.1:10 How can some of the most committed, gifted people in all the body of Christ, both in bible times and our times, how in the world can you get off track? And and hopefully in your heart of hearts you're1:21 saying, I I don't ever wanna get off track and I don't know how I could get off track, but gosh, if Paul thinks he could get off track and if all those people, nation of Israel got off track and some people that were my1:33 heroes got off track, I guess I could. But how? I mean, what happens? You and I underestimate the power of our own sinful passions. Paul will pick up the1:44 story after reaching in and giving us his spirit spiritual view of those children of Israel, then he, in verse 6 through 11, he explains, now these things happened as examples1:56 or a type for us, those things he just talked about, that we should not crave evil things as they craved, and do not be idolaters2:08 as some of them were, as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink and stood up to play, nor let us act immorally as some of them did, and 23000 fell in 1 day, Nor let us try the2:20 Lord or test the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now these things happen to them as, notice the2:32 repetition, an example, and they are written for our instruction upon which the ends of the ages have come. I want you to circle the word2:44 example, first line and then the last. I want you to realize his point is I'm making the example. Now if we had a lot more time, and for some of you that really love to do Bible study, did you notice a lot of these2:55 phrases, he is, I mean, he's pulling out the whole big stories of the Old Testament, right? And so here Let me let me do some quick Bible study with you. Just Okay. I want you to put a line under crave evil3:07 things. It was What he's saying is, there are passions. In fact, it's an intensive form. There's a word for cravings or lust or passions. This has3:19 a prefix. It's an intensified form. So he's saying they had supercharged lusts and passions and drives that they fulfilled outside of3:31 God's plan. And then he goes on to say, put a box around the word idolaters. At the heart, always at the heart of us falling away from the living God is3:43 we make someone or something the idol or the God in his place. And guess what? It can be your mate. Are you ready? It can be your ministry. Yes, it can be your money, it can be3:55 a car, it can be another woman, another man, but anything or anyone that takes the rightful place of your loyalty and allegiance is an idol. He's saying we have passions, we4:07 have drives, we're tempted in the world to satisfy them in different ways, and so what's he say? He says they come out as idolaters as some of them did. Then notice he's going to I'm gonna ask you to put a gosh. Have we4:18 done lines? We've done boxes. Let me give you 3 more boxes because I don't know whether we ought to do lines, circles, or boxes. But when he says, nor let us act immorally, we would put a box around act immorally.4:30 That's the lust of the flesh. Skip down and put it's hard to put a box around, but try or test the Lord. He's talking about the story of the envy of Moses. That's the4:42 lust of the eyes. And then put a box around the word grumble. That's the pride of life. We want that power. And all I'm telling you is this is just so basic and he's4:54 given us this picture, he says, You constantly underestimate the power of your own sinful passions. I don't care how much Bible, how long you've been a Christian, on certain days, at a certain time, you5:06 have these desires in different windows and different seasons, and it can be difficulty or loneliness or travel or pain or sickness or some unresolved anger or injustice, and in that window of time, you5:18 know, maybe only 1 out of a hundred thousand times you would act on that lustful sinful passion, but he says you better understand that you, David, and everybody else,5:30 you can fall off and make mistakes that you'd regret the rest of your life. But it's an amazing thing is when we know there's going to be My behavior's going to be brought into the5:42 light, it really helps me not go into the darkness. I mean, when you know there's there's and you're not gonna pretend, you're not gonna fake it. In fact, I I made a note to myself, did you ever5:54 wonder why so much sin occurs late at night and away from people? So much sin occurs in very dim, dark rooms, so much sin occurs out of town, often among people6:06 who don't know 1 another well, when people are all alone, and when people are under great stress. Every 1 of those things has you in a place where there's not accountability. There's6:18 not the sense that the lie is you won't be found out. The truth is your sin will always find you out, and my sin will always find me out. And so all all I'm saying is, I'm I'm you know what? I'm trying to6:29 persuade you. Are you starting to get persuaded? I'm trying to tell you that you can't live without this. Well, I don't care what new lines that you say, I, you know what? I'm gonna put first things first. I'm6:41 gonna develop that discipline. It's gonna be in this area and that area. I'm gonna honor God. I implore you to say, who is gonna go there with me? What group of guys can I do this with? What group of6:53 women as a woman can I do this with? And in this case, what set of couples could we dream some dreams together in an appropriate ways? Be very honest. The fourth reason is because we constantly7:05 overestimate our ability to handle temptation. We underestimate the power of our passions or our