March 10, 2025
Lead Us Not into Temptation
If we live for a while in Temptation Desert, the Lord’s goal is to build our character, loyalty, and ability to serve. He is pulling for us to win, not setting us up to fail.
Articles for tag: Temptation
July 22, 2024
KEEPING WATCH WITH JESUS
By Sandy Mayle You may have watched a parade, a horse race, or a team of draft horses, and noticed that some of the horses wore little cups around the outside of their eyes. These are called blinders, and they limit what the horses see so that they’ll stay focused on what’s in front of them. Blinders block the horses’ peripheral vision so they aren’t spooked by waving flags, crowds of people, or other horses who meet them. Instead, they focus on what their driver or rider is asking them to do. Without blinders, some horses can become anxious or
October 4, 2021
Flesh and Blood
As Paul was instructing the church at Corinth about the reality of the resurrection of the dead, he declared that our sin-stained physical bodies face a barrier to God’s holiness through which we cannot pass.
January 11, 2021
Jan 17 | Reverse Rewards
The practice of faith is always public and private. If the practice of faith is only public, then it is hypocritical. If the practice of faith is only private, then we miss the community aspect of it.
January 28, 2019
Lesson for February 3, 2019: God Is with You in Your Failings (Adam and Eve)
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 1 (weeks 5–8; February 3–24, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ Lesson Aim: Know that God is with you even when you make mistakes.. ______ By Mark Scott The word closer sums up much of the Bible’s content. God is always wanting to get closer to people. Even in our text today God is pictured as walking in the garden (near Adam and Eve) in the
January 1, 2019
Good Strategies for a New Year
Former editor Mark A. Taylor offered these thoughts two years ago under the headline, “Strategies for a New Year.” At the time, Taylor confessed to sharing similar thoughts a few years earlier. He wrote on Jan. 1, 2017: “. . . I still need to follow my own advice here! So let’s read it together as, once again, we recommit ourselves to faith and ministry at the beginning of a new year.” _ _ _ By Mark A. Taylor Anytime can be the right time for new beginnings, but the transition to a new year seems like a natural. If you’re
A Profoundly Influential Leader
By Ken Idleman One of the contributing factors in maintaining ourselves as a nominally Christian nation is the presence of moral leadership in the White House. Some of our presidents have used their considerable influence to point us to the God of the Bible: George Washington, John Adams, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush, to name just a few. Without question, we have been blessed as a people when our most prominent national leader has demonstrated godly convictions and character. Joseph, whose biography is detailed in Genesis 37 to 50, was just such a dynamic and deep
March 27, 2017
The Solomon Syndrome
By Daniel Schantz When an old friend of ours left his wife for a younger model, I was dumbstruck. “He”s smarter than that,” I said to my wife. “He knows better.” His villainy didn”t bother me as much as his sheer stupidity. We all do stupid things, like texting and driving, but when someone really smart does something dumb, well, that”s just inexcusable. And yet, being smart doesn”t make it any easier to behave. Being good has more to do with emotions and willpower than with brains. Smart people have all the same temptations we all do, plus some that
February 23, 2017
Finding JOY in the Journey
By Rick Chromey How God helped me turn temptation, trouble, and trial into blessing and beauty. Life is a carnival of temptations and troubles. We all walk wounded with hurts, habits, and hang-ups. We”re stuck in moments we can”t escape, desperately addicted to vices and voices we can no longer ignore, resist, or deny. I suffered with my pain for many decades. Life for most of us is tattooed by loss, tragedy, abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Maybe you”ve endured an affair or addiction. Maybe you suffered salacious ridicule, unjust criticism, and unfounded rumors. Perhaps you”ve been unexpectantly fired, forcibly retired, or unfairly
January 3, 2017
Strategies for a New Year
By Mark A. Taylor Dear Reader: This is adapted from a post that first appeared five years ago. It still seems pretty current to me, mainly because I still need to follow my own advice here! So let’s read it together as, once again, we recommit ourselves to faith and ministry at the beginning of a new year. Anytime can be the right time for new beginnings, but the transition to a new year seems like a natural. If you”re looking for new ways God could use you in 2017, here are some possibilities. Enhance strengths. Instead of concentrating on
July 21, 2016
“˜You Choose”
By Bobby Wallace I was a mess. On the outside, I seemed like I had it all together. But on the inside, I was wrecked. I grew up in church. Yet I didn”t become a Christian until I was heading to college””and only then, after years of procrastination, because I feared I would be a hypocrite. Deep down I knew I was running away from conviction. When I got to college, I had every intention of living for Jesus. I attended Campus Christian Fellowship from day one and even lived in the campus house, but my resolve didn”t last long.
