Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges
Week 10: Chapter 9 — Lack of Self-Control
Read Chapter 9 of Respectable Sins. Key Scripture: Galatians 5:22–23; Proverbs 25:28; 1 Corinthians 9:24–27.
Previewing Week 10 of Respectable Sins
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 21-week guide when you’re ready.
Self-control is listed as a fruit of the Spirit, which means its absence is not just a personality trait — it is a spiritual issue that deserves honest examination.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Bridges covers lack of self-control in several domains: eating, sleeping, time management, screen use, spending, and the tongue. In which of these areas do you most readily recognize a pattern of indulgence or inconsistency?
2.He is careful to say that occasional lack of self-control is not the same as addiction or compulsion — it is the ordinary human tendency to take the path of least resistance. How does naming this as sin (rather than just bad habit) change how you approach it?
3.Proverbs 25:28 says a person without self-control is 'like a city whose walls are broken through.' What does that image communicate about vulnerability? What specific temptations or sins are you most vulnerable to when your self-control is weak?