Tuning in to Temptation- Life Group Questions

Read Matt 4:1-11

We are all held by things. Pulled into things. We want freedom and Jesus shows the process in his own temptation. Jesus succeeds in his temptation where Israel failed. We want to go from slavery to the promise land but first must go through the wilderness. In the wilderness we face our temptations to overcome them. We don’t run away from the temptation, we resist the devil and he flees from us. Jesus is our model for this in Matthew 4 as Jesus faces three great temptations.

1. Appetite- We feel like we need certain things to be comfortable and safe. It is good to be safe but the wilderness can show us we are stronger than we think. The wilderness causes us to hunger for deeper things. The wilderness makes us question what we believe will fill us and meet our needs. Where have you/ are you experiencing this in your life?

2. Approval- The second temptation calls out our identity and the need to prove ourselves to others. It calls our our need to be seen as significant. Deep down it’s a question of “who do you belong too?” How does this struggle show up in your life?

3. Ambition- The temptation of ambitions is to compromise character in the pursuit of fulfilling a goal… even a God given goal. It’s the pull toward a call but in a way where the ends justifies the means. Ultimately it’s a temptation to pursue the resources over the source. We win here when we return to the pursuit of and surrender to God. Where has this struggle shown up for you?

Most of us struggle with one of these more than the others. What is your key temptation and what is it teaching you? What is the next step you need to take in facing it?