Tag: Temptation

Trust God’s Goodness

On By BrianIn PASSION Reflections

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” – Luke 4:3-4 (ESV)

Behold God’s Goodness. This is what devil wants Jesus to doubt in this temptation:

The Father said He loves you, that He is pleased with you. But He doesn’t care about you. He led you out here into wilderness where there is no food. Jesus you are starving. Why don’t you turn that stone into bread? If God doesn’t care about you, then you will have to look out for yourself.

We have all been here – going through a trial, and the devil whispers in our ear:

God doesn’t care about you. If He did you wouldn’t be here, you are going to have to look out for yourself with whatever means necessary.

This was devil’s tactic in garden too. We read in Genesis 3:4-5 – But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” In other words:

God doesn’t care about you, He’s keeping something from you. You have to look out for yourself. Go ahead and eat that fruit.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33 – But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Seek the kingdom, and God will take care of your basic needs. But devil whispers:

God isn’t good. He doesn’t care. He isn’t going to add those things. He won’t take care of you. You don’t have time to seek kingdom, time to spend with God, time for church, time to help another. You can’t give money for sake of kingdom, money to help another. You have to look out for yourself.

The devil wants you and Jesus to doubt God’s goodness, but Jesus refuses to follow along. Jesus trusts God’s goodness. He points the devil back to Israel in wilderness, quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3 which reads – And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

In other words, God provided food for Israel in the wilderness, and God will provide food for Jesus at proper time. God is good.

Jesus trusted in His Father’s care and provision. And we must trust in our Father’s care and provision – His goodness towards us – so that we might overcome devil’s whisperings, like Jesus did.

Saturday Strands

On By BrianIn Saturday Strands

Here are some loose strands for our growth:

The Uselessness of Prayer – Trevin Wax (TGC)
Prayer is training us to look up to the God whose first and greatest commandment is to love him with our whole heart, mind, and soul. You cannot measure or quantify that goal. You can only give yourself over to that desire and direction.

The Golden Rule for Hard Conversations – Casey McCall (ROFD)
Now ask yourself, what would you want if you were that person? The Golden Rule helps us wisely discern when the difficult conversation is necessary.

7 Things to Remember When Tempted to Sin – Doug Eaton (FOF)
We all struggle with sin, but we must remember that sin makes us foolish. It is never reasonable, and when we are in the throes of temptation, we often become ignorant. It is as if sin puts blinders on our eyes, causing us to forget what is important to us. These blinders are why, when tempted to sin, it is crucial to pause and reflect on the following seven things.

The Olympic Vision: ‘My Way’ – Murray Campbell
Because of this, perhaps ‘My Way’ was a fitting end to the Paris Olympic Games. The Olympic flame was snuffed out, its dying embers a sign of where ‘Imagine’ becomes reality.

Flashback: Not Offended
Our identity is found in Christ and not in what others think or do. So let’s live as Christians and not be so easily offended.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day worshiping God with your local church!

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

Too Busy to Love My Neighbor – Ryan (A Small Work)
I noticed one unpleasant effect of this busyness. At least in me, busyness aggravates self-centeredness.

The Devil’s Glasses – Barry York (GR)
When you are being tempted, the devil sets on your nose a pair of false glasses. These glasses make the sin look so small that you view engaging in it as trivial….

10 Bible Reading Habits I’ve Learned from My Pastor’s Sermons – Colin Smith
Here are 10 habits I have picked up from my pastor’s weekly sermons….

Seven Key Lessons in Diversity from Grace Fellowship Church – Tim Challies
Over a few hours (and some pretty tasty soup and sandwiches) we discussed diversity and arrived at a number of keys to our experience. Here, from Grace Fellowship Church, are seven lessons on finding unity in diversity.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day with your local church!

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

4 Times In Life You Should Expect To Face Temptation – Tim Challies

How to Fight for Faith in the Dark: Three Lessons for Depression – Stephen Altrogge (DG)

3 Reasons We’re Addicted to Digital Distraction – Tony Reinke (Crossway)

An Exercise in Friendship – Tim Chester

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day!

 

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

Making the Most of Your Bible Reading – Godwin Sathianathan (FTC)
God desires to speak something to you. He has something for you in His Word for your particular day. Do you believe that? Are you eagerly anticipating what He might say to you today?

3 Truths to Speak To Your Temptation – Tim Challies
Sin promises joy but brings pain, sin promises happiness but brings shame, sin promises life but brings death, sin promises freedom but brings guilt, sin promises heaven but brings hell. It is always, always a lie.

Play Hard – Jared Wilson
We need to remember to play hard. We need to take having fun seriously. This means….being mindful in our rest, play, and fun that these things are gifts from God meant to help us celebrate being made in God’s image as Creator and project in some way the creative story he is telling with the universe.

Ten Things I Learned at Church on Sunday – Erik Raymond
God met us as a church in the ordinary and showed us his extraordinary faithfulness, grace, beauty, and power.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day with your local church meeting with our great God!

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts for your weekend reading:

4 Ways to Cling to the Lord – Sam Storms (Crossway)
The temptation to forget God is always present. But there is a way to maintain one’s devotion to the Lord. Joshua’s counsel in Joshua 23:6-11 is especially helpful and can be summarized using four As.

How to Resist Temptation’s Mirage Moment– Jon Bloom (DG)
Temptation is a disorienting, defiling experience when evil is presented to us as good. Destruction comes dressed up to look like happiness.

5 Things You Can Give to God Every Day – Tim Challies
The heart of productivity is glorifying God by serving others. It is carefully and deliberately considering the things God calls us to do, and deploying all that we’ve got for his glory and the good of people made in his image. It is giving back to him what he has entrusted to each one of us.

Don’t Be Embarrassed by Your Ordinary Church – Erik Raymond (For the Church)
Is your church ordinary? Small? Well, my Christian friend, if it is preaching the gospel and endeavoring to help others to know and follow Jesus then it is not insignificant. It is powerfully important and surpassingly glorious.

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day with your ordinary church and your extraordinary God!

Genesis 1-5: Temptation

On By BrianIn OT Studies

Here are some questions to explore the theme of temptation in Genesis 1-5:

Describe the temptation in Genesis 3; compare to I John 2:15-17. What similarities do you find in your own temptations?

Describe the temptation in Genesis 4. When are you tempted in a similar way?

What did Cain need to do? Compare to I Corinthians 10:13.

How can we overcome temptation according to Matthew 4:1-11, 6:13, Galatians 5:16-23, and Titus 2:11-14? In one word?

Where did temptation come from in Genesis 3? In Genesis 4?

Compare the ways that Adam and Eve, Cain, and Lamech each respond to their sin. Is there a downward trend?

What are the consequences of sin in chapters 3, 4, & 5?

Part of Discipleship

On By BrianIn PASSION Quotes

WDBRT-HomosexualityResisting sexual desire is a part of discipleship for every Christian, no matter our marital status and no matter the kinds of attractions we experience. Desire must never be given the priority over obedience. Intense longing does not turn sinful wrongs into civil rights.

– Kevin DeYoung in What Does The Bible Really Teach About Homosexuality

Passion Points

On By BrianIn PASSION Points

Here are some good posts addressing the important issue of sin in our lives:

What Does Jesus Do With Sin? – Jared Wilson
Here are 6 things Jesus does with sin.

Steps to Overcome Temptation – D. A. Carson (via Desiring God)
Carson talks about some simultaneous steps to take for overcoming temptation, including a deepening delight in Jesus.

I Chose To Sin – Tim Challies
If I sin today—when I sin today—it is not because I had to or because anyone forced me to, but only because I chose to.

4 Reasons People Backslide – Tim Challies
Here are four reasons that people backslide.

How to Backslide in 9 Easy Steps – Tim Challies
1. Stop meditating on the gospel. “They draw off their thoughts, all that they may, from the remembrance of God, death, and judgment to come.”

Hope you have a great Lord’s Day growing in your delight of our Lord and your hatred for sin as you gather together with your local church family!