Don’t Tempt Me

Finally Free To Simply Enjoy God’s Grace

UNSHAKEABLE: Where are you most vulnerable to temptation? What represents your irresistible compulsion? Maybe it’s a box of Dunkin Doughnuts — perhaps you are an overeater. Maybe it’s the letters S*A*L*E — perhaps you’re an over spender. Maybe it’s an adult site on the Internet — perhaps you’ve got a compulsion for porn. Could it be your compulsion is alcohol or drugs or gambling or gossiping or griping or incessant social media consumption? Maybe it’s the joy of passing judgment on other doughnut-eaters, which, reveals your battle with a critical spirit. Each of us has an area where we do what we shouldn’t and don’t do what we should. How hopeless we feel at times! So, who will rescue us from the doughnuts?” Jesus will!

Unshakeable Living // Romans 7:15,19,24

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do… For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice… O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

Huh? Did you catch that? Paul had a convoluted way of saying something straightforward, which was simply this: “I do what I shouldn’t and I don’t do what I should — man, am I in trouble!”

Can you relate to Paul? I sure can. He was in a wrestling match with sin, and sin was whupping up on him. It was frustrating because Paul knew what he shouldn’t be doing — yet he was drawn to sin like a mouse to a cheese-laden trap or an insect to a bug zapper or bees to honey — pick your metaphor.

Let me ask you this: Where are you most vulnerable to temptation? What represents your cheese-laden mousetrap? Maybe it’s a box of Dunkin Doughnuts — perhaps you are an overeater. Maybe it’s the letters S*A*L*E — perhaps you’re an overspender. Maybe it’s an adult site on the Internet — perhaps you’ve got a compulsion for porn. Could it be your compulsion is alcohol or drugs or gambling or gossiping or griping or incessant social media consumption? Maybe it’s the joy of passing judgment on other cheese-eaters, which, reveals your battle with a critical spirit.

Each of us has an area where we do what we shouldn’t and don’t do what we should. As Paul might say, “What a sicko I am! Who will rescue me from the cheese?”

Jesus will! That’s also what Paul said in Romans 7:25, “Thanks be to God — it’s through Jesus Christ our Lord!” When Jesus died, he broke the power of sin, so it no longer has a hold on us. Through the power of the resurrection, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that God has provided a way out from under every temptation:

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Did you catch that? Your battle with temptation is winnable. The last part of the verse says, “But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out.”

That’s good news. There’s always an escape route — always. When you’re tempted, God himself will provide a way out; he will make a way. God has provided a door — but I must look for it and walk through it!

What are those escape routes?

One way of escape is to immerse yourself in Scripture. Psalm 119:9 & 11 says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word…I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

That’s how Jesus battled temptation in the wilderness. Every time the tempter came at him with something that would tear him away from his Father, Jesus came back at Satan with the truth of scripture. There is no more potent weapon against temptation in your life than in reading God’s Word systematically, meditating on it daily, and memorizing it strategically.

Another escape route from temptation is to become accountable to another believer, especially for your particular weakness. Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” We need to bring our temptation into the light of accountability to other people—as difficult as that may be.

Proverbs 27:5-6 says, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” You would do yourself a huge favor by finding someone with whom you can be accountable for your weakness?

And yet another way out is to ask God to deliver you daily from the tempter. Jesus taught us to pray a daily prayer that acknowledges both our weakness and our need for divine power in this area: “Deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:13) As simple as that seems, the amazing thing is, God hears those prayers. And he provides a way out.

Who will rescue you from this body of death? Who is going to keep you away from the Dunkin Doughnuts?

Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me. (Rom 7:25)

Get Rooted: Read Romans 7:1-25. Memorize Romans 7:24-25, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Throughout Romans, it seems as if Paul has been pounding on the law. So was the law bad? Obviously not! So if the law is not bad, yet it doesn’t lead to true righteousness before God, what is its purpose then? Do a word search in Romans and Galatians

Enticements

Just Say No

Synopsis: As Christ-followers, we are on a glorious journey, but it is no easy trip. An infinitely glorious and eternally rewarding trip, yes, but a very difficult one. In fact, Jesus said that the path we will travel is straight and narrow, and not too many will actually find it, much less successfully walk it. To stay on this path, Jesus went on to say, there will need to be self-denial, cross-bearing, and intense focus—on a daily, if not moment-by-moment basis. But if we will do the hard, focused, self-denying work of turning our back on sinful enticements, we will reap the grand prize at our journey’s end that will far outweigh any pain our self-denial required as well as whatever “loss” we incurred by rejecting those sin’s mouthwatering promises. And best of all, we will hear the Lord say, “Well done! Now come and share your master’s happiness.”

