Temptations Men Face Series

(adapted from messages from Dan Webb, Bob Russell, and Mark Jones)

SERIES: ¡§FATAL TEMPTATIONS¡¨

TEXT: JAMES 1:14-15; SELECTED

TITLE: ¡§TEMPTATIONS MEN FACE¡¨

OPEN: A. The Father¡¦s Day ¡§Top Ten¡¨ List of Things Men Have Been Itching to Say for Years¡K

--I wouldn¡¦t normally do this but it is Father¡¦s Day and the only day out of the year I can get away

with it

1. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.

2. Shopping is NOT a sport, and no, we are never going to think of it that way.

3. Sunday = sports. It¡¦s like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.

4. ¡§Yes¡¨ and ¡§No¡¨ are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

5. Check your oil! Please, check your oil!

6. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument.

--In fact, all past comments become null and void after 7 days.

7. If something we said can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad or angry,

we meant the other one.

8. If we ask what¡¦s wrong and you say ¡§nothing,¡¨ we¡¦ll act like nothing¡¦s wrong.

--We know you¡¦re lying, but it¡¦s just not worth the hassle.

9. Men see in only 16 colors -like Windows default settings in your computer monitor.

--Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what

mauve is.

10. Christopher Columbus did not need directions, and neither do we¡K

B. How important are good fathers?

--Chuck Colson, How Now Shall We Live? gives some pretty startling statistics:

1. Children in single-parent families are five times more likely to be poor, and half the single

mothers in the United States live below the poverty line.

2. Children of divorce suffer intense grief, which often lasts for many years.

--Even as young adults, they are nearly twice as likely to require psychological help.

3. Children from disrupted families have more academic and behavioral problems at school and are

nearly twice as likely to drop out of high school.

4. Girls in single-parent homes are at a much greater risk for promiscuous sexuality and are two

and a half times more likely to have a child out of wedlock.

5. Crime and substance abuse are strongly linked to fatherless households.

6. Statistics show that 60 percent of rapists grew up in fatherless homes, as did 72 percent of

adolescent murderers, and 70 percent of all long-term prison inmates.

7. In fact, most of the social pathologies disrupting American life today can be traced to

fatherlessness.

8. Since good fathers are important, let¡¦s have all of our fathers stand so you can be honored on

this day set aside for that particular endeavor

C. Today is the last message in our series: ¡§Fatal Temptations¡¨

1. Based on James 1:14-15 ¡V 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. We started on Mother¡¦s Day with ¡§Temptations Women Face¡¨

--We followed that with ¡§Temptations Children Face,¡¨ ¡§Temptations Teens Face¡¨ and last week

¡§Temptations Church Members Face¡¨

3. Today we finish with ¡§Temptations Men Face¡¨

a. Not here today to beat men up ¡V especially on Father¡¦s Day

b. I¡¦ll address a specific temptation then spend some time suggesting ways that we can help the

men battle and overcome those temptations

c. As with the other temptations, I don¡¦t have time to address every temptation that men face but

I do want to highlight the most deadly temptations

--My goal is that our men will be encouraged as they fight these temptations and also that our

families, our congregation, and our community will be strengthened as we all help fight the

battle together

I. PRIDE

A. Ego is a huge temptation for most men.

--Pride was the very first sin.

1. Satan rebelled against God and in his pride said, ¡§I will make myself like God.¡¨

2. King Saul¡¦s pride was wounded when the young women in the parade chanted of David being a

superior warrior to Saul and the king sought to kill David.

3. Someone has defined ego as: ¡§Edging God Out.¡¨

--Ps. 10:4 ¡V In his pride the wicked does not seek Him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

4. One woman commented, ¡§I always knew I married Mr. Right. I just didn¡¦t know his first name was

always.¡¨

a. Prov. 16:18 ¡V Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

b. Prov. 29:23 ¡V A man¡¦s pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.

B. Pride is placing yourself on the throne instead of God.