Well, it's good to see all of you.
Welcome back.
We had a week off.
How did the week of snow go?
!
With the snow.
Doing all right?
Good.
You know, sometimes, and I'm grateful for this, sometimes the Lord gives you a much-needed
break.
And I really enjoyed last week just being able to be home and to do the work I would normally
do here, but do it at home, and to have some space to catch up a little bit.
I always feel behind, so to be able to get ahead is always a very special blessing.
But it's good to see all of you.
I imagine that as we keep going, more people will kind of funnel in.
But we're in the middle of this series on the passions of the heart, and I trust it's been
beneficial for you.
It has been meaningful and beneficial to me as well.
And how relevant, right?
How relevant the Word of God is in impacting us right where we need to hear the Scripture.
And so I trust it's been a blessing to you as well.
Let me pray for us, and we'll open this up.
We'll get this started and see what the Lord does.
Father, we are trusting you again today.
Thank you for your Word, the trustworthy, dependable Word of God.
And thank you that you don't just talk about problems that are other people's problems out
there somewhere, and it's detached from us.
But thank you that the things that you share with us are so relevant and so accessible, and
they penetrate the very core of who we are.
And they deal with the very issues that we struggle with day in and day out.
Thank you, Lord, for your patience with us.
Thank you that even when we mess up,
even when we fall on our face,
even when we turn away in rebellion against you
and decide to have our own way,
Lord, that even then you are still,
extend your grace to us.
You invite us into relationship.
You lead us by your mercy.
And day by day, every morning by morning,
we can enjoy the benefits of that mercy.
And so, Father, I pray that your mercy would be
just present with us this morning
as we work through this material
and that you would use it instrumentally
to change us into the likeness of Jesus.
We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
All right.
So just by way of a little bit of review,
and I don't want to do too much
because we've got some things to cover,
but if you remember a couple weeks ago now,
because we couldn't meet last week,
but a couple weeks ago,
we talked about gateway sins.
And I showed you that picture of that gateway
and the land that's beyond the gate
and how fertile the valleys were
and how clear the waters seemed to be.
And it was a picture of something.
Okay.
What was that a picture of?
And what did we learn a couple weeks ago
about gateway sins?
Anyone remember?
Morning, guys.
Great to see you.
What did we learn about gateway?
Yeah.
It looks fun until you're in it.
Okay.
It looks fun until you're in it.
Okay.
Good.
Someone want to build on that?
It never satisfies.
Okay.
So it looks appealing.
We see it like,
wow, this is like Disneyland.
And so you want to walk in.
You want to enjoy what's there.
You see things that are attractive to you.
And you get in.
And initially, it's a blast.
It's meeting and satisfying
every craving that you have, right?
And then the further you walk into that,
then what happens?
What happens?
The further you walk in through this gateway
and you're indulging in the land
that's there in front of you.
Anyone remember?
It's hard to get out.
And it's hard to get out for several reasons.
And I want to just talk about
what are some of the spiritual reasons
why it's hard to escape
back out of the gateway.
Okay?
And so let me set this up for you.
Okay?
That we walk down this road.
We walk down this road.
We revel in the sins that are there.
It continues to carry us.
And now because of that
consistent progression of sin
that takes us further away from God,
and maybe sins that, by the way,
become greater and greater
in terms of their offense against God.
Hey, Timothy?
I want you to pay attention, please.
Okay?
That the further we go in,
there are spiritual things that take place
in our life that make going back
that much harder.
Right?
Why?
Why is it harder to return?
Okay.
That's good.
It feels good.
It is satisfying in some ways.
And so in a lot of ways,
it becomes electric.
It becomes euphoric.
And we want that next hit.
We want that next experience.
We want that next sense of fulfillment.
Right?
And so we're walking down this path
and turning around,
it looks like we're giving up
those delights that we've experienced.
Good.
What else is turning around
and coming back hard?
Pride and ego has to admit
that we were wrong.
Okay.
That's it.
That's another big thing.
Pride and ego,
now you're caught.
Right?
Now there's a sense of,
this has gone public.
And now there's a shame
that's attached to this sin
and to now admit that sin
and to come and make that right,
that turning around.
We talked about repentance of the heart,
kind of the realignment of the heart
and moving back towards God.
It becomes a bigger deal,
not just because you're giving up
some sort of delight or enjoyment
that you're having in the sin,
but also now the road back becomes hard
because you've got to come to terms
with the sin,
your offense against God,
and the way that it has brought shame to you,
the way that it is.
Others will now perceive you,
and that's hard.
Any other thoughts about
why that road back is hard?
Okay.
That's good.
We talked about from Ephesians chapter 4,
beginning in verse 17,
where the apostle Paul says,
don't be like the Gentiles.
Remember?
Who have extended themselves beyond feeling.
Now they've become calloused.
Now they've become hardened.
Now their eyes have been darkened.
Their hearts have become stony
and hard and calloused.
And so now turning back
is not just no longer attractive.
It's like, well,
I'm not sure that I really want God anymore.
I'm not sure I really need God anymore.
And that is really,
that is really the essential danger,
the essential danger,
is what it does to our hearts
and how it begins to turn our hearts off from God.
That sensitivity,
that tenderness that was once there
is no longer present.
And so you don't really need God as much anymore.
You don't really want God as much anymore.
And so the hard road back
is compounded by the fact
that now you're not really interested
in wanting to please God anyway.
So why would I take that hard road
if it's not really something
that does anything for me?
And so the further we go,
the less exciting these sins seem.
And the more we need to do
to get the same hit,
the same high,
that same euphoric experience,
that same pleasure,
and it just keeps taking you
down that path, right?
And this story of the gateway
really describes the power
and the danger
of these sins
that we talked about.
Because rarely do these sins
announce themselves.
Those sins don't say,
hey,
if you walk down this road,
there's going to be trouble.
There's going to be danger.
There's going to be a heartache
and brokenness.
So don't walk down that road.
No,
the road just keeps beckoning you in
one step further.
It seems harmless at first.
It seems innocent.
And it seems natural.
The world would want you to think
that this road is the normal way.
It's the road that everyone's taken.
So of course,
you need to take it too.
If you want to fit in,
if you want to enjoy
that same experience
that everyone else has,
then join the crowd.
Do what everyone else is doing.
Have some fun.
Stop being such a
goody two-shoe, right?
Whatever they would say.
So take one more step.
Have one more taste.
Have one more glance.
Take one more look.
It's okay.
It's natural.
It's good.
And so little by little,
what's happening is you're actually
training your heart.
You're teaching your heart
certain things.
You're conditioning your heart
to believe certain things.
And so little by little,
those subtle demands
now turn into cravings.
We talked about
four of those gateway sins.
Four of those sins that seem like
everyone's doing this.
So this is natural.
This is normal.
This is what everyone does.
So we should do it too.
We kind of excuse ourselves.
And I know this was
a couple weeks ago.
Anyone remember
what one of those
four gateway sins was?
Anybody?
Anger.
Okay.
Tremendous.
And probably,
I don't want to put
all the guys
in this bucket,
but I just know for myself
and probably for a lot of
men in this room,
anger is something we excuse.
Flying off the handle,
being short with people,
you know,
pumping your fist,
being upset,
pushing your way around.
That's just seems
natural for us.
This impulse to respond
in the moment
because we're angry.
Right?
And so we excuse this sin
because this is something
everyone does.
Anger.
What's another gateway sin?
Fear.
Tremendous.
Okay?
So fear.
And, you know,
we could say a lot of things
about fear,
but I think it shows up
the most
in how we are afraid
to take certain steps
and do certain things
that we know are right
because we're familiar
with the word peer pressure.
Right?
Peer pressure is a word
that we hear a lot,
especially for you students
who may be going
to school,
high school somewhere.
Peer pressure is a big deal.
And peer pressure
can be really negative
to keep us
from doing what we know
is right.
Or the fear of losing
something that you want,
that you enjoy,
and so you're willing
to make compromises
in your life
because of fear
to get that thing
even though you know
it may not necessarily
be the right thing.
Discontentment
is one of those things.
And in our series
through Colossians,
we talked about
the significance
of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is one
of those things
that helps to tune
our heart
to see
what God is doing
when circumstances
seem to be
negative.
Right?
Okay, so the Apostle Paul,
I love how he says this
in Philippians chapter 3.
He says,
I have learned
in every state
to be content.
Whether I'm abased
or whether I abound,
whether I'm full
or whether I'm empty,
I can do all things
through Christ
who strengthens me.
Now, isn't it interesting
that he attaches
that promise
of Christ's power
to contentment?
Why?
Because,
let's be honest,
we're not very content people.
