The Marshmallow Test

In this popular test, several kids wrestle with waiting to eat a marshmallow in hopes of a bigger prize. This video is a good illustration of temptation and the hope in future rewards. This experiment is based on many previous and similar scientific tests.

Baiting the Hook

In his book, Death by Love: Letters from the Cross (Crossway), Marc Driscoll writes: "You can learn a basic principle of how your enemy works. The great Puritan Thomas Brooks wrote one of my favorite books on spiritual warfare, Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices. Brooks uses a wonderful illustration that explains why Jesus rejected Satan's simple offer of bread.

"Brooks says our Enemy will bait our hook with anything we find desirable. This means he will gladly give us sex, money, power, pleasure, fame, fortune and relationships. Satan's goal is for us to take the bait without seeing the hook, and once the hook is in our mouth he then reels us in to take us captive. His gifts are often very good things offered for sinful uses. He'll challenge us to examine the gift to ensure its quality. That is the essence of the trap. The gift may be
good, but the giver is evil. In this way, Satan and demons are akin to a pedophile who seeks to entice children into trust with gifts of candy and toys, only to destroy them.

"When we take the gifts Satan and demons give, we are in essence biting down on the bait. As a result, the hook of sin is in our mouth, and Satan reels us in as his captive so that, as Jesus says in John 8:34, we become slaves to our sin."

Quoted from 'Preaching Now' email

Driving her Rolls Royce

An affluent, aristocratic woman reviews resumes from potential chauffeurs to drive her Rolls Royce. She narrows the applicants to three men and invites them to her palatial home. She escorts each one individually to her driveway and the brick wall beside it. Then she asks, "If you were driving my Rolls, how close do you think you could come to that brick wall without scratching my car?"

The first applicant says, "I can drive within a foot of that wall and not damage your Rolls."

She brings out the second applicant and asks "If you were driving my Rolls, how close do you think you could come to that brick wall without scratching my car?"

He scratches his head and says, "I can drive within six inches of that wall and not damage your car."

She invites the third applicant and asks, "If you were driving my Rolls, how close do you think you could come to that brick wall without scratching my car?"

He does not hesitate: "Ma'am, I do not know how close I could come to the wall without damaging your car, but if I was driving your car, I would stay as far away as possible from the wall so as not to damage your car."

Guess who got the job?

When addressing sexual temptation, the point is not how close one can get to the temptation without getting "scratched," but staying as far away as possible.

Tim Wilkins' Cross Ministry

Keep away from the rocks

Call upon God for help, but row away from the rocks.

Anon - Quoted from Church Matters by David Pytches

My trouble

The trouble with me is that I don't have any won't power

Anon - Quoted from Church Matters by David Pytches

What can you resist?

I can resist everything except temptation

Oscar Wilde - Quoted from Church Matters by David Pytches

Keep your head out of the fridge!

Mother: What are you doing in the fridge, Willie?
William: Fighting Temptation , Mother.

Quoted from Church Matters by David Pytches

Will You please go to the door

A little girl was asked what she did when she was tempted. She replied, ‘Well when I hear Satan come knocking at the door of my heart, I just say to the Lord Jesus, who lives in my heart, "Lord Jesus, will You please go to the door?" And then, when the Lord Jesus opens the door, Satan draws away and says, "Oh! Excuse me, I have made a mistake."'

1500 Illustrations

Nuisance alligators

Kevin Garvey has a thriving business in Broward County, Florida. He is the only trapper licensed by the county to remove nuisance alligators. In 2000, he received 616 alligator complaints and removed 97 animals. As of the end of July 2001, he had already received over 1,500 complaints and caught 130 alligators. The top spot in his county? Weston, a meticulously groomed planned city. Seems the homeowners there, who spent up to $700,000 for their homes, did not expect nor appreciate giant reptiles in their idyllic new community.

"That's probably gator heaven out there," says Jim Huffstodt, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, noting that Weston and other planned communities are often built right on top of the marshlands that were previously inhabited by the offensive reptiles. Just sighting an alligator in an area like Weston—filled with families with small children—is grounds for removal and destruction.

