Divided You Fall — Part 2: External Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: "Divided you fall - Part 2: External" ------------- Date: 10/31/1998 Keywords: "divide" "corrupt" "mercy" "encouragement" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Jude 1:17-25* 17  But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18  They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires." 19  These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20  But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21  Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22  Be merciful to those who doubt; 23  snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear — hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. 24  To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy — 25  to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. Questions 1. We saw in yesterday's study how porn peddlers are out to divide you internally.  What are some other ways they can bring divisions into your life?   2. How might these other (external) divisions corrupt your ability to enjoy God given desires?   3. What great encouragement can you take from verse 24?   Practical help Sometimes it's easier to live with a bad habit or activity when you've been convinced (or convinced yourself) that you're the only one involved. Porn peddlers want you to believe this is just about you, but that's a lie. Whether or not your family knows about your involvement in porn, it is already affecting your relationships with them.  What steps do you need to take now to prevent porn from dividing you from God and the people you love? With verse 24 in mind, pray for courage to take those steps. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 1998 by eXXit *Scriptures are from The Holy Bible: New International Version © Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved.