1. To Avoid Immorality

2. Avoiding Immorality Begins with an Attitude, a Decision...

3. Begins with an Attitude Of worshiping the Lord.  “I will sing of mercy and justice; To You, O Lord, I will sing praises.”  An attitude and desire to worship the Lord. cf. Psa 132:7; 138:2  Families and individuals should have a constant attitude of a willingness and desire to worship and praise the Lord.

4. Begins with an Attitude Of striving to “behave wisely.”  David wrote:  “I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.” (NKJV)‏  “I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house.” (ESV)‏

5. Begins with an Attitude Of striving to “behave wisely.”  Our behavior at home is to come from a heart that follows the blameless way.  Out of the heart flows the issues or springs of life. Prov 4:23  Wickedness can flow from one's heart. Mark 7:20-23

6. Begins with an Attitude Of rejecting all wicked influences.  Do not love the world. 1 John 2:15-17  Overcome the world and its very way of thinking. 1 John 5:4-5  Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Rom 12:2 Make the decision to put away sinful influences. Psa 26:4-5; ex. 1 Pet 2:1

7. Avoiding Immorality Remove Wicked Influences from Your Life

8. Remove Wicked Influences Acknowledge the danger of wicked or evil influences.  Corrupts good morals. 1 Cor 15:33  Companion of fools will suffer. Pro 13:20  Attacks God's word. 2 Pet 2:1-2  Appeals to the lust of the flesh. 2 Pet 2:18 You will serve whatever influence you choose to follow. Rom 6:16

9. Remove Wicked Influences Do not set anything wicked before your eyes. Psalms 101:3  Vanity and worthless things. Psa 119:37  Pornography, nudity, and immodesty. Job 31:1; Prov 6:25; Matt 5:28  Alcohol and Drugs. Prov 23:31-35  Covetousness. Jer 22:17; cf. Col 3:5  Those who shut their “eyes from seeing evil” will “dwell on high. Isa 33:15-16

10. Remove Wicked Influences Hate the work of those who fall from the Lord. Psa 101:3  This requires an attitude of heart. Psa 97:10  Abhor what is evil. Rom 12:9

11. Remove Wicked Influences Put away a “perverse heart.” Do not know wickedness. Psa 101:4  One's service to God must come from a true heart of honest faith, loyalty, devotion and obedience. Mark 12:29-30; cf. 1 Tim 1:5  A false or perverse heart is an abomination to the Lord. Prov 11:20

12. Remove Wicked Influences Stay away from those who speak slander, lies, and deceit. Psa 101:5a, 7  An honest person cannot stand the presence of those liars and deceivers.  Christians are to speak truth. Eph 4:25  Christians are to turn away from those who slander. 2 Tim 3:2-5  All liars will spend eternity in hell. Rev 21:8

13. Remove Wicked Influences Avoid the haughty and proud. Psa 101:5b  Such arrogant attitudes will lead a person into self-service motivation and away from a selfless service to the heavenly Father. cf. Psa 10:2-4  Saints are to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God. 1 Pet 5:6  God will exalt those who are truly humble in heart. Luke 18:14

14. Avoiding Immorality Look to All Who Are Faithful

15. Look to...  Look to Jesus Christ. 1 Pet 2:21  Look to the apostles. Phil 3:16-17  Look to the examples of those who suffered and persevered. James 5:10-11  Look to brethren who are living and serving the Lord with the utmost faithfulness. 1 Thess 1:6-8

16. Look to All Who Are Faithful Look to those who walk in a “perfect way.”  Just as evil can influence a person away from the Lord, so can righteous behavior influence a person to follow Christ. ex. 1 Pet 3:1-2  Choose the faithful and the righteous to look to for direction, guidance, and example.

17. Conclusion In order to avoid the immoral influences of the word, children of God must...  Develop an attitude of change.  Remove wicked influences from their lives.  Look to all who live faithfully as examples.