sinful passions, and we overestimate our ability to handle temptation. I mean,7:17 some of you, and you don't mean it like this, but just in your subconscious you're just thinking, I would never do that. I would never do that. I mean that that that I'm past that.7:29 Those things don't affect me. I mean we're just friends. It's platonic. Those kind of movies I know some people struggle with them but but not me, they're a little bit racy in places, but7:41 you know, or this is, it could appear this way, but we're both very mature Christians, and I'm sure nothing would ever come of this relationship.7:52 What's Paul say? He applies this passage, therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. You might jot down Hebrews 3 13, it's 1 of my favorite passages.8:04 It says, encourage 1 another day after day, least any 1 of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. You know, the word deceitful means it's you don't know,8:16 you don't get it. And notice it's about your heart. It always starts there. Your heart gets hardened. In fact, Jesus said that is the core reason for divorce. He8:28 says men's men's heart, women's hearts, they get hardened and that's why we're to be tender hearted, forgiving 1 another just as God in Christ also has forgiven us. But I8:40 encourage, get that, but encourage 1 another. And encouragement isn't like high fiving, oh you're wonderful, I'm wonderful, isn't life happy? This word is that It's translated in some8:52 places as the word for the holy spirit, it's 1 who comes alongside. Encouragement is is you come alongside another person, and sometimes it means you tell them really hard stuff, sometimes it just means9:04 you listen and support, and sometimes you just say I'm so proud of you. But it's doing life together. It's caring.9:15 I just I just want in my heart and mind to just sort of say to myself, Chip, on any given day, in the exact right9:27 circumstances, you are capable of sin beyond your wildest imagination. So you need to make pre decisions about where you'll go and what you'll do and9:39 who you'll hang with and you need to have a group of people that you can surround yourself with that love you, that you invite into your life and say,9:51 you know what? You know, here's my heart, here's my life, here's my motives, here's my struggles, this is what I'm going through in my life. Where are you going? And if you don't have that,10:02 you'll start faking it. And you'll have these temptations and you'll have thoughts and you'll feel like, well I can't Well actually it leads to the very next and last reason. The fifth reason that10:14 we need biblical accountability is we naively believe our struggles and temptations are unique. See, I need it because I I I think I mean, well,10:26 whether I like it or not, I've been a pastor for like 25 years and, you know, people view me as a Christian leader, so I guess I'm a Christian leader, and then I have this profile, Christian leaders. I bet they never10:37 struggle with this, and I guess now I'm a Christian leader, so if I ever struggle with that, something must be wrong with me. Wrong. I'm a man. And you're a man, or a woman, or a student.10:51 And, no temptation has ever taken me, or ever taken you, but what is common to man. But God will with the temptation to provide a way of escape that11:03 you might be able to endure it.11:07 You're listening to Living on the Edge, and we'll get back to Chip's message in just a minute. But first, if you're in a small group and are looking for what to study next, consider the balancing life's demands small11:19 group. The resource for this series will help you realign your priorities and experience a more joy filled life. Stick around after the teaching for complete details. But for now, here again is Chip.11:32 1 time someone said, you know, I don't know how you do it, Chip, because sometimes when you talk, I feel like you're just talking to me like you're reading my mind.11:44 This verse is my preaching verse. Now this may sound crazy, but any area I've ever struggled with in my life I make this assumption, so does everybody else.11:56 And then it's like I'm not, you know I've told you I'm insecure just like everybody else in this room, and I'm not overly vulnerable, I'm just thinking to myself, let's see, if every guy I've ever met apart from the12:08 comatose guys struggle with lust at some level, every woman I've ever met at some level struggles with self image, okay, everyone has gets overextended, I mean everyone has unresolved anger issues in your marriage,12:19 everyone has some some season in your marriage you have problems with communication, sex, in laws, and kids. Right? I mean, duh. So I don't think it's not like, oh. I mean, You know when you start talking about a12:31 few of those things, it's like, oh gosh, what's wrong with him? You know what I get is, he's 1 of us, you know. You know what you need? You need people that you don't12:43 have to have pretense with. Well you know I wrote down a couple things and I've been in some good men's group and some good brothers and, you need to be able to say to12:55 someone, you know what, I know it may not sound very spiritual especially in our church and our denomination, but I think I'm clinically depressed. And I'm not sure, could you kind of help me know, I haven't kind of gone13:05 through when and how and why, is medication good or not good and how long and who did you talk to and There's people that are impardonable sin in their little group.13:19 Or a guy says, You know what? This is really like really weird, and it just only