Conversations with Jesus "Tempted" - Sat. Feb. 25, 2023

Conversations with Jesus "Tempted" - Sat. Feb. 25, 2023

Feb 25, 2023

Preacher: Pastor Mike Sager

Series: Conversations with Jesus

Category: Worship Services

Notes:

We began our journey of Lent with our Ash Wednesday service, where we were reminded that we came from the earth, and we will return to the earth. Now we move to the first weekend in Lent. Each year the first weekend in Lent always begins the same way, with the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. We find Jesus being sent by the Holy Spirit out into the wilderness, for forty days, where Jesus is tempted by the Devil. Hungry and exhausted Jesus faced temptation. Often this is true in our own lives, we face temptation at the vulnerable times of our lives. Those times when we are tempted to try to hold on too tightly to our successes or react in unhealthy ways when we feel threatened or afraid.

When we think of temptation or sinning, we often think about bad behavior, but scripture reveals a deeper understanding of our temptation. To be tempted in scripture is to put your trust in the wrong place or person. To mistrust God and God's promises and presences. From the first temptation in the Garden of Eden, where the snake convinced Adam and Eve that God was not telling them the whole story, that God could not and should not be trusted to provide them all that they needed. The Devil tries to convince Jesus of that same lie, "If you are the son of God... prove it to yourself, to the world. Don't trust God's voice, trust yourself and what you can do." So, we too are tempted to trust ourselves, what we do or not do to prove we are of value.

We begin this Lenten season with God's voice; reminding us that we are God's beloved, and that God will never abandon us. This voice, Jesus professes to us, is worthy of our trust. 

Dig Deeper: 

God's beloved, how do you or could you remind yourself of God's promises to you?  

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