Fall Ironmen 2017 #5 We Took the Bait

Fall Ironmen 2017 #5 “We Took the Bait…..”

6:15-6:20(7:00-7:05)Greet and Get Settled

6:20-6:40(7:05-7:25)Welcome Men….How we doing—making progress in peeling back the onion or pulling back the curtain…..Any thoughts/reactions?

*LOOK AT THESE PIC’s...What do all these pictures represent? (Ask them)….They represent potential “Temptation” doorways.

(Food, attractive women-not sexy, beach house, nice car, bar scene, fishing lure, hunting trap, etc)…..Why and how--if these things are good in and of themselves?

KEY: Why do you think “Temptation” was employed to take us down? (Left to themselves sin would never have entered their minds/hearts-or-desires activated against the Lord-We had dominion and only as we gave it up could chaos be released! He also knew the Power of Desire…

The Fact is:

*From Last Week….D-Day clean-up is still going on-2 Cor 10:3-5, 1 Jn 3:8, Eph 2:2. It involves the battle between ideas and desires.

*Our “Flesh” or Old patterns rooted in bent, carnal self-indulgent desires still exist and vie for our loyalty from time to time (Rms 8:5, 7:15, esp Gal 5:16-17). This is what the Evil One uses to “try, appeal, entice, and bait” us with.

6:40-7:10(7:25-7:55)TABLE TALK:

*Read Gen 3:1-10 together and note the “strategy” the Evil One took to entice Adam/Eve away from the Lord…..what steps do you see in this?

7:10-7:35(7:55-8:20)MINI TEACHING TIME:

*Gen 3:1-10 goes easily with Jms 1:13-15…..NOTE the process of:

-DESIRE>DRAGGED>ENTICED>ACTION TAKEN/SIN>DEATH

-DRAW DIAMOND CHART….. Evil Desire>birth to>Sin>Sin >Fully Formed Brings>Death

KEY: They got “dragged away internally” to a place of vulnerability where they trusted sight and logic vs. God’s clear declaration!Got “lured” away from reality.

-Created “doubt” regarding God’s character…then activated the desire to arrogantly be MORE and HAVE MORE than already created with. They Caved in Internally 1st-then-Externally in biting the hook-or-taking and “eating” what they were never meant to know the taste of…..DEATH.

*”The 2nd bite is never as good as the 1st…..”1st a Big High then the rest just killing the pain”. Keep going deeper into the chaos to get the “feeling” again.

Summary: The Evil One takes the raw material of God’s good creation given for our pleasure (1 Tim 6:17) and uses it to “bait, lure and try” us to dis-trust God and “Over desire” something or someone else. We IGNORE WHO has spoken and in turn WHO we belong to as we ACT against ourselves (About Identity not just Behavior)…..Internal decision before External action.

How to Face Temptation Better: (Discuss….even from Gen 3, 1 Cor 10:13)

*French Proverb: “You not only have to want what you want……” If the end result is negative then you know it’s not of the Lord.

*Self-Awareness:Be honest with yourself about your points of “vulnerability”. And when we are H-hungry, A-Angry, L-lonely, T-Tired and then if you add a little “Pain” and “Availability” it can equal trouble.

*No Solo Journey’s: Having someone(s) to talk to, confess to and share with is crucial to fight the good fight. They can call us back to sanity and remind us of God’s goodness.

*Win Early: The Lord always give us an escape and we see it best when we “want to” and are thinking soundly.

*Know Who and What you are for: This is the “bigger” why of not doing foolish and regretful stuff.

7:35-7:45(8:20-8:30)Reflection Time: Is there something you are battling right now that you need to confess or talk to someone about? If so, will you and when?

7:45/8:30Announcements:

*$10 if you haven’t given that yet and have it

*Christopher West Nov 10th gathering

*Training Opportunity

*April 20-22 arethe dates for Rockbridge Men’s Weekend

*Review Memory Verse

TRAINING OPPORTUNITY:

*Imagine for a minute being the evil one (only for the sake of this exercise) and if you can’t tempt a person with

any success what other tactics might you employ to immobilize God’s people and take them out of the battle?

*Read Jn 10:10, 2 Cor 10:3-5 a few times and what do you see here? Look up “Stronghold” and do your best to

define it, think of some examples of one, and consider how a “stronghold” can take root in a person’s life.

*Think back (weeks #2-3) regarding the evil ones “main strategy of lying”-Jn 8:44f as his way of creating chaos in

people’s lives. Knowing this, what do you think is essential if people are to break free of strongholds/patterns in

their lives that are destructive? (Find scripture to support your case)