We tend to be
very critical people.
We tend to be
complainers.
We tend to be
belly achers.
We tend to be
jealous of what
other people have,
envious of the things
that they have
that we don't.
Their talents,
their things,
their stuff,
the fun they have,
the people,
the friends they have,
whatever it is,
it's really easy
for us to be
really discontent.
And especially
when things aren't
going our way.
And the Apostle Paul says,
you can do
all things
through Christ
who strengthens you
to be content,
to be thankful,
to be satisfied.
I love that.
The other one is
self-pity.
Feeling sorry for yourself.
Nursing wounds
without bringing them
to God.
And it's okay,
I think,
for us at times
to really feel
the sorrow
and the grief
and the disappointment
of a moment.
I mean,
I love how
the Lord Jesus
does this
in John chapter 11
where Mary and Martha
are grieving
over the loss
of their brother Lazarus.
And what does Jesus do?
He enters in
with them.
He grieves with them.
He sorrows with them.
It's okay
for us to feel lost.
We don't have to
just walk through life
as if we're impervious
to feelings.
Feelings can be good,
but those feelings
must direct us to God.
And that's kind of been
the thrust
of this entire time together.
See,
with gateway sins,
no one wakes up one day
and says,
you know what,
I think I'm going to ruin
my reputation today.
I think I'm going to
blow up my marriage.
I think I'm going to bring
devastate my integrity,
my reputation.
I'm going to mess it up today.
I'm going to do it good.
We don't do that.
No, it's step by step,
moment by moment.
We're conditioning ourselves.
And quietly,
we transform our desires
into demands.
Those things that once
kind of pulled us
in a direction
because we wanted something,
now we're demanding this.
We feel entitled to this.
We feel like we deserve this.
And so these countless moments
of saying yes to sin,
those things that once
we were very sensitive to,
now we're calloused to.
And the longer we walk this road,
the more we convince ourselves
that we deserve this.
I actually deserve this.
And that's where
it becomes bondage.
We become comfortable
with our sin
and it doesn't embarrass us
the same way it did before.
It doesn't feel,
make us feel guilty
like it did before.
It feels normal.
It feels right.
It feels good.
It feels like
this is what I should be doing.
And this is where we move
into our time for this week.
Our heart begins
to excuse
and to justify
our sin.
And the more we do this,
the more we realize
that we're actually
slaves to that sin.
We have set up
little sanctuaries
or altars of worship
to those things
that we have to have.
They become governing for us.
They become our masters
in a way, right?
Because we have to have this
in order to feel right.
And so,
the life of Solomon
gives us this
remarkable,
real-to-life
gateway
parable.
It's kind of written
over
the life
of King Solomon.
He is the
ultimate
gateway traveler.
And so,
I want to just
look at his life
briefly
as kind of
an introduction
to what we're going
to cover
this morning.
Do you have that
in your...
I didn't bring
a guide with me.
Okay.
You have a section
about Solomon
as kind of the
ultimate gateway traveler?
Okay.
Good.
I want to just...
I'm going to read
the little portions
of this
and take a pause
and there's some
lines there
if you want to
take some notes.
but I want to just
walk through this
together
so we can kind of
see how this works,
see how Solomon
was this gateway
traveler
and what it led to.
The ruin
and devastation
that it led to
in his life.
Here we start.
Ecclesiastes
chapter 1
verses 1 and 2.
It says this.
The words of the preacher,
the son of David,
king in Jerusalem.
By the way,
King Solomon.
Vanity of vanities,
says the preacher.
Vanity of vanities,
all is vanity.
Now that's the
leading statement
of King Solomon
in this little book
called Ecclesiastes.
What do we...
Someone summarize
this for me.
What does vanity mean?
Chasing after the wind.
Okay.
Chasing after the wind.
Good.
That's a part of it.
And so anyone
who's chasing after the wind,
what does that mean
about their life?
What does it mean
about the results
of their life?
What are they left with?
Meaningless.
It's good.
It's meaningless.
It's empty.
It leaves them
with this void
in their heart.
They're missing something.
They've been chasing
and chasing
and chasing.
And all of that energy
is resulted in nothingness.
Vanity.
And that's kind of
the headline
over this entire book.
And that's the headline,
by the way,
of this series.
That apart from God,
chasing your desires
apart from God
will leave you empty
and devastated
like it did the preacher.
chapter 1,
verses 12 to 14.
