Memory Text: “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand” (Philippians 4:5).

He had been a respected judge, but he now lived in poverty, the victim of alcohol abuse. Because of this horrible addiction, which robbed him not only of his dignity but of his family and his livelihood, he had exchanged his robes of judicial office for the rags of a tramp. What a tragic ending to such a prosperous and useful life!
In 2007, newscasts were filled with the tragic news of the unnecessary death of a young woman who died from drinking too much water! Water? Yes. As part of a radio contest, she drank an excessive amount of water and died later that day from water intoxication. Water, although essential for life and usually harmless, can kill when taken in excess.
This week we study about temperance in a world that regards excess as success. The illustrations above show that unhealthful things ought to be completely avoided, and healthful substances and practices should be used in moderation. In so many cases, moderation is the key element so often missing.
Let’s take a look at what true temperance is about and why the Lord wants us to be temperate.
As human beings, we have been bought with the blood of Jesus. Hence, we have a moral responsibility to take care of our bodies, and temperance is the key to fulfilling that responsibility.
1.    Do you know a well-respected church leader who has fallen in one way or another? It always hurts when someone we look up to stumbles and falls and disappoints us. How can we learn to extend the promises of grace even to those who, like us, really do not deserve it?
2.    Who does not know people whose lives have been hurt by alco¬hol, either through their own use or through the use of others. Why take a chance for yourself? What steps can you take to help ensure that you, or your loved ones, never start down this dangerous path, which promises nothing good but only sorrow and heartache?
3.    Read 1 Corinthians 10:31. How could this apply to the topic at hand? On a more personal note, how can you take that princi¬ple and apply it to your own life? What changes might you need to make in order to better manifest what the Bible says here?
4.    Look at all areas of your life. How temperate are you? In what areas do you need to change? Might you even now be suffer¬ing some negative effects from wrong practices?
5.    What are ways in which the intemperance of others has hurt you or someone you know? Or, even more to the point, how might your intemperate actions hurt others?
6.    If you truly believe that Christ, the Lord, died for your sins so that you can have the promise of eternal life, shouldn’t that take front and center in your life? How should this wonderful truth motivate you to take better care of your body temple?