Discerning the sugar-coated manipulations of sin

Moments With God // Proverbs 1:10

My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!

Oscar Wilde famously said, “I can resist just about anything—except temptation.” Me too!

God’s Word says that you and I are on a glorious journey, but the truth is, this is no easy trip. An infinitely glorious and eternally rewarding one—yes—but easy? No way! In fact, Jesus said that the path we travel on is straight and narrow, and not too many will actually find it, much less successfully walk it. To stay on this path, Jesus went on to say, there will need to be self-denial, cross-bearing, and intense focus—on a daily, if not moment-by-moment basis.

That means today (let’s let tomorrow worry about tomorrow), you will have to say “no” to what this proverb calls sinners: “My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them.” (Proverbs 1:10) The fact of the matter is, these “sinners” are all along your way, devilish hecklers disguised as adoring fans whose one and only assignment is to entice you down an alternative path, a shortcut to pleasure that, truthfully, always fails to deliver what it promises while saddling you instead with nothing but disappointment, pain, and loss.

Sorry to have to be the one to break it to you like this, but those “sinners” are waiting for you as you head out the door to wherever your glorious journey will take you today—to work, to school, to play, or even staying indoors to serve God in the daily routine required by your assignment at home. Here’s the thing: You have to be alert to them, be discerning to their sugar-coated manipulations, and be ready to give them a throaty “no way” when they ply you with their counterfeit divines.

I am sure you already know this, but these enticing “sinners” may not be real, live people. They may be subtle arguments that enter your mind, slick operators coming through the airwaves, simple desires at work within your soul, or sinful systems at work in the world that throughout the day routinely pull you away from God as sure as the gravitation pull of the moon working twice a day on the tides.

They are called temptations, by the way, and you are called to resist them. Moreover, as strong as those temptations might be, 1 Corinthians 10:13 reminds you,

Remember this—the wrong desires that come into your life aren’t anything new and different. Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. And no temptation is irresistible. You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it, for he has promised this and will do what he says. He will show you how to escape temptation’s power so that you can bear up patiently against it.

If you will do the hard, focused, self-denying work of turning your back to the sinner’s enticement, you will reap the grand prize at your journey’s end that will far outweigh the pain your self-denial required as well as whatever “loss” you incurred by rejecting their mouthwatering promises.

Take A Moment: Meditate on 1 Corinthians 10:1-13. Identify some of the “ways out” God has given you in every temptation. Today, look for those divine exits—and take one of them.

Our Bread and Butter

Don't Neglect Your Most Effective Weapon

SYNOPSIS: Be on guard today, because Satan will tempt you to sin. That’s his job description. But it’s not a forgone conclusion that you will surrender to the Enemy’s scheming—as seductive and as strong as it may be. Jesus didn’t—which means that you don’t have to either!  Jesus was under the authority of God’s Word; he knew the Word and will of God, and he used it to demolish the devil’s devices. And so can you. That’s one of the blessings of reading, reflecting on, memorizing, praying and obeying the Scripture each day, as you are doing – or at least I hope so!

Project 52 – Weekly Scripture Memory // Matthew 4:4

It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

The context for this familiar verse is the temptation of Christ. Right before Jesus began his public ministry, he entered into an extended period of prayer and fasting. And while we might think Jesus would have been at his most invulnerable by engaging in these spiritual disciplines, Satan still found him and fired three incredibly powerful temptations at him.

But three times Jesus parried the Enemy’s temptation by appealing to God’s Word. He met the first temptation with a quotation of Deuteronomy 8:3, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  Jesus met the second temptation with a quotation of Deuteronomy 6:16, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” And the third temptation was met with a Divine dismissal wrapped in the language of Deuteronomy 6:13, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”

Now contrary to what we might assume Jesus was doing, he was not primarily quoting Scripture to scare away the devil. He was simply reminding the devil, and himself, that his life was under the sole jurisdiction of the unimpeachable authority of the Word of God. To Jesus, Scripture was his bread and butter.

It is interesting that Satan knew who Jesus was—that he was God the Son—yet tempted him anyway.  Likewise, Satan knows that you, too, are a child of God. Your identity will not stop him from unleashing an onslaught of spiritual sounding temptations to get you to compromise your standing as a child of God.

So be on guard today. It is not a forgone conclusion that you will surrender to the Enemy’s scheming—as seductive and as strong as it may be. Jesus didn’t—which means that you don’t have to either.  Jesus was under the authority of God’s Word; he knew the Word and will of God, and he used it to demolish the devil’s devices. And so can you. That’s one of the blessings of reading, reflecting on, memorizing, praying and obeying the Scripture each day, as you are doing.