What are some things
we're going to see
that the preacher
or King Solomon
pursued?
First,
we see this pursuit
of wisdom.
He says,
I, the preacher,
have been king
over Israel
and Jerusalem
and I applied
my heart
to seek
and to search
out by wisdom
all that is done
under heaven.
It is an unhappy business
that God has given
to the children of men
to be busy with.
I have seen everything
that is done
under the sun
and behold,
all is vanity
and striving
after the wind.
Verse 16,
I said in my heart,
I've acquired great wisdom
surpassing all
who are over Jerusalem
before me
and my heart
has had great experience
of wisdom
and knowledge
and I applied my heart
to know wisdom
and to know madness
and folly.
I perceived
that this
is also
but a striving
after the wind.
Now,
help me with the story
that the initial story
of Solomon,
okay,
and kind of
have to rewind
all the way back
to the beginning
of King Solomon's life
and remember
that God shows up
to Solomon
and says,
essentially,
I'm going to have to
kind of put this
in my own words
and it may or may not
be fully accurate,
but essentially,
Solomon,
tell me what you want,
whatever you ask
and I will give it to you.
Remember that?
Something along
those lines?
What could Solomon
have asked for?
Wealth,
popularity,
army power,
control,
land,
popularity,
wealth,
all of these things
and he asks for wisdom
and God honored that.
That was a very good thing.
But isn't it interesting here
that while Solomon
excelled in wisdom
above anybody else
who ever lived in that day
and probably anyone else
after with the exception
of Jesus Christ,
he excelled in wisdom
and it's wisdom here
that Solomon says,
it's empty,
it's worthless,
it's meaningless.
It's something,
isn't it?
And really because,
and maybe I won't give you
the answer,
why,
why was wisdom
meaningless for Solomon here?
What do you think?
In Colossians,
wisdom is a person.
Okay.
And so he's seeking wisdom
apart from a person.
Okay.
That's good.
Do you notice that
throughout this passage here
in Ecclesiastes chapter 1
that he's applying
his own heart
to wisdom
and so who is
the beneficiary?
Solomon is the beneficiary.
Right?
It's all self-serving.
It's all about
what wisdom does for him
and not about
how wisdom
is helping
Solomon
point
to the Lord,
to God.
Right?
And that wisdom
as we kind of went through
our study in Colossians,
we saw that
Jesus
is wisdom.
Right?
He is the wisdom of God.
He's the knowledge
that we get to enjoy
and so
wisdom is meant
to point us to
to the Savior
and not to
redirect ourselves
to our attention
to ourselves.
So there's no wonder
why it was empty.
No wonder why it was
a striving after the wind
because it was
it was an objective
that was self-serving
rather than
an objective
that was
intended to
to serve
and to help others.
Okay.
In this next little section
verses 1 to 11
of chapter 2
I have kind of
bolded
the ways in which
Solomon
applied himself
to get pleasure.
And just as I'm reading
I would just encourage you
to
to write down
what you see
in the spaces below
all the different ways
that
or all the different things
that Solomon pursued
to try to get
to try to get a hit
to try to pursue
this experience
of pleasure.
Okay.
So he says
I'll just read this.
He says
I said in my heart
come now
I will test you
with pleasure
enjoy yourself
but behold
this is also
vanity.
I said of laughter
it is mad
and of pleasure
what use is it?
