“The stakes involved in temptation are not small but monumental. The imagery associated with

succumbing to temptation is awe-inspiring in its destructiveness. Not infrequently the result of

giving in is death.”

— Unknown

S E S S I O N 1 : T E A C H I N G G U I D E

shaky ground What is Temptation?

1. Temptation can mean:

A. A desire to do something

B. A testing or probing

C. An enticement to do something sinful

2. God never tempts anyone to sin!

3. Temptation is universal

4. Temptations can come from inside us and from outside of us

5. We can be tempted and not sin

6. Temptation turns to sin when we begin to believe the lie it is

telling us

T H E B I G I D E A

TEMPTATIONS COME FROM INSIDE US AND FROM OUTSIDE US AS LIES DRESSED UP AS TRUTHS WHICH WE ARE ENCOURAGED TO BELIEVE -THEY ULTIMATELY LEAD TO DEATH

We are constantly being tempted!Temptation can mean simply a desire for something like a drink of water, or it can mean a testing or a probing to see how strong a thing is, or it can mean an enticement to do something sinful. It is this last way we will be discussing it for the weekend.

Temptations come to us as lies. They are disorienting defiling experiences where evil is presented to us as good or when destruction comes dressed up to look like happiness. God never tempts anyone!

James tells us (1:13-15) we give in to these temptations (lies) when we are carried away by our inner urges and/or when we are enticed by them from the outside. In either case, we not only hear the lie (which is not a sin), but we start to believe and want the lie (which is when it turns into sin). Temptation always eventually leads to death.

Jesus was tempted in every way as we are yet never sinned. Through Him we can have victory over temptation since He paid the debt we owe for giving in to it!

“Temptation, then, in general, is anything, state, way, or condition that has a force or efficacy to

seduce, to draw the mind and heart of a man from its obedience, which God requires of him, into

any sin.”

— John Owen

1. Read (paraphrase) the quote above and then ask them how they would define temptation after hearing this talk?

2. What is the difference between God testing a person and that same person being tempted by Satan?

(In the test God is not enticing anyone to sin. Rather, He is giving the person an opportunity to trust in Him so that their faith might be strengthened. These testings are to show the person how their faith is strong or where it might need to be worked on.

This can be seen in both Ex 15:24-26 where God encourages them to obey in order to avoid the diseases that fell upon the Egyptians and in Ex 16:4-5 where the people are told to simply pick up one day’s worth of manna and trust God that tomorrow there would be more to pick up.

Temptations, though, are simply lies dressed up as truth enticing a person to directly disobey God.God never tempts anyone!)

3. How do you typically view temptation? Is is something that is external to you or have you recognized that it is also internal to you?

4. What lies is the world selling to young people as fun, safe, exciting, etc.?

5. What lies is the world selling you? What lies do you find hard not to believe as being true? Which ones come from outside you and which ones come from inside you?

S E S S I O N 1 : D I S C U S S I O N Q U E S T I O N S

shaky ground What is Temptation?

“Watch and pray that you many not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing,but the flesh is weak.”

— Jesus Christ

“For all that is in the world—xthe desires of the flesh and ythe desires of the eyes and pride of life

—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its

desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

— Apostle John

1. Look up 1 John 2:15-17 and read it. What command is given in this passage and what does that mean?

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2. In what areas of your life do you struggle with loving the world? Remember, being tempted is not the same as sinning. Be honest…

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3. Look up 1 Peter 5:8-9. What does it say about Satan (temptation)? What specifically does it tell Christians to do? Are you alone in your temptations? How does that make you feel?

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4. Look up and read James 4:1-4. What does James mean when he says that “their passions are at war within them”? How does that relate to our definition of temptation as a lie we are enticed to believe? According to the last half of verse 2 and then all of verse 3, what should we do about these warring passions?

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“Sin moves by drawing the mind away from God, enticing the affections, twisting the desires and

paralyzing the will, thus stunting any real Christian growth. As John Owens has said, “Your

enemy in not only upon you, but it is in you!”

