Reflections – 2016.02

Temptation – Let’s Deal with It

I want to invite you to participate in our Sunday evening worship service and Sunday School.  I know that evenings are difficult for some in terms of driving or just gathering everyone to leave the house.  I also know that if you are able to make this your pattern, it will be a blessing.  So why not give it a try?  In addition to Sunday School for the family (through grade 5), we spend time together in prayer and song and sermon.  The service ends at 7 so that you can get your children (and yourselves) home in time to be prepared for the week ahead.

On Sunday evenings through March, I am teaching on the topic of “Temptation.”  I am using as a resource a book from John Owen, entitled “Temptation: Resisted and Repulsed.”  I will purchase a copy of this book for anyone who would like to try to read through it.  In his book, Owen centers his reflections on a verse that we are using as our text on Sunday evenings, “Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41).

So are you tempted?  Then this series is for you.  Which of course means that this series is for everyone!

Although a couple of weeks have passed, you will be able to catch up to where we are without a problem.  Here are the dates and topics:

January 10 – What is Temptation?

January 17 – Entering into Temptation

January 24 –  Temptation and the Heart / Mind

January 31 – Topic to be announced

February 7 – Public and Private Temptations

February 14 – Know Your Danger

February 21 – The Means of Preservation and Protection

February 28 – Watching for Temptation

March 7 – Watching Our Hearts

March 14 – The Patience of Christ and Our Response

March 21 – Help and Safety in Temptation

March 28 – Some Final Words on this Topic

My hope is that this will not merely be a study of a topic, but that what we talk about will be applicable to your daily life as a Christian, that you will be inspired and encouraged to deal with the temptations you face each day, that you will put into practice Jesus’ words, when he says, “Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation.”