Start by understanding the meaning of temptation.

What is temptation?
The dictionary defines temptation as:

• the desire to have or do something that you know you should avoid
• something that seduces or has the quality to seduce

Ask the kids if they have seen how people bait fish or lay mouse traps?

The core idea behind both these acts is temptation. We tempt/lure the fish using worms on a hook. Or, similarly entice a mouse into a trap using cheese.
Both the fish and the mouse know that it might be a bait/trap, but still they fail to resist the temptation and thus get caught.

There will be many times in life when we will be tempted. If we get tempted, surely it will cause us failure in our lives.
So we have to understand very well what temptation is.
Also we need to know who the tempter is.

Children, do you know who the tempter is? He is Satan - the devil. Long time ago he tried to tempt Jesus too.
Did you know that? Do you want to hear the story?

The first temptation:

Reference: Matthew 4:2-3

"And after He had fasted 40 days and 40 nights He then became hungry.
And the tempter came and said to Him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."

Ask the children if they have ever faced extreme hunger. Ask them how it feels. Listen to their experiences.

Jesus had not eaten anything for 40 days and 40 nights. So he was very hungry and weak.
That’s when Satan came up to him and said - "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."

Jesus is God’s beloved son. So he has an authority over all things. He has the power to miraculously make the stone into bread.

Tell the kids briefly about the first miracle performed by Jesus where he turned water into wine. One may also narrate how he fed the hungry five thousand men with few loaves and fishes.

So we know Jesus had the power to perform miracles. As we know every temptation has a trap. The trap here was not in performing the miracle, but it was challenging the authority of God and his Son.
The devil very cunningly tried to place a doubt in the mind of Jesus by saying - "If you are the Son of God…"

Jesus knew he was being tempted, so he replies:

"It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’" - Matthew 4:4

We can find answers to all our troubles, all our problems in the Bible. That’s why our parents always tell us to read the Bible every day.
Similarly Jesus also found the answer to his temptation in the Bible. Jesus responds with a passage from Deuteronomy 8:3.

"He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know,
that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD ."

In that passage, Moses reminded the Israelites that God humbled them in the wilderness when He provided manna from heaven.

The Satan was unhappy that Jesus was able to resist the first temptation, so he presented before Jesus another temptation.

The second temptation:

Reference: Matthew 4:5-6

"Then the devil took Him into the holy city; and he had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If you are the Son of God throw yourself down. For it is written, ‘He will give His angels charge concerning you,’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone."

Devil was very cunning, so he quotes the Bible and asks Jesus to jump from the cliff because in the Bible it is written that God will save everyone who submits to him from all troubles.
Jesus understood that Satan wanted him to test his Father which is wrong. He had planned to make Jesus commit the sin of over-confidence.
We should submit ourselves to God’s loving kindness and have utmost faith in him, but doing something foolish and expecting God to help is not faith. It is only inviting trouble for us.
So we should not continue to sin and say that anyways God will forgive me. This is not the right approach to life.
If we have sinned, we should repent. And then we should not commit the sin again.

Nor coming back to the story,

Jesus answers by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16.

"On the other hand it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’" - Matthew 4:7

Address the children and tell them how wonderful the Bible is. Jesus is able to resist Satan’s temptation because he knew what the Bible scriptures actually meant.
Tell them that they should read the Bible every day, and then ask their parents/Sunday School teachers if they have any questions on it.

Satan was not going to leave easily. He wanted to test Jesus’ resolve one more time.

The third temptation:

Reference: Matthew 4:5-6

"Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory. And he said to Him, "All these things will I give you if you fall down and worship me."

There will be many times in our lives when we also are placed in the same position as Jesus was then.
The devil might tell us many things like,

• If you cheat in the exam you can be the topper in your class or,
• If bully your classmates, then everyone will be afraid of you and you can be the strongest person in your class or,
• If you push the person in front of you, you can get ahead in the queue.

The list is endless.

Jesus is tempted by Satan who promises him all the kingdoms of the world, if Jesus bowed before him.

Ask the children, if they remember what is the first commandment. Ask them to repeat after you -

"You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3)

Had Jesus bowed down before Satan, then it would have been equivalent to accepting Satan as God . He would have broken God’s first commandment.
But again, the Bible came to Jesus’s rescue.

Jesus says :

"Begone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only." (Matthew 4:10)

This again is a reference from Deuteronomy 6:13.

"You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name."

So we see that Jesus found all answers to his problems (temptations) in the Bible. The devil could not win because Jesus was aware of the true meaning of contents of the Bible.
We should all learn to identify the temptations that we face, and then turn to God, our saviour, to help resist it.

Teach the chilren a small song or a verse. You may use the following (to be sung on the tunes of "If you’re happy and you know it"):

If you’re tempted and you know it, read the Bible!
Chorus - BIBLE
If you’re tempted and you know it, read the Bible!
Chorus - BIBLE
If you’re tempted and you know ,
Bible will your answer show.
If you’re tempted and you know it, read the Bible!

If the Devil come and tempts you, Run to God!
Chorus - Run to God!
If the Devil come and tempts you, Run to God!
Chorus - Run to God!
If the Devil comes and tempts,
I know rightly whom to run
If the Devil comes and tempts, I’ll run to God!

