Note that we have separated the worship and Sunday school materials into separate posts to keep things organized. You can find the Sunday morning sermon here.
Jump to the Family Sunday School Lesson
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Family Sunday School Devotion for April 19
Family Lesson- “Jesus’ Temptation” from Luke 4
Listen to- “Your Word in My Heart (Psalm 119:9-11)” from Seeds Family Worship here:
and- “Breathed Out (2 Timothy 3:16-17)” from Seeds Family Worship here:
Later, after the Bible story, older kids watch- “Because- MAF” here:
Summary- Jesus was tempted and never sinned.
Introduction Younger Kid Activity- Play with Stones Encourage children to play with an assortment of stones on the floor. Name things that stones would be good for, such as building a fireplace, putting on the road to keep it from getting muddy, and throwing in a lake to make a splash. Say, “We named a lot of things to do with stones. Do you think they would be good to eat? No! In our Bible story today, Jesus was hungry and the devil told Jesus to turn stones into bread. Listen to hear what Jesus said.”
Introduction Older Kid Activity- What is True? Read the following sentences and instruct kids to decide if the sentence is true. If true, ask for an explanation of how they know. Consider making your own sentences as well: The United States of America was founded in 1776 (true). The Bible has 65 books (false, 66). Plants create their own food using sunlight (true). Saturn is the smallest planet in the solar system (false, Mercury). Say, “Sometimes it can be hard to know what is true. In our Bible story today, we will learn about a time Satan tried to trick Jesus so that Jesus would sin. Jesus knew the truth. How do you think Jesus defeated Satan’s lies? We’ll learn all about it soon.”
Big Picture Question- Say, “Jesus faced temptation because Jesus is fully human. Our big picture question helps us understand the Father’s plan. Why did Jesus become human? The answer is: Jesus became human to obey His Father’s plan and rescue sinners. Because the fair payment of sin is death, the only way for sinners to be saved is through the death of a perfect sacrifice. Because Jesus is fully human but never sinned, He was able to be the perfect sacrifice we needed.”
Bible Story- Timeline Say, “After Jesus was born as a human, He grew up. We learned a couple of weeks ago that Jesus obeyed God by being baptized. Baptism is a picture of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and those who believe in Him are baptized to show the world they belong to Jesus. Last week, we specifically looked at the death and resurrection of Jesus. He was arrested and put to death even though He had never sinned, and He rose again to prove death was defeated. Jesus’ resurrection gives us hope for eternal life.” Open a Bible to Luke 4:1-13. Either tell the story in your own words from this passage or read aloud from the Big Picture Interactive Bible Storybook (the Bible storybook your younger child received from Sunday School) page 192.
Christ Connection- Say, “Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. Do you remember a time when God’s people- the Israelites- were in the wilderness? After God delivered His people from Egypt, they traveled into the wilderness and rebelled against God. They worshiped idols and complained. God punished the people by making them wander for 40 years. When Jesus was in the wilderness, He obeyed God perfectly. Jesus was tempted, but He trusted God and never sinned. Jesus is perfect and righteous. A perfect sacrifice was required to take away sin. Jesus was that perfect sacrifice. He died on the cross to free us from sin and to give us the power to say no to temptation.”
Key Passage- Open a Bible to John 3:30. Read the verse aloud. Use the following hand motions (or have kids make up their own): “He” (point up towards Heaven), “must increase” (move hands apart), “I” (point to self with both thumbs), “must decrease” (move hands together). Say, “John the Baptist knew that Jesus is the most important. John wanted his life to glorify Jesus, not himself. That’s why he said the words of this verse.”
Review Questions- Ask the following questions:
- Why was Jesus in the wilderness? (Luke 4:1)
- What did Satan tempt Jesus to do? (Luke 4:3)
- How did Jesus fight against temptation? (Luke 4:4, 8, 12)
- Why do we face temptations? (Guide kids to think about why Satan wants people to sin. Remind them that Satan wants to prevent people from glorifying God and keep Christians from living the way God has commanded us to live. We also have sin natures that desire sin and selfishness. We are tempted when we keep thinking about sin and when Satan tries to get us to disobey.)
