TemptationPlanning Ahead to be Tempted One day little Richard was told by his mother to come straight home after school and not stop at the baseball field. After school, Richard decided to carry his ball glove with him just in case he was tempted. (Kent Crockett, The 911 Handbook, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2003, 30) Open for a Left Hook On May 21, 2005, Andrew Golota fought Lamon Brewster for the WBO heavyweight boxing title. Golota, a strong fighter with a powerful punch, had 38 wins, 5 loses, and 31 knockouts. In preparation for the fight, Brewster studied tape of Golota's boxing, looking for an opening. He noticed that the way Golota held his hands left him open for a left hook.
Within seconds after the first round began, Brewster found the opening and threw a left hook. Golota went down to the mat and got up. Brewster threw another left hook and Golota went down again. He stood up and the fight resumed. Brewster threw another left hook to the same opening, and Golota went down for the 3rd time, which counted as a knockout. Lamon Brewster won the fight in the first round because he was the smarter fighter. All he had to do pound on his opponent's weakness.
In a similar way, Satan is looking to pound on our weakest areas. When we leave an opening by yielding to temptation, he'll take advantage and throw a left hook. But if we'll not yield to temptation, we'll close off the area and cut off his opportunity. The Apostle Paul said it this way: "Do not give the devil an opportunity" (Eph. 4:27 NAS).--Kent Crockett
Kent Crockett's Sermon Illustrations, www.kentcrockett.com
Get Out of the Corral A couple of boys tried to walk through a corral when a bull saw them and began to charge. One of the boys said, "Let's stop and pray." The other boy said, "No, let's run and pray!" They didn't need to resist the bull inside of the corral. They needed to run out of the area where they were vulnerable. That's what we need to do when we are being tempted. We need to flee from the temptation. (Kent Crockett, The 911 Handbook, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2003, 35) The Devil Looks Like a Nice Guy A cartoon in the New Yorker magazine showed some pigs feeding at a trough. As the farmer filled the trough with food, one hog asked the others, "Have you ever wondered why he's so good to us?"
When Satan tempts people, he's like the farmer fattening up the pigs for the slaughter. Temptation looks appealing at first, but it always drags its victims into misery, bondage, and heartbreak. --Kent Crockett
Stay Away from Kryptonite Just like Superman weakens as he gets near the Kryptonite, we weaken when we get near the temptation. (Kent Crockett, The 911 Handbook, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2003, 33)Your Head is Made of Butter Martin Luther once said, "Don't sit near the fire if your head is made of butter." The closer we get to the fire, the hotter the fire feels to us. Even though the fire remains at the same temperature, the heat affects us according to how close we are to it. The closer we are to the temptation, the more it influences us. (Kent Crockett, The 911 Handbook, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2003, 33)Picking Forbidden Fruit It is hard to pick forbidden fruit if you are a hundred yards away, but it is easy if you are at an arm's length. (Kent Crockett, The 911 Handbook, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2003, 33)Cross Reference:The Formula for Becoming Godly Building & Ruining a Reputation This Will Keep You From Falling
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