Temptation

Wrapping up our Call on Heaven collection of talks, Ben Stuart reminds us that many of the good gifts in life make for bad gods. If we desire to live a life devoted to the Lord, we must abandon the hope we put in vices and temporary fixes and turn towards a God who is waiting to save us.

We need to say ‘no deal’ to the enemy because we’ve already said yes to the glorious savior, Jesus Christ, and we have given our hearts and our lives over to him. Earl McClellan teaches us to avoid the shortcuts we may be tempted to take in life and instead fix our eyes on the Savior for the long haul, giving Him all of us.

I felt as if I was the only Christian struggling. There was this expectation I had set for myself that as soon as I gave my life to Jesus, sin should be in the rearview mirror. I was dealing with pride, seeking validation and affirmation from the student ministry group I was leading. I was experiencing greed, terrified of offering up my finances to the Lord while barely being able to pay rent. I was envious, scrolling for hours on Instagram and comparing myself to others. Yet, I would show up to my small group every Monday night, recite what I learned in our study from that week to my leader, and stare down at my hands as soon as prayer requests rolled around, unwilling to share the many sins seemingly taking hold of my heart.  Have you ever put on your Christian mask and hid behind Christian jargon to distract from the fact that you’re struggling? Everything changed for me one night when I was sitting in that very same small group. A woman I knew to be a devout Christian who led in various capacities confessed to the sins she was struggling with. I had never witnessed such boldness and courage in admitting weakness before. Slowly but surely, women spoke up from different spots in this living room, sharing their experiences with the same sins and confessing to others. What initially started as one woman bracing for impact, expecting judgment to be poured out from all sides, ended in a room full of compassion and confession.  The enemy knows that shame grows in the dark. As he tends to our shame, whispering lies into the guilt that has festered in the shadows, it grows bigger and bigger. It’s time to open the door and let the light of God’s mercy pour in. Through confession, we see God’s power shine and the enemy’s true frailty. The room we once thought we were alone was filled with Him and His people the whole time. There is power in confession. Here are three ways we can tangibly see that power in action. 1.Confession allows mercy to flood in.  Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Proverbs 28:13  When we struggle with sin, the enemy swoops in to feed us the lie that confession will only magnify our brokenness. He encourages us to live lives hidden away from God and people. We are misled into thinking there is a place to hide our uncleanliness from the creator of the universe. Adam does this very thing in Genesis 3. After eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam realizes his nakedness and hides from God. In verse 9, God asks Adam where he is. Not because He doesn’t know but because He wants to bring awareness to Adam’s attempt to hide his newfound sinful nature from God. God knows when we are going to sin before we even sin. He is alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, and He exists outside of time. To Him, we look like children playing hide-and-seek behind a sheer curtain with our shoes sticking out from the bottom. He can see us fully and is waiting for us to walk out from behind the curtain and come to Him, showing us how merciful He really is. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 Throughout Scripture, we see that confession is the highway to mercy, fruitfulness, faithfulness, forgiveness, and grace. When we cast light on our darkest sins, we invite in the mercy of God. 2.Confession leads to repentance. The enemy can use confession as merely a means of excusing our sins. But confession is only the first step. While it’s a mighty and valiant step for us, it would be a miss for us to stop there. After we confess our sins, we are called to repent. Repentance helps us take accountability for our actions before God and reminds us of our dependence on Him. We cannot overthrow our sins without Him as our advocate and defender. In 2 Corinthians 7, Paul writes from Macedonia to the Church in Corinth, rejoicing in the Church’s repentance.  As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 Paul knew that godly grief suffers no loss, but worldly grief produces death. We should feel sorrow regarding our strife with sin—that is what leads us to repentance, and repentance leads to life, which is where joy enters.  We can rejoice that there is no loss because Jesus Christ already died on the cross for our sins, and in Him, we have freedom from the bondage of sin. When we repent, there is a holy celebration for tides changing and hearts shifting for His glory and our good. Confession isn’t a one-size-fits-all. As we continue to struggle with sin throughout our lives, confession may be more challenging in some seasons than others. But He is patient in His pursuit of you, gently and kindly leading you to repentance because He knows that it brings us closer to Him. And in that nearness and intimacy, the fruit of repentance begins to bud in your life. Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Matthew 3:8 3.Confession invites in community.  Another lie we may believe is that confession leads to isolation. After accepting Christ as my savior, I convinced myself that if I let people see my brokenness, they wouldn’t want to be around me. Scripture repeatedly shows us the opposite, and the woman from my bible study was the model example of how grace shown in a community of Christ’s followers can actually lead to revival. James 5:16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”  There is healing power in confessing our sins to other believers, and we’re called to stand with our brothers and sisters in the fight, carrying each other’s burdens. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 As we pursue confession to experience healing, we can walk away with a few practical steps: Confess your sins to God and allow mercy to flood in.Kneel before Him in repentance.Seek community with believers and confess your sins to them. Confession isn’t an action item to check off on our long to-do list for the day; it’s a catalyst for transformation, and an open door for God to step through that leads to healing.  Let’s pray. Jesus, help us to have the strength to confess our deepest sins to you and remind us of the abundance of Your mercy. We know you are a kind, loving Father whose intent is never to shame us but to call us to more. Where condemnation tries to creep into our hearts, conviction is victorious, helping us to look more like You. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