- Can we resist temptation and say no to sin? (Discuss the difference between people who trust in Jesus and people who do not. Help kids see that without Jesus, we cannot avoid sin. Remind them, though, that everyone who trusts in Jesus has the holy Spirit living inside. Christians can have the help of the power of the Spirit and the Word of God to fight temptation and obey God.)
- Why is it important to resist temptation and say no to sin? (Help kids see that Christians cannot lose their salvation when they choose sin, but sin still dishonors God, hurts us, and hurts those around us. We resist temptation not to earn God’s love, but because we love and trust God that His commands are good for us.)
Say, “Jesus was tempted and never sinned.”
For Older Kids- Also, ask the following questions:
- Who tempts us to sin? Why? (read James 1:13-14)
- How can we resist temptation? (read 1 Corinthians 10:13)
- Why is it important to know God’s Word? (read Psalm 119:9-11)
Reflection- Ask older children to answer one of the following questions:
- What does this story teach me about God or the Gospel?
- What does the story teach me about myself?
- Whom can I tell about this story?
Closing Younger Kid Activity- Remembrance Rock Allow kids to take turns decorating or writing on a rock with a permanent marker (consider writing a Bible verse reference on the rock). Optional: you may coat the rock with decoupage paste to seal the writing. Say, “The devil tried to convince Jesus to put His human needs before His obedience to God. Jesus was tempted and never sinned. Instead of turning stones into bread to eat, Jesus used God’s Word to defeat the devil. These remembrance rocks can help us remember to fight temptation and say no to sin so we can glorify Jesus with our lives.”
Closing Older Kid Activity- Now Boarding Arrange chairs into columns with an aisle between. Ensure each child has a seat. Instruct kids to sit in the chairs and imagine they are flying in an airplane. Kids will react differently depending on which command you give. Use the suggested commands and actions or make up your own: nose dive = kids lean forward, gaining altitude = kids lean back, seatbelts fastened = kids pretend to buckle lap belt, move about the cabin = kids get up and swap seats, turbulence = kids shake their bodies, crash landing = kids hug knees. Say, “That was a fun game. Real pilots may have to deal with all kinds of situations similar to the ones we acted out. Pray for missionary pilots like the ones with Mission Aviation Fellowship. They can reach people in mountain villages, deep jungles, or remote islands that no one else can get to. Their willingness to serve God means that people will be helped and will hear about Jesus. The next time we fly a paper airplane, see an airplane in the sky, or fly in an airplane ourselves, let’s say a prayer for missionary pilots.” Watch youtube video “Because- MAF” (see above)
Pray- Thank God for His Word, the Bible. Praise Jesus for resisting temptation and pray that God would help kids hide His Word in their hearts so that they can use it to resist the devil. Pray for missionaries around the world who are sharing God’s Word with people so that they might believe in Jesus as their Savior from sin.
Adult Sunday School Devotion for April 19
Adult Lesson- “Jesus is Tempted” from Luke 4
Listen to- “Come Ye Sinners” from Fernando Ortega here:
and- “Trust and Obey” here:
Summary- The devil tempted Jesus three times, but Jesus overcame each temptation by the Word of God and succeeded where the first Adam had failed.
Christ Connection- Jesus stepped into our world and overcame the temptation to which Adam succumbed. Jesus showed He is fully 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 (Genesis 12:3). Jesus’ life of obedience led Him to the cross, the place where He conquered sin and death as our Savior.
Application- Because we have been given a new identity and righteousness in Christ, we resist temptation by relying on the power of the One who overcame temptation in our place.
Point 1. The Son of God is tempted to use His power for His own needs (read aloud Luke 4:1-4).
Note- Remember, in context, this is coming on the heels of Jesus’ baptism and initiation into public ministry. So He goes from a total ministry high- the audible voice of God the Father has just affirmed Him in front of the crowds, the Spirit descended on Him like a dove, and John the Baptist confirmed He was the promised Messiah- to leaving the Jordan, a “mountaintop” experience, and heading straight into the wilderness for a duel with the devil.
Respond- How should the belief that God might lead us into a trial or temptation change the way we respond to these experiences?
