The Trouble With Temptation

“Christ, because He was the only Man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only Man who knows to the full what temptation means.”C. S. Lewis.

Temptation comes in many forms. It can come as an enticement to break the law, cheating, flirting with what you know is wrong, bending the rules, listening to those invisible urges to do what you want to do rather than doing what is right, ignoring values and wondering why you should not take the easy way out to name a few.  We will face temptations every day, some ordinary some not so ordinary. James 1:12 tells us, “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” 

It would be nice if our struggle with temptation ended when we became a Christian. Unfortunately, we are not that lucky.  God never promised to remove temptation from us, for even Christ was subject to it. The Bible says that He was “has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) We will experience temptation skirmishes until the day we are home with our Savior. Yes, we may triumph over specific temptations, but that doesn’t mean they will not come back. And when we experience victory over one, there are many other things the enemy can tempt us with. 

There is light at the end of the tunnel of temptation. There is hope in the midst of each new trial. God’s word offers an unfathomable gift to the tempted. “Stand firm against him [the devil], and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are. In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.” (1 Peter 5:9-10) Life will bring you many challenges and trials but stay strong with your trust in God and do not worry. No matter what tests, temptations, and trials are thrown at you, God is far more powerful than any evil. 

The Bible says, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) Leaning on God, you are fully equipped to take on anything thrown at you.  Jude 24 (ESV) adds, “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,”

Discussion Questions:

  1. How would you define “temptation” in your own words? What is the difference between temptation and sin?
  2. What are some things that you could do or strategies you could use to resist temptation?

My Peace I Give You

Like a shepherd taking care of his sheep, this ruler will lead and care for his people by the power and glorious name of the Lord his God. His people will live securely, and the whole earth will know his true greatness, because he will bring peace.” – Micah 5:4-5.

Take a look at your life. How would you describe it? Contented? Rushed? Exciting? Stressful? Moving forward? Holding back? “Peace on earth” is a phrase you see everywhere around Christmas time. But how many of us would use peace to describe their life? Finding real peace can be just as elusive at Christmas as finding a gift for Uncle Ted who has everything.   

The problem is typically we can’t find peace with ourselves. We regret past mistakes, struggle with our present weaknesses, and worry about the future. We seek and long for peace in our relationships with others. We struggle with the uncertainty of tomorrow and the turmoil going on in the world around us to the point we wonder if “peace on earth” is even a possibility.

Fortunately, it is possible. Having peace at Christmas comes down to focusing on the reason for the season.  Focusing on God rather than what’s happening around us will give us peace. Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Jesus is our source of peace. So spend time on things that bring Jesus to the forefront of your celebrations and challenges. Talk to Jesus and read His Word. Keep Isaiah 26:3 in mind: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

The prophecy in Micah is a promise to us. Christ will be great, His kingdom shall rule over all – and His dominion will stretch to the ends of the earth. He will guard, care and direct his people like a shepherd looking after his sheep. We will live securely and in peace. God has the capacity to say this because He is in charge of all future circumstances and He is responsible for all outcomes, therefore, He can guarantee the safety of those who trust in Him. We can have peace in that sure hope now and in the future.   

We, too, can enjoy the peace Jesus offers. He offers us peace in any season of our lives. “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) 

Discussion questions:

  1. Is it difficult for you to believe that peace with God is possible? Why or why not? 
  2. What is something that stands in the way of your peace with God? What is one thing you can do this week to begin to surrender that area of your life? 

Joy To The World

“But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me.” – Psalm 13:5-6.

Joy is a central theme woven throughout the Christmas story. John the Baptist jumped for joy even in his mother’s womb: “When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy.”(Luke 1:44) The angel announced joy to the shepherds. “…I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.”( Luke 2:10) The wise men were filled with joy: ”When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!” ( Matthew 2:10)

But there is often little joy in a season where there should be joy. The Christmas season arrives right after Thanksgiving when everyone pulls out their iPhones and electronic calendars to schedule family Christmas activities and festivities. Misgivings are starting early this year. When will I get all my Christmas shopping done? How many school programs do I need to attend this year? I have to get a Christmas tree and string the lights outside. Where is the joy in that? Every year, we place a losing bet on the world to supply a truly joyful holiday season.