And in your battle with the Tempter, let this encourage you: Since Jesus overcame his battle with temptation, he stands at the ready to help you in your battle.  So just ask him for his help—he is more than willing to come alongside you.  Hebrews 2:17-18 reminds us,

“For this reason Jesus had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

So when sin comes tapping on your shoulder today, just lean into Jesus, and then do what he did: He hit back, punching the temptation in the teeth with the Truth.

 “Satan doth not tempt God’s children because they have sin in them, but because they have grace in them. Had they no grace, the devil would not disturb them… Though to be tempted is a trouble, yet to think why you are tempted is a comfort.” ~Thomas Watson

Reflect & Apply:  The Puritan preacher, Thomas Watson, said, “Satan tempts to sin under a pretense of religion. He is most to be feared when he transforms himself into an angel of light. He came to Christ with Scripture in his mouth: ‘It is written.’” Since the devil baits his hook with spiritual sounding ideas, watch closely that you don’t meet legitimate needs and valid desires in ways that don’t come under the absolute authority of Scripture.

Temptation: Our Masters of Divinity

Never Let Satan Weaken Your Confidence In God

Masters in Divinity—that’s what Martin Luther called his temptations. No believer enjoys facing them, but within each temptation resides the very real potential of a faith-strengthening, character-refining, sin-crushing victory. Truly temptation is, or should be, the Christian’s Masters of Divinity.

The Journey: Matthew 4:1-3

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God…”

Masters in Divinity—that’s what Martin Luther called his temptations. No believer enjoys facing them, but within each temptation resides the very real potential of a faith-strengthening, character-refining, sin-crushing victory. Truly temptation is, or should be, the Christian’s Masters of Divinity. John Quincy Adams said it well, “Every temptation is an opportunity of our getting nearer to God.”

Even Jesus faced temptation. It’s interesting, profound really, when you think about it, that Satan knew who Jesus was—God the Son—yet tempted him anyway. Satan once resided as Lucifer, one of the chief angels, in the presence of the Holy Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. So when Jesus became God the incarnate Son, Satan, knowing perfectly well of his divine nature, unleashed a torrent of enticements anyway that were designed to derail God’s plan of salvation by knocking Jesus irremediably off course. Now, to be certain, if the very Son of God had to endure an onslaught of Satanic temptation, you and I will too.

It is also of interest that Satan didn’t tempt Jesus with obvious evil. Three times he attempted to entice Jesus to sin with subtle, sane, and spiritual sounding goodies. That’s because the devil is the master of subtlety. He didn’t come to Jesus dressed in a red suit and pointed tail, pitchfork in hand, luring him to commit murder or to steal a bag full of money. These temptations were to gain what seemed good by sacrificing what was best. Likewise, when Satan tempts you, the bait he sets in front of you will be subtle, sane, and seemingly spiritual.

Subtle: Expect the temptations you face today to be quite subtle. Satan’s stock-in-trade is deception, which is what makes temptation so effective. Jesus called him “the father of lies”, and he has gotten pretty good at it over the millennia. That’s why the bible calls us to constant alertness. So watch and be on guard for enticements that will be just slightly off center from God’s will.

Sane: When Satan tempted Jesus, the Lord had just come off a forty day fast. He was at the limit of what the human body could endure. He was hungry, he was physically weak and emotionally depleted. Satan was simply suggesting that Jesus ought to use his God-prerogatives to satisfy a legitimate physical necessity—and he was dangling Scripture in front of him as justification. Your temptations today will likely be quite easy to justify, which is exactly why they are so dangerous. Be careful, be prayerful, and be armed with God’s Word on the matter.

Seemingly Spiritual: Jesus was called to be the Messiah of the Jews, and what better way to jumpstart his ministry than by hang-gliding from highest point of the temple in Jerusalem—without the hang-glider! What a great way to show off his God-powers and impress the people he was called to lead. Ultimately, Jesus was called to be the Lord and Savior of the world. Why not fast-track that plan by allowing Satan to hand deliver all the nations of the world to him in an instant? No fuss, no muss! The problem was, however, that each of these temptations would have meant depending on himself to get his needs met rather than trusting in God’s provision, timing and plan. That is perhaps the most foundational and most common temptation of all—to trust in anything or anyone other than God to get your needs and wants met.

You will be hit with temptation in the same way today—just count on it! It will be subtle, it will seem sane, and probably, it will sound incredibly spiritual. So be on guard—sin is crouching at your door. But it is not inevitable that you will succumb to it. Jesus didn’t—which means that you don’t have to either. Jesus knew the Word and will of God better than Satan, and so do you. That’s one of the blessings of reading and praying through the Gospels this year, as you are doing.

