Personal Olympics — Part 3 Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Personal Olympics — Part 3-------------------------------- Date: 9/20/2000 Keywords: "gift" "potential" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27* 24. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25. And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27. but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. Question Do you ever wonder if you have what it takes to resist porn's temptation?   Practical help If you were watching the Olympic coverage from Australia, you may have seen the men's 4 by 200 meter free style relay (swimming). It was quite a race. Well, at least it was for the Australian team. You see they blew out the other teams on their way to a new world record. Yesterday's study talked about how deep a commitment a world-class athlete must make. But commitment is only part of the process. It's a good bet that there were athletes on the loosing relay teams that actually had more commitment to their training than those on the winning team. If it were just about commitment we'd see a lot more "draws" in world class competition. There are two other significant aspects to successful world-class athletes. They recognize that they have been gifted with a talent and, knowing that, they develop its full potential through rigorous and purposeful training and trials. The Apostle Paul makes these points very clear to the "heaven-class" believer also. The giftedness is implied. You, as a believer, have the greatest gift of all — eternal life through the saving work of Jesus Christ. It's the "knowing that" that Paul emphasizes in verse 26. In the race which is your earthly life you can run "as not without aim" by recognizing that God gave you this gift. In fact the Holy Spirit leads you to develop your full potential to run in such a way as to give glory to God. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you. — Jesus (John 14:16-17*) If you have trusted Jesus, (not sure? click here) then you can know you are a heaven-class believer. You can also know that a porn habit or any other besetting sin cannot keep you in its clutches forever. Remember your gift — then live as not without aim! eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2000 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."