The famous Christmas song “Joy to the World,” praises the coming of Jesus into the world: “Joy to the world, the Lord is come…Joy to the world, the Savior reigns.” This song not only celebrates the birth of Jesus but is a reminder when joy was brought into the world. The song continues, “Let earth receive her King.” This is a reminder that we have the responsibility for receiving this gift of Jesus and to pursue and experience joy in our lives. By letting “every heart prepare Him room,” we are able to embrace joy every day.  

When faced with day-to-day distractions, it can be easy to forget to seek out peace and find joy in the circumstances we are in. Creating joy in our lives can be difficult to do, but when we remember that joy was something that came—that entered into our world and promises to never leave us, we can take comfort in this fact.

This holiday season, I encourage you to embrace the spirit of joy. Remember that by keeping Christ at the center of all of your celebrations, you can experience true joy and understand the reason for the season. So will you join me in praying that God would help us experience the joy of the season when Jesus came into the world as a baby that very first Christmas?

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think is the basis for Christian joy?
  2. How does the message of Christmas contribute to your sense of joy? 

Mary’s Song

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things…” – Luke 1:46-51. 

There were many things that Mary could not plan for or even imagined. The first was the visit from Gabriel announcing that she would give birth to the Son of God. She could not have imagined the journey to Bethlehem and the birth in a manger. She probably never envisioned shepherds and wise men coming to see the newborn king. She probably didn’t expect to have to flee to Egypt. And she probably did not imagine the cross either. Yet, Mary trusted God’s plan.

As a result of this news from the meeting with Gabriel and Elizabeth, Mary writes a song, which Luke records. It’s commonly called the “Magnificat.” I wonder if we would sing the same tune given those circumstances. Or would we have questioned why things had to happen this way? After all, why should Joseph and I have to make that arduous journey to Bethlehem? And deliver my child, the Son of God – in a manger? Really. Instead of those questions, Mary sings, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” Mary’s entire attitude was one of praise and trust, in effect she was saying, “I do not understand all the whys, and it is not exactly enjoyable, and certainly if I had my druthers, I would have done it differently: But I will trust that God knows what He’s doing and I will glorify Him.” 

There’s a huge difference between resigned acceptance and doing it joyfully. Mary was willing to take God at His word and believe in His promises. She was willing to acknowledge that God has a purpose and that purpose is much bigger than we can usually imagine. Mary goes on to sing, “For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.” We get so busy at Christmas and in just about everything else in our lives. We make things a whole lot more hectic and complicated than they need to be; we’re all caught up in our planning, working and worrying. There’s a simplicity about Mary’s song, about her attitude of total trust and reliance on the Lord that jumps out at you.  

We too can look beyond the packaging, the wrapping, and the parties and focus on the Holy, Almighty and Loving God who cares incredibly, deeply about each of us. Remember Mary and put first things first and say, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” (Luke 1:38)

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are your thoughts on Mary’s song?  
  2. Did you have any takeaways from Mary’s song that you apply in your life? 

The Strength Of Destiny

“Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” ― Luke 1:46-47. 

Mary was probably having a simple, fairly normal day. And then the extraordinary happens. But it not only happened, but it also entered her world in the form of an extraordinary encounter with the angel, Gabriel. We don’t know where Mary was or what she was doing when Gabriel came to visit her, but we can probably imagine what it must have been like to have her relatively uncomplicated life change instantly by someone with wings. Mary is naturally afraid at first. After all, this is not an everyday occurrence. And obviously this was before Candid Camera.

