Each one of us faces
a battle within, a battle that may go unseen by those around, but inside there
is major brawl. It’s a battle with temptation. And depending on the temptation
and its hold on your life, it may be a battle that seems impossible to win. In
this series, we take a look at the temptations Jesus faced in the
desert, and identifies the driving forces behind the temptations we all face
every day. Because once you realize what the pull is behind the temptation, you
can find the confidence to follow Jesus’ example and respond as He did.
Week
1: The Main Event (February 24th)
Bottom Line: In every
single temptation you face, there is always more at risk than you think.
In the sport of
boxing, the main event is the big fight, the moment where everything is on the
line. But for most of us, we are oblivious to the truth that in every
temptation we face, there’s a lot at stake as well. When face to face with
temptation, the choice feels insignificant sometimes. There are times when it
feels like no one will notice, or it’s not really a big deal. But in looking at
the temptations Jesus faced, we realize just how much is at stake—not only in
His life, with the temptations that were before Him—but in our lives as well,
with the ones we face every day.
Week 2: Fixing the Fight (March 3rd)
Bottom Line: We are tempted to believe we know how God works and how we think we can work Him.
In the boxing world, sometimes things aren’t always what they seem. Sometimes the winner is known before anyone walks into the ring. Sometimes the outcome is pre-determined by a person who has manipulated things behind the scene. Sometimes a fighter takes a dive. Sometimes a boxer throws the fight. And if each one of us were completely honest, sometimes we try to work things as well in our fight with temptation. And who or what we are manipulating isn’t the temptation, it’s God.
Week
3: Hook and Jab (March 10th)
Bottom Line: We are
tempted to pursue the right thing the wrong way.
Temptation doesn’t
always have to be about doing something bad. In fact, sometimes it’s not the
end result that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but how we plan to get there.
It’s the shortcut, the path, the compromise. And in this fight, this struggle
with temptation, sometimes the punches we throw and the ones thrown at us are
simply about pursuing the right things but in the wrong way.
FAMILY EXPERIENCE
Over the next three weeks, our group is looking at the temptations each of us face, and digging
down deeper to figure out the real issues. For teens, those temptations may
look differently from the ones you face. In fact, one of the biggest
temptations you may have is a tension that you may live with every day. It’s
the tension between work and home. Whether you are in the workplace or working
at home, there’s a struggle between the time you spend on the things you have
to do versus the time you have to spend with your child. It’s that constant tug
of war between what you have to do to get ahead in the workplace versus what it
takes to really invest in your family.
Since there are only
24 hours in a day, something has to give. Someone has to lose out. Taking time
for one thing takes time away from something else. And the only way to invest
more time in one thing is to cheat the other thing. So whom are you going to
cheat? Are you going to cheat your workplace or that show-ready home? Or are
you going to cheat your family?
There will always be
a project. There will always be an e-mail in your inbox. There will always be a
phone call to return. But the time you have right now with your spouse, with
your child, is limited. And when you think of the big picture, you’re the only
one who can be a dad to your kids. You’re the only one who can be a mom to your
kids. You’re the only who can be a husband to your wife, or a wife to your
husband.