Note- Both Adam and Jesus were tempted with food: Adam with fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:1-6) and Jesus with bread after forty days of fasting. They were tempted to satisfy the appropriate desires of their flesh in sinful ways instead of maintaining their spiritual priorities. Adam and Eve listened to the devil, ate the fruit, and failed (and they weren’t even fasting). They gave in and ate what looked pleasing to them rather than standing firm in obedience and trusting that what God told them was good. Jesus, on the other hand, found His strength and sustenance in the Word of God, quoted the Scripture in His defense, and obeyed His Father (see Deuteronomy 8:1-3). Don’t underestimate Jesus’ humanity here. He hadn’t eaten food for forty days. He was hungry. Yes, Jesus is fully God, but He is also fully human, and His body needed food just like ours do. Also notice that Satan didn’t approach Him on the first day of His fast. Satan came at the end of the forty days, when Jesus was most hungry and most vulnerable. Don’t you wish temptation would come when you are most energized, least vulnerable, and in a strong place? But Satan is crafty and knows when it is most effective to tempt us, which is often when we are most vulnerable.
Point 2. The Son of God is tempted to pursue His reign apart from the Father’s plan (read aloud Luke 4:5-8).
Note- Time and time again, Satan tempts us to distrust God and begin to question Him in two primary ways: 1) Did God really say that? and 2) Can we really trust Him? These were Satan’s sly questions and inferences to Adam and Eve in the garden (Genesis 3:1-7). He said if they ate of the forbidden tree, then they would become like God. He tempted them to believe God was withholding good things from them. Sin has a way of enticing us with the promise of a better life now- taking sinful shortcuts to get a bigger stage, a better promotion, more power, more comfort, more money, more… – all for a better price and a faster timeline than you could get without giving in to sin. Sin tempts us to circumvent God’s plan and timeline to get the result we want without walking the path God has for us. We need to be on guard and recognize the ways we are tempted to distrust what God has said, and we need to believe that His plans are good and that He withholds no good thing from those who walk with Him.
Note- Jesus chose to trust that God’s plan was better than any shortcut Satan could offer. Jesus rejected immediate gratification, even for a good thing that was rightly due Him. Jesus knew that Satan’s shortcuts always come up short and that God’s Word and plan will always prove faithful and best. Once again, don’t underestimate how real this temptation was for Jesus. Satan was offering Him an opportunity to get the results of the resurrection without the agony of the cross. Yet Jesus still chose to trust God, even when it meant He would endure every ounce of pain, shame, and punishment on the cross. Jesus trusted that God’s character would remain true, that His words could be trusted, and that circumventing the process God puts in place never gets us to the place we actually want to go.
Respond- What are some satanic shortcuts that lead people away from God’s good plan?
Point 3. The Son of God is tempted to test His Father’s promise of protection (read aloud Luke 4:9-13).
Note- Jesus resisted this third temptation, first, by staying secure in His identity. Jesus knows who He is- the Son of God- and He doesn’t feel the need to prove it to anyone, not even Satan. So, He stayed out of the ego battle and power struggle altogether. Second, Jesus didn’t hold God hostage to meet His expectations. Rather than be presumptuously self-righteous, Jesus didn’t demand that God act in a certain way to meet His own desires. You trust and obey God; you don’t test Him.
Respond- What are some things that help you trust God’s character even when you can’t see or understand His provision?
Conclusion- As difficult as it is for us to understand, sometimes God uses trials to test us. In every temptation that Satan brought to Jesus, we see Him overcome temptations where Adam failed to obey. Jesus chose spiritual priorities over physical desires. He rejected the temptation to pursue the “right” thing in the wrong way. He resisted the temptation to presume upon God in order to serve His own agenda. Jesus trusted the character of God and used the Word of God to fight every temptation used to attack Him. Jesus is the Messiah who stood firm in the face of the enemy and whose obedience culminated in the ultimate display of love on the cross and the ultimate display of power through the resurrection.
Apply- Because we have been given a new identity and righteousness in Christ, we resist temptation by relying on the power of the One who overcame temptation in our place.
-What steps will you take to cling to Christ in your fight against temptation not to believe in the sovereignty and goodness of God?
-What role can your family play in supporting one another in the face of trials and temptations?
-How can your past or present temptations and trials help you to show non-Christians that the Gospel of Jesus is true and worthy of our faith?