Mary calms down and Gabriel wastes no time telling her the news: ”Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”…you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.  He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.  And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (Luke 1:28, 30-33)

Can you imagine receiving that message? Remember, Mary was only a teenager, probably between 13 to 16 years old. We think things get convoluted and complicated, busy and stressful in our lives. Imagine this is suddenly given to you in the middle of some weekday afternoon while you’re packing the kids lunches for school, waiting in the check out line at Publix. or waiting for your appointment at the doctor’s office.  

The wonderful part of the story is Mary’s response to the angel’s announcement. “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” (Luke 1:38) “ That’s it. No other questions, comments, apprehensions or concerns. Mary consents. Nothing complicated. No need to fully understand, or see the whole program, or get a handle on it. Just a simple, total trust in God on her part.

What about us? Have you ever heard God calling out your name, telling you that He wants you to do something? Do you trust God enough to be faithful to Him? The truth is that your life will never be fulfilling until you allow God to use you. Ephesians 2:10 (ESV) is clear that you were “created in Christ Jesus for good works.” You won’t find fulfillment in anything besides the work of God because it’s not what you were made for. God’s destiny is our destiny. If you want to live an abundant life you have to allow God to use you.

God doesn’t need our help, but He wants your life to matter. He wants you to have an eternal reward for the things you do here on earth. Many people go through life feeling discouraged about themselves and thinking they don’t have a purpose in life. But that’s not true. Whoever you are—whatever your life experiences, talents, physical ability, or role—you have a purpose and a destiny.  You just have to accept it as Mary did.

 Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think God’s destiny for your life is?  
  2. What can you do this week to get more in line with God’s destiny for your life?  

Being Thankful

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.” – Psalm 100: 4-5.             

What emotions do you feel as you mull over the approaching holiday season? Peace, joy, and thankfulness? Or does the Thanksgiving and Christmas season equate to exhausting travel, hectic schedules, and wondering where to hide the Elf on a Shelf.  It starts with Thanksgiving where people who are preparing the Thanksgiving feast hope that everything will turn out good and that there will be enough food for everybody. As a result, we can forget that it is a time to give thanks; to cultivate a spirit of thankfulness to God in our life.  

When we give thanks, we bring to mind God’s gifts to us. This, in turn, reminds us of God’s gracious nature. We think, not just of what God has done, but also of who God is. Thus, giving thanks is a beginning, not an end in itself. In the language of Psalm 100, we enter God’s gates with thanksgiving so that we might go into His courts with praise. There’s no biblical rule that states that thanks must always come before praise. But, for many of us, thanksgiving for what God has done leads us to praise God for who He is.

Thanksgiving is a season of being grateful. Thanksgiving reminds us of all the things to be grateful for. One reason that we fail to thank God now for what we have is that we want more – we want the next step. We fool ourselves into thinking that when we get more or when we get to the next step that then we will stop to thank Him. But that suggests we should not be grateful for what God is doing in our lives as part of His plan for each of us. And that means being thankful even when we are facing setbacks.

We should be thankful because God is worthy of our thanksgiving. It is only right to credit Him because “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father,”  (James 1:17). Expressing thankfulness helps us remember that God is in control. Thankfulness, then, is not only appropriate; it is actually healthy and beneficial to us. It reminds us of the bigger picture, that we belong to God, and that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing. “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). 

All of us have a lot to be thankful for this time of year. But not only should we give thanks during the holidays, but we should also give thanks to God every day of the year.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How is it possible to give thanks even in hard times?
  2. Does thanking God lead to praising God in your life?
  3. For what are you most grateful today?

Telling Your Story

“Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. ”  – 1 Peter 3:15-16. 

We all love stories, especially ones that give us an “inside look” into someone else’s life. As a child of God, you have a powerful story to tell. Sharing how you came to Jesus and the difference he’s made in your life can help others discover how they too, can know God personally.

Your story — regardless of how “spectacular” or “ordinary” you think it is — is a story about God’s character. It is your eyewitness account of how God rescued you from sin and death through Christ and changed your life as a result. When we share our story with others we help them get to know what God is like and what He can do.