Likewise, since Jesus overcame his battle with temptation, he stands at the ready to help you in your battle. Just ask him for his help—he is more than willing to come alongside you. Hebrews 2:17-18 reminds us,

For this reason Jesus had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

So when sin comes knocking at your door today, just send Jesus to answer it.

A Simple Prayer To Be More Like Jesus:

Jesus, you taught me to pray, “Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from the Evil One. So that is the prayer I offer up to you. Make me victorious over sin today.[/callout

The Great Escape

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Romans 7
Meditation:
Romans 7:15,19,24

“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do… For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice… O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”

Shift Your Focus… Paul had a convoluted way of saying something pretty straightforward, which was simply this: “I do what I shouldn’t and I don’t do what I should—man, am I in trouble!”

Can you relate to Paul? I sure can. He was in a wrestling match with sin, and sin was whupping up on him. It was frustrating because Paul knew what he shouldn’t be doing—yet he was drawn to sin like a mouse to a cheese-laden trap.

Let me ask you this: Where are you most vulnerable to temptation? What represents your cheese-laden mousetrap? Maybe it’s a whole box of Girl Scout cookies—perhaps you are an overeater. Maybe it’s the letters S*A*L*E—perhaps you’re an overspender. Maybe it’s an adult site on the Internet—perhaps you’ve got a compulsion for porn. Could it be your compulsion is alchohol or drugs or gambling or gossiping or griping? Maybe it’s the joy of passing judgment on other cheese-eaters, which in reality, reveals your battle with a critical spirit.

Each of us has an area where we do what we shouldn’t and don’t do what we should. “What a sicko I am! Who will rescue me from the cheese?”

Jesus will! That’s what Paul said in Romans 7:25, “Thanks be to God—it’s through Jesus Christ our Lord!” When Jesus died, he broke the power of sin, so it no longer has a hold on us. Through the power of the resurrection, Paul says in I Corinthians 10:13 that God has provided a way out from under every temptation:

“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Did you catch that? Your battle with temptation is winnable. The last part of the verse says, “But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out.”

That’s good news. There’s always an escape route—always. When you’re tempted, God himself will provide a way out; he will make a way. God has provided a door—but I must look for it and walk through it!

What are those escape routes?

One way of escape is to immerse yourself in Scripture. Psalm 119:9 & 11 says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word…I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

That’s how Jesus battled temptation in the wilderness. Every time the tempter came at him with something that would tear him away from his Father, Jesus came back at Satan with the truth of scripture. There is no more potent weapon against temptation in your life than in reading systematically, meditating daily, and memorizing strategically God’s Word.

Another escape route from temptation is to become accountable to another believer, especially for your particular weakness. Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” We need to bring our temptation into the light of accountability to other people—as difficult as that may be.

Proverbs 27:5-6 says, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” You would do yourself a huge favor by finding someone with whom you can be accountable for your weakness.

And yet another way out is to ask God to deliver you daily from the tempter. Jesus taught us to pray a daily prayer that acknowledges both our weakness and our need for divine power in this area: “Deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:13) As simple as that sounds, the amazing thing is, God hears those prayers. And he provides a way out.

Who will rescue you from this body of death? Who is going to keep you out of the cheese?

“Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me.” (Romans 7:25)

“Temptations, of course, cannot be avoided, but because we cannot prevent the birds from flying over our heads, there is no need that we should let them nest in our hair.” ~Martin Luther 

Prayer…  Father you are as close as the very oxygen I breathe. I praise your name.  May your will be done completely in my life today—which includes keeping me pure and sin-free.  Today I ask that you will deliver me from the evil that the Evil One will tempt me with.  I ask this so that I might bring glory and honor and praise to your holy name.

Satan’s Number One Strategy

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Matthew 4
Meditation:
Matthew 4:1-3

During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” (Matthew 4:1-3)

Shift Your Focus…From the Word of God in general, from human experience—mine and other people I’ve witnessed over the years—and from this story in particular, I could make a pretty strong case that doubt is the number one strategy Satan uses in our lives to disrupt, weaken and ultimately destroy our faith in God.  If he can get us to question the goodness and sufficiency of God and his Word, then our spirituality will be dead in the water.

Every time the devil came at Jesus with a temptation, the very first word was “if”“if you are the Son of God…if you will kneel and worship me…”  (Matthew 4:3,5,9) Behind Satan’s enticements was the goal of getting Jesus to question God’s care and competence as well as his identity as the cherished Son of God.

