1) Listen to Podcast here
2) GG Questions 02/18/2018
Seeking First: Yield Not to Temptation Matthew 4:1-11
1. Close Reading: After praying for God to enlighten your mind, read through Matthew 4:1-11 a couple times, slowly. Look for these three things: LIGHTBULB – something that shines from the passage, draws your attention; QUESTION MARK – something difficult to understand; ARROW – a personal application. Share the results of your study with your group.
2. Israel 2.0: Just as Israel passed through the Red Sea and entered the wilderness for forty years, now Jesus, following his baptism, entered the wilderness for forty days to be tested. How did Israel respond to its test of hunger (Exod. 16:2, 7-8)? Where else did a tempter come to a son of God, twisting God’s words and doubting God’s goodness (Gen. 3:1-6)? Have you ever given into temptation and subsequently thought, ‘I’m not good enough to serve God’? How do Jesus’ successes change your attitude toward your failures (Heb. 2:17-18; 4:15)?
3. Following a Good Example: Are believers today tempted by the devil (1 Pet. 5:8)? Think about the temptations you struggle with and the lies you are tempted to believe about God and yourself (John 8:44)? How did Jesus combat his temptation? If you’re comfortable doing so, share some of these struggles with your group and ask for their help to gather a list of Bible verses you can use to combat those temptations as Jesus did (James 4:7; Matt. 6:13).
4. Shortcuts: Jesus is destined to rule over all the kingdoms of the earth (Psa. 2:7-8; Dan. 7:13-14). But what must happen first to this future King (Matt. 27:28-29, 37)? In the third temptation, Satan offered Jesus a shortcut to His destiny which bypassed the cross (cf. Matt. 16:21-23; 26:36-39). What shortcuts does the devil dangle before you? Where would it be easier for you to shrug off that cross you’ve been called to take up?