Being used by God to share His love and see someone receiving Him as their Savior is one of the greatest blessings you will encounter in this life. And although it’s the prompting of the Holy Spirit that draws man to Christ, believers often play a critical role in sharing God’s word: in most cases, the catalyst for their spiritual transformation was honest conversations with a believer.

Acts 1:8 reminds us of our responsibility to tell others the Good News: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere-in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” He told us to be witnesses. He wants us to tell people what happened to change our lives. He wants us to tell our story of what Jesus did for us. Telling our story is a far cry from preaching to people. Preaching is telling people what to do and that will typically be a turnoff. In contrast, telling your personal story connects with people because we all share many of the same goals, desires, challenges, etc. We all want to be loved. We all want to love. 

Your story about when you received the love of God, you knew for the first time in your life what it means to be loved and to love. But it didn’t stop there. He gave your life meaning and a purpose. Your story is how God changed your life. So look for opportunities to tell people your story. Even if it’s just bits and pieces. People are interested. God will use your story to change their lives, just like He changed your life.

Also, remember that a testimony should never be preaching: Stay humble; never talk down, argue or use high-pressure methods to persuade people to make decisions for Christ. But do look for openings. Ask God to give you opportunities to tell your story. People you meet may say that there’s something different about you or even ask you why you’re such a “religious” person. Such situations are windows of opportunity to tell your story of faith.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Crafting your story: What were the final struggles that went through your mind just before you accepted Him? Why did you finally decide to accept Christ (or give Him complete control of your life)?
  2. How is my life different now? List some specific changes in your character, attitude, and perspective on life.

Why Not Julie?

“I believe if God doesn’t give you a miracle, you are a miracle of God for somebody else’s salvation.” – Nick Vujicic. 

Julie is the person next to me at Starbucks trying to decide what to order: “May I have a grande blonde, iced, sugar-free, cinnamon dolce latte with soy milk, half-sweet, 10 pumps vanilla and no foam, please?” Or Julie is a colleague or a fellow student. Julie is a relative, friend, acquaintance that you spend time with or a complete stranger who crosses your path for a few moments. Julie is all the broken, hurting people searching for meaning and hope in all the places except for one: the peace that can only be found in Jesus and the forgiveness He offers.  We all have Julie’s in our life. We may not be able to change them, but we can tell them that God loves them and let God do the rest.   

Every Christian wants to make a difference. It’s part of our spiritual DNA. We know the Julie’s in our lives need the good news, but we have a hard time opening our homes and opening our mouths to make the gospel known. There is a fear of evangelism. We dread the thought of confrontation. We fear rejection. We don’t want to be labeled religious fanatics or Jesus freaks. We don’t want Julie to be angry.  And many simply don’t know how to share their faith. If that is you, consider slowly hacking away at those obstacles. For instance, you might be fearful of what people think of you or how they will react when you talk about God. It’s probably not doable to just stop being fearful. What you could do, however, is to start with something small—say, working up the courage to give your testimony in your small group. Having done that, you will feel more at ease on this issue in your life. If you are wondering how to “start the conversation ” about God with Julie, just ask her if they would like to attend church with you.

As Christians, we all long for Julie to know what we know: Jesus Christ is Lord. We’ve been made to know and love God. All of us fall short and deserve eternal punishment. But God, in His love, made a way of escape. Jesus lived a perfect life and, therefore could die as a perfect sacrifice in the place of all who would turn and trust in Him. His resurrection proves He really is the Son of God, and now all are called to follow him. That is what we want Julie to hear and believe. If Julie doesn’t hear it from us who will she hear it from?  

We should want to share Christ with our Uber driver, our barista, and anyone that crosses our path. That is probably not feasible. But we can be faithful to the Julies that God has planted in our life. These are our colleagues, friends, relatives neighbors, and we have the responsibility to tell them about Christ.  

Discussion Questions:

  1. Take some time to ask God to open your eyes to the people who are in your life that need Christ…and then be patient and persistent with them looking for ways to share the good news with them.