Ask one of the kids to lead the prayer.
"Thank you Lord, Father Almighty. Thank you for helping us resist all the temptation that we face in our lives.
Thank you for providing the Bible for us to read, understand, and to find answers to all our problems.
We submit ourselves, our family, friends and all our belongings to you - for your unending love, care and protection.
We pray for all the people who have been victims of various temptations. We pray that you give them the strength to overcome all failures and resist further temptation in their lives.
Amen."

Cheers,
Rosh

Reference - John 3:13

When our Loving Lord, Jesus, talks to Nicodemus, a prominent religious leader of those times; he teaches him that in order to reach heaven we must all be born-again.

Ask the children, what born-again means. Definitely expect blank faces!
Change the question and ask them if they think God loves them. Expect unanimous YES.

Why does God love us? Is it because we are his children? Is it because we are Christians who believe in his doctrines/principles?
Are you God’s child? Are you a christian? If YES, the HOW?

Give time for the children to think over it. Ask few of them if they want to answer.

We are not christians just because our parents are christians. By being born into a christian family we do not automatically get a ticket to heaven.

Ask the kids if they have been to a movie, or a concert or circus. Ask them what they/or their parents do in order to get inside. Tell them that they have to buy tickets. Meaning they have to pay the price for the ticket, only then they can get inside and watch the show.

Similar is the case with entering into heaven. We all have to pay a price. The cost of heaven is us - our own very selves. We have to submit ourselves to God in order to get an entry ticket to heaven. When we accept our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ into our lives and submit ourselves to him, only then do we become Christians. That very moment, we are born again. We are absolved of our sins. We are cleansed!

Ask the childern to turn to each other and point and question each other - "Are you God’s child?’
Advice them all to answer unamimously - YES! I am.

Use the following lyric or something similar to help them remember today’s lesson. The following is to be sung on the tune of "King of Kings and Lord of Lords.."

"Nic-o-de-mus told our Lord
You are a teacher from God.

Je-sus answered him;
Truly, I say to you - You have to be BORN AGAIN.

Unless one is born again, 
One cannot see, the kingdom of God."

Pray with the children.

"Father we thank you for accepting us as your children and blessing us. We thank you for providing us guidance and support in the time of need. We thank you for helping us to be born again. We ask forgiveness for all our sins, O Lord. Help us all to continue to be your children and not to get tempted by evil. Everything we ask in your mighty name. Amen."

Cheers,
Rosh

Reference - Matthew 7:13-14

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many.
How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few."

This profound message was shared with us by Jesus.
He wants to tell us that we shall encounter many roads in our life, but only one that leads to heaven.

Ask the kids about the various roads they have seen - narrow, wide, short, long, highways, bendy/winded paths etc.

It is for us to decide, which one we will tread on. Life is like a road.
When we came to sunday school today morning, we took a road to get here.

Ask the children how they commute? Did they arrive by car, bicycle, bus etc.

There were many other roads that we could have taken. But, had we taken one of those, we wouldn’t have all met here. We wouldn’t have had Sunday School today.
So it is our choice that decided where we reach finally. Everything depends the road that we choose.

Jesus said that the choices we make in life are like selecting which road to take.

Ask kids about their aim in life. Then explain what our ultimate goal should be.

Our ultimate goal in life should be to reach heaven and to be with Jesus. If we remain God’s good children and choose the correct path, we will reach heaven.

There will always be a choice. As Jesus explains, one road is wide and travel on it is smooth and easy with a wide gate at the end.
But, the other one is narrow, and bumpy, and difficult, with a narrow opening at its end.

Ask the children which road they will choose when they have such an option.
Then expain to them the consequences of selecting the easy road.

Jesus said that the wide and easy road leads to destruction, and the straight and narrow road leads to eternal life in heaven, by his side.
Don’t we all want it?

Do you know who is Satan? He is the villian.
Satan wants us to sin and accompany him to Hell. But, remember children, where we want to go?
HEAVEN. We want to be with our loving Lord Jesus.

Satan will always tempt us. He will make sin look very appealing.

Ask children what they like the most? Apples, Ice Creams, Cookies etc.
Tell them that Satan may tempt them using the things that they like.

We have to understand where our decisions will lead us. Tell them the story of the "Wise man who built his home upon the rock"

The wise man built his house upon the rock,
The wise man built his house upon the rock,
The wise man built his house upon the rock,
And the rains came tumbling down!

The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
And the house on the rock stood firm.

The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
The foolish man built his house upon the sand,
And the rains came tumbling down!

The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
The rains came down and the floods came up,
And the house on the sand went SPLAT!

So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ,
So build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ,
Build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ
and the Blessings will come down.

The blessings will come down as your prayers go up,
The blessings will come down as your prayers go up,
The blessings will come down as your prayers go up,
So build your house on the Lord!

Discuss with the kids what they have learnt from the lesson today.
Re-iterate to them that we all have to make decisions in our life and select the road that we are willing to travel on.

We should remember that however difficult the choice may seem to be, we should always pick the right path, the path that will lead us to heaven.

Finish by singing "I have decide to follow Jesus"

I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus

No Turning back, No Turning back

No one goes with me
Still I will follow

No Turning back, No Turning back
No Turning back, No Turning back
No Turning back, No Turning back

Have a great day everyone.

Rosh