As the church, it can feel like we have to have it all together all of the time, to avoid talking about where we are, where we’ve been, or what we’ve walked through. Our prayer is that this track is just the starting place for us to let go of those expectations.

There is, within every man, a deep desire to do what is right, a longing to navigate all of life’s adventures with a clear understanding of what is at stake and the best path forward towards victory. Aboard a vessel thrown among the waves of sin, every man encounters an absence within themselves that can only be filled through the deposit of wisdom.  Living well, as it turns out, is no easy feat.  The book of Proverbs enters our lives as a gift, given freely by our Heavenly Father through Solomon, Lemuel, Agur, and the men of Hezekiah. Its pages contain God’s divine wisdom translated through story, illustration, admonishment, and encouragement. Proverbs is, in its way, a map, reaching out to us from 500 years before the likes of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle as if to say,  “Follow me, and live well.”  As human beings, not one of us could hope to take hold of that calling to perfection, and so the book before you now is not one of condemnation or judgment. Instead, this collection of ancient Proverbs and current reflections is built to remind you that through the righteous life, sacrifice, and resurrection of Jesus, you have been given the gift of God’s Holy Spirit, by which you may pursue His wisdom perfected.

This is an excerpt from Louie Giglio’s book Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table. Jesus was tempted. The Enemy sent harmful thoughts His way. The Devil actually spoke to Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11), and Jesus heard the Devil’s words, yet Jesus never chose to entertain the Devil’s voice. See, when a harmful thought or temptation comes into our minds, we have a choice. We can either discard that thought or entertain it. If we discard it, good. But if we entertain it, that’s when the Devil sits at our table. The sin happens when we keep hold of that harmful thought and let it take root in our minds. Jesus taught this in the Sermon on the Mount. All sorts of folks were entertaining unhealthy thoughts, although they weren’t acting on those thoughts. They figured all was well. But in Matthew 5:21–22 and 27–28, Jesus came along and blew this up. Hey, He told them, you think you’re doing fine because you’re not actually murdering people. Well, guess what? If you simply hate somebody enough to want them dead . . . that’s as bad as murder. You might think you’re fine because you’re not actually in bed with someone you’re not married to, but guess what? If you’re merely imagining yourself in an illicit relationship with someone, that’s also wrong. You’re committing sin with that person in your heart.  Entertaining a harmful thought is as bad as doing a harmful deed. That’s key because it’s far too easy to think we’re not sinning merely because we’re not acting on a sinful thought. Here’s the fact: the thought itself falls short of the glory of God. When we entertain it, the thought muddies our relationship with the Lord. The thought itself occupies our mind and has the power to knock us off course. Romans 12:2 gives this stiff warning: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” The frightening reality is this: once we let a harmful thought pitch a tent in our mind, eventually that temptation is acted on. Period. Sometimes people insist that harmful thoughts don’t always lead to harmful actions, but I disagree. Harmful actions always begin with harmful thoughts, and harmful thoughts, harbored over time, always lead to harmful actions. Those thoughts must be stopped. If those thoughts are entertained long enough, they will win the battle for your mind. Sometimes we will actually do the harmful thing that we’re thinking about, while at other times the shift is simply that our attitude toward the sinful choice changes. We slowly warm up to sin. Either way, the harmful thoughts have led us to being negatively influenced. If you’re thinking about committing adultery, maybe you will actually commit adultery. Or perhaps, after repeatedly imagining yourself committing adultery, you’re more willing to conclude that adultery isn’t that bad.  Adultery is beneficial. Adultery opens doors for you. Adultery is the solution to your marital problems. All lies. Because this is truth, too, and this is why the Enemy’s lures are so dangerous: sin usually feels good. Just for a moment. We often skip over this part of the story in church, but it needs to be told if we’re to be aware of the Enemy’s schemes. Sin can be fun—at least for a little while. Proverbs 14:12–13 lays this out plainly. “There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again—it leads straight to hell. Sure, those people appear to be having a good time, but all that laughter will end in heartbreak” (the message). Can I get an amen? That description in Proverbs sounds like many people’s weekends. Man, we were laughing so hard. We were having such an amazing time. But whoa, the next morning I was so miserable.  Moses grew up as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He had all the opportunity to enjoy the privileges of life in the Egyptian palace. Yet Hebrews 11:25 says that Moses chose not “to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.” He went the other direction. The pleasures of sin are enjoyable, but they are not lasting pleasures, and they are certainly not pleasures that honor God. Sinful pleasures don’t provide peace or fulfillment. They lead to harm, separation, disappointment, and shame.  That’s how it works. The Devil shows you a lure. You bite the lure, but it doesn’t deliver what was promised. Instead, you end up in a downward sin spiral into shame, separation, and destruction. This is an excerpt from Louie Giglio’s book, Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table. Click here to grab a copy of this special resource.