I searched
with my mind
excuse me
I searched with my heart
how to cheer
my body
with wine
my heart
still guiding me
with wisdom
I made great works
I built houses
and planted vineyards
for myself
I made myself
gardens
and parks
excuse me
let me put my glasses
on so I'm not
skipping lines
and planted them
with all kinds
of fruit trees
I made myself
pools
from which to water
the forest
of growing trees
I bought male
and female slaves
and had slaves
who were born
in my house
I also had great
possessions
of herds
and flocks
more than any
who had been
before me
in Jerusalem
I gathered myself
silver and gold
and treasure
of kings
and provinces
I got singers
both of men
and women
and many concubines
the delight
of a son of man
so I became
great and surpassed
all who were
before me
in Jerusalem
also my wisdom
remained with me
and whatever
my eyes desired
I did not keep
them
or keep from them
I kept my heart
from no pleasure
for my heart
found pleasure
in all my toil
and this was my reward
for all my toil
then I considered
all that my hands
had done
and all the toil
I had expended
in doing it
and behold
all was vanity
and striving
after the wind
and there was nothing
to be gained
under the sun
what do you see
what are some of the ways
that he tried
to pursue pleasure
what do you see
that's good
and that is
the essence
that's the summary phrase
in the entire passage
that we arrive at
fantastic
that's good
but what are some
of the specific things
possessions
the things that he wanted
right
what kind of possessions
does he mention here
gold and silver
right
lands and vineyards
flocks and
and
herds
herds and flocks
what else
alcohol
wine
that's right
hard work
working hard
success
pools
and parks
and gardens
right
entertainment
right
beauty
and all of these
things are good
by the way
beauty is good
God put the most
beautiful garden
together
that Solomon
could ever imagine
and that was
good
right
but it was
all for self
gratification
laughter
that's right
enjoyment
and just
just the
experience
of having
fun
together
and
as
Timothy
did for us
already
that defining
statement
we see in
verses 10
and 11
whatever his
eyes desired
he did not
keep his
heart
from any
pleasure
and he
saw at the
very end
of it
it was
all empty
it left
him feeling
worthless
right
and
and so
this no longer
becomes a parable
of a gateway
does it
this is
this is an actual
experience
of King Solomon
who's walked
down this path
and it's left
him
in bondage
and we see that
I don't have time
to read it for you
this morning
but in 1st Kings
chapter 1
or chapter 11
verses 1 to 10
God
his
own
indictment
against King
Solomon
is that
it had led
his heart
astray
all of these
things
it actually
left him
in rebellion
against
against the
Lord
to the extent
that Solomon
built high
places for
himself
and he built
high places
and he did
this for his
foreign wives
and the Lord
it says
in verse 9
was angry
with Solomon
because his
heart had
turned away
from the
Lord
wow
what a tragic
ending
Lord away
by this
impure
desire
this
indulgence
this passion
this fuel
of meeting
needs
in his own
way
and there are
some reasons
why we follow
this course
and so
those gateway
sins
might be
anger
and self
pity
and fear
and discontentment
but there's
something that
moves us
that direction
there's something
that kind of
motivates us
to even
consider
to walk
down that
path
and that's
what I want
to talk
about just
a little bit
this morning
before we
break up
for discussion
what are those
motivations
what are those
cravings in our
heart
that say
hey this is
okay
you need
this
or you
deserve
this
and
those
four
motivations
that we're
going to
talk about
are
probably in
your little
guide
but self
reward
for dedication
that's
motivation
number one
then a
craving for
flattery
and praise
that's
motivation
number two
a desire
for control
that's
motivation
number three
and a desire
for comfort
and we're
going to
come back
to those
and kind
of talk
about
those a
little bit
more
but
we begin
to make
excuses
for ourselves
we begin
to train
ourselves
that
this is
what we
deserve
this is
kind of
the reward
that I
should give
myself
for my
dedication
or this is
a reward
that I
should give
myself
because
I'm not
getting it
any other
way
and it's
the way
for me
to control
my environment
the uncertainty
that I
experience
I need
to control
it somehow
and so
we walk
through
this path
and we
begin
to convince
ourselves
that this
is something
that we
deserve
something
that we
need
and so
these heart
motivations
are there
and they're
present
for us
and I
want to
just give
you a few
minutes
right now
to just
evaluate
your own
heart
just as you
think about
motivations
these four
motivations
just evaluate
yourself
by working
through
these
questions
and see
where
your
tendencies
seem to
lie
with respect
to these
motivations
okay
what
do
Thank you.
Is there anybody else but me?
Oh man, it's so easy.
The Apostle Paul says it this way, and I remember the very early being a pastor and struggling greatly with this.
But the Apostle Paul in Galatians 1.10 says,
Do I seek to please men?
Well, I'm so glad I'm in good company.
Because the Apostle Paul seemed to struggle with that too.
Oh, that's so hard, isn't it?
We want to please others.
We'll do whatever it takes to make sure they're happy.
How about, I'm tempted to bend truth or boundaries to preserve someone's approval.
Anyone find themselves there?
Other ones?
Okay.
I regularly avoid hard things by seeking quick relief.
Okay.
I regularly avoid hard things by seeking quick relief.
That is the spirit of our age, isn't it?
Escapism.
And there's so many ways to escape.
So many ways to get away from what's hard.
Anyone else?
I'm tempted most when my life is hard and I want to break.
Okay.
