THE QUESTION
Are some temptations impossible to resist?
THE POINT
There is always a way out.
SESSION
THREE
THE GREAT
ESCAPE
Give us an intense distaste for things that displease You
and a renewed pleasure in things that bring You honor and
magnify Your truth.
—Charles Swindoll
The statistics can be frightening. Teens feel pressured to have
sex, do drugs, smoke, and behave in other wrong ways. The
prevailing feeling among many students, and even many adults,
is that the pressure is just too great and teens will give in. This
session will stress that God always provides a way out.
The midweek event will equip students to stand strong in
the Lord when facing temptations.
SPRING 2016
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BIBLE STUDY
Session
3
The Constant Battle
THE QUESTION
Are some temptations
impossible to resist?
THE POINT
The Great Escape
1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 4:15-16
There is always a way out.
GET STARTED
Discuss the following worst-case scenarios. For each
scenario, allow students to determine how they would deal
with each situation:
▷ You’re hiking in the woods by yourself and you encounter
a bear. You look around for some help and see two bear
cubs behind you.
▷ As you approach your car in the parking lot, a man with a
knife demands you get in and drive away.
▷ You’re enjoying lounging in the ocean, but before you
realize it, you’re a long distance from the shore, and
you’re not that good of a swimmer.
▶ Does it seem impossible to escape some of these
situations? Explain.
INTRODUCE THE QUESTION
Discuss the information on the movie The Maze Runner
(Fox, 2014) on page 20 in the KNOWN student book.
See Activity A.
▶ What made escaping the maze so difficult? Did it seem
impossible? Explain.
▶ Have you ever felt that no matter what you did, you were
not going to make any difference? Have you ever felt like
you were in a tempting situation where there was no way
to get out of it? Explain.
▶ Is there always a way to get out of temptation? How?
APPLY LIFE PRINCIPLES
Use the following Scriptures and bulleted teaching ideas/
statements to communicate each of these life principles
related to the question for this session.
You are not the only one who
is tempted.
▷ Poll students about the “Have you ever been” items on
page 20 in the KNOWN student book. Instruct students
to stand if they can answer affirmatively. See Activity B.
▷ We share a lot of experiences. Sometimes we forget we
have things in common with other people.
▶ Have you ever been tempted to lie? To cheat? To lust?
▷ Read 1 Corinthians 10:13. All of us are tempted; we share
that in common. See the online Insights.*
▶ Why is it comforting to know someone else has also been
through what you have been through or are going through?
▷ Your temptation is not unique to you. Others have faced it
and fallen. Some have faced it and overcome.
▷ Read Hebrews 4:15-16. Jesus has been tempted just as
you have been tempted. See the online Insights.*
▷ Discuss the definition of sympathy on page 20 in the
KNOWN student book. See Activity C.
▶ How does Jesus sympathize with us? How do you feel
knowing that Jesus has faced temptation just like you?
What help do you find in Him?
God won’t let you be overwhelmed.
▷ Say: Do not think about chocolate cake. Continue to
describe it while reminding students not to think about it.
▶ Did I make it too difficult to not think about the cake?
Creative teaching options to complement this
study are available at www.lifeway.com/known.
0 3 2 KNOWN LEADER
Have you ever fallen to temptation and used the excuse,
“I just couldn’t help myself”? Is that a good excuse?
Explain.
▷ Review 1 Corinthians 10:13. God will not allow you to be
overwhelmed. See the online Insights.*
▷ Discuss the definition of overwhelm on page 21 in the
KNOWN student book. See Activity D.
▶ When have you felt overwhelmed? Why?
▷ Discuss the meaning of Theophylact’s quote on page 21
in the KNOWN student book. See Activity E.
▷ No temptation is too hard to resist. You can withstand it.
God will provide you the way
of escape.
▷ Discuss the “Fly Away” escape story on page 21 in the
KNOWN student book. See Activity F.
