“Watch out for your great enemy, the devil”
There is a voice that speaks to all of us. It’s a voice that fights for our happiness, appeals to our dreams and ambitions, and promises to fulfill some of our strongest desires.
This voice is first introduced to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. But they quickly learn something unsettling about this voice…
It’s deceptive.
We all face temptations that entice us to curate our own satisfaction and fulfillment. But the Bible warns us each one is a trap set to make us prey to the predator of sin. So how do we prepare ourselves for this conflict?
Jesus shows us the way when he travels into the desert to confront three universal human temptations: turning stones to bread, seizing the kingdoms of the world, and jumping from the Temple.
If you don’t think these temptations have surfaced in your life you might need to take a closer look.
Our walk with Jesus takes us on a journey deep into the desert so we can learn to recognize the ongoing voice of temptation and resist the echoes of deception.
“Who told you that you were naked?”
This is the question that God asks Adam and Eve when he calls them out from hiding behind a bush, as they timidly step forward to reveal their bodies covered in fig leaves they had sewn together.
This story captures a problem shared among all people:
Insecurity.
When we make mistakes, dwell on our failures, get stuck in comparison, or experience shame, we start covering the parts of ourselves that make us feel weak, vulnerable, and exposed. And there are many ways we cover up things we don't want others to see. The truth is, Adam and Eve aren't the only one's wearing fig leaves.
But the Bible tells a story of a God that clothes us, gives us a vision of hope, pursues us when we're lost, offers us truth in a world of lies, and calls us to live a full life where we reach our true potential.
Naked In God's Holy Temple is a journey of moving from...
I. Insecurity to validation
II. Despair to hope
III. Unaware to awakened
IV. Lies to truth
V. Inhibited to full potential