Vanity fair in the city called vanity is about the temptations of the world.

And it's interesting that the vanities of this world are not necessarily things that are bad in themselves.

There are things that you can be taken up with, things that are good in themselves, like children, like husbands and wives.

But if you make them everything, if you place them before Jesus, they become vanities.

They're part of vanity fair.

That is one of the lifelong battles for the Christian, to not have worldly affection for even the good

things in this life.

I'm glad you're with us for renewing your mind today. I'm Nathan W. Bingham. I look forward to greeting many of you tonight

in San Jose, California for Renewing Your Mind Live. Be sure to frequently check Renewing Your Mind.org

slash events for more cities and dates near you.

As we continue, Derek Thomas' guided tour through John Bunyan's classic Christian allegory,

The Pilgrim's Progress, we find ourselves in the city of vanity, walking through Vanity Fair.

And today, we'll learn important lessons as you and I seek to be faithful witnesses as we

live in the world while not being of the world.

Here's Dr. Thomas.

We were in a very dark place, the valley of the shadow of death, and Bunyan is describing some inner mental conflict

and perhaps issues of depression and spiritual warfare attacking the mind.

Now we come to another well-known passage in Pilgrim's Progress, Vanity Fair,

the town of Vanity and Vanity Fair itself. But before we get there, we have to go back a little

to pick up the story of Faithful. Remember in the valley of the shadow of death, it's dark,

and he hears a voice. Christian hears a voice. Though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death,

I'll fear no evil. It's the voice of faithful. And now in the daylight, he comes up to faithful,

...