Welcome to this weekend's In Touch podcast with Charles Stanley.

If believers in Jesus want to be spiritually mature, we have to be controlled and focused.

Stay with us to hear the necessity of self-discipline as part of living the extraordinary life.

Do you want to do your best, be your best, and live a life that is fulfilling?

Well, you can, but there is a price to pay.

But on the other hand, if you don't live that kind of life, there's still a price to pay.

You see, the Christian life's not easy.

Nowhere in the Bible is it say, once you trust Jesus Christ as your personal savior, life will get easier.

Their difficulties, their hardships, their trials, but it's still the best way to live.

And oftentimes people do not realize how very important a particular aspect of the Christian life is.

Because you see, the real secret or the real key

to living an extraordinary Christian life. And the real key to living a life that you do your best,

be your best, and fulfill the dreams or the goals that God is set for your life, there is a key.

Think about it.

And the key is self-discipline.

And the reason prisons are overflowing is because people will not bring their desires under control.

Why is it that students are dropping out because they're not disciplined enough to complete the task?

And why are people so in debt?

They can't watch all the advertisements and commercials without yielding to the enticement to have one more of this or something larger, something better, or something like my neighbor has.

Self-discipline is an absolute essential in the Christian life. The truth is it's essential

in any kind of life, but especially in the life of a person who wants to live a godly life.

So I want you to turn, if you will, to 1st Corinthians chapter 9. And I want you to look at this

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