Why Me?

“I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made you holy. As a result, you have obeyed him and have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.” – 1 Peter 1:1-2.

Every day, there are children being adopted into loving families all across the country. Others continue to hope to be adopted someday. Imagine sitting in a foster care facility wanting more than anything to be part of a family and wondering when your turn will come and you will be chosen.  

I was chosen by God as John 15:16 says, “You didn’t choose me. I chose you….” That prompts an obvious question: “Why? Why would God choose me? What goodness or merit did God see in me that He would choose me? I don’t see anything really unique or special within myself that makes me deserving of being chosen. We are all sinners.  “…We all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23). He knew us inside and out. He knew my messes and your messes. The book of Romans says, that He chose us and died for us even while we were still sinners. (Romans 5:8) He knew my passions and your passions, everything about us, and I believe that God chose us, not because we are good, or because we are more holy than another person, but because He loves us. 

God chose you because He wants to do something with your life. You aren’t here by chance, nor are you here just to live for yourself without any thought of God.

God chose you and me to bear fruit. The last half of John 15:16 says, “…I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.” The last command Jesus gave to His disciples was this: “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19) 

The most important thing that Christians can do to change the world is to tell others about Jesus. The only way to change the world is to change individuals. Changed people, in sufficient numbers, will produce changed campuses, changed communities, changed cities, states, and nations. We can help to change the world by introducing people to Jesus Christ.

Discussion Question:

  1. God chose you to demonstrate His character. He chose you that you may know Him and love Him. He chose you because He is love, He is gracious, He is merciful, and He has a glorious plan for you. Agree or disagree and why?

I Once Was Lost

“When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!” ― Luke 15:6-7. 

Ever since socks were invented, we have experienced the mystery of what happens to the missing socks. You are getting ready for the day, but when you try to find a pair of socks, you discover that the ones you have don’t match. Over the years many of your socks have found themselves in the Bermuda Triangle of socks and you are left with a sad pile of lonely, orphaned socks in a variety of colors, lengths, and stages of life. You feel a moment of regret that you did not spend some time locating them, especially the more valuable ones. But now it is too late. 

 That’s what Luke 15 is all about. We see the context in the first two verses: “Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!” In other words, Jesus got into trouble with the Pharisees because He hung around sinful people. And it was in response to that accusation that Jesus told these three stories: the story of the lost sheep, the story of the lost coin, and the story of the lost son. Jesus was using these three stories to illustrate why He hung with sinners. Jesus gave the reason in Mark 2:17: “…Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” Clearly, Jesus didn’t view his hanging out with sinners as fun or just hanging out. We don’t go to the doctor to hang out, do we? Of course not. We go to the doctor to get healed. We go with purpose and intent. And doctors don’t go to work to hang out. They go to heal the sick. He sought them out, met them where they were, and extended grace to them in their circumstances because He wanted them to be saved. 

Jesus saw the individual, not the label. And each one was important to Him. The way God values people is seen in all three of these stories. In the first story, the story of the lost sheep, we are likened to a sheep that a shepherd has lost. In the second story, the story of the lost coin, we are likened to a coin that a poor widow has lost. In the third story, the story of the lost son, we are likened to a son whom a father has lost. If you are a father, you know how important your children are. Their preciousness is far beyond value. You can only imagine how painful it would be to lose one of them. Some of you may know that pain from experience. God is saying that you are as precious to Him as a child is to its father.

In Luke 15 we are introduced to a God who is a Father. As a Father He loves everyone. But the stories of the lost sheep and the lost coin and the lost son make it clear that when you are away from Him when you are lost, He wants you to be found.

 Discussion Questions:

  1. What do the three lost parables mean to you? 
  2. Take a moment of silence and think of the people in your life that might be far from God, and make a shortlist. Commit to pray for them, commit to include them in your life in a welcoming way, and commit to inviting them to church where they can hear the good news of God’s love for them and the adventure awaiting them if they choose to follow Christ.