They can surprise us and usually come at comically inopportune times; think while you’re at Home Depot or in the middle of an important phone call. Mine came as we pulled into the school parking lot last year, running late with everyone stressed from the morning my daughter asked me to explain the Trinity! ‘Just give me the overview, Mom.’ It makes me laugh recalling that moment because I’m not too proud to tell you that I completely froze and told her we could talk about it after school that afternoon! Significant theological questions are scary, but they are a beautiful sign of God’s active work in our kids’ lives. These ponderings and questions show that they desire answers. And not just answers but insight and wisdom. These are the stirrings of the Holy Spirit in the next generation’s hearts. You don’t have to know all the big words and theories, but we must understand what Scripture says. In Romans 3, Paul lays out a three-step map for a conversation about sin.  This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  Romans 3:22-24 1.‘Only faith in Jesus Christ can give us righteousness.’  Righteousness simply means “right standing.” And right standing is only offered through faith in Jesus. It doesn’t matter how good your grades are or what records you broke on the track team; what matters is faith in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Help your child understand that God isn’t looking for a flawless performance; He already loves who they really are. 2.‘There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…’  Kids understand how a social hierarchy works. Most have come up against someone who ranks higher or lower than them on the popularity scale. This reference is a helpful tool to explain how it doesn’t matter how popular or unpopular you are, how much of a star, or if you have a quiet disposition. Everyone falls short—parents included! Sin is a separateness that cannot close the gap between God and us without Jesus. Take a minute to pause and remind your child that mistakes will happen. This could be a good time to tell a story about a few you made! Mistakes aren’t the problem because we have faith in Jesus, who puts us in Right Standing with God the Father. 3.‘… all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.’ God creates us with value and purpose. Our sin creates a divide that we cannot cross without Jesus. Confessing that we can’t cross the divide on our own and we need Jesus to redeem our sins frees us from the weight of our mistakes. This freedom makes us righteous but also Just in Christ Jesus. To be justified means we’ve accepted the gift of faith that makes us clean and one with God. We’ve been justified because we are made to have a relationship with him! Our sin is heavy. Being honest and age-appropriate with your kids about that weight is the first step in a Biblical explanation of sin. Romans 3 reminds us that its level ground when we come to Jesus. And aren’t we so grateful for that? As you have these conversations with your kids, be reminded and refreshed that you were also called for a purpose. Pray and ask the Lord to show you ways to lead your children in the path of humility that leads straight to the righteousness and redemption of Christ Jesus.

