The Choices We Make

Inter-Denominational Lesson
Copper Hills Youth Center
January 22, 2006

This is a lesson I gave at the Copper Hills Youth Center, which is a residential treatment center for troubled youths. This was a non-denominational church service for the residents there. As such, only scriptures from the Bible are to be used in the lesson. We are allowed to teach LDS doctrines from the bible, however. You can read about my thoughts concerning my vist to the treatment center here.

Here is the lesson plan I developed and used in the services:

Garden of Eden

• How many of you remember the Bible story about the Garden of Eden?
• Who was in the Garden of Eden? (Adam and Eve)
• They lived in a state of innocence. There was no death, and there was no birth.

What commandments were given to Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden?

Read Scriptures
Genesis 1:27-28
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth,

Genesis 2:17
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

They were given two commandments in the Garden:

• Bring Children into the world
• To not partake of the forbidden fruit (Tree of knowledge of good and evil) – If they were to partake of it, they would surly die.

Read Scripture
Genesis 3:4-5
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

• What happened in the Garden of Eden?
• Satan came to tempt them.
• Satan told them that they would not surly die, but that they would become like God, knowing good and evil.
• Eve partook of the fruit, and then gave it to Adam, who also partook of it.

What were the consequences of partaking of the forbidden fruit?

• They became mortal, they would eventually die.
• They were now able to have children – so that each of us could be born.
• They now knew the difference between good and evil.
• They learned that there would be consequences for their actions
  

The Promise of A Savior

After leaving the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were promised that one-day a Savior would be born. The Savior would counter-act the effects of the fall of man, when he was cast out of the Garden of Eden:

The Savior would take upon himself the pains and sins of the world.

• Because of this, he knows what it feels like to have problems and afflictions in life. He has experienced them all personally.
• Because of paying the price for all of our sins, we can be forgiven and cleansed of our sins, upon conditions of repentance.

The Savior would lay down his life for each of us, and take it up again, as a resurrected being.

• Through his death and resurrection, the way has been opened for all those who have lived on earth, to one-day be resurrected too.

Through the Fall and the Atonement, God has:

• Provided a way that we can come to earth and receive physical bodies.
• Created an environment in which we can be agents unto ourselves, and make our own choices, whether to do good or evil.
• Through the Atonement a way has been provided to obtain forgiveness of our sins and mistakes.
• Provided victory over death through the resurrection of Christ.