Advanced Level, Block 1, Week 3: Being Tempted

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Advanced Level, Block 1—Result of Fall

Week 3
Being Tempted
(Revised on 10/29/2022)

Point to Emphasize: We should not think that we are so able to take care of situations on our own; we should follow our parent’s instructions and tell them if someone tells us differently.

Reference Reading: Genesis 2:15-17; 3

Memory Verse: Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, / And do not rely on your own understanding… (Proverbs 3:5)

Story Sample

After God created Adam, He also blessed him and put him in the garden of Eden along with Eve. It was very pleasant in this garden for Adam and Eve. They would walk with God and talk with God. He made sure that everything they needed was there in the garden. All the fruits and vegetables were there for them to eat. They even had the companionship of God. How wonderful! God cared so much for them! To keep them safe, He gave them an instruction. He told them, “Of every tree of the garden you may eat freely, But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, of it you shall not eat…” (Genesis 2:16-17). This was for their own safety. This is much the same as with our parents. They love us so much that sometimes they give us instructions and warnings for our own safety.

But one day the serpent came to talk to Eve. She listened and began to doubt God’s word. This kind of talk made her question whether God’s speaking was true. We should never doubt God’s word! God’s word is always true! Eve was tempted to act against God’s instruction. Rather than going to her husband to talk to him first, she made a decision on her own. She thought she was able to make a choice all by herself, with no other help.

Often we find ourselves in these situations. Maybe our friends or someone older than us will tempt us to do something that is against our parent’s instructions. We are just like Adam and Eve. Have any of you ever had friends that questioned something your parents said? When I was your age, our parents would not allow us to climb on the fence in the backyard, because it wasn’t safe. But one day my sister said, “What can be wrong with that? It will be fun! Go ahead and do it!” And the neighbor girl, said, “Yes! Do it!” I just knew I could do it, so I doubted my parents’ instruction and trusted what my sister and her friend told me instead. So, without checking with my parents first, I just got up there and began to run on the wall. Well, I fell off and ended up with a concussion. Ouch! The outcome was not very good. I hurt myself and I disobeyed my parents. See how easy it is to do something against what our parents have told us? See how easily we listen to others and do something we shouldn’t? [Storyteller, give your own example.]

It is very easy to act on our own or do things because our friends tell us to. Some friends might encourage us to listen to popular music or play video games or see movies that our parents have instructed us not to. This kind of disobedience to follow our friends instead of our parents can also ruin our love toward God. We shouldn’t listen to certain music or play certain games or watch certain things that could turn our heart away from God.

Eve should have called Adam. She should have stopped talking to the serpent once she realized that it was speaking differently from what God said. We can talk to our parents and tell them what is going on. We should always rely on our parents. We should not think that we can handle every situation. They really do know what is best. My parents knew it was best not to climb the wall. When I woke up from my concussion due to my fall, I was so ashamed that I had broken the rule, that I had listened to my sister instead of my parents, and that I had disobeyed my parents to cause them so much worry.

[Storyteller, end the time by speaking to the children about their experiences of being tempted and of being ashamed. How should we respond if our friends are trying to influence us the wrong way? How do we feel when we have broken a rule?]

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