"You Gone Tempt My Spirit Too?!?"

From The Dive @ 6:45 Young Adult Bible Study-Taught 4/11/17
From "(Mis)Handling Temptation" Series

Let's get back to my deep love and affection for doughnuts, especially the ones from Krispy Kreme when the Hot Sign is on! Their smell. Their taste! I can remember it all. The doughnuts don't even have to be physically in my presence. Just the thought of those things get me also tempted to get them. But ya know, because I love them so much, it's not just my thoughts that's in it. It's like my heart and spirit are in it too.

When we consider our love and/or affection for something or someone that we shouldn't have or that so easily tempts us, it typically has penetrated passed the surface level. It is no longer a physical attraction or attachment but a more spiritual and emotional component that is now latched to the temptation, especially if we have fallen into a particular temptation. But we have the opportunity to better handle when we are spiritually tempted. Check out what God revealed to me:

1. Check Your Relationship Status with God
• What feature on Facebook has been the source of both love and pain, preparation for separation, and frustration and jubilation: the almighty relationship status. Boy this good ole feature has become the cause of controversy but also has been the source of joy. Whatever the case may be, the relationship status was created to show the world (well your Facebook world), who you were connected to. When it comes to our relationship status with God, we must show ourselves who we are connected to, especially during our most tempted moments. You have to do two things with your relationship with God.
1. Check The Love: Is there really love there when it comes to your relationship with God? Love is defined as an unwavering attachment to something or someone. Are you able to say that you have the unwavering attachment to God and that nothing will separate you from God's love including your spiritual temptations? (Romans 8:38-39)
2. Check The Legitimacy: How real is your relationship with God? Better yet, are you able to freely say that you trust God? When you determine that your relationship with God is legit, you will allow nothing to hinder or cause any "cheating" on God including any temptation that is in direct contradiction of God and God's will for your life. Do you believe in your heart of heart and spirit that even when you are faced with the troubles of temptation, God can and will rescue you? (Psalm 34:17-19)
2. You Need To R.S.P.E. 
• Often times, when it comes to handling temptations, we are not adequately prepared, especially if they are beyond the surface level (which 9 times out of 10 they are). When we are not adequately prepared to handle certain situations, we are opening ourselves up to any and every wrong thing happening. We have taken God out and are relying on our own power, which means no good for us when it comes to temptation. We need to do some R.S.P.E.'ing ASAP to get us ready!
1. READ for Content: People are destroyed for a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). We wonder why we can't handle certain temptations from a spiritual level. Have we taken an opportunity to read and soak up the knowledge that God's Word provides us? Advice from friends, family and colleagues may fade away but God's Word shall never die and the Word of our God is there to teach, equip and train us (Isaiah 40:8; 2 Timothy 3:16). Read it!
2. STUDY for Context: Now what good is the knowledge that you receive from God and never look back at it? We have to study the Word of God given to us to be able to apply it to the right situation. I may know the Word that says "the disciples departed" but what good does it for me when I am preparing to endure my greatest temptation. We must spend time tuning into to the Word of God to understand what is being said and how it can be applied (Proverbs 2:2-4). 
3. PRAY for Conclusions: It is beyond amazing to read and study the Word of God but when it comes to putting into action to face temptation, we have to have a conversation with God about how to act. We need to receive a revelation from God on how to proceed with this temptation. Are you willing to pursue a conversation with God before you move, believing that God will provide you with a word of escape? (Mark 11:23-24).
4. ENGAGE for Contact: For real, what good does it do you if you spend time reading, studying and praying, get the revelation and then do absolutely, positively nothing! You have to prepare yourself to engage for contact. To sit and allow the temptation to overcome you without any regard for what knowledge and power that you have would be foolish and would cause you to disobey God (James 1:22-25). Are you willing to engage yourself in full combat against your temptations from a spiritual level?

Ask Yourself: What is my current relationship status with God? Will it benefit me as I attempt to battle with my temptations from a spiritual level? 

Drop your comments, questions or concerns below. 

Be Blessed!

