A horse named Sovereignty came from the outside down the stretch overtake Journalism to win the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby this past Saturday. Coincidence? :-)

Welcome back to Part 5 of our series on Reclaiming Your Personal Sovereignty. Today's episode looks closely at the commonalities and differences between Personal Responsibility and Self-Help with some biblical examplesin scripture to apply at the end.

A quick recap: Sovereignty is total and complete ownership and responsibility of what one thinks, feels, decides, does, acts, and responds to for one's life. The Law of Sovereignty says that what part of yourself that you do not own will be owned by another. Personal Responsibility is the key components: you are responsible for your life.

Now let's consider Self-Help. The fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5 makes no mention of self-help. Self-control is listed, because it is required for managing your life for how God would have you. However, you won't find any virtue of self-help in the bible, because God has not called us to help ourselves.

You might say that self-help is a good thing. There is an entire industry on self-help including books, seminars, podcasts, strategies and tools for self-improvement that have helped many people. Right? While this is true, remember this: What is Good does NOT always make it God! You will see why this is so when we look at the differences between the two.

5 Commonality - Personal Responsibility (PR) vs. Self-Help (S-H)

1. Both require you to take charge of our lives
2. Both require some level of reflection
3. Both involve you making some decision
4. Both reject blaming others!
5. Both provide grounding to make you emotionally stable.

When personal growth, which is rooted in self-help becomes your goal, the outcome is totally on you. When you take personal responsibility, growth becomes the by-product of receiving what God provides you that contributes to growth.

Personal responsibility answers the question, "Who am I?" Self-help answers the question, "What must I do?"

7 Differences - (PR) vs. Self-Help (S-H)

1. PR  is about accountability and answering. S-H is about improving yourself regardless of who you are or how your behaving.
2. PR is about owning your decisions and accepting the consequences. S-H is about making different decisions and changing behavior.
3. PR is a mindset, asking "what changes need to be made in my thinking?" S-H offers tools for growth and healing, strategies for changing behavior but not your mind. These are temporary and unsustainable.
4. PR is rooted in morals & ethics, asking "Am I right in God's eyes?" S-H is rooted in growth, development and productivity, asking "Am I working hard enough? Am I productive?"
5. PR is responsive--your personal responsibility to respond. S-H is reactive-- what can I do to prevent something from happening again?
6. PR asks, "What is the right thing to do?" S-H asks, "What is it that I want to do?"
7. PR leaves the outcome to God and others. God is at the core. S-H leaves the outcome to SELF. Fear is at the core.

Stay tuned to the end of the episode to hear biblical examples that shows where reliance was on self vs God and vice versa including: Adam & Eve (Gen 3), Abraham (Gen 12:13), Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), the Hemorrhaging Woman (Mark 5:24-34), and finally Jesus (Matt 4).

John 10:17-18; Gal 5:22-23; Ps 46:1; 54:4; 121:2; Matt 6:27-33; Is 55:8-9; Prov 14:12; 16:25; 16:2; Matt 16:24; Gen 3; Gen 12:13; Luke 15:11-32; Mark 5:24-34; Eph 6:18; Matt 4