Temptations

Atwood takes readers on an inspiring journey of self-discovery and relationship recovery in this thoroughly modern fable. Through Kelly's story, readers can pinpoint which temptations they must learn to resist in order to claim the happiness--and the man--they deserve.

This study lays the groundwork necessary for establishing the validity of the thesis, proposed particulary by J.H. Yoder in his Politics of Jesus, that the early church held a selective and unified view of the nature and content of the various temptations to which Jesus was regarded as having been subjected in his lifetime. This leads to a clearer view of how the early church perceived the exigencies of its Lord's mission and message, and provides fresh insights into such prominent New Testament themes as sonship, obedience, faithfulness and discipleship. It also opens up new possibilities for firmly establishing the occasion of those New Testament writings, such as the Gospel of Mark and even the Epistle to the Hebrews, where notice of and appeal to the example of Jesus in temptation appears as a prominent feature.

We all face temptations and trials in our lives, and how we deal with these times can be defining moments in our lives. So how do we choose the right thing instead of the easiest thing, or the most pleasurable thing? The best way for Christians to successfully respond to temptations and trials in their lives is to start with the Bible. Temptations and Trials Faced by Bible Legends looks at temptations and trials that major characters of the Bible faced, and author and psychologist Michael Kotch shows how these Bible legends tended to fall into one of three categories when faced with a major trial or temptation: either they turned to God for guidance and did whatever God wanted them to do, or they did not follow God, with one group repenting for their disobedience and the other group simply continuing in the wrong direction. In the end, we can learn how doing what is right in God’s eyes can be much different than doing what is “right” in our own, and that the best outcomes follow from consulting with God. God promises that we will never be tempted beyond our abilities, and he will always provide us with a way out of our temptations and trials. And for Christians, when we read the Bible daily, use it to create a plan of action, and always do what is right according to God, we can be confident in God’s leadership as we develop a character in the image of Christ.

Church after church faces eventual death while helplessly lamenting its fate. What perversity is at work that causes those who sincerely love the church to become obstacles to growth? Like the apostle Paul, churches don’t always do the things they want, but instead they do the very thing they hate. Why? While the theological answer is sin at work in us, the organizational answer may just be that members of dying churches unconsciously find a payoff in the church’s decline. They are tempted by church.