Temptations

We talked about temptation this week which was great, since middle schoolers are in the thick of being tempted on a daily basis.  We watched a small snippet from Francis Chan on his sermon "When Sin Looks More Enjoyable Than God".  He displayed, using a creative hat, just what it can feel like on a daily basis.  From being tempted by money, sweets, alcohol, technology, and cheating to name a few; we could then talk about how to not sin after being tempted.  The act of being tempted isn't a sin, the choice we make after being tempted can turn into the sin.  Keeping our eyes focused on God, like an archer on his target, can help us make wise choices.  When we sin, we are turning our focus away from the target (God), and it gets harder and harder to stay focused on the "right" things.

What temptation can feel like each day for a middle schooler.

Kids acted out skits showing how they are tempted by friends; things like lying to parents, cheating on homework, stealing from others were some of the common things they face day to day.  We also played a few games were I tempted them with food and money...and a few bailed on their teams to selfishly take the food and money.