This podcast is directed to all young people, but primarily to young black men, young black women, and their parents. We are thankful for all the people who are standing up for justice and racial equality. But this podcast is about the man in the mirror. What are you doing for the glory of God, to make life better for others, for your family, and for yourself? This podcast is about living life in such a way that it cuts back on the chance of being harassed or killed by the authorities or anyone else and helps you to live the good life of peace and joy.
Psalm 119:9 says, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.”
Jim Rohn said, “You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself.”
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'”
Today, we will finish our discussion of the top ten temptations you will face in college and how to deal with them. The tips in this series are taken from an article by Tamie Vervoorn, a former member of the evangelistic hip-hop group GX International, who now writes for several Christian youth magazines.
So far, we have discussed how to overcome:
1. Letting your relationship with God slide
2. Beginning to doubt your faith.
3. The temptation to buy into the belief that there are no moral absolutes.
4. Sexual temptation.
5. Having “fun” in a way that is displeasing to God.
6. Being tempted to fit in.
7. Temptations involving money and food.
8. The temptation to use money unwisely.
The ninth temptation you will face is letting something other than God become the center of your life.
Many things at college can become idols, from intellectual pride and perfectionism to finding your identity and success in athletics and extra-curricular activities. It’s tempting to devote all your time to your studies or a sport, but the Lord desires your whole heart to be devoted to Him, even while you’re committed to other pursuits. In fact, those pursuits ought to be a way of honoring and bringing glory to Him as you learn more about the world He has created.
The strategy to combat this temptation is to stay consistent with an activity that has eternal value: your time alone with God. Determine to take time each day to spend alone with God — through prayer, Bible reading, meditation, and worship through music. Ask God to help you keep Him front and center in your life. The Bible says in Exodus 20:3, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
The tenth temptation you will face is that of giving up.
College is tough! The fear that you’re not going to make it might tempt you to quit The devil will try to get you discouraged about the present and the future. He wants you to believe that you can’t succeed or that you can scrape by with only minimal effort.
The strategy to combat this is to commit everything to God and rely on Him for strength and guidance. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.” In other words, what you plan to do (your thoughts) will come to pass (be established or made firm). Ask God to help you rely on His strength to handle everything that you are facing. Remember what Paul said in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” You don’t have to succumb to defeatism and failure. With God, you can succeed, not only in college, but in every aspect of your life.
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Now, in closing, in order to be saved — in order to get right with God — you cannot look at the man in the mirror, but the Man Christ Jesus. First Timothy 2:5 says, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can have a home in Heaven. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry which publishes a monthly magazine called The Torch Leader. He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University School of Divinity. He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica for over twenty-seven years. God has blessed their union with seven children. Find out more at www.danielwhyte3.com. Follow Daniel Whyte III on Twitter @prophetdaniel3 or on Facebook.
BCNN1 WP 