happened once and just flashed through my mind but it scared me. I had a homosexual urge, urge. Do you know what that is? I don't know what13:29 that is. I mean, I I you know where I was just driving 1 day and as I was driving down the road, I was just feeling kinda low and I just thought, you know, I'm just sick of all the pressure, and I was just I was driving13:40 real fast and there was a curve coming, and I just I don't know why it came out of the blue. I just thought to myself, I think I'll go straight. I think I'll just floor it. I got some insurance. I'm not down, I'm not13:49 depressed, but I'm just I'm just sick of life. And as you're going, these thoughts are going through your mind, and and you think, oh, I'd never do that, but it's kinda getting closer, and then you, you know, good,14:00 godly, amazing, committed, bible study, teachers, leaders, moms, grandparents, men, women, you have some of those thoughts. Well, welcome to the human race. I mean,14:12 I remember I was teaching a series on spiritual warfare, and as I was studying that, and there was a lot of that in California, and I remember praying, and I mean, 1 of the things that God took away early and14:22 miraculously, some things I really had to work through, I just remember like 3 weeks after I was a Christian, God just went, ding, and I quit cussing. And I mean I tried before, I had a bad mouth, and you know, locker14:34 room and all that jazz, and I mean, I just quit. So I hadn't I hadn't cussed like in 20 years. And I was praying and I'm I'm I'm before the throne of God. And I mean it's just stuff was going14:46 through my mind. It was like, what's happening to me? You know? Gosh, is this like God saying you're not a very good pastor anymore? And, you know, my initial thought was, I'm going insane.14:58 What's happened to me? And then I thought, wait wait a second. Hold it. Temptation is not the same thing as sin. Temptation means there's an opportunity to be lured away in some way. You know, looking at a15:09 very attractive woman and going, wow. Very attractive is not the same as lusting for her. And you know, as a mature believer I can say, Lord, man, I15:21 I sunsets are beautiful, and the trees are beautiful, she's beautiful, and that's look number 1. Now I wanna I wanna thank you for what you made beautiful for me, Teresa.15:33 But I'm but I'm not I'm not gonna beat myself up all day because, woah. I mean, I'm a man. God God gave me eyes, and they're attracted to certain things when a woman is15:45 beautiful or what and ladies, I mean, you know, you have to feel bad every time you see a beautiful room decorated and your first thought is that would look so good here, but we'd have to remodel. We just did that 415:53 years ago and you know, the sin is when you start planning and and figuring out how you're gonna get your husband into doing that deal. Right? But here the point I wanna make is16:06 because we naively believe our struggles and temptations are unique, We start to hide the ones that we think were too mature or we shouldn't have. And I just16:18 want to go back to secrecy is where the enemy will bombard you with doubts and struggles and condemnation. You know what, when you have a struggle, let me tell you what the16:29 Spirit does. It's specific. It's sin, righteousness, judgment, repent, because I love you. Condemnation is vague. You're a16:41 terrible person, you know, you're a lousy this, you're a lousy that, you know, why God put you on this. It's general. It's vague. Condemnation makes you not like you, not like God, and not want to pray.16:53 Conviction is a light shining on something that needs to be addressed, and you lift it into the light, and just like bacteria out of the darkness, when the light hits the bacteria, and so that the fellowship can be17:04 restored. If you confess, agree with God about your sins, he's faithful and just to what? Forgive, release you of all your sins and cleanse you of all unrighteousness. What's he say about this17:16 biblical accountability? He says, What's the summary, Therefore my beloved, flee from idolatry. See at the heart of it, at the heart of it all, is it I end up me worshiping me. It's17:28 really not about the sex, it's about the ego. It's really not about the food, it's about the ego. It's not about the business and the work, it's about the ego. At the end of the day, the core of sin is gonna come back to17:38 in any and all of these is God gets taken off the throne, my way, my control, my agenda, a world system, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life, promising me security,17:50 significance, value, and worth apart from God. I bite on the bait. I make an idol, and then Paul says, and if that happen that, I get disqualified.18:02 Disqualified for my relationship of eternal life? No. Disqualified is a useful vessel of honor and disqualified not only of use by God but bringing18:14 incredible incredible pain in the lives of others. There there's no such thing as private sins. Every sin I commit, every sin you commit has ripples.18:26 Some of them you may never see, but they have ripples. Even the ones that no 1 else has found out about, they have ripples. So I've given you 5 reasons to say, dear18:38 God, I not only want, I am committed to having biblical accountability in my life. I mean, Paul needed it.18:50 I need it. First Corinthians 10 outlines clearly, we all need it. So how do you get it? How does it work? Let me give you some practical, I guess, I call them spiritual tips19:01 on getting there. Number 1, it begins at home. When we talk about