Do We Understand What It Takes To Be Saved From Temptation? 

Good Morning Friends,

Cats and dogs can teach us something about our spiritual lives. Cats act as if they’re above guilt—aloof, self‑assured, almost godlike. Dogs, by contrast, are curious, eager, and quick to repent. Both tendencies live in us: the temptation to play God like a cat, and the impulse to chase everything like a dog. Curiosity may not literally kill us, but it can lure us toward sin if we’re not discerning. Somewhere between these extremes is the place where God’s love meets our weakness. In our affliction and waiting, His mercies are new every morning. Here we learn to ask: Do we understand what it takes to be saved from temptation?

Scripture: James 1:12–18; Mark 8:14–21

Message: Temptation is inevitable, but evil only has the power we give it. Desire grows into sin, and sin into death—but God’s steadfast love gives us a way out. At the cross our focus shifts from the attractiveness of temptation to the faithfulness that keeps us standing. The Holy Spirit’s light helps us see the dangers we would otherwise miss and leads us away from the edge. Our hope is in Christ—His love, His justice, His return. Like the disciples, we must remember the miracles we’ve already seen and trust that Jesus is our only true security. The world is broken, but God grants us grace to be different. Christ reshapes our thinking, strengthens our resolve, and calls us into a life where love becomes our defense against temptation.

And So, we grow wiser by recognizing our tendency to sin, fleeing from it, and trusting that God will always provide a way out.

Pray that we resist temptation and stay on the narrow path. Pray for strength, redemption, and protection from discouragement. Pray that God anchors us in storms and surrounds us with His compassion. Pray for patience in trials, quick repentance when we fall, and confidence in His great faithfulness. Pray that our impulses and imagination glorify God. Pray that we trust Him more deeply, obey Him more fully, and resist temptation through the truth of Scripture and the power of His Spirit.

Blessings,

John Lawson