Temptation can involve allowing ourselves be persuaded or enticed; allowing stumbling blocks or offences to remain in our lives; or falling for baits that can entrap us.

Sin originates at the fundamental level of our desires. Yet it’s so easy for us to blame our actions on our culture, our upbringing, or our experiences – a false premise. Simply harbouring unhealthy desires is actually like digging a pit we can all too easily find ourselves falling into!

There is a great misconception about temptation today: we see temptation blamed on our current culture and the media.

Theologically, this view overlooks a few things:

The world is sinful. It will continue to get worse.

The greatest cause of sin still exists. In fact it was around in our parents’ time; it was around 100 years ago; it was around before the internet or movies. It was even found right back in the very beginning with Adam and Eve. It is the human heart. It is in all of us: our desires.

Jas 1:14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.

Sin in a human life tends to follow a sequence or pattern. We can see this right back in Genesis, where sin took hold despite a perfect environment.

1. Desire – Don’t let your desires rule your behaviour. This is where strong decisions need to be made to prevent actions taking place

2. Temptation – 1 Pet 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

3. Enticement – I liken this to fly-fishing – using something dead to catch something living. Eve was lured by the enticement of the fruit.

4. Conception – James 1:15 Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer. (The Message)

5. Death – once sin becomes fully developed, this will be the outcome in some shape or form. Sin can kill your peace, your joy, your usefulness, your conscience, your giftings – sin has a way of killing off something inside us.

6. Self-deception. We can actually reach the stage of becoming deluded into believing the sin we are committing is right, helpful and justified. Or we can simply be in blind denial that this process is happening to me, or that it won’t be found out by anyone.

We all find ourselves somewhere in this nasty chain of effects at times – the key is to identify temptation and stop it in the early stages. It’s part of the challenge of learning to live a life of faith in a ‘flesh and blood’ body.

1 Cor 9:24-27 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. ²⁷No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

James 1:12-15 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

‘The Crown of Life’ is the reward or benefit we receive for withstanding temptation. It represents life and fruitfulness.

First let me give you 5 effects of sin:

1. It weakens our moral strength
2. It weakens our spiritual sensitivity
3. It harms the conscience and injures our soul. We can end up doing things we never thought we’d find ourselves doing
4. It arouses and feeds desires that can become strongholds, binding and crippling our lives and harming other people, even those we care for
5. It dulls our appetite for living a Godly lifestyle

Now for some of the rewards of Godliness:

1. Fruitfulness – where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint, but when you’re motivated to live for God, you’ll achieve things you never thought you were capable of. Motivation leads us to live a higher life.
2. A blessed family life
3. A strong marriage – if these two are working well, you have so much more strength to deal with difficulties in other areas
4. The favour of God – Joseph is one of many scriptural examples of God’s favour on a person’s life even in seemingly adverse circumstances
5. Peace and influence with people – people will notice the difference in your life when the favour of God is on you
6. Victory – you win the prize

There is a battle for this generation and for our hearts. Are there any dead things are luring, enticing you?

Are there areas of your lie you need to repent of? Areas you need to recommit to?

What changes do you need to make? What areas of sin do you need to repent of?

What tests are you in? What do you need to stand up against and resist?

The book of James is all about how to be the ‘real deal’ – how to have an authentic faith that translates into everyday life – a faith that works even in the midst of trials and problems.

At a time when there seems to be an ‘immaturity epidemic’, James’ letter encourages us to ‘Grow up’ – to develop maturity in our Christian walk.

Let’s not remain spiritual infants, constantly needing to be fed and supported by others. We are all being called to become mature adults in the faith so that we can do some of the helping and supporting ourselves.

James 1:12-15 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.¹³When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. ¹⁵Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

This part of James covers a subject that isn’t talked about much these days – temptation. Yet it is something we all face. The Bible says even Jesus was tempted in every way. James actually does something unique in scripture: he analyses what takes place in our hearts and reveals the mechanics of temptation.

As a topic, ‘Temptation’ is an area that comes under the broader topic of ‘Sin’. None of us have escaped being born into sin. It affects us all, like a fracture in the human heart. It can surface in particular actions and can also show up in our general lifestyle. We all struggle with areas of weakness.

As a result of Jesus’ choice to endure death on the cross, we can all receive God’s incredible grace and be restored to His presence. But James tells us not to take advantage of this favour or treat it lightly or presumptuously, like a ‘get out of jail’ card. James encourages us to do our absolute best to stay strong in the faith and refrain from wrongdoing. He also reminds us that sin in our lives can have serious consequences which can leave lasting negative effects on not only our own lives but also on those of others.

In fact one major mistake or fall can have far-reaching consequences. We have all seen and maybe even personally experienced this – someone shipwrecking a part of their life due to sin.