“…God’s kindness leads you to repentance…” –Romans 2:4 It’s a key concept for the Christian life. Repentance, in its simplest form, is turning. It’s turning away from sin and towards God. It’s turning from something less to something better. It’s saying no to say yes. Repentance is a reorienting of our lives and actions away from the ways of the world to live in line with Jesus. It’s seeing Christ’s kindness for us at the cross and letting His love turn us towards Himself. It’s wanting Him more than anything the world could give, so we say no to our sins to say yes to Him.  We didn’t stop sinning at salvation; therefore, we mustn’t cease to repent. Repentance isn’t a one-time event for the believer; rather, it’s a posture for the Christian life. In the words of John the Baptist, “produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” (Matthew 3:8). As a church, we wanted to equip you with what practical repentance can look like in your lives.  Repenting means confessing.  We begin by admitting that our way is wrong and God’s is right. Before you can receive grace, you need to know you need grace. Jesus is the ultimate surgeon, but He can only heal what we let Him touch. So, the first step in repenting is confessing. It’s showing Him our mess. We offer Him our weakness, where we’re broken, where we’ve gone wrong. That’s when He points us to His wounds, and our healing begins. John says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).  We’re not meant to do it alone, either. We experience the goodness of His grace through the physical hands of the church. Do you have a group to get real with regularly? Do you have a small crew that knows everything about you? Do you have a circle that can check you and you consistently confess to? James says it’s here you find healing. “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16). Repenting begins with confessing.  Repenting means turning.  Confession is where repentance starts but is far from where it ends. If we want God’s grace, we must turn from our sin. As we see His grace as more desirable than our sin, we’re compelled to turn from our sin to embrace His grace. Grace is freely offered and cannot be earned, but you must take hold of it. It’s free to gaze upon but costly to cling to. It is impossible to hold on to grace if we still sin. You must let go of one before you can fully grasp the other. Jonah said it best: “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs” (Jonah 2:8). We must ask ourselves what areas in our lives keep us from resting in His grace. Repenting means turning. Repenting means mourning sin.  While this isn’t a popular point, it characterizes true repentance. Thomas Watson, a 17th-century English Puritan preacher and author, said it well when he wrote,  “He that can believe without doubting suspect his faith, and he that can repent without sorrowing suspect his repentance.”¹   In the words of Paul, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (2 Corinthians 7:10). First, there’s a difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow. It’s the difference between guilt and conviction, the enemy and the Holy Spirit, the voice of condemnation, and the pruning of God. Godly sorrow comes from hurting the One we love.  Seeing how God loves us brings us to sorrow at the sight of our sin against Him. The primary problem with our sin is not in what we do but in who we’ve sinned against. Sin is grave because we’ve wronged a great God. Once we grasp the weight of our sin, we come to a better realization of the weight of His love. Paul urges us to experience the sorrow of seeing we’ve offended the One who loves us and receive forgiveness. We’re not meant to stay in sorrow very long. Glance at your sin and gaze on the cross. We don’t beat ourselves up. Instead, God will quickly move us past the weight of our sin into the wonder of His grace. Because we love Him, repenting means mourning our sins.  This week, remember He has more grace than we have sinned. He has more love for you than you’re aware of. His gospel is better than anything the world has to offer. We want to be a people who want to be His people.  So, we confess where we’ve been wrong, knowing His wounds make us clean. We turn away from our sin and towards our Savior because He first moved towards us. We experience godly sorrow in seeing our sin and let it move us to rely more deeply on the one who was perfect in our place. This process is called repentance. Our prayer for our church is to produce fruit in keeping with repentance. In view of His mercy, let His kindness lead you to repentance.  “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Joel 2:12-13 ¹ Watson, Thomas. The Doctrine of Repentance. Banner of Truth, 1988.

Luke Lezon, Lead Pastor at Lifebridge Church, joins us to talk about God’s design for sex. In a culture that has confused, altered, and challenged the biblical meaning of marriage, Luke looks to the Word of God to rediscover the beautiful and life-giving purpose of the covenant that God created since the beginning of creation.

Grant Partrick joins us for THE FIVE, challenging us to take into account what our deepest desire is. He teaches that our values show what we desire, and our desires show in our actions. Specifically relating to our finances, our lives are a reflection of what we love, and it cannot be devoted to both God and money.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the weight of your shame? In this week’s message, Ben Stuart shares how Jesus wants to set us free from our shame and how you can experience it in your own life today!

Join Brett Younker and Hannah Brencher for an insightful dialogue on navigating mental health challenges through the lens of faith as they delve into how Scripture informs and guides our approach to caring for our minds in today’s complex world.