Date: April 16, 2023
Session Title: The Source of Temptation
The Point: We have no one to blame but ourselves when we fall into sin.
Get Into the Study
Use the following information to introduce Question #1.
Begin by referencing this news item: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/insulin-users-respond-price-cuts-eli-lilly-novo-nordisk-sanofi-rcna75448
ay: Insulin is an essential hormone that diabetics’ bodies either don’t have enough of, or are unable to use properly. When injected as a medicine, insulin makes it possible for diabetics to control blood sugar levels. Natalie Stanback in Dallas has struggled to afford insulin for her 11-year-old daughter, as just one vial would cost $75 to $100. Kimberly Blincoe, a 26-year-old from California, feared having to get off her parents’ insurance because her cost would go from $300 under their plan to over $1500 per month.
So, for people whose lives are impacted by diabetes, it was life changing when, on March 1 of this year, Eli Lilly announced that it would “immediately cap the out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 a month.” While non-diabetics can occasionally “cheat” their diet and give in to food temptations without real consequences, diabetics can experience life-threatening challenges even if they eat in a healthy, balanced way.
Lead into today’s study by sharing that food temptations provide us with a physical picture of what temptation is like, and that diabetics’ interactions with food is closer to the deadly way that temptations of sin can threaten our lives.
Information for this post was gleaned from:
- For Many Insulin Users, New Price Cuts Will Be a ‘Lifeline’ – NBC News https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/insulin-users-respond-price-cuts-eli-lilly-novo-nordisk-sanofi-rcna75448
- Insulin: What Is It, How Do You Take It, Side Effects- Cleveland Clinic- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22601-insulin
Get Into the Study [Option from the Adult Leader Guide, p. 83]
At the beginning of the session, play a funny video clip showing someone being tempted by food. Then ask Question #1.
Study the Bible
Use the following information as you discuss James1:16-18 and introduce the concept of God as the Father of Lights.
Have you heard the news about how “the times are a’changing”… or maybe not? It’s possible that when we changed our clocks on March 12th, it may have been the last time we ever “spring forward!” A bill has passed the Senate, and the idea has increasing support among Americans. Commentators think it’s realistic that once we “fall back” in November, we may never re-enter Daylight Savings Time again.
Say: In America, the way we interact with our clocks has been malleable for over a century. During World War I, it was thought that adding more sunshine to the working day made it easier for laborers to shop when it was still light outside. So for many decades now, Americans have adjusted their sleep twice a year, to the “changed time.”
Even though the time on our clock faces can change (or change back) by the passing of a bill, God never does change. The light of His truth is constant. The truth in His Word never changes. His character is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and this constancy can give us real, dependability as we lean on Him in our fight against temptation!
Information for this post was gleaned from:
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/daylight-savings-time-2023-change-clocks/
- https://time.com/6261629/daylight-savings-time-2023/
Jessica Connell wrote these Leader Extras. Jess is a homeschooling mom of 9 who has served around the world in ministry with her husband. She loves hiking, exploring, and being active in her local church in North Texas.
Study the Bible [Option from the Adult Leader Guide, p. 88]
Play a video clip from “The Pilgrim’s Progress” of Christian and his companion facing temptation in Vanity Fair. Invite group members to unpack the allegory in their own lives.
Additional Questions
Icebreaker
- What do you have a weakness for?
- What food do you find hard to resist?
- What dessert can you never say no to?
James 1:13
- How does it help you to know how Satan works through temptation?
- Why do some people blame God when they experience temptations?
- Why might we consider blaming God when we experience temptation?
- What about God’s character assures us that He is never the source of a temptation to sin?
James 1:14-15
- What evidence supports the truth that everyone has a sin nature?
- How can we discern the difference between a godly desire and an evil desire?
- What practices can help us avoid the enticement of sin?
- How has Christ changed the way you respond to temptation?
James 1:16-18
- What good gifts have you received from God?
- How can remembering God’s goodness help us resist temptation?
- How have you experienced success when facing temptation as you have matured in your walk with Christ?
- When had God’s unchanging nature been a blessing to you?
For Those in Your Group
Send the following link to your group members as either a teaser before the group meets or as a follow-up thought:
Podcast
Click here for a 20-minute podcast for both the group member and the leader.
Podcast (adultsleadertraining): Play in new window | Download
Great addition to text for lesson…saves lot of extra effort to restate in own words…thoughts similar to my own.
I enjoy and appreciate your adult extras and your podcast. It gives me extra insight each week as I lead a men’s study group. I found it interesting that you appropriately stated satan is not omnipresent but then stated how good he is at luring us into sin. Hard sometimes to reconcile all that. Thanks again.