— Kelly Kapic

“Have you not sometimes noticed that when you had the inclination to a sin there had been no

opportunity, and when the opportunity presented itself you have had no inclination towards it.

Satan’s principal aim with believers it to bring their appetites and his temptations together; to get

their souls into a dry, seared state, and the to strike the match and make them burn.”

— C.H. Spurgeon

1. Christians are commanded to not love the world

2. The ‘world’ is the invisible spiritual system of evil

3. All temptation can be put into three categories:

A. Desires of the flesh (internal temptations)

B. Desires of the eyes (external temptations)

C. Pride of life (ego, arrogance, positional temptations)

4. Jesus was tempted in each of the these three ways

5. Christians need to be aware of how they are most likely to

be tempted and fight against it

S E S S I O N 2 : T E A C H I N G G U I D E

Pride, pleasure, & shiny things How Are We Tempted?

T H E B I G I D E A

SATAN TEMPTS PEOPLE THREE MAIN WAYS AND CHRISTIANS NEED TO CONSTANTLY BE ON GUARD AGAINST EACH OF THOSE WAYS

Rightly identifying things is critically important whether you are a doctor, a soldier, or a student. The same is true for the follower of Jesus Christ.

John tells us that people are tempted in basically three main ways. First, we are tempted by the ‘desires of the flesh’ which come from within us. Second, we are tempted by the ‘desires of the eyes’ which come from outside of us. Finally, we can be tempted through the ‘pride of life’ which is our ego or our position in regards to others.

The follower of Christ needs to be aware of the these three categories so he can better see how he might be tempted in order to not succumb and give in when death comes to him dressed up as life.

Jesus was tempted in each of these three ways and never sinned so He is able to relate to and be relied upon by the Christian seeking to fight their temptations.

“Part of understanding the battle against sin is seeing that the enemy, so to speak, is not only

external, but internal, which is why so many Christians often have conflicting desires with them.

Most Christians seem unaware of or apathetic about the sin that remains in them, but whether

they recognize it or not there is a “living coal continually in their house,” which, if not properly

attended to, will catch their entire home on fire.”

— Kelly Kapic

1. Read the Kapic quote above and discuss with them. Are they apathetic about the sin that remains in them?

2. Christians are commanded to not love the world (1 John 2:15-17). Discuss what ‘world’ means with them to ensure they understand it. What parts of the world (as defined in our talk this morning) are you most tempted to love?

By world, John means the corrupt system of evil as ruled by Satan. Christians are to love the created world and take care of it. They are to love other people, Christians and non-Christians, and even give their lives for them if needed. But, they are not to give in and love that which is corrupt and against the Lord and His word.

3. What are some of the internal and external temptations that come upon (your small group name goes here) these days? How does the pride of life temptation show up in (your small group name here)?

The goal is to get them thinking in broad general terms about different types of temptations that strike at the common 8th grade guy or 11th grade young woman.

4. What are some of the internal and external temptations that you personally struggle with in your life? How do you struggle with the pride of life temptations in your life? Think of how you answered question 2 from your quiet time this morning.

The goal here is to dial the general answers from question 3 down to more personal introspection and sharing with this one. It might be helpful to be willing to share struggles you have with certain temptations to prime the pump.

S E S S I O N 2 : D I S C U S S I O N Q U E S T I O N S

Pride, pleasure, & shiny things How Are We Tempted?

5. Look up and read Luke 4:1-14. This is the temptation account of Jesus. I’d like to get them really thinking about how Satan tempted Jesus.

-the grammar in verse 2 lets us know that the temptation lasted all throughout the 40 days…it wasn’t just the three big ones at the end!-try to get them to ponder how weak and frail Jesus must have been after 40 days of no food when the recorded temptations came upon Him-try to get them to ponder how alone Jesus must have felt out in the wilderness all by Himself for 40 days

6. How did Jesus respond to each of the temptations Satan offered to Him?

He recognized He was being tempted and in each case used the Scriptures as His source of power to rebuke Satan and send him on his way (Matt 4:4, 8, 12). Jesus knew that God’s word is what helps a man keep his way pure (Ps 119:11) and He knew that God’s word is the only offensive weapon listed by Paul in his passage on spiritual warfare (Eph 6:17). So He fought back against Satan through the power and use of God’s word!