God doesn’t remove temptation from our lives. He allows things that test our faith to come our way because overcoming temptation is for our own good. Withstanding temptation saves us from trouble and pain. It’s something we all need to learn as we go, and a key to gaining maturity.

1. I am a manager/ steward, and God is the owner
“One of the greatest missing teachings in the church today is the reminder to men and women that nothing we have belongs to us.”  (Gordon MacDonald).
Ps 24:1-2  The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.
1 Corinthians 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.
2. Tithe to God through your local church
Matthew 23:23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
3. Have prosperity with a purpose.
A kingdom perspective reminds us that we are ‘blessed to be a blessing’. We all need to see a higher purpose for the finance that flows through our hands – one beyond just paying for our own needs and wants. Our desires and needs are a bottomless pit. Isn’t it interesting to see how some of the world’s biggest money earners who only knew how to spend on themselves end up bankrupt and even destitute? World champion boxer Mike Tyson is an example.
Sowing our lives and finances into something greater than ourselves gives purpose to our lives.
4. Generosity is the gateway to prosperity.
The economy of God’s realm operates on principles of sowing and reaping – giving and receiving – rather than on buying and selling and simply getting more for ourselves.
5. Finances are a reflector of the heart.
Mat 6:21 Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Where you spend your money is a good indicator of your priorities!
6. See finance as a seed
2 Corinthians 9:10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness
God supplies seed to the sower – someone who has a ‘giving mentality’. The seed releases the power of God into your life. Seeds are tools that create your future. If you want to receive seed from God, be a giver first.
7. Remember God is your source and your provider
1Kgs 17:4 You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.
Why did those ravens bring food to Elijah? Because God ordered them to!
8. Giving is a part of our spiritual Maturity.
It is God  (not your employer, the government, or any other organisation or business) who is your ultimate provider and source. Stick with His principles and you will enjoy and even be amazed at how His provision will flow in your life.

The 2010 Federal election is nearly here, and it has been quite an unfolding drama thus far! I was living in the United States during the campaign and election when President Obama was elected. The night of the election we were sitting in a restaurant and when it came up on the TV that he had won, literally all the people in the restaurant cheered and clapped out loud. It was quite surreal. When he came to Portland, a historically large crowd gathered on the waterfront to listen to him. Yet now 2 years in and facing some real challenges, one of the lessons from that election is we need to look beyond the marketing campaign, and look at the values and policies of the party.

There is no doubt that the highest level of leadership of our nation has a significant influence. It is of course not the only influence on either the economic or moral areas of our nation, as individual choice, families, businesses, schools, and families still play a vital role.

As a pastor, I am a student of culture. In order to teach my congregation, I need to know not only the issues they are facing now, but will also face in the future. So whilst I am not politically minded, I do study the patterns and forces that are shaping the fabric of our society. Not to mention my late night addiction to 24 hour news channels, like CNN, Fox, and Sky! I will leave it up to the economists and various industry-specific professionals to give advice on policies, though I will comment on the faith and moral aspect.

I would recommend the reading of an article written by Mark Conner, who is a highly respected pastor in Australia. He makes a great point that a person’s faith alone does not determine their effectiveness as a leader. Does the Prime Minister need to be a Christian?

In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say in recent world politics we have seen God fearing moral men fail to translate their personal faith into sound governance or policy. Furthermore, a Prime Ministers job is not just moral, but every area of society. So, it is my conviction that a well-rounded perspective be taken, and even Christians look at the whole picture.

Having said that, the leader of a nation plays a unique role. They hold a position of authority that has broad influence. And with a well-rounded perspective, it is essential that we look at the moral, faith, and religious values of the candidate. In fact, this should be a significant value. I for one would prefer the leader of my nation to have a faith in God. Why? Well call me old fashioned, but knowing the highest leader in our nations feels some sense of accountability and moral obligation to a higher authority is a comforting thought.

If the Christian faith is erased from the public arena of Australia, we not only lose a part of our heritage, we also damage our future. If we take prayer out or parliament, chaplains out of schools, redefining what family context children can be raised in, then what happens to the moral compass of our nation?

From my understanding, who we vote for in the Senate is very important as they may hold the balance of power. Side note, just because a party presents an ‘environmentally friendly’ face doesn’t mean their entire agenda is to protect the environment. To read about the Greens actual policies, some of which may be very far from Biblical, please read their own website here. Currently, Family First share the balance of power.

The Australian Christian Lobby have helped us prepare to vote by conducting an extensive research project of each political party. Here is a video of the canditates answering questions about Christianity. Another website is One Vote.

