1. Jean Blaylock’s surgery went well; there was no cancer. She is recovering at Sid Peterson in Kerrville.
2. Lila Fox has been put on Hospice.
3. Bobby Colston is having kidney problems that could be serious.
Scripture
Matthew 4:1-11
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is written, "' Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "' He will command his angels concerning you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" 7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "' You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'" 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
Questions for Reflection
1. Why are some temptations harder to resist than others?
2. Who led Jesus into the wilderness? Why? (4:1)
3. For what purpose was Jesus led into the desert? (4:1)
4. What three names are given to Jesus’ adversary in the desert? (4:3, 5, 10)
5. What happened after Jesus had resisted Satan three times? (4:11)
6. Who came and ministered to Jesus when all was said and done? (4:11)
7. How would you define temptation?
8. Besides physical appetite, what are some other sins of the flesh?
9. How can memorizing Scripture help us combat temptation?
10. What role does the Word of God play in resisting temptation?
11. What happens when a Christian consistently resists temptation?
12. What situations make us especially vulnerable to temptation?
13. In what ways can we make temptation more difficult to resist?
14. What can we do to make temptation more manageable?
