Bad Advice: Part 3 - "How to Commit Adultery" with Craig Groeschel - Life.Church

Avoiding Adultery: From Bad Advice to Godly Wisdom

Scripture References

Primary text

• Proverbs 5:3-5
• Proverbs 5:18
• Proverbs 5:20

Other references

• Exodus 20:14
• Matthew 5:28
• 2 Timothy 2:13

Overview

Craig Groeschel exposed the everyday attitudes that lure people into affairs—then replaced them with God-saturated wisdom that protects, heals, and strengthens marriage. He first walked the room through three sarcastic “tips” on how to ruin a covenant, making the insanity of sin obvious. Turning the corner, he offered three clear, actionable commitments that help us flee sexual immorality, invest passionately in our spouse, and remember the devastation adultery brings. The message ends with solid hope: even when we are faithless, God remains faithful and can rebuild any life or marriage that turns to Him.

Main Points

Bad Advice: Three Steps to Commit Adultery

• 1 — Neglect your marriage
  • Give your best energy to work, hobbies, children, fitness, social media—anything but your spouse.
  • Stop communicating; take one another for granted; let intimacy become dull and predictable.
• 2 — Enjoy common interests and form an emotional bond with someone else
  • Work projects, gym classes, or online chats provide easy connection.
  • Hide the relationship from your spouse; anticipate meetings; flirt, text, and “pray” for each other.
• 3 — Make excuses and rationalize your actions
  • Blame unmet needs: “God wants me happy.”
  • Tell yourself it is harmless and you will never cross the line—until you do.

Godly Advice: Three Commitments to Avoid Adultery

1. Radically reduce the risk

   • Sexual sin is the one sin Scripture says to flee—not fight (Proverbs 5; implied 1 Cor 6).

   • “Keep a path far from her; do not go near the door of her house.”

   • Sin starts in the mind, eyes, and heart (Matthew 5:28), so move the moral line back.
   • Practical safeguards:
     • Walk closely with Christ every day.
     • Refuse to be alone with the wrong person; avoid compromising travel, lunches, or rides.
     • Speak well of your spouse—never mock them online or in conversation.
     • Surround yourself with strong marriages; bad company corrupts good character.
     • Block tempting media, change departments, or find a new job if necessary.

2. Invest passionately in your marriage

   • Rejoice in “the wife of your youth” (Proverbs 5:18-20); let her/his love intoxicate (“shagah”) you.
   • Guard weekly alone time; share Scripture and pray together.
   • Prioritize physical intimacy—“at least two or three times a week” was Craig’s playful but serious nudge.
   • If you once had something special, repeat the things you used to do; water your own yard.

     “If the grass looks greener somewhere else, it’s time to water your own yard.”

3. Visualize the potential destruction

   • Proverbs 5:3-5 paints adultery as sweet at first but ending in bitterness, death, and the grave.
   • Picture the conversation where you explain betrayal to your spouse, children, church, and God.
   • Statistics: only 3 % marry the forbidden lover; 75 % of those marriages end in divorce—giving a 0.075 % chance of lasting happiness.
   • Affairs are built on lies and deceit, not trust and integrity.

Even When We Are Unfaithful, God Is Faithful

• All people have committed spiritual “adultery” against God through sin.
• Yet “if we are faithless, He remains faithful” (2 Timothy 2:13).
• Adultery may be biblical grounds for divorce, but it is also biblical grounds for forgiveness.
• God can redeem any marriage or individual who turns to Him in true repentance.

Key Truths

• The line of sexual sin is first crossed in the mind, eyes, and heart—not the bedroom.
• Intimacy weakens where investment stops; starved marriages become vulnerable marriages.
• Fleeing temptation is wisdom, not weakness.
• A thriving marriage is cultivated through continual spiritual, emotional, and physical pursuit.
• No matter how deep the failure, God’s faithfulness and grace can rebuild what sin tried to destroy.

Response

• Strengthen your daily walk with Christ before trying to fix anything else.
• Schedule protected one-on-one time with your spouse this week and keep it sacred.
• Install practical boundaries: accountability software, travel policies, or department changes.
• Speak words of life about your spouse—in private, in public, and online.
• When tempted, picture the fallout in vivid detail and run—physically and mentally—toward righteousness.
• If you have fallen, confess fully, seek counseling, and receive God’s forgiveness to start rebuilding.

Closing

Craig pleaded for future and current marriages to honor the vows we made before God, trusting the Spirit to empower faithfulness. He reminded listeners that while adultery devastates families and dishonors Christ, God’s grace offers complete restoration to the truly repentant.

“Even when we are unfaithful, God is always faithful.”

Prayer

Pastor Craig asked God to plant these principles deep in single and married hearts, to heal wounded marriages, to protect thriving ones, and to give courage for counseling and confession where needed. He also prayed for those ready to surrender their lives to Jesus, thanking God for forgiveness and new life.

Resources

• Tearfund — Life.Church global mission partner working through local churches to lift communities out of poverty.