accountability, too often we we jump into places outside. Start with the people that you live19:13 with. I think there's appropriate things as men, better off to share with men, and women with women. I'm very super open with my wife, and but there are certain things that, you know what, my wife is not a man, she19:25 doesn't really understand. And I need some guys that I can share that with and her vice versa. But I think you get a start in your home, your marriage partner, or your roommates. I mean they see you. See, in those19:37 accountability groups you can do you can man, it's smoke and mirrors. Oh yeah, you know, yeah, yeah. Tell you what, you you don't do that at home. It's like you left the dishes here, and you didn't clean up this here,19:46 and you said that every year, and you know, you're saying all the spiritual jazz, I'm living with you, it's not matching. So you start at home. Second, it's an atmosphere of love. Tender, compassionate,19:58 someone who's rooting for you. You don't need to become and you don't need a spiritual gestapo. Azul, so you didn't read your Bible today, You blew it. I mean, I don't need20:10 that. I mean I want people to be straightforward, but just I want someone who really loves me. They'll be tough when they need to be tough, but even when they're tough, I I want I wanna see a20:22 little tear or their eyes getting watery when they have mustered up the courage to confront me about something they know could split our relationship, and they're being really tough, but I can feel behind the toughness,20:33 man they love me. Third, it must be voluntary and by permission. There is no need for another junior Holy Spirit in your life. You have 120:44 who has the job, and so people who come to you, and I would like to be your accountability partner, and I can help you grow. Thank you? No. By the way, I think this is 1 you need to really20:56 negotiate. It is really hard. Some of you, are in these sort of semi imbalanced kind of relationships, and, you know, you're the wife, and you're in the bible, and you love God, and you're going to church,21:08 and your husband's sort of, you know, not so close. And and you know it's like as he gets up here's a Bible passage opened and here's a CD by so and so and by the way,21:20 honey I'll pick up your favorite meal if you just go to church with us and just forget that jazz. Let God work. You let your chaste behavior and how you live say, I'll tell you21:32 what, if this loving Jesus makes you love me the way you love me, then honey, you just keep going to church and I might even check it out. Let God, and vice versa. So you know you need, it's gotta be by21:44 permission. We don't go out and hold other people accountable. 4, it must be specific not generic. I mean this sort of, hey why21:56 don't you meet, we all have coffee, and so how are you doing in general? I'm doing pretty good in general. How are you doing in general? I'm doing pretty good in general. So, what do you think of those Falcons? In our22:04 place they actually won a game. Amen, or hey you think the Cardinals are, you know, gonna be any good this year? That quarterback change? Or I don't know. Have you seen the last of Southern Living Magazine? I thought it22:14 was so cute the way that, you know, and isn't it good to be in these accountability groups? Just makes them feel warm all over. You know? And and and then we we we kid ourselves thinking22:26 that something's happening. It needs to be specific. You might even, put some things in writing, and say you know what, as we meet together, these are the things we wanna cover. I have22:38 a a fellow, he's that dad figure, and I'll never forget, I was in Dallas, and he has permission, and we talk on a regular basis, and and he's real funny. He has a flat top, and kinda looks at me like this and he said,22:50 Okay, while we win on our food, are you ready? And you know it's like a game show or something, I said, AC man, what what are you doing? He goes, Well, are you ready? So yeah, takes his wallet and he has this little23:00 laminated thing and real small print and his questions. Question number 1, have you any time since we last met been on the internet and watched anything inappropriate?23:14 Question number 2, and I mean he goes through my thought life, my time, my money, my ego, and then the last question after his like 5 basic areas he goes,23:26 Question number 6, have you lied to me on questions 1 through 5? And you know what? He's he's kind of a he knows me and he's kind of23:38 goofy. He knew it'd be uncomfortable. He knew it'd be the kind of thing that, you know, it's it's always awkward, but guess guess what? I got a safe place to go. Anybody ask you those questions?23:50 You asking anybody those questions? According to this passage until the day you take your last breath and I take my last breath, there'll be struggles in those areas, right? So it needs to be specific and and24:02 by the way, every time it doesn't need to be like hardcore, alright, you know, but you know you know you you build relationship and you build trust, but it's we're gonna be specific about some things.24:15 My rule of thumb is no more than 4 people unless there's unique relationships of closeness that allow for more. And, I think 2 is not great, because you you start24:27 getting blind spots for 1 another. I mean it's okay, I think mentoring relationships are great, but for accountability there's something healthy about having someone listen to stuff and say, because because what you do24:37 is you're vulnerable when you're really being open, and you only