When You’re Sick of Being Stuck

When You’re Sick of Being Stuck

Scripture References

• Romans 7
• Zechariah 4:6

Overview

Most of us start each year determined to change, yet statistics show we abandon our resolutions by the second Friday of January. Craig framed this message for anyone “sick of being stuck.” Real, lasting change is never mere behavior modification; it is spiritual transformation. Drawing on Paul’s struggle in Romans 7, Craig showed that the power to change is “God through me,” not “God then me” or “God not me.” The journey begins by attaching a spiritual why to every goal and depending on the Spirit’s power for the how.

Main Points

The Frustration of Failed Resolutions

• Study of 40 million people: most quit their goals by the second Friday of January.
• Common outcomes: still overweight, overspending, not reading Scripture, etc.
• Paul’s words in Romans 7 echo our experience: wanting to do right yet repeatedly failing.

Three Mind-sets About Change (adapted from Jerry Bridges)

1. God then me
   • God saves; after that “it’s up to me.”
   • Language sounds like: “I’m trying to stop cussing… I’m trying to get closer to God.”
2. God not me
   • God must do everything; I do nothing.
   • Quitting a job and waiting for God to bring a new one, hoping a lottery ticket fixes debt, etc.
3. God through me ✅
   • True biblical model: God’s grace energizes our effort.
   • Paul’s testimony: “I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”
   • Real change = spiritual transformation empowered by grace.

Real Change Is Spiritual Transformation

• “For change to be spiritual transformation, it has to be spiritual.”
• Willpower alone equals outward modification; Spirit-power equals inward renewal.
• Zechariah 4:6: “Not by might… but by My Spirit.”

Add a Spiritual Why and a Spiritual How

Spiritual Why = God’s purpose for me.
Spiritual How = God’s power through me.

• Reduce screen time ➜ Why: to love people face-to-face as God commands.
• Manage money ➜ Why: to steward God’s resources and bless others.
• Improve health ➜ Why: my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.
• How: depend on the Spirit, not sheer will.

• Illustration: Colorado bike trip—Amy’s e-bike outran Craig’s pedal power. Plugging into a stronger power source pictures letting the Spirit multiply our effort.
• Story: Craig’s diet overhaul. He ignored wife and doctor warnings until a Christian doctor linked health to honoring God’s temple. A spiritual why produced lasting change: “I’m not putting trash in God’s temple.”

Renewing the Mind with Truth

• Declaration Craig repeats:

  “I am disciplined. Christ in me is stronger than the wrong desires in me.”

• When temptation strikes—lust, anger, over-eating—remember the spiritual why and rely on Spirit-given self-control.

Grace Saves and Grace Changes

• Same grace that forgives also empowers daily growth.
• God told Paul, “My grace is all you need… My power works best in weakness.”
• Weakness is not a disqualifier; it is an entry point for divine strength.

Key Truths

• Good intentions fail when pursued with the wrong strategy.
• Lasting change is never solely human effort; it is God’s grace working through willing people.
• A compelling spiritual why reshapes desires and fuels perseverance.
• The Holy Spirit supplies the power that human willpower lacks.
• Our weaknesses spotlight Christ’s sufficiency, not our inadequacy.

Response

• Identify the area where you feel stuck and articulate a clear spiritual why.
• Invite the Holy Spirit daily: “Work through me; Your power, not my might.”
• Replace negative self-talk with truth declarations that align with Scripture.
• Link every practical plan (diet, budget, schedule) to worshipful stewardship of God’s gifts.
• Share your spiritual why with your life group or a trusted friend for accountability.

Closing

Real change is available because Jesus didn’t come to make us merely better—He came to rescue and transform us. If you’re tired of failed attempts, stop relying on willpower alone. Connect your goal to God’s purpose and lean on His Spirit.

“Who the Son sets free is free indeed.”

Prayer

“Heavenly Father, forgive all of my sins. Jesus, save me, make me brand new. Fill me with Your Spirit so I can do Your will, so I can show Your love, so I can make You known. Thank You for a new life; I give You all of mine. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”