1. Personal apostasy & the reasons for it (#2)

2.  Falling away  Falling away from God.  Apostatizing  Apostatizing, going into apostasy.  Leaving  Leaving the faith.  Turningwandering  Turning or wandering from the truth.  Going back  Going back into the world of sin.  Leaving  Leaving the umbrella of God’s grace & mercy.  Separating  Separating from the love of God in Christ J.  Falling away = being lost eternally

3. fall away  Luke 8:6, 13 – Some fell on rock; & as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture…13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; & these have no root, who believe for a while & in time of temptation fall away.

4. offended  Matt 24:9-10 – Then they will deliver you up to tribulation & kill you, & you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 And then many will be offended [will turn away, NIV], will betray one another, & will hate one another.

5. driftaway  Heb 2:1-3 – Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, & every transgression & disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, & was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,

6. departing  Heb 3:12 – Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God

7. fallaway  Heb 6:4-6 – For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, & have tasted the heavenly gift, & have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 & have tasted the good word of God & the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, & put Him to an open shame.

8. wandersfrom  Jas 5:19-20 – Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, & someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death & cover a multitude of sins.

9. fall  2 Pet 3:17 – Beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;18 but grow in the grace & knowledge of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.

10. overcome  2 Pet 2:20 – For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them & overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

11. depart  1 Tim 4:1-2 – Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits & doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.

12. strayed  1 Tim 1:5-7 – Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, & from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

13. strayed  1 Tim 6:10 – For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, & pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

14. strayed  1 Tim 6:20-21 – O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane & idle babblings & contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge — 21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.

15. turn  2 Tim 4:2-4 – Preach the word! Be ready in season & out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering & teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 & they will turn their ears away from the truth, & be turned aside to fables.

16. shipwreck  1 Tim 1:19-20 – having faith & a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, 20 of whom are Hymenaeus & Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

17. turnedaside  1 Tim 5:12-15 – And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, & not only idle but also gossips & busybodies, saying things which they ought not. 14 Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 15 For some have already turned aside after Satan.

18. turned  Jud 2:16-17 – Nevertheless, the Lord raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they played the harlot with other gods, & bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do so.

19. backsliding  Hosea 11:7 – My people are bent on backsliding from Me. Though they call to the Most High, none at all exalt Him. turnaway  “My people are determined to turn away from Me” (NIV).

20.  Lack of spiritual leadership  Lack of spiritual leadership: Matt 24:12-13  The Jews (Matt 24:12-13) Acts 20:29-30  The church (Acts 20:29-30) Eph 5:236:4Col 3:21  The home (Eph 5:23; 6:4; Col 3:21)

21.  Associating with the wrong people  Associating with the wrong people: 1 Kings 11:1, 4  Solomon’s wives (1 Kings 11:1, 4) 1 Cor 15:33  Evil companions (1 Cor 15:33) ▪ Context: those who reject any part of the Truth

22.  Successes & failures  Successes & failures: 1 Tim 6:10  Pursuit of money (1 Tim 6:10) Eccl 5:13-17  Unexpected tragedy (Eccl 5:13-17)

23.  Shallow faith  Shallow faith: Matt 13:20-22  Overcome by trial & persecution, and overcome by earthly cares, riches & pleasures (Matt 13:20-22) Eph 6:16  No shield of faith to protect (Eph 6:16).