Temptations can feel heavy and overbearing, as if we have no way of escape. But that’s just a part of the trap. It’s never true. Anytime you are faced with temptation, there is a way out.
Every. Single. Time.
God promised, and He has never made a promise He did not keep. He will always give us a way out; we just have to look for it and ask Him to show us where the escape route is.
1 Cor. 10:13 says God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able to endure.
It’s as if God has a shield around us and He knows what our limits are when it comes to being tempted. He protects us from being tempted beyond what we can take. That means no matter the temptation you are facing today—even if it feels impossible to carry, even if it seems like there is no way out—you are able to stand firm. There is a way out. In the same way, Jesus withstood temptation; He will empower you to remain faithful to Him.
Temptation to Sin
When we think of being tempted to sin, we probably think of our “choice” in these terms: “Will I choose to sin or not.” That may seem kind of basic, but there is a critical nuance in there we need to discover, because it is a nuance that could very well lead us to choose to sin more often than not. Think about that “choice” a little more.
The first part of our choice is indeed if we will sin. But that second part is not merely not to sin. Rather, it is to trust in God. Do we sin or do we trust in God? Do we believe the lies of Satan and the lies we tell ourselves about the pleasure we will find in that sin, or will we trust in God and His truth?
Joesph
We're having church online today and the adults will be talking a lot about the story of Joseph.
Throughout his life, Joseph faced a lot of different temptations, some more enticing than others. After being sold into slavery I'm sure the temptation to hate his brothers was strong. After gaining great wealth in Egypt and being put in a position of power, I'll bet there were times Joseph was tempted to use his power in selfish ways. He was human, just like all of us, and he had the same choice we have to sin or trust God.
In Genesis 39, Joseph faced a temptation but chose to trust God over sin. Even when the right choice landed him in prison, he still didn't give in. After everything was said and done, Joseph looked back on the whole situation and said:
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20
Joseph’s statement in Genesis 50 is a clear and powerful picture of Jesus. God used Joseph’s suffering to provide rescue for his family- and that suffering would never have happened had Joseph not faced the temptation he did.
Jesus
Years later, our Savior Jesus would come to Earth and be tempted, he was human, just like Joseph was. Jesus had been fasting and praying for 40 days so the Devil tempted him with bread. The Devil recognized the authority of Jesus and tempted him with the kingdoms of the world but Jesus responded with humility. The last temptation was to test God and Jesus again made the choice not to sin!
Jesus was fully human but also fully God. Just like Joseph, there were times he was tempted to sin and there were times that he suffered even when he choose to trust God. It was probably very tempting to end his suffering on the cross- but he didn't.
God honored Joseph's ability to stand firm against temptation and used Josephs suffering for good. And to an even greater extent, God used Jesus’ suffering to provide rescue for all who trust in Him. Be sure your kids see and understand this amazing message this week.
*Devo from Pastor Brian, from The Gospel Project.
#JesusJams for today!
---> And here's this week's story!!
Christ Connection: The devil tried to get Jesus to sin, but Jesus never sinned. Jesus always did the right thing. Jesus died on the cross to rescue us from sin. When we are tempted to sin, we can ask Jesus to help us say no to sin.
If you have a bible at your house, you'll be turning to Luke 4 to read with your family this week! If you don't have one, that's okay! CLICK HERE.
OPTION 1: Aim for the can (Trash-ket ball) Invite kids to take turns throwing paper wads into a trash can. Keep score if you want or turn it into a basketball game! SAY • Sometimes you were able to get the paper wad in the can, and sometimes you missed. None of us got the paper in every single time. None of us perfectly follows God either. Everyone has sinned, except for Jesus. Why did Jesus become human? Jesus became human to rescue sinners.
OPTION 2: This or that? Designate two sides of the room. You may hang signs that say A and B, This and That, or some other label. Ask kids about how they would act given different situations, and instruct them to walk to the side of the room you assign to each option. Give kids a chance to explain their choices.
SAY • If we faced those situations in real life, we would probably be pretty tempted to choose the selfish, sinful option. Today we will learn about a time Jesus felt temptation. We will hear how Jesus fought back and chose to obey God.
OPTION 3: Activity Packet Trueway Kids has some AMAZING activities!
Get it here: https://truewaykids.com/the-temptation-of-jesus/
OPTION 4: Review the story of Joseph (Movie Night!)
If you have Netflix, check out "Joseph King of Dreams". Maybe make it a movie night and watch it together as a family!
If you don't have Netflix, that's okay! Here's a great second option!