-Darren

"Man, These Temptations!"

From The Dive @ 6:45 Young Adult Bible Study-Taught 4/4/17
From "(Mis)Handling Temptation" Series

Doughnuts! Oh how I love thee! Especially those sugary, juicy, Hot Sign Flashing Krispy Kreme doughnuts! I know that they are bad for me...I know that they have no place in my daily eating routine. But I just seemingly can't stop thinking about them! Those doughnuts truly are a weakness in my life! If you put a box in front of me, I just don't know if I can keep my hands off. But those doughnuts aren't my only weakness...!

Throughout our every day lives, we are faced with many "weaknesses" that we can so easily allow ourselves to give in to! These weaknesses are often what we call temptations. (Naw, not the "My Girl" singers). Using my girl Merriam-Webster Dictionary, temptation is defined as a strong urge or desire to have or do something, especially something that is bad, wrong or unwise. We all have faced temptations at some point in our lives. But the handling of our personal temptations is another story. Buuttt before we go too deep, let's talk about two topics that need to be explored!

1. Point 'Em Out AKA I.D. Them!
• Can you say without a shadow of doubt that you know all of your temptations? No? Neither can I. We often spend time focusing on the main attractions of temptation, such as lust, doughnuts and cussing everyone out, that we negate other "minor" temptations that we can better get a handle on. It's time to Point 'Em Out! Why though man? I'm all good if I know a few. Because knowledge affords you the opportunity to tackle temptations before they become habits. But man, how do we do that dude? Glad ya asked...check this out disciple: 
1. Ask and Seek: If you don't know something, you don't just sit and wait for the answer to fall in your lap. You take the time out to get on Google, phone a friend/mama/daddy/the genius you know, or even consult a book. You are actively asking and seeking. The same concept should apply for temptations. You and I should take some time to check in with God to see what are some of our weak areas that we may have missed. If we ask and seek, we shall receive and find! (Matthew 7:7-8)
2. Understand What Was Revealed:After you receive knowledge about something, it can be hard to understand it, even with temptation. How can I be so easily tempted to do one thing but not as tempted to the other thing that is closely related? Sometimes, we have to turn ourselves away from distractions and tune our ears to wisdom (Proverbs 2:2-3). Remember, every word that sounds good to you is not good for you. Seek discernment on how to turn to!
3. Write It Down!:There is something to be said about a person who writes things down, whether they are good or bad. Journaling for me has been an outlet to release things from my heart and mind and put it on paper, as to be not forgotten. We can do the same with temptation revelation! We should write down these items for memory's sake but also to make it more believable. Writing is seeing and seeing is believing!
2. Prepare For A Secured Stumble! 
• One of the worst concepts in the world are stairs without rails. Seriously, how is this even legal and possible? Rails with stairs provide the opportunity to hold to something. But also they serve as assistance when we stumble. Could you imagine life full of temptations but nothing to help us when we stumble into temptation? Or even further, not considering that we actually may stumble. We are human, not Jesus! (though we strive to be more like Him every day!) You should be prepared for stumble but guess what...it's secured!
1. Stay Woke: This particular phrase has become one of the most used phrases over the past 2-3 years and it is very true. We have been operating in a coma on certain social issues and we need to be awaken. When it comes to temptation, we too have to be awaken to knowledge that the enemy is attempting to take us down and make us fall into temptation (1 Peter 5:8). Awakening your senses better prepares you for what you know the enemy can and will do to attack you!
2. Brace With Grace: To do something with grace means that you do it with a simple elegance or poise. Grace would allow one to know how to act or behave in certain situations. Fortunately, we have another grace that assists us with our stumbles. This grace is unmerited favor God grants to God's people. For when we receive this grace, though we stumble and fall, we are not completely shut down or shut out (Proverbs 37:24). We have the opportunity to brace our fall with grace! 

Ask Yourself: What are my personal temptations that I am dealing with? Am I prepared for a secured stumble? 

Drop your comments, questions or concerns below. 

Be Blessed!

-Darren