The Science of Temptation: Part 1
Temptation has been a reality to all humans since the beginning of time. It lured the fall of mankind; even Jesus faced it!  Join us as we discover exactly what temptation is and how God has prepared us to fight it.

Genesis 3:1-13

They should have been running to God in their need
But instead they HIDE

They should be taking ownership and responsibility
But instead they BLAME

Is temptation a sin?
No, we all face temptation, even Jesus

Hebrews 4:15

Sin is….
….a voluntary violation of a known law of God
…a violation of the law of love (because we are people who have been given a choice)

Matthew 22:37-40

Temptation is….
…the act of being enticed to sin
Temptation begins with a desire, which if we aren’t careful, can give birth to sin.
Temptation is anything that promises satisfaction at the cost of obedience.

James 1:14-15

What was the strategy (science) in the first sin?
What did the serpent know that he used to break down their defenses?

The strategy (science) behind the temptation:
• Humans tend to want.
• They can be coerced into wanting.
• They can be persuaded that they are not getting what they deserve.
• They can be convinced to “want it all” and to act on that want.
• They can be easily convinced that they know better.
• They have the capacity to want something more than they want God.

The serpent didn’t use bad temptation approaches.
Strategies such as the following would likely not have worked on Adam and Eve:
• You should hate God.
• Disobeying God is a good idea.
• Ignore everything God says.
• God is wholly untrustworthy
• Bad things might happen but the risk is worth it

Perhaps the greatest threat temptation poses is that, in the moment, it makes a proposal that seems to make sense.

1 Peter 5:8-9

Stand firm…
…affirm God’s truth
What is your foundation?
Who is it that is leading and guiding your life?

…affirm God’s character….
Are you trusting in what you know to be true of God?

…affirm God’s presence….
Isolation breeds destruction
Affirming God’s truth & God’s character will always lead us to affirming His presence

The battle against temptation begins with the choices I make today

http://bible.com/events/628594
HFCN Definition:
The Gospel is the good news message that God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. He was raised to life, victorious over the power of death. In choosing to live for Him, we can be free from the power of sin and experience abundant life today and eternal life in Heaven.  1 Corinthians 15: 1-2
The Gospel Is….
-Your gift 
I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received 1 Corinthians 15:1
The Gospel is not something we invented and it is not something we discovered
The Gospel is the gift of God for us 

-Your foundation 
Which you received and on which you have taken your stand 1 Corinthians 15:1
The Gospel is your foundation and your solid rock 

-Your salvation 
By this gospel you are saved 1 Corinthians 15:2
Not a past tense “you were saved” but a present tense…”you are being saved” 

1 Corinthians 15: 3-8 Our series “The Pure Gospel” 
The Life of Jesus 
The Death of Jesus 
The Resurrection of Jesus 

1 Corinthians 15:12-19
Why is resurrection critical? 
What does it mean to us today?

Truth is stronger than lies 
The Truth of God is stronger than any lie of the enemy

Good is stronger than evil 
The resurrection proved that evil had lost and that God is greater 

Love is stronger than hate 
When Jesus rose again, He proved that the perfect love of Jesus    
overcomes ALL

Life is stronger than death 
Powerful implications….
 1. This life is not all there is 
 2. In this life, freedom is possible 

If there is no resurrection, there is no…
Life
Freedom from Sin
Victory
Hope

Two Questions that the Gospel asks of us:
Will you believe in that which you don’t fully understand? 
Does your daily life reflect victory over sin?

http://bible.com/events/624911
Pure Gospel: The Death of Jesus

 HFCN Definition of the Gospel:The Gospel is the good news message that God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. He was raised to life, victorious over the power of death. In choosing to live for Him, we can be free from the power of sin and experience abundant life today and eternal life in Heaven. 

Romans 5:1-5
In our series last month “More than Me: More Hope” 
Romans 5:6-11 
The Pure Gospel: 
Week One: The Life of Jesus
Week Two: The Death of Jesus  

Who we were….
Ungodly (Romans 5:6) 
Powerless (Romans 5:6)
Sinners (Romans 5:8) 
Guilty (Romans 5:8) 
Enemies (Romans 5:10) 

Who God is….

