Temptations Women Face Series

(based on messages by Mark Jones and Kyle Idleman)

SERIES: “FATAL TEMPTATIONS”

TEXT: JAMES 1:14-15; JEREMIAH 2:13

TITLE: “TEMPTATIONS WOMEN FACE”

INTRODUCTION: A. Today is Mother’s Day

1. A teacher gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet and what it

does. The next day in a written test, she included this question: "”My full name has

six letters. The first one is M. I pick up things. What am I?”

When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to find that

almost 50 percent of the students answered the question with the word “Mother.”

2. A teacher asked a boy this question: “Suppose your mother baked a pie and there

were seven of you--your parents and five children. What part of the pie would you

get?” “A sixth,” replied the boy. “I’m afraid you don’t know your fractions,” said

the teacher. “Remember, there are seven of you.” “Yes, teacher,” said the boy, “but

you don’t know my mother. Mom would say she didn’t want any pie.”

3. Let’s have all of our mothers stand

--You might not be someone’s biological mother but you served in the capacity as

their mother, we want to honor you, too

B. Today also marks the start of a new series called “Fatal Temptations”

--James 1:14-15 – “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged

away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin,

when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

2. The first message is quite fitting for today: “Temptations Women Face”

--Even if you aren’t a woman, please listen closely

a. You might hear something addressed that you’ve been struggling with too

b. Even if that isn’t the case, please listen so that you can be understanding and

helpful to someone who is struggling in these areas

C. Some of you are probably saying, “What makes you think that you have a right to

address this issue?”

1. My answer would be: “Hey, you’re pretty observant. You’ve noticed that I’m not

a woman.”

a. In fact, I’ve never been a woman and never even played one on TV

b. So, I do feel sort of awkward preaching on this subject

2. However, I will share with you that I have done some research: I’ve read some

sermons on this issue as well as other material written by both men and women and

have led several counseling sessions where these temptations have been dealt with.

--Wade Allen, from my sermon study group, even polled several women in his

church in Huntingburg and he shared those poll results with us

3. I will let you know that I’m not going to address two temptations:

--I’m not including the temptation of chocolate or the temptation to kill your

husband. (Either one of those may be justified)

D. Jer. 2:13 – God says, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me,

the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot

hold water.”

1. The people of Israel were guilty of all kinds of specific sins.

2. But at the heart of those temptations was

a. Rejecting the living water – which is God

b. Digging their own wells

--Trying to satisfy their thirst from some supply other than God’s

c. But as the Bible says, those wells don’t hold water.

--Maybe as a woman you have been digging for water in the…

I. WELL OF APPEARANCE

A. The sin of vanity can be a major problem and is certainly a distraction to our spiritual lives.

1. A girl knelt in the confessional and said, “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.” The priest

asked, “What is it, child?”

She said, “Father, I have committed the sin of vanity. Twice a day I gaze at myself in the mirror

and tell myself how beautiful I am.” The priest turned, took a good look at the girl, and said, “My

dear, I have good news. That isn’t a sin - it’s simply a mistake.”

2. Do you ever find yourself scanning the magazine covers in the checkout lines at the grocery store?

--Those magazines promise all kinds of things:

a. “One month to a bikini body.”

b. “Make up tricks to make you hot.”

c. The list could go on and on.

3. Understand something very important today

--These magazines exist with one goal: to convince you that something is wrong with you and to get

you to spend money to fix what’s wrong

4. Lots of folks have tried to find satisfaction in the way they look.

--Everyday the message in the media is that looks are important and you can never be satisfied with

what you see in the mirror