Lesson From Losses Part VI: Conquer Your Cravings

Micaiah Irmler

Luke 15:11-24 NKJV

11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.

Remember: Getting far from something is not the same as getting free from something.

14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” 20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

Craving vs. 11-12

11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.

Note: He craved something so bad he couldn’t wait.

Note: You usually receive an inheritance when your relative passes away. He couldn’t wait for that.

Remember: There are categories of cravings.

A Craving is from something you were too. A Craving is something you too. A Craving is something that potentially will you.

Remember: For too many their craving is controlling them.

Note: Some of us don’t even realize how strong a craving is until you try to curb it.

Remember: When I surrender to my craving I become a captive to my craving.

Consuming vs. 13-14

13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.

Note: The famine was only there. Where they were consuming.

Question: Are you full off of things that make you feel worse?

Note: Where he was feeding he was not a citizen of that country.

Note: Our citizenship is in .

Remember: Every country has its own foods.

Note: I can tell where you are from by what you eat.

Question: What do the citizens of Heaven eat? We have meat to eat that you know not of our meat is to do the WILL OF THE FATHER? We drink of the Holy Spirit.

Cravings Always Comeback

14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.

Remember: Starving for Something to Satisfy Cravings Have Consequences.

My Can Be Against Me. Hungry for What’s Not .

Hungry for What Will Hurt Me. Hard to Articulate our Appetites.

Question: Have you and your spouse said want to eat out? Sure! What do you want? I don’t know. Okay want Taco Bell? No. Want In n Out? No. Want CFA? No. Chipotle?

Note: You know you are hungry but you want something to satisfy to hit the spot. To justify leaving your house and going out or spending the money on Grubhub.

It’s knowing what you need more than knowing what you want. Finish this Phrase: You are what you … eat.

What You Consume You Into.

Question: Why would you join with someone just as hungry as you.

14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

Note: Chain restaurants.

Note: Our cravings not only control us but they start to make our choices.

Note: He was about to eat the food for pigs. He craving was making the choice for him.

Change Your Craving or Your Will Change You.

To Conquer Your Craving You Need to Crucify it vs. Gal. 5:17-24 & 17-24

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” 20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

Galatians 5:17-26 NKJV

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Note: You just want to feel full.

You will never feel full where there is a .

Note: Some of you don’t know how good you have it till you .

You Will Never Fight What You are Feeding vs. 14-16

Question: Who will you be fed from? The Foreigner or Your Father? Foreign food or your Father’s Food?

Note: The Foreigners food is for pigs while the Fathers Food is for people.

To Be Full You Have to Go to the Father vs. 17

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

Church: What did he say specifically that was in his Fathers house? Bread.

Note: In the Father’s house is bread.

John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Jesus said I am the of life.

This morning have you met Christ Jesus who can satisfy the deepest cravings of your soul?

This morning if you are a Christian but you are being controlled by your craving crucify it. Put that craving to death.