Just (Romans 5:9) 
We all love justice, except for when it is applied to us. 
When the Bible speaks about “the wrath of God”, it is referring to a God of justice (the presence of sin means a debt must be paid).  

Loving (Romans 5:8 “God demonstrates His love for us”  
If it is all about justice then we are doomed, but our God is just AND full of love.

Romans‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

His love is willing to meet the demands of His justice. -Billy Graham 

Who we are….

Justified (Romans 5:9) 
Justice has been served on our behalf 

Saved (Romans 5:9)
“Jesus died so you could choose not to. He chose death so you could choose life.”

Reconciled (Romans 5:10-11) 
We were separated, but because of the cross, we are brought near.

Closing Thought:
What is your response to the cross of Jesus? 

http://bible.com/events/621039
Pure Gospel: The Life of JesusWord Study:
The Greek word for Gospel is euaggelion– “Good message” 

Mat 4:23
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news (euaggelion) of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Mat 9:35
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news (euaggelion) of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

Mat 24:14
And this gospel (euaggelion) of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Mat 26:13
Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel (euaggelion) is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
 HFCN Definition:
The Gospel is the good news message that God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins. He was raised to life, victorious over the power of death. In choosing to live for Him, we can be free from the power of sin and experience abundant life today and eternal life in Heaven. 

 John 5:19-20
Two reasons why the life of Jesus is critical to the Gospel…

1. Jesus was…The Plan  

From the moment sin entered the world, Jesus became the plan for our redemption. 

“The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” John 1:14

Jesus has Complete confidence….
His confidence came from knowing that his future was in God’s hands.

Jesus has complete fearlessness …
His fearlessness came from recognizing it was more important to be true to God than to please man. 

2. Jesus was…The Example  
“The Son can do nothing by himself” 
“The son does what the Father does” 
John 5:19

The example of who the Father is 
-The mind of Jesus…the mind of God
-The words of Jesus…the words of God 
-The actions of Jesus…the actions of God 
 The example of who we are to be 
The identity of Jesus was based on:
  -not power, but submission 
-not in his position but in his obedience 
These were the things that defined who Jesus was & they are the things that should define who we are. 
The Question: 
• What’s the greatest difference between the way Jesus lived and the way you live?

http://bible.com/events/617092
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11:28-30‬ 
Galatians 5:1 (NIV) 

We were once slaves to sin, but we have experienced freedom in Christ.

Because of Jesus there is 
MORE LIFE, 
MORE HOPE, 
MORE PURPOSE &
MORE FREEDOM

Galatians 5:2-5 
There is a group of believers (called “Judaizers”) teaching that the only way to receive God’s love and forgiveness was to become like a Jew and follow Jewish customs 

While there is nothing wrong with the outward act of circumcision, in this context it represented adding something to the Gospel 

MY FOCUS 
Galatians 5:2- “Christ has no value to you at all” 
When we add something to the Gospel, we make it about what we do
When we make it about what we do, we diminish Christ’s value 

MY DEBT 
Galatians 5:3- “obligated to obey the whole law”
When we attempt to pay back the debt that’s forgiven, we turn God’s free gift into a loan to be repaid or wages to be earned 

MY WORK
Galatians 5:4-  “justified by the law” 
“you have fallen away from grace”
When we make it about what we do, then it is no longer about God’s grace

MY POWER
Galatians 5:5- “through the Spirit”
“by faith”
We don’t need to rely on the “external” law to keep us in line 
We have the “internal” work of the Holy Spirit 

Those who claim to follow Jesus can still be chained…
I keep the rules 
I do enough good things 
I am a spiritual person 

I believe I have the strength to improve every day 
I do what I’m told 
I measure up to the standards set for me 

I am making progress
I don’t do some things that I used to do 
I’m better off than some around me 

I do good things and have a good reputation 
I wish others were more like me
If only other groups could be as spiritual as us

When you choose the law over grace you lose every time 

What has you chained today?