Substance Over Style Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Substance Over Style -------------------------------- Date: 9/26/2000 Keywords: "obey" "sacrifice" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: 1 Samuel 15:22* But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams." Questions 1. In what ways do you "sacrifice" to avoid Web porn?   2. How do you obey?   Practical help Sometimes our battles against Web porn can become downright comic. We devise Byzantine strategies to avoid failing, including rules such as if-this-body-part-isn't-shown-it-isn't-really-pornography-so-that's-not-really-the-bad-stuff. (Fill in your own silly self-decrees.) Samuel says that's all bunk. It's a "sacrifice," a seemingly godly response to a problem that doesn't address the heart issue. In the case of Web porn, the heart issue is godlessness, an attempt to find a physical balm for a spiritual ache. What God wants instead is obedience. This standard doesn't allow room for the half-measures and verbal tap dances usually associated with politicians. Decide to obey what God says about this heart issue. And start valuing substance over style. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2000 by eXXit *Scriptures are from The Holy Bible: New International Version, © copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved.