July 14, 2024
Temptation Pt. 2 | Matt. 4:1-11
Is God Testing Me?
We’re halfway through our study of Jesus’ three temptations. One aspect that often goes unnoticed about this event is His incredible restraint. Such humility! In a situation that might suggest a dramatic "clash of the Titans" with lightning bolts and grandiose speeches, Jesus' response to Satan’s second temptation is remarkably succinct—just one line. Talk about understated! How might humility influence the way you resist temptation?
Songs for this week: Spotify
- Recall a time when you felt like God failed you. Share that story.
- On a scale of 1-10, how important is it to you that people respect you? How do you handle disrespect from others?
- Satan quotes the Bible! What steps can Christians take to ensure they don’t misuse the truths of the Bible?
- Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6, which references a story in Exodus 17. Find that story. Explain how God experienced that as a test of His goodness and why that was a problem.
- Are you testing God in your life with conditional statements like, “God, if you do this, then I’ll do that”? What might be a better approach to the difficult situations you face?
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James 5:13-20 - A life of faith is a life of prayer. It’s also a life lived with others. When we follow Jesus, we belong to Him and to one another as brothers and sisters. As a family, we care for one another in weakness, confess our sins to each other, and gently confront one another.
James 4:6-10 -James knows that the heart of the Christian message is grace. God gives us good that we couldn’t ever deserve. The truth is that we earn and deserve justice and punishment. Thankfully, Jesus took both of those for us and gave us the good he deserved. As powerful as grace is, there is one thing that can re
James 3:1-18 -James is at it again! He has a real concern for the words that Christians use on themselves, with each other and with the world. Our tongues (James' favourite image for our words) can cause such destruction, and they are nearly impossible to control.
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James 1:19-27 - James is direct: angry words, thoughtless words, and religious words don’t have a place in a life of faith. Our words don’t work … but God’s word does! Our job is simply to cooperate with his word.
