Sun. Feb. 21, 2010 (J. Evan Kreider)

The first Sunday of Lent, Evan Kreider spoke about the temptations of Jesus. They were temptations to lead a way of life not pleasing to God. Following his baptism and the announcement that he was the son of God, Jesus goes to the wilderness for 40 days, the same length of time Jewish patriarchs – like Moses - needed to complete something significant. The key question Jesus faced was “How are you going to shape this sonship?” He was tempted by magic (turning bread into stone), by success and wealth (all the kingdoms of the world), and by misuse of Scripture (throwing himself from the pinnacle of the temple). What are the temptations we face in our minds? Giving in to temptations can become a way of life and we can become blinded by the veils of rationalization. In our 40 days of Lent, will we dare to enter the wilderness of our minds and face our temptations? Jesus prayed: Lead us not into temptation. (HN) Listen to the sermon audio MP3 recording from Sunday, Feb. 21st, 2010 using your browser's preferred media player.