The Gospel Project® for Adults

Leader Guide CSB, Unit 19, Session 4

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THE SAVIOR IS FAITHFUL

SESSION OUTLINE

1. The Son of God trusts in the Father's provision (Matt. 4:1-4).
2. The Son of God trusts in the Father's providence (Matt. 4:5-7).
3. The Son of God trusts in the Father's plan (Matt. 4:8-11).

Background Passage: Matthew 4

WHAT WILL MY GROUP LEARN?

In overcoming Satan's temptations, Jesus affirmed
He is the greater Adam who succeeded where the first Adam failed.

HOW WILL MY GROUP SEE CHRIST?

Jesus stepped into our world and overcame the temptation
to which Adam succumbed. Jesus showed He is obedient
to the Father and He is the worthy One
who would undo the consequences of Adam's sin and bring blessing
to all the peoples of the earth (Gen. 12:3).

Jesus's life of obedience led Him to the cross,
the place where He conquered sin and death as our Savior.

HOW SHOULD MY GROUP RESPOND?

Because we have been credited with Christ's righteousness,
we resist temptation by relying on the power
of the One who overcame temptation in our place.

GROUP TIME

INTRODUCTION

Click on the link for a reproducible handout of this session's Scripture passages:

Setting:

The wilderness provides the backdrop
for an interaction between Jesus and Satan.

The wilderness is a backdrop to the story
of the Old Testament. The Israelites spent decades wandering
in the wilderness as a result of their sin. This was a place
of judgment, a place of failure, a place of hopelessness and death.

The wilderness was anchored in the Israelite mind
as the foremost location where they experienced the implications of sin.
The Messiah entered into His ministry through the wilderness,
presenting Himself to the world as the One who succeeded
where Israel failed.

Explain:

Temptations are a part of life. Being human means
we will be tempted. Whether or not we succumb to those temptations
or resist them will be a key factor in our growth as a disciple of Jesus.

Discuss:

• What comes to your mind when you think of the word temptation?
• (an overwhelming desire and longing for something that gives immediate
• pleasure;
• a feeling that an outside force acts upon you;
• the memory of past times when you've given in to temptation, so you
• feel a sense of shame and regret;
• a fear that you can't help yourself, so you give in;
• times when God's strength has helped you to resist)

Transition:

All people experience temptation,
and we experience temptation all the time. Jesus came to the earth
as a man. He wasn't a make-believe person.

He was a real human being. As such, He experienced real temptation
from Satan throughout His earthly ministry. Matthew 4
shows us a few examples of this temptation and
provides both a motive for our worship of Jesus
as the One who overcame temptation and a model
for our own fight against sin.

Optional Question:

• What makes you want to grow in your fight against temptation?
• (our work in the world hinges on our faithfulness,
  so it's important to seek holiness;
• overcoming the frustration of failing to temptation;
• not wasting time engaging in sin that we could be using for good works;
• our leadership in the church depends on us fighting sin)