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Technology is changing fast—and keeping up with what your kids are seeing, using, and experiencing online can feel overwhelming. Chris McKenna offers practical, biblical advice to help you navigate technology with your family and protect your kids from some of its biggest dangers. You don’t have to get technology 100% right…but you can be intentional about getting it right where it matters most.

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When evil and division threaten to destroy a nation, God looks to a faithful remnant to raise up the next generation. Discover how Zephaniah's mentoring of a young King Josiah spared a country from ruin, and learn how you can play an active role in pointing the children and teenagers in your life toward Christ.

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Most men don't realize that their greatest enemy is themselves. Find out the four ways men destroy their own lives.

Sermon Overview

Scripture Passage: Jude 1:12-13

An apostate is someone who rejects and ridicules the truth of the Gospel—he also tries to replace it in order to lead others astray. As believers, we must be firm in our understanding of biblical doctrine and beware of those who would deface it.

Jude 12-13 paints a gruesome portrait of an apostate so that we can recognize those who bring harm to the Church.

First, an apostate is dangerous like a sunken rock:

"These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves” (Jude 12). The devil hates the unity we have in Christ. So, a devilish apostate will act as a rock in the river of love, dividing in order to destroy our godly fellowship.

Second, an apostate is deceptive like a waterless cloud:

“They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds…” (Jude 12). An apostate promises much, but produces little; his listeners walk away still thirsty for truth.

Third, he is dead like a fruitless tree:

“...late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots…” (Jude 12). There is no use pruning a dead tree; it will never produce fruit. Likewise, there is no fixing apostasy; it is rooted in a dead, unbiblical doctrine.

Adrian Rogers says, “An apostate can imitate Christianity, but he cannot bear the fruit of the Spirit.”

Fourth, he is disturbed like the raging sea:

“...raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame…” (Jude 13). No matter what he portrays outwardly, an apostate has no inner peace in his heart. In turning from the truth of the Gospel, his moral discernment is destroyed.

Finally, he is doomed like a wandering star:

“...wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever” (Jude 13). An apostate has knocked himself out of orbit; never again will he feel the warmth of the Son. He is destined for aimless, everlasting darkness.

Knowing their destiny, we should be heartbroken for apostates; nevertheless, we must contend for the faith. If we dare compromise the truth, we are in danger of becoming like them.

Apply it to your life

The tragic reality is that apostasy will only increase in the Last Days. Remember: Be firm in biblical doctrine, beware of those who would deface it, and contend for your faith.

If the Bible says to pray without ceasing—and that’s exactly what it says—does it also explain how to pull that off? What does it take to be consistent in your prayers even when you’re busy, discouraged, and you just don’t feel like praying? Focus on those important questions as John MacArthur continues his study called Don’t Be Afraid to Ask.

War veteran Chad Robichaux uses a story of nearly being captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan to make an important point: when we are at a critical juncture in our life, we need to recognize that fact and then make a move. He calls it being “on the X.” Chad goes on to share how he almost committed suicide while suffering PTSD, and encourages his audience to fight against suicidal thoughts. He concludes by describing how a mission to save his Afghan interpreter turned into a huge evacuation of anyone targeted by the Taliban after American forces left Afghanistan.

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Healing Begins Here - Trauma has a way of lingering – not just in memory, but in the body, in patterns of thought, and sometimes even in the way we relate to God. And yet, what has shaped you does not have to define you.

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Do you have a story or comment on how Focus on the Family impacted you or your family? Leave a message for Jim Daly!

If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.