That is exactly what Satan will do to you—most likely even today.  He will cause a question to arise in your mind as to the reliability of God’s Word, the dependability of God’s love, the sufficiency of God’s supply, and the truthfulness of your unmovable place as a cherished child of God.  Just like clockwork, the “if” question will be sown as a seed of doubt in your spirit before the day is out.

The number one defense against Satan’s strategy to destroy your faith is trust—ruthless trust.  Each occasion in which Jesus was hit with the big “if” was met with a return to what was unquestionable, unshakable and immovable—the Word of God.  Jesus’ answer to the assault on his faith?  “Scripture says…” (Matthew 4:4,7,10)  Jesus stood on the promises of Scripture, knowing that obedience to it was the only way to God’s provision (“man shall not live by bread alone”), true spiritual muscle (“jump off” and prove your divine power), and ceaseless kingdom authority (“all the kingdoms of the world will be yours”).

Trust—ruthless trust. No assault from the enemy can penetrate it, and no temptation, regardless of the power of its enticement, can hold a candle against it.  So no matter what, lean into God’s Word today—there is nothing in all creation as reliable.  Trust in God’s character—his care and competence have never been proven impotent.  Wait patiently for his provision—it will never lack the satisfaction you truly need.

Analyze the things that are tempting you today.  Find out how they assault your trust in the reliability of God’s Word, the sufficiency of God’s provision and the immutability of your position as a cherished child of God.  Once you do that, you will see what temptation promises as nothing more than a false infinite—something that in the light of day cannot hold a candle to what God has in store for those who ruthlessly trust him.

By the way, when you respond to temptation with ruthless trust, not only do you punch Satan in the nose, but you give a priceless gift to God. I love what Brennan Manning says in his book, Ruthless Trust,

“The splendor of a human heart which trusts that it is loved gives God more pleasure than Westminster Cathedral, the Sistine Chapel, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, the sight of ten thousand butterflies in flight, or the scent of a million orchids in bloom.  Trust is our gift back to God, and he finds it so enchanting that Jesus died for love of it.”

So throughout the day today, look up, smile, and trust!

“Unwavering trust is a rare and precious thing because it often demands a degree of courage that borders on the heroic.” ~Brennan Manning

Prayer… Father in heaven, your name is holy.  May your kingdom come and your will be done in my life today, just as it is in heaven.  Provide what I need. Forgive all my sins—and strengthen me with your grace to forgive those who disappoint me. And steer me away from temptation, and from the Evil One, so that at the end of this day, through my life, all of the glory will be turned back to you.

Sin Resistant

Read: Proverbs 1

“My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them!” (Proverbs 1:10, NLT)

It was Oscar Wilde who said, “I can resist just about anything—except temptation,” Oh yeah, me too!

God’s Word says that you and I are on a glorious journey, but the truth is, this is no easy trip. An infinitely glorious and eternally rewarding one—yes; but easy—no!  In fact, Jesus said that the path we’ll travel on is straight and narrow, and not too many will actually find it, much less successfully walk it. To stay on this path, Jesus went on to say, there will need to be some self-denial, cross bearing, and intense focus.

That means today (let’s let tomorrow worry about tomorrow), you will have to say “no” to what this Proverb calls sinners: “My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.” (Proverbs 1:10) The fact of the matter is, these “sinners” are all along your way, devilish hecklers disguised as adoring fans whose one and only assignment is to entice you down an alternative path, a shortcut to pleasure that, in reality, always fails to deliver what it promises while saddling you instead with nothing but disappointment, pain and loss.

Sorry to have to be the one to break it to you like this, but those “sinners” are waiting for you as you head out the door to wherever your glorious journey will take you today—to work, to school, to play, or even staying indoors to serve God in the daily routine required by your assignment at home.  Here’s the thing: You’ve got to be alert to them, be discerning to their sugar-coated manipulations, and ready to give them a throaty “no way” when they ply you with their counterfeit divines.

I’m sure you already know this, but these enticing “sinners” may not be real, live people.  They may be subtle arguments that enter your mind, or slick operators coming through the airwaves, or simple desires at work within your soul, or sinful systems at work in the world that throughout the day routinely pull you away from God as sure as the gravitational pull of the moon working twice a day on the tides.

They’re called temptations, by the way, and you are called to resist them.  And you can!  And if you will, the real prize at your journey’s end will far outweigh any of their mouthwatering promises.

“Temptation usually comes in through a door that has deliberately been left open.” ~Arnold Glasow

Winning At Life:

Read and meditate on I Corinthians 10:1-13.  Identify some of the “ways out” God has given you in every temptation.  Today, look for those divine exits—and take them.