The Lures Of Temptation Series

The Lures of Temptations.

James 1:13-18

Next week we will be celebrating Mothers Day. Next week there will be time for you to share a short testimony about your mom and what she means to you, so be thinking about that and what you might share. Today we will be continuing our study in the book of James. Please turn in you bibles to James 1:13-18.

Now since we will be talking about moms so much next week I thought that I would talk about my dad Today, and you can’t talk about my dad with out talking about fishing.

My dad loved to fish. He loved talking about it. He loved sharing his special fishing tips with people, but most of all he loved taking people fishing with him. If you talk to anyone that knew my father they would tell you that he loved bragging about his fishing trips. My dad had photo albums that were filled with pictures of fish that he caught. They were his trophies.

As I thought about the message today I couldn’t help but think about my dad. We are continuing our study in the book of James. Go ahead and get your bible out and turn to the book of James and I have entitled today’s message “The Lures of Temptations.”

Let us read God’s word. Read James 1:13-18

“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”, for God cannot be tempted by evil, not does He Himself temp anyone.” James 1:13

I was talking to someone the other day and he ask me the question, “If there is a God, why did he allow my life to be so messed up?” I told him that God didn’t have anything to do with it. You see, God gives each one of us choices and it is up to us to choose the right path. The reason that your life is so messed up, it’s because of the choices that you made.

I think one of the major problems with society today is the fact that we like to blame others for our problems. How many of us have used these excuses; If my kids were more respectful, If my dad told me that he loved me more, If my parents would have been more strict with me. If my parents would have spent more time with me. If the music was better at the church, If we had a better pastor, If my husband would spend more time with me. If my kids would listen to me…. If… If… If…

Our kids love making excuses to… It’s so and so’s fault, I couldn’t help myself, everybody’s doing it, it was just a mistake, nobody’s perfect, the devil made me do it, I was pressured into it, I didn’t know it was wrong.

People that make excuses are trying to shift the blame from themselves to something or someone else. As a Christian, God calls each of us to accept the responsibility for our own actions.

Will we mess up? Of course, but we need to rise above the world’s standards and accept the blame when we mess up.

Let me share a scripture with you it is Psalms 139:15 it says “My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in a secret place. In other words “God knows my frame” Turn to the person setting next to you and say “God knows my Frame”

I have noticed that we have a lot of farmers that love comparing trucks. You know the ones they says my ¾ ton truck, ½ truck, 1 ton truck.

When they are talking about the ½ ton, ¾ ton they are talking about the weight that the frame will be able to handle safely… Now what did we just say “God knows our frame” When it comes to temptation God knows what we will be able to handle.

1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man, And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so you may stand up under it.

God does not tempt us and he does not let the Devil tempt up beyond what we can bare. Let me say though the devil always knows how to tempt us and God knows our frame. God promises that he will never allow the weight of temptation to exceed the weight our frame can handle. But it is up to us to run away from the temptation.

Lets look at the next verse, verse 14 and camp out there for a while.

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.