Transcripts: Enjoy Life Forever!

Transcript: Exercising Self-Control
[At a restaurant, a man in a chef coat chops tomatoes and carrots, shakes a skillet over a fire, and rings a bell as he places the plate in a serving window. Standing outside with co-workers, he laughs and chats as he smokes a cigarette. Walking down a sidewalk with a cigarette behind his ear, he stops at a literature display. A brother shows him a video from a tablet, and the man slowly nods as he views the video. At his home, the man is having a personal Bible study. As his Bible teacher reads from his tablet, the man peers into a Bible, then at his ashtray, lighter, and box of cigarettes on the coffee table. At the Kingdom Hall, his teacher helps him follow along on his cell phone. At home, looking at the ashtray, he decidedly throws his cigarettes in the trash can. Wearing a suit at the Kingdom Hall, he raises his hand to comment. In the ministry he shares a contact card with the man. Now, at a work break, a co -worker lights a cigarette]
Student: I really thought that this was behind me.
[His eyebrows furrow, and he looks down]
I haven’t smoked in nearly a year.
[Takes a deep breath]
But every day at lunch this happens, and the cravings get so intense.
[At the Kingdom Hall the Bible teacher looks at the empty chair next to him. Meanwhile, the student cooks at the restaurant. Looking at his watch, he shakes his head. He picks up a Bible]
But maybe this is just a symptom of other areas in my life where I haven’t been as focused as I should be.
[Setting the Bible aside, he picks up a music magazine. At night, he plays video games. In the morning, he receives a text. Are you still coming? At the Kingdom Hall, picking up a literature display, his teacher sees his reply, ""No."" And he looks up, exasperated. Now, back at work]
I keep thinking about the scripture at 1 Corinthians 9:25: “Now everyone competing in a contest exercises self-control in all things.”
[At home, he turns off the TV]
If I'm going to continue to exercise control with this,
[picks up his Bible]
I need to be exercising it in other areas too,
[In the ministry]
which means getting back to a good spiritual routine.
[At the restaurant, he prepares a plate, puts it in the window, and looks at his watch. Now, at the Kingdom Hall from the platform, he reads from the Bible. On a lunch break, he sits far from his co-workers. Looking in the distance, he contently smiles]
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