Introduction:

·      Illustration: Man who lost 700 pounds but could not keep it off.

·      We don’t have trouble making commitments—but we sure have trouble keeping them.

Be part of a group.

·      Nehemiah 9:38, Ephesians 4:16, Matthew 18:19

·      Illustration: The success of the True Love Waits campaign.

·      You have a better chance of keeping a commitment if you can be part of a group with the same goal. Creating lasting change in your life requires teamwork.

Take responsibility for your actions.

·      Nehemiah used the phrase, “Binding with a curse,” which means, “If I break my promise, may a curse or judgment of doom be upon me.”

·      When you join a church, you are making yourself accountable to the leadership of that church to help you keep your commitment to follow Christ.

·      Illustration: Parachute packers in WWII increased their accuracy by testing the products.

Keep first things first.

·      Nehemiah 9:39

·      The enemy of the best isn’t the bad—it’s the good.

-       Illustration: Mary and Martha

-       Philadelphia Philly’s’ Mike Schmidt was the National League home-run champion five times and twice was Most Valuable Player. A reporter once asked Mike’s father what he thought of his famous son. Mr. Schmidt said, “He’s a good son, a good husband, a good father and a good ballplayer—in that order.”

Conclusion:

·        If you want to change—and you want to keep the change, then make it a team effort. It takes a whole lot of help to make a lasting change.