What if temptation isn't something to be embarrassed about, or dismissed with a wink and a smile? In this first Sunday sermon of Lent 2026, David McGaw takes on one of Christianity's most misunderstood topics and reframes it entirely: temptation isn't cute, but it doesn't have to be crushing either. It's an invitation to grow.

Opening with a crowd-singalong of The Temptations' "My Girl," David draws a sharp contrast between our culture's tendency to make sin seem charming ("sinfully delicious," anyone?) and what Scripture actually says about the life cycle of temptation from the Garden of Eden to the wilderness of Jesus's forty-day fast.

In this message, you'll explore:

- Why Eve's story is more relatable than we'd like to admit and what it reveals about how rational people fall for irrational choices

- How Jesus's time in the wilderness wasn't forty days of spiritual combat, but a season of focused preparation a "gym for the soul"

- Why Jesus's responses to the devil weren't magic incantations, but a deep recall of God's faithfulness throughout history

- The practical difference between giving something *up* for Lent and taking something *on* and how even small disruptions (like swapping Diet Coke) can rewire your spiritual habits

- What N.T. Wright's "From Wilderness to Glory" reveals about learning to recognize the voices that "whisper attractive lies"

Whether you're a lifelong Lent observer or new to the Anglican tradition, this message is an honest, warm, and surprisingly funny guide to why the wilderness isn't a punishment, it's a gift. And why the pruning season is exactly when new growth begins.

Recorded at Holy Trinity Silicon Valley, February 22, 2026 — the First Sunday of Lent.