As a church we don’t tell people how to vote, but I do hope you found this of some interest and help. Christians have as much right as another other citizen to have an opinion about the direction of our country.

Ultimately our nation is in God’s hand, and our faith should be in Him.

www.benwindle.com

1. Character – developing strength of character, rather than relying on outward personality or charisma

2. Consistency – in all areas of life

3. Commitment – just as a human relationship develops to a point of steady long-term commitment, so our walk with God needs to mature to a point where we stay committed to the process of allowing Him to be continually working in our lives

4. Finances – how you handle money is a key indicator of your level of maturity

5. Relationships – also one of the primary areas in which we demonstrate maturity on a daily basis. Being    around others will often reveal our true character. We always need to be growing in grace and love.

6. Patience – has anyone else noticed things often seem to take longer than we think they should?

7. Attitude – has yours deteriorated or improved over the years?

8. Selflessness – it takes an adult decision to put the needs of others before our own

9. Perspective – do you let God’s word change the way you see things, situations, problems? Are you able to look beyond the immediate details and see the ‘bigger picture’?

10. Joy – do you maintain yours even through hard times, or are your emotions a slave to your circumstances?

11. Wisdom – how’s your basic level of commonsense? Are you a wise decision maker?

Ephesians 4 explains maturity a bit further:

Eph 4:11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. ¹² Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

¹³ This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

¹⁵ Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. ¹⁶ He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Don’t be part of the ‘immaturity epidemic’ – now is the time to allow God to get to work on your inner man/woman!

In today’s world of so much spin and hype, people are hungry for authenticity. In this series we are looking at the idea of ‘Authentic Christianity’ as we delve into the book of James.

James was Jesus’ brother – someone who knew Jesus intimately – not just as a public figure, but also through close observation of His private life. Yet James didn’t advertise this connection – in fact he starts the letter simply calling himself: James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. (James1:1)

James sees himself as a servant to God. Isn’t that just where just so many of us go wrong? We just don’t see ourselves in the right perspective – here to serve Him.

James was also the pastor of the early Church at Jerusalem. This is a letter to his church members, many of whom had dispersed to other places to avoid persecution. It’s like a ‘how to’ book for everyday living – full of Godly wisdom. James has a way of condensing complex issues into bite-sized chunks.

Let’s take an overview of the entire book. If you could put it into practice, you could:

• get through trials
• have faith that works
• control your words
• do the will of God
• use your money for a purpose
• get your prayers answered

• stand through temptation

James Intro from Lifeplace on Vimeo.

Our key verse for this series is:

James1:4  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

‘Perfect’ here refers to becoming mature, allowing God to bring growth and development to our inner character.

In this series we’re looking at God’s plan for each of us to grow into mature Christians. He doesn’t just want us to start out well and then remain spiritual infants for the rest of our lives!

1 Cor 13:11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

It all comes down to building our character – we all need to let God work in us before He can effectively work through us.

Maturity is high on the ‘to do list’ God has for us. This is why He allows us to walk through temptations, trials and difficulties.

Growing isn’t always easy or comfortable – it requires us to tap into God, stretch, work at changing our thinking, and to resist lapsing back into former ways. But unless we sign up to the individual personal development plan God has for each of us, we can stay a ‘baby’ Christian – even years after becoming one. Let’s get provoked to get mature.

This Sunday, 8 August, I am starting a new teaching series from the book of James.

The book of James is a book of practical wisdom. It includes some of the most famous verses in the Bible, and shows us the link between our faith and everyday life. It will be airing soon on 96.5FM, though you can also catch it live in person.

Here is an overview of the series:

Week One. The purpose of life’s great tests.
Week Two. The mechanics of temptation.
Week Three. Solving faith’s greatest dilemma.
Week Four. How little words shape a big destiny.
Week Five. Seven choices to be close to God.
Week Six. What does God have to do with Suffering?

We have set up a Facebook event http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/event.php?eid=147973361883153&ref=ts

And just go to our website for full details: http://www.lifeplace.com.au/sermon.php

This Sunday we start a brand new teaching series at Lifeplace.

It is called James: Authentic Christianity. We are going to systematically study the book of James, and allow it to speak to our lives.

I will tell you more about it this week, though I wanted to put up the initial graphic and radio ad now.

Here is our radio spot for the series – listen to it here and tell me what you think – Life Place Radio ad on 96.5FM

For more information, check out our church website – www.lifeplace.com.au

Our key Vision scripture is known as ‘The Great Commission’. It is where Jesus gives us His ‘Mission Statement’.

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

(The word ‘go’ here implies ‘as you go along in life’ rather than ‘go to another place’.)