“Beware of beginnings. He who does not take the first wrong step will not take the second.”

— C.H. Spurgeon

1. To fight temptation Christians must:

A. Think rightly about the world and its desires

B. Think rightly about Jesus and what He has done

2. Christians are united with Jesus Christ!

3. You will be tempted for your entire life

4. Christians need to start believing their new identity as sons or

daughters of Jesus

5. Christians need to learn how to express their desires in ways

that honor God

6. Christians need to consider what their future may look like if

they continue to give in to temptation

7. Christians need to consider the massive benefits and joys that

await them as co-heirs with Jesus

S E S S I O N 3 : T E A C H I N G G U I D E

Standing firm How To Resist Temptation

T H E B I G I D E A

CHRISTIANS CAN STAND FIRM AS THEY BEGIN TO RECLAIM THEIR IDENTITY, RESHAPE THEIR DESIRES, AND REFRAME THEIR FUTURE

A Christian is a person who has a new identity and a new way of thinking. This identity and way of thinking is absolutely critical in their fight and victory against temptation.

Christians are new creations who have been united with Christ in some mysterious way so that Christ lives in them. Because of this new reality they view the world differently.

Christians see that the world and its desires are passing…both will be eternally judged by God at the end.

In light of those two truths, the Christian begins to consider who they are in Christ and what kind of amazing power (His) they have in them to stand firm. They also see that desire, in and of itself, is not wrong. Desires show us that we are needy creatures and point us to Jesus. Christians begin to seek to reshape their desires so they are satisfied in Jesus and not the world. Finally, by considering what their future would look like both through continued giving in and through faithful obedience, Christians are given strength to stand firm and resist temptation.

“Temptation seems irresistible because our affections haven’t yet been trained fully for the glory

that awaits us. Moreover, temptation often prods us right into sin because we haven’t yet learned

fully to believe that “God is faithful” to provide a way of escape.”

— Russell Moore

1. Thinking correctly about the world is the first step in standing firm. What will happen to the world and its desires at the end? How should knowing that help us in standing firm?

A few verses to look up to show what will happen to the world and its desires (2 Thess 1:6-10; 1 Cor 7:31; 1 Jn 2:15-17). Make sure to remind them that this is not some future event…the world is dying right now!

Try to help them see that even if they ‘get it all’, it will all be gone one day…it will not last! What good is something that has no value…even if you have tons of it? Think of the Hunt brothers who tried to corner the silver market in 1979. At the beginning, silver was worth $6 an ounce. At its peak in Jan, 1980 it hit $50 an ounce. Then, four months later it hit the skids and was worth less than $10 an ounce. They lost somewhere around 1.7 billion in the move. The point is that it doesn’t matter how much of a thing you have if it has no value and the world and its desires have no lasting eternal value. That should help in fighting against temptation.

2. Thinking correctly about Jesus is the second step in standing firm. Why should this help us in standing firm? Look up John 17:22-23 and then 2 Peter 1:4.

This only pertains to Christians so make a point to at least have them consider their standing with God in Christ. Then consider these verses and what it shows them…they have a unique power which comes from Christ WHO LIVES IN THEM!!! John 17:22-23 is Jesus praying to the Father…pay attention to the pronouns. In it, He’s asking His Father to help Christians be unified and this unity comes from the glory of God Himself which is in us because Jesus is in us! Don’t just pass this over…this is a radical truth…the God who spoke it all into existence and who keeps it all going lives inside of each Christian.

Look at 2 Peter 1:4. It says we partake of the divine nature. This means we share in the very nature of God…we become like Him. This means that we are partners in life with Christ (see Col 3:3). Since we are partakers of the divine nature this means that a break of some sort has happened in regard to our old nature with its desires.