▶ Why do we like escape stories? Does temptation ever feel
too difficult without a way of escape? Explain.
▷ Review 1 Corinthians 10:13. God always provides a way of
escape. See the online Insights.*
▷ Discuss the definition of escape on page 21 in the
KNOWN student book. See Activity G.
▶ How does God help you gain liberty from temptation? Why
would He do this?
▷ God does not promise to remove the temptation—He will
WRAP IT UP
Use these ideas to drive home the point for this session.
Challenge students to act upon the truth of this study during
the coming week.
▷ Write some temptations on the board, then discuss the
ways of escape God could provide.
▶ What temptations are you facing? What are the ways of
escape God is giving you?
▷ Provide index cards and direct students to write
1 Corinthians 10:13 on the card. Challenge them to
commit this verse to memory and place the card in a
prominent spot to help them keep this promise in mind.
give you strength to bear it and escape it.
Activity A
Activity B
Activity C
Activity D
Activity F
Activity E
Activity G
*Insights are available for free at www.lifeway.com/known. You can order the KNOWN student book at www.lifeway.com/known.
SPRING 2016
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MIDWEEK
Session
3
The Constant Battle
MIDWEEK TALKSHEET
THE QUESTION
How do I guard against
temptation?
THE POINT
Armor Up!
Ephesians 6:11-18
Stand strong and pray.
THE BIBLE STUDY
The third session Bible study reminds us that no temptation
overwhelms us and God provides a way of escape. This
midweek session will help students be equipped to stand
strong in the face of temptation.
DISCUSS THESE POINTS
Use the following main points, Scriptures, teaching/discussion
ideas, and questions to drive home the question and the point
for this session.
Know the enemy.
▷ Read Ephesians 6:11-12.
▶ Why is important in a military battle to know your enemy?
▶ How does that translate to our spiritual battle?
▶ How does Paul describe the enemy in this passage?
How does that compare with what you learned about the
enemy in the second session of this Bible study?
▶ When Paul says our battle is not against flesh and blood,
what does he mean?
▶ What happens if we see other people as our enemy?
▷ Seeing other people as the enemy can cause dissension
and division. This can be devastating to relationships,
especially in the church.
▶ How can you learn more about an enemy’s ways?
▶ In what ways do enemies attack?
Pray and stay alert.
▷ Read Ephesians 6:18.
▶ Why is prayer so vital to spiritual warfare?
▶ How often does Paul say we should pray? How can we
pray at all times?
▷ Paul is not talking about the mealtime blessing. We
are to intercede for each other, praying for boldness
and strength.
▶ What happens if you don’t stay alert in prayer?
▶ Who would you consider to be a prayer warrior? Why
would you choose this person?
▶ Would you consider yourself a prayer warrior? Why
or why not?
▶ What about your prayer life do you need to change?
WRAP IT UP
▶ How effective is a cell phone without the battery? How
effective are you without spiritual armor?
▷ Instruct students to be aware of Satan’s attacks
this week.
▶ What pieces of armor do you need to strap on today to be
better equipped to resist temptation this week?
Strap on the armor.
▶ What is armor made for? What is the point of wearing it?
▷ Read Ephesians 6:13-17.
▷ Explain each piece of the armor.
▶ How do you put on this spiritual armor?
▶ In your opinion, is there any piece of spiritual armor that
is more valuable than the others? Explain.
▶ How much of the armor is defensive? Offensive?
▷ The only offensive piece of armor is the sword of the
Spirit, God’s Word.
▶ How is God’s Word a weapon against the enemy? (We’ll
look more closely at this in the next Bible study session.)
▷ God has provided us with perfect defensive and offensive
weapons. They are meant to be used.
▶ Are you putting on your spiritual armor? Why or why not?
0 3 4 KNOWN LEADER
A complete Midweek Event with opening ideas, worship
suggestions, illustrations, and a PowerPoint presentation
can be purchased at www.lifeway.com/known.