have 1 set of eyes looking at what's going on. I want a couple set of eyes. So I have kind of relationships with a handful of people like this. The24:48 conclusion, making sincere commitments is tough. Keeping them is next to impossible. Alone.25:01 There's hope, many start well, few finish well. You can be the exception. You can be the exception. There is no temptation25:13 taken to you, there is no trial taken to you but such is common to man, and with that temptation God will provide a way of escape, and I'm telling you the way to escape is of a chord of 325:25 is not easily broken.25:30 You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram, and the message you just heard, how to keep first things first, is from our series, Balancing Life's Demands. Chip will join us in studio to share some25:42 insights from today's talk in just a minute. Are you exhausted juggling your job, kids, marriage, and everything else you're responsible for? Do you wish there was a way to relieve that stress and25:54 live with a little more joy? Well, in this series, Chip reveals what a balanced life looks like and how you can rearrange your priorities around what matters most. Hear how to experience the joy filled and26:06 satisfying life god desires for you to have. Now if you've missed any part of Chip's teaching, catch up anytime on the Chip Ingram app. Well, Chip's here in studio now to talk about a resource we have that complements26:18 our current series.26:19 Thanks, Dave. You know, in today's world, it's easy to get pulled in a million different directions. Work, family, church, kids' activities, and everything in between. And while all of these can26:31 be good things, they leave you feeling depleted, drained, and often not connected to the people that you love the most. Let me tell you something. That is not God's will or God's26:43 plan for your life. And we have a resource specifically designed to help you cut through the chaos and discover God's priorities for you and your family. Balancing Life's Demands is a26:55 small group study that will help you determine your should do's in Christ from the could do's that will steal your joy. If you want to get out from under the pressure and enjoy the life that God has in store for you,27:07 balancing life's demands is the perfect tool.27:10 That's absolutely right, Chip. Well, to get your hands on this small group study, go to living on the edge dot org or call us at triple 8 3 3 3 6 0 0 3. I think you'll be27:22 blown away by how this resource will declutter your day to day, prioritize what matters most, and lead you to a more peace filled life. To order the balancing life's demands small group, visit living on27:34 the edge dot o r g or call triple 8 3 3 3 6 0 0 3. App listeners tap special offers. As we close today's program,27:44 we've talked about the 5 specific reasons in the last 2 broadcast of why we need accountable relationships. And then we have defined and I think this definition is really important. Accountability is not,27:57 other people playing the Holy Spirit and nagging my life. Accountability is me inviting trusted people into my life to help me keep my commitments to God. And28:09 here's the other thing. There's a there's a lot of, quote, accountability groups, all kind of small groups. But I will tell you, my experience has been that, there's a big problem in these groups. It's called lying.28:20 Okay? I'm dead serious. Is, I have been in accountability groups and have good friends in accountability groups that people who walked off with someone else's mate, people who have28:32 been involved in fraud at significant levels were in that accountability group. I think it's so important that we create an atmosphere where we really accept 1 another for who we are and the28:44 struggles that we have, but it's also an atmosphere where there's some tough love that goes on. You know, so often, I think in the name of, caring for 1 another, loving 1 another, I've been in groups28:56 where, you know, someone shows up 7, 8 weeks in a row, doesn't do the lesson, doesn't memorize the passage, doesn't be very authentic, and everyone just keeps giving them a pass like, well, you know, we're29:08 Christians. We don't wanna be too hard on him. Guess what? Sometimes, you need to be hard on people that you love. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful. Yet those who've been trained by it,29:19 afterwards, it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. I can look back at 4 or 5 major times in my life where people said things to me that I wanted to get up and hit them. I mean, I can't believe they said29:31 that. And the reason I wanted to get up and hit them was because they were absolutely right. When you find people defensive and rationalizing, I will tell you underneath that29:43 is unknown, unresolved patterns of sin that need to be addressed. Let's really love each other and stop playing games. Let's be Romans 12 Christians from the inside out.29:55 Great challenge, Chip. In fact, we'd like to help you become a more dedicated follower of Jesus. So check out Chip's broadcast series, true spirituality. As you walk through Romans chapter 12 with30:07 Chip, you'll uncover the profile of an authentic disciple. To listen to this series, true spirituality, go to special offers at livingonthedge dot o r g or through the30:18 Chippen Grow app. Until next time, this is Dave Drury saying thanks for listening to this edition of Living on the Edge.In this video 0:00 Understanding Temptation and Accountability25:00
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