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Key Bible Verse: He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires (2 Peter 1:4). Bonus Reading:2 Peter 1:3–11

In high school, Jeff began to wager on sports and play the slot machines. When he put a huge wager on a football game in college and lost, he knew that his future was in jeopardy. To stop the hassle from his creditors, he dropped out of school to get away from it all. His mediocre jobs didn't provide him with a reasonable income, so he began to gamble again. Now, older and more sophisticated, he began to steal to cover his debts. When, in utter desperation, he walked into a bank and demanded money, he was arrested and went to jail to ponder all that might have been.

His story isn't unique, of course, but what does set Jeff apart is that he was raised in a fine Christian home and a good church. He didn't begin to gamble because he was hungry or because his parents neglected him. It all began in good fun, and it offered a bit of relief from boredom. Early on, Jeff felt called to be a pastor or even a missionary; he was in college to prepare for seminary. If you had known Jeff, you'd never have believed he'd end up in jail.

—Erwin Lutzer in Seven Snares of the Enemy

Adapted from: Seven Snares of the Enemy (Moody Press, Moody Bible Institute, 2001) by permission.

Copyright © 2002 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

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Prayer for the Week

Father, may I rely only on Your loving guidance and provision—never on chance or fate.

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