(10 minutes, easy set-up)
Students will match relevant verses to certain temptations.
Print one copy of the Temptation Match activity sheet and cut apart as directed.
Learning Goal: Students will identify ways to publicly acknowledge their belief in Jesus.
Place the Scripture cards from the Match for Temptation activity sheet randomly on one side of a table or the floor and the Temptation cards randomly on the other side. Remind students that before Jesus began His public ministry, He was tempted by Satan (following His trial in the desert) and quoted Scripture to overcome Satan’s temptations. Explain that students will match some common temptations with Scriptures that address them.
Invite students to work together as a group to match the temptation with the appropriate Scripture that addresses it. Allow no more than two minutes for students to complete the task. (Answers: pride—Phil. 2:3; materialism and greed—Prov. 28:25; lust, sex, and pornography—Mt. 5:27–28; hate—Mt. 5:21–22a; disrespect for parents—Ex. 20:12; laziness and time management—Prov. 6:9–11; fear—Josh. 1:9; dishonesty—Prov. 11:1)
When students have made all of the matches, check their answers. Then, invite student volunteers to read each temptation and verse. After each match is read, discuss how each passage can help us overcome each temptation. Ask: How can remembering God’s Word help us persevere through trials and temptations? Conclude by praying that students will respond to trials and temptations by trusting in the Holy Spirit for guidance and believing the promises of God, so they can grow stronger in their faith in God and their trust in Him.