Experiment

I've been thinking all week, in preparation for Sunday's sermon, about repentance. Today, to make sure my sermon was as practical as possible, I did a little experiment. First, I tried to think of the 5 worst things I've ever done (whether they were 1 time acts or long-term habits). Second, I tried to figure out the specific sin involved (whether it was fear, anger, lack of self-control, etc). Third, I tried to analyze what methods I used to deal with my sin prior to simply repenting of it (whether I tried to cover it up, blame someone else, convince myself it was OK, etc). Finally, I tried to remember what triggered the 'repentant' moment. I think it was a worthwhile time of personal reflection.