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Standing firm How To Resist Temptation

3. How can we begin to reshape or change our desires in light of the reality of our new identity in Christ?

The goal for this one is help them start linking the reality of their new identity to their desires and how they express them. Help them see that desire, in and of itself, is not wrong. God gave us our appetites which is another word for desire.

I want them to see that desires serve a number of functions. First, they serve to show us that we are needy…we don’t have what we want/need. Every time I get hungry I’m reminded I’m dependent upon food to stay alive. This shows me my creatureliness and as a son of the King should point me to my Creator. Secondly, as those desires show me the creator I see that they can be satisfied in Him. He has a plan for how I’m to express my desire for food, for love, for entertainment and I must learn to submit to that plan which is revealed to me in His word.

Our desires can begin to be reshaped as we live lives of gratitude to our King for who He is and for what He has done!

4. How can gratitude help in reshaping our desires?

Gratitude starts by acknowledging what we deserve, what we’ve been given, and to whom we now belong! We must encourage them to meditate on these truths! Then, we can begin to see that the temptation to cheat when I’m bombing the test is an opportunity to be grateful for the chance to become more like Christ as I submit my desire to sin to Him and resist…I begin to thank God for eyes which can see, a brain which can study (even if it turns out I didn’t study enough), for hands with which to write on the test, and on and on.

We need to focus on what we have in Christ and not on what we are “missing out” on. Certainly, you’d be “missing out” on a better grade if you cheated but you’d also be sinning against the God that adopted you and made you His. 1 These 5:18 says it's the will of God for Christians to give thanks in all circumstances. Eph 5:20 tells us to give thanks always for everything.

5. How does reframing our future help us fight against sin?

Make sure they know what I mean by reframe our future. By that, I mean that we need to think about how our future would look…what it would be like…if we continued on the path were are on…whether that be a good path or a bad path. This is a living in light of the future and not just the moment and its fleeting pleasures we may so badly want to participate in.

Negatively: 1 Cor 10:1, 6-11. Why does Paul include this passage in his letter to the church in Corinth? Verses 6 and 11 tell us why: to serve as an example for us to show us what will happen to us if we continue giving in to the hook. We will die. Remember, the world and its desires are dying and will ultimately be forever under God’s wrath.

Positively: 2 Tim 2:12 says we will reign over the world with Jesus! 1 Cor 6:2 says we will judge not only angels but the world with Jesus! Rev 3:21 says of the Christian that he will sit on the throne of Jesus with Him! Let those truths sink in. Help them imagine a royal throne room like from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe when Peter and his siblings sat on their thrones. What honor…what glory awaits us as heirs with Christ….think about that!!!!!!

6. Read Matthew 26:40. What does this verse say about us? What should we do?

Jesus tells us that while we may be willing and even desirous to fight temptation we, at our core, our weak (1 Cor 10:12 speaks to this as well; Prov 16:18). We should be on guard…always ready for temptation to boldly attack us from the front or to sneak quietly up on us from behind. We must be on guard. And, we must be prayerful. Ask the kids how they should pray or what they should be praying for.

“Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stand take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken

you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your

ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

— Apostle Paul

1. Look up Matthew 26:41. What does this verse tell us about ourselves and what we should do in regards to temptations?

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2. Look up Matthew 6:9-13 and read it. This is the Lord’s Prayer. In verse 13 what does Jesus show us we should pray for? Why do think that is the case?

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3. Matthew 26:41 said that our flesh is weak. Look up 1 Cor 10:31. This is a powerfully rich verse.

A. What does it tell us about the types of temptations that you face?

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B. How does it describe God?

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C. What does it say God will do every time you are tempted?

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D. What does it say that the Christian can do (last part) because of what God does?

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4. Look up James 1:12. What does this promise the person who remains strong when tempted? What do you think the ‘crown of life’ is?

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1. Book: “Tempted and Tried:Temptation and the Triumph of Christ”, Russell Moore, Crossway

2. Book: “Overcoming Sin and Temptation”, John Owen, edited by Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor, Crossway

3. Blog: “How to Resist Temptations Mirage Moment,” Jon Bloom, https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/how-to-resist-temptations-mirage-moment

R E S O U R C E S

The hook