A Haitian pastor tells this story: A man wanted to sell his house for $2,000. Another man wanted to buy it very badly, but he was a poor man and didn’t have the full price. After much bargaining, the owner agreed to sell the house to the man for $1,000. But the reduced price came with a stipulation: the owner would sell the house but would keep ownership of a large nail protruding from over the front door.
Several years later, the original owner decided he wanted to buy the house back. Understandably, the new owner was unwilling to sell. As a result, the original owner went out, found the carcass of a dead dog in the street, and hung it from the nail he still owned. Soon the house became unlivable, and the family was forced to sell to the owner of the nail.
The Haitian pastor concluded the story: “If we leave the devil with even a small peg in our life, he will return to hang his rotting garbage on it.”
Men, everyone of us has secret areas where we are vulnerable to temptation. These are the key areas the evil one uses to bring us down. In this lesson we look at principles from scripture that show us how to deal with temptation when it comes our way – which it will on a daily basis.
Goals for the Lesson
- To be honest with yourself and your band of brothers about where you are most susceptible to temptation.
- To develop a game plan for dealing with temptation on a regular basis
Warm up Question
- Can you remember a time in your life when another man had your back?
- Discuss this thought: together is better than alone.
Bible Study - 2 Samuel 11:1-17
Today we look at the famous bible story of David and Bathsheba. From this passage you can learn some basic principles on how to better deal with temptation.
11 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.
2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
6 So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house.
10 David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” So he asked Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a military campaign? Why didn’t you go home?”
11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents,[a] and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”
12 Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home.
14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.”
16 So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. 17 When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.
Discussion Questions
What do you learn about temptation from this passage?
How does knowing that your eyes are connected to your heart help you deal with temptation?
How can the friendship of the guys in this group give you a defense against your persistent temptations?
What are some effects of the sin that is not tended to in our lives?
“A man who is not in fellowship with other men is a moral accident ready to happen.” -Howard Henricks
Talk by Chris Brown
Listen to the message by Chris Brown that was given at the 2021 No Regrets Men’s Conference. The talk is entitled: Purity & Temptation and can be found on the No Regrets app under Conference Media/2021 Platform talks.
Chris Brown has served as a Senior Pastor and Teaching Pastor at North Coast Church since 2004. A gifted storyteller and bible teacher and conference speaker, Chris is returning to the No Regrets platform as one of our most requested speakers. His humor and motivational style have helped North Coast Church continue to grow, not only larger, but also younger during his tenure. He lives in Oceanside, CA with his wife Amy and their three kids.
Notes:
*Discussion Questions *
What was most helpful and challenging from this talk?
Chris spoke of ‘avoiding the direction of the temptation, not just the destination’. Where is the direction of temptation that most aptly applies to you?
Chris also told us ‘you don’t just fight against temptations, you run from them’. Based on your answer to question #3, what do you need to run from?
As a group, develop a list of weapons the Christian man has at his disposal to deal with temptation.
Sharing and Prayer Time
To close your time today, break up into groups of 2-3. Being as open as you can, share with the group what the ‘nail’ is that is still hanging over the front door of your life that the evil uses to drag you down.
Pray for one another. You may want to start your prayer time by reading I John 1:9, or Psalm 51.
Wrap up
The group leader will read I Corinthians 10:12-13 and then close in prayer.
Assignment for Next Week
For next week you will be listening to a talk given by Steve Carter at the 2021 No Regrets Men’s Conference. The talk is entitled: Living Courageously and can be found on the No Regrets app, under the Conference Media/2021 Platform speakers.
*The app will not necessarily save your fill-in-notes. Please click on Email and send your notes to yourself.