You are only actually in church about 1% of your week. All of us – mums, dads, business people, students, teachers, electricians, engineers, blue collar, white collar, no collar – are called to make an impact and be the church seven days a week. I can never reach all the people you are in contact with.

Church is all about building – lives, families, disciples – building people.

Jesus said, “I will BUILD my church.” This is not just about physically building a facility. Although facilities matter, it is actually more about building what is inside the building: the church as a community of believers, the people.

The heartbeat of our church is to see people who are far from God discover His love and purpose for their lives, and to equip them to reach their potential.

We see a city within a city, where multiple generations and multiple nationalities come together to be a blessing to the community – helping the poor, influencing the marketplace, strengthening families and being a beacon of light to our nation.

The call to build the House of God is an invitation to an amazing adventure. Join us on this life-changing journey.

http://www.lifeplace.com.au

Despite the extremes that may exist in the area of church and finances, I know that a vision is simply a fantasy unless it is resourced financially.

As a pastor, I have observed the following:

• A person’s faith is not linked to their wealth, but it is linked to their giving. Giving is a sign of spiritual maturity.
• A generous church can accomplish much more than a church that is afraid to talk about finances.
• People actually want to give to something worthwhile, though they do not like to be emotionally or spiritually manipulated into giving.
• Our church grows to the level of financial release and freedom.
• The church should not be poor. Why should companies selling burgers or clothes be doing better than God’s house?
• Showing transparency and talking openly about finances with the church is important. People are intelligent and like to know finances are well managed.
• As a leader, I have to lead by example. That’s why I aim personally to be one of the largest givers.

Every year we take the opportunity to talk specifically on this subject.

Lifeplace Vision Fund 2010 & 2011 from Lifeplace on Vimeo.

This Sunday I will conclude our presentation of our vision fund for the next financial year.

To be a part of it click here

Halfway up the slopes of a not-too-difficult climb in the Swiss Alps, climbers stop in a quaint restaurant to eat, drink, and enjoy the warmth of an open fire. How many climbers, though fully capable of reaching the pinnacle, settle in the comfort of the restaurant rather than pushing on to conquer the peak? More than half.

It’s good to celebrate our successes, but it can also be tempting to get to a certain stage and back off on the effort because things seem to be going well enough. At any stage we can easily get too satisfied with where we are, and miss out on the amazing vistas and victories God has ahead of us if we can keep pushing ahead.

1Cor 9:24 Run the race in such a way as to get the prize.

Hebrews 12:1 Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

What are some of the things you are pressing towards, working towards?

As you may have heard, our dear friend and long standing church member, Darryl O’Callaghan, was in a serious motorbike accident on Saturday.

At Saturday night when I was at the hospital, the doctors thought he would not even make it through the night as his injuries were so traumatic and extensive.

By the grace of God, people began gathering at our church to pray through the night. We had 40 people praying through to 3am for Darryl!

By morning, we had the news that the life-saving surgery was successful.

Darryl remains in very critical condition on life support.

Today I visited him again, and was able to speak to the head surgeon, Dr. Martin, that performed the operation. It turns out he is a Christian that has come to Lifeplace! He told me that none of the other doctors would even do the surgery as they thought it was futile. But he said he felt God tell him to do it.

In the surgeons words, “This was a miracle. It was the prayer that got him through. He is still very critical and we need to keep praying.”

Let’s continue to rally together as a church family to lift as Darryl, Julie, Siana, and family. The family want to thank everyone for their support and prayer.

As a means of us communicating effectively, we have set up a website that we will update every 24 hours so you can check on his progress. Just go to:
http://www.lifeplace.com.au/darrylsmiracle.php

You are an amazing church, and we serve a powerful God!

Love,

Pastor Ben
http://www.lifeplace.com.au

We need to watch out for the tendency to get caught up in dwelling on past glories. Along the journey of life you will have important moments and go through significant seasons, some of which will be momentous and memorable. But don’t let yourself get trapped by the common tendency to  ‘build memorials’ as Peter suggested in response to what he saw on the Mount of Transfiguration:

Mark 9:5 (The Message)Peter interrupted, “Rabbi, this is a great moment! Let’s build three memorials — one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah.” He blurted this out without thinking, stunned as they all were by what they were seeing.

Peter wanted to focus on the memory of a great moment – to build a memorial. No matter how great your moments are, don’t get caught up in the past by a desire to ‘build memorials’.

Always focus on the future – turn your great moments into increased momentum.

Remember the 2004 Olympic marathon runner Vanderlei de Lima, who lost his stride and a seemingly certain win when a spectator momentarily pushed him off the track? Sometimes, things come at us unexpectedly. Anything can hamper our momentum if we allow it to bump us off track. It takes guts, determination and resilience to keep our stride when things seem to be trying to hinder us.