February 9, 2016
Passing the Tests
By Mark A. Taylor Years ago, when the wife of a popular minister suffered a stroke, a mutual friend said, “If the devil can”t get him any other way, he”ll go after his family.” This minister was widely known, a sought-after speaker, and the author of several books. Never has there been a hint of scandal or impropriety in his life or ministry. Thankfully, his wife recovered and, by all appearances, her illness never swayed him from service. I thought of that time this week when I sat across the table from an aging saint whose wife died in December.
February 28, 2014
Alone in a Crowd
By Tom Claibourne The Lord”s Supper is quite paradoxical. It looks backward and forward. It calls us to look upward but also inward. It is utterly profound yet disarmingly simple. It celebrates life while focusing on death. The Communion emblems prompt feelings of assurance while also calling for an honest self-evaluation regarding our sin. They honor Jesus” death but also his resurrection. They help us celebrate the forgiveness of our sins while reminding us of our ongoing struggle with temptation. The Lord”s Supper stirs tears of repentance but also smiles of celebration. It calls forth horror at the intensity
February 4, 2014
Living with the Lie
By Mark A. Taylor The sermon reminded us again of the sly lie the devil told Eve. “You won”t die if you eat that fruit.” And I couldn”t help but remember how he continues to whisper the falsehood in the ears of vulnerable believers today. “No one will know, no one will care if you do this just once.” “You believe God loves you? Then why does he let you suffer like this?” “See what your integrity has gotten you? Why don”t you wise up and have a little fun and make some money? Isn”t it time to stop denying
January 11, 2013
How Do You Define Your Leadership? Tony Twist
By Tony Twist Ah, leadership! Do we even have a prayer? Lately I”ve been thinking there is much to be said for “muddling through and keeping your nose clean.” I know that”s not very profound. But not “muddling through” has certainly short-circuited many with much greater leadership skills and potential than I. So, first things first: stay on the path and out of the dirt. Joe Dampier, one of my mentors at what is now Emmanuel Christian Seminary, used to tell us: “Boys, you”ve got to sink your wells deep so you don”t wind up sucking mud.” We would all
November 14, 2011
Lesson for Nov. 20, 2011: Praying Sincerely (Matthew 6:1-18)
This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for November 20) is written by Jim Littlejohn, pastoral care minister at Connection Pointe Christian Church in Brownsburg, Indiana. ____________ Praying Sincerely (Matthew 6:1-18) By Jim Littlejohn There seems to be a growing number of books about who we are when no one is looking. Our true character jumps up when our guard is let down. Even though we need accountability, the other side of the coin can be just as ugly. How are other people””people we may trust””when we are not looking? For example, ask that question of investors who
November 7, 2007
The Most Important Plan
By Mark A. Taylor “If we”d confess more of our temptations, we”d have fewer sins to confess!” That observation from a Christian counselor several years ago has never left me. And it rang in my ears again as we prepared this week”s troubling lead articles for publication. Think what could have happened if only each Christian leader mentioned here had been honest with someone about his temptations. Reputations and ministries could have been saved. Whole lifetimes of heartbreak could have been prevented. Sin could have been avoided. But we hesitate to confess our temptations””let alone our sins””for two reasons. First