I'm tempted most when life is hard and I want to break.
Oh man.
That's tough.
Vicki.
Well, I'm just going to say, maybe relationships are sometimes making more of them.
Like the bounds.
Yeah.
Okay.
That's good.
Thank you.
My temptation to be angry, fearful, controlling, intensified, and microcaotic.
Okay.
Read that again out loud.
Nice and loud again.
I guess I can't remember all those words.
My temptation to be angry, fearful, controlling, intensified, and microcaotic.
That's good.
Boy.
Yes.
Timothy.
That's good.
We all do that, don't we?
Numb ourselves with when we feel in pain.
It's easy to numb ourselves.
It's great.
Well, I want to just briefly, you have a picture again on your page.
I think sometimes stories do a good job at helping to press the point in a little deeper.
Okay.
So kind of look at that picture.
And this is a story about the puppet on the strings.
You deserve it.
There once was a boy made of wood who tried hard to be steady, disciplined, dependable.
He woke early.
He did the right thing.
He kept his promises.
He carried more than anyone noticed.
He was a good little boy, but no one seemed to notice.
So the harder he worked, the more he thought, I've worked so hard, I need some relief.
That's the motivation.
Discipline leading to reward.
Then it happened.
One night, after a long day's work, he walked through town and saw a bright wagon parked
under a lantern.
Music drifted into the street.
Laughter spilled out like warmth.
A group of boys waved over to him.
Boys who looked carefree, fun-loving, fearless, and unburdened.
Come on, one shouted.
Have some fun.
You deserve it.
Finally, someone noticed.
And as he considered options between what he knew was right and disciplined and what
seemed fun and carefree, he thought, you know, I do deserve it.
So he went on.
At the wagon door stood a man with a smile too practiced to be sincere.
He leaned in close like a friend.
Are you ready for some fun tonight?
The boy hesitated.
He knew the wagon wasn't harmless.
But the man added softly, besides, everyone's going.
Don't you want to belong?
That appeal for praise.
So he climbed in.
The wagon rolled through the city, streets, past quiet neighborhoods, and then into the
bright, restless heart of downtown where everything moved faster and felt louder.
It finally stopped in front of a towering glass structure that rose into the night, into a
gleaming monument.
Every floor was pulsing with light.
Through the windows, he could see the world of thrill in motion.
Music thumping.
Banners waving.
Colors spinning.
Silhouettes dancing.
Laughter bursting like fireworks.
The scene electrified every imagination.
This is what the boy felt he really needed.
Then, in that instant, without warning, something happened he couldn't see.
A thin thread, light as cobweb, wrapped around his wrist.
Not tight, not painful, almost comforting, like a bracelet, like permission.
You earned this.
The next week, the wagon returned.
This time, the boys were louder.
We told you, they said.
You belong here.
And the wooden boy felt the pull of something he didn't want to admit.
The hunger for praise.
To be included.
To be wanted.
To be admired.
So he went again.
Another thread slid around his ankle.
Week after week, the boy went back.
And week after week, thin cords attached around the limbs.
He was offered pleasure for his pain.
Acceptance from his peers.
Control of his surroundings.
And relief from his burdens.
It was everything he had ever imagined.
Months passed.
The threads multiplied.
Still thin.
Still almost invisible.
But now, when temptation came, it was no longer a choice.
This time, there was a pull.
A tug.
An unbreakable resistance.
A network of invisible cords that drew him in.
Then, all of a sudden, the man's voice changed.
No longer with warmth.
No longer with praise.
No longer with sympathy.
You're mine, he said.
And you won't visit anymore because you belong.
And the wooden boy finally understood what promised him freedom had been training him for bondage.
The reward became a wage he couldn't stop collecting.
The praise became a chain.
The control became a cage.
The comfort became a master.
The cords weren't forged in a moment of rebellion.
They were braided quietly, night after night, from the very motives he used to justify his sin.
And so, we're going to take the next 45 minutes.
And you have some questions there.
Teens, I'm going to have you go up to the second floor.
And so, there's some questions here.
But there's also some verses.
And I would encourage you to kind of read through the passage.
The passages together before the questions.
And then spend some time working through those questions.
Basically dealing with these motivations.
The motivation of self-reward for extraordinary dedication.
The motivation of flattery and praise.
The motivation of desire for power and control.
And the final one, the motivation, the desire for comfort.
The motivation of affinity as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as sharp as