Use this free youth group lesson to teach students about Temptation.

Help students realize that temptation happens, but with God, you can remain faithful.

Enjoy!

-Nick Diliberto, Ministry to Youth

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Youth Group Lesson on Temptation

DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THIS LESSON

Bible: 1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Bottom Line: Temptation happens, but with God, you can remain faithful.

SUPPLIES

‘AWESOME’ PRIZES such as a dollar bill, gift card for $5, candy: enough for each youth to choose a prize. Also, include some funny and weird prizes!

The ‘Awesome prize’ box

Bell or buzzer

Trivia questions (app such as Trivia Crack works)

Index cards for each youth

Pens

OPENING GAME: Temptation Game Show

There was a game show on TV in 2007 called “Temptation” and this game is our version.

Create a fun ‘game show’ set with a table at the front of the room with 2 buzzers or bells at each end. 

Leader stands in the middle as the ‘announcer’. 

Divide the students into two teams.

Now using your best ‘announcer’ voice explain: 

Today we are going to play a game called “Temptation”, and for each round, send one member from your team to the table to answer a question.

The first person to ring the bell (or buzzer) gets to answer the question.

If they guess wrong, the other team can answer the question.

When you guess the question correctly, here is where this game gets tricky: the winner each battle can choose between a point for their team or the ‘awesome prize’ which they will draw from the ‘Awesome prize box’.

Explain that in this ‘Awesome prize box’ are AWESOME PRIZES!!!  (include maybe a dollar bill, gift card, candy, etc.). 

TEACH – YOUTH GROUP LESSON ON TEMPTATION

Which prize was the most tempting for you to choose in this game?

What did you risk if you were to choose a prize over the points for your team?

This was just a game, but let’s be honest, in real life the stakes can be much higher can’t they?

It is very tempting to think that your choices don’t matter, isn’t it?

I wish that I could tell you that choices in your life will never get more difficult than the choices between earning your team a point or choosing an ‘AWESOME PRIZE’ from our game today, but you would all know that’s a lie, right?

Life is filled with choices, and the choices that you make can change your life and the lives of those around you.

Just think about someone you’ve seen on the news who seemed to have it all in life and then some type of scandal comes out…..

An amazing person who seemed to have it all makes a choice that affects the rest of their life.

Can you think of a famous person who made a choice that seemed to surprise everyone and yet affected their life in a really negative way?

If there is a story in the news of a famous person who has been tempted, share with the group or ask for examples of famous people who have been tempted. 

We might look at these examples and think “Why did they do that?”, but honestly we have ALL done things that we regret, and sometimes it is really easy to look at someone else’s mistakes and think “Oh, that all never happen to me” or “I would never do that”.

But ask yourself, do you really think that these people said “Hey, I really want to do something illegal, or hurt my family, or lie and get caught”?

No!

They probably started out thinking exactly what you are thinking…

Ask yourself if you’ve ever thought any of these common thoughts that often lead us right into temptation:

That would never happen to me.

Just one lie won’t matter that much.

No one else will know.

Everyone else is doing it.

You get the point, right?

See, every single one of us are very, very close to the line of temptation.

Read 1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Did you hear the first part of this scripture about temptation?

It’s basically saying:  “Hey, you over there who thinks that you are safe from temptation.  Yeah, You!  Watch out, because you are closer than you think.”

Ok, so let’s be honest, here: Being a teenager can be super challenging, and the temptations that you each face or will face can be intense.

We are going to get in groups and I want you your group to make a very short skit of common temptations that teenagers face.

You can choose a situation, or if you need help, I have some suggestions.

I will give you 10 minutes to come up with your skit that you will then share with the rest of the group.

Suggestions for skits as needed: 

Friends encouraging you lie to your parents about where you will be tonight.

Cheating on a test or paper.

Joining in on teasing someone at school. 

Stealing something ‘small’ at a store.

Lying to an adult or teacher. 

Give each group a chance to share their skit. 

Nobody said that being a teenager would be easy, and you probably don’t want to hear this, but, the struggles get even more difficult as you get older.

Can you think of other temptations that you’ve seen others face?

Write these examples on the board.

The struggle is real, isn’t it?

Add other temptations if not mentioned such as:  partying, trying to fit it, bullying others, physical romantic relationships, sex, drugs, etc. as you think appropriate for your group.

Here’s what we have to remember:

God wants to help you fight temptation.

He will provide a way out.

God wants to help you fight temptation.

Now, some people read the scripture that God will never let them be tempted beyond what they can bear and think it is a ‘Free Pass’.

That doesn’t mean that they can walk right up ‘to the line’ and God won’t let them pass.

That’s not what this scripture is saying, is it?

God gives us reminders of how we should live.

WE know that we shouldn’t lie or steal or kill, right?

God gives us those reminders of how to live to help us to fight temptation before it strikes because he knows TEMPTATION WILL STRIKE US ALL.

But here is the tricky part:  God knows when we are trying to push those lines or those rules.

You can’t fool God.

Share a time in which you were tempted to do something you know that you shouldn’t and how you could look back and see the ways that God offered you an ‘out’ that you didn’t take.

God will offer you a way out, but often it starts at the very beginning.

Those small decisions or the tiny lies.

But it is THOSE moments where God wants to help you.

THOSE are the ‘get out of it’ moments that He is giving to you before that snowball starts down the hill.

We’ve all known people who do one small thing that then leads to another small thing, and another until the problem gets to be really big.

Nobody sets out to get into trouble or to be addicted to alcohol, drugs, or pornography.

No….it begins when you click on that one picture on the internet or take that one drink.

Any addict will tell you that it started with just one.

But God wants to offer you a way out before that snowball starts, and it really does require you to be honest with yourself and honest with God.

It will require you to make some tough choices, and it might mean that you spend some time NOT following the crowd.

But ask yourself this: think about that person you know that has major problems in their life….where did those problems start?

Trace it back to that one decision.

Because you WILL be faced with those same decisions and God is offering you a way out before disaster hits.

He WILL offer you a way out, but He doesn’t promise that the way out will be easy or popular.

NO, usually that way out means that you are the lone person making that decision or not going to that party or not hanging with those friends.

You might be standing alone…but remember this:  when you make those choices you are not alone because God stands with you.

And maybe you are sitting here tonight knowing that you’ve already started making those decisions….you’ve giving into temptation.

Maybe tonight’s lesson is God offering you the way out.

Confess to him that you are being tempted or that you’ve made those decisions, and stop right now.

If you need help, ask Him for help.

If you feel weak, cry out to Him.

Because God wants to give you the strength, and it is no accident that you are here tonight.

Close in prayer.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Share about a time when you were tempted when you were a child?

What are other ways that teenagers are tempted?

How are you being tempted?

How does it make you feel to know that God is with you in the temptations that you face?

Pray for one another and the temptations that each of you face.

DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THIS LESSON

End lesson.

Looking for youth ministry curriculum? Check out the…

TWO YEAR BUNDLE – Save 90% on 2 years of teaching series, 9 months of Bible studies and 80 games for youth ministry. Order today (Tuesday, September 17) to get $195 worth of bonuses!

Want another free lesson? Check out this…

Youth Group Lesson on Encouragement

3 Replies to “Youth Group Lesson on Temptation”

  1. L. Watkins
    • October 13, 2016

    Thanks so much for this great idea. What types of questions did you include in the trivia game?

    Reply 1 Response
    1. Nick Diliberto
      • October 14, 2016

      Random questions…you’ll just have to think up some of your own based on your students 🙂

      Reply
  2. Danielle
    • January 30, 2024

    Is there a prize for the winning team?

    Reply

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