Such a story begs the question: How could anyone who moves into prime alligator habitat be surprised to see alligators there? In the same way, why do so many Christians settle for lifestyles that invite trouble, then act surprised when they fall into sinful conduct?

Ed Rowell, Franklin, Tennessee; source: USA Today (7-24-01)

The Really Big Sale

He had finally got his chance to make the Really Big Sale. He was going into the final interview on the biggest contract he had ever written. As he was ushered into the office of the executive buyer, an assistant brought her coffee and left. The atmosphere was cordial, and he knew he was giving his best presentation ever.

Then the assistant tapped on the door, re-entered the office and spoke briefly with the executive. She stood and said, "I apologize, but I have to tend to a matter. I'll just be a minute or two." And she followed her assistant out of the room.

The sales representative looked around the beautifully appointed office. He saw her family pictures on her desk. Then he noticed a contract on her desk. She had evidently been studying a bid from a competitor. Leaning forward, he could see the column of figures, but it was obscured by a diet soda can.

He was tempted to move the can and see the bottom line of his competitor's bid. What harm possibly could there be in reading her private information? After all, she had left it out in plain sight, almost. After wrestling with himself a while, he finally decided to take a peek.

As he lifted the soda can, he discovered that the can wasn't filled with soda at all. Instead it was a bottomless can filled with 1,000 BBs which gushed out, and ran all over the desk and cascaded onto the carpet. His attempt to short cut the competition was exposed.

Not every temptation is so obvious. Not every failure is so embarrassing. But every temptation is a challenge. Not even Jesus was spared the choosing.

"Six Flags Over Jesus" By Dr. Mickey Anders

Protection against Temptation

There are several good protections against temptation, but the surest is cowardice.

Mark Twain

Iron Eyes Cody

Iron Eyes Cody is a native American actor who once did a TV spot for the Keep America Beautiful campaign. He was an Indian drifting alone in a canoe. As he saw how our waters are being polluted, a single tear rolled down his cheek, telling the whole story. This powerful public service commercial still shows up on TV screens after 17 (now 29) years.

In 1988 Cody repeated an old Indian legend in Guideposts magazine. Here it is: Many years ago, Indian youths would go away in solitude to prepare for manhood. One such youth hiked into a beautiful valley, green with trees, bright with flowers. There he fasted. But on the third day, as he looked up at the surrounding mountains, he noticed one tall rugged peak, capped with dazzling snow. I will test myself against that mountain, he thought. He put on his buffalo-hide shirt, threw his blanket over his shoulders and set off to climb the peak. When he reached the top he stood on the rim of the world. He could see forever, and his heart swelled with pride. Then he heard a rustle at his feet, and looking down, he saw a snake. Before he could move, the snake spoke.

"I am about to die," said the snake. "It is too cold for me up here and I am freezing. There is no food and I am starving. Put me under your shirt and take me down to the valley."

"No," said the youth. "I am forewarned. I know your kind. You are a rattlesnake. If I pick you up, you will bite, and your bite will kill me."

"Not so," said the snake. "I will treat you differently. If you do this for me, you will be special. I will not harm you."

The youth resisted awhile, but this was a very persuasive snake with beautiful markings. At last the youth tucked it under his shirt and carried it down to the valley. There he laid it gently on the grass, when suddenly the snake coiled, rattled, and leapt, biting him on the leg.

"But you promised..." cried the youth.

"You knew what I was when you picked me up." said the snake as it slithered away.

Bits and Pieces, June, 1990, p. 5-7.

Time to shed some excess pounds

An overweight businessman decided it was time to shed some excess pounds. He took his new diet seriously, even changing his driving route to avoid his favorite bakery. One morning, however, he showed up at work with a gigantic coffee cake. Everyone in the office scolded him, but his smile remained nonetheless. "This is a special coffee cake," he explained. "I accidentally drove by the bakery this morning and there in the window was a host of goodies. I felt it was no accident, so I prayed, 'Lord, if you want me to have one of those delicious coffee cakes, let there be a parking spot open right in front.' And sure enough, the eighth time around the block, there it was!"