Sermon Notes

Matthew 4:1–11 NIV
¹ Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
³ The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written:
‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
⁷ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ ”
¹¹ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

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Series Resources

Go deeper with additional resources from our teaching team.

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Discussion Igniters

(1)  Why do you think Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted or tested?

(2)  Read Matthew 4:1–11.
How did Jesus respond to each temptation?
How does this serve as an example for us?  

If discussing in a Life Group, you might consider dividing into men’s and women’s groups for the following questions:

(3)  What is something you are regularly tempted by? 

(4)  What have you found helpful in overcoming temptation?

(5)  How can we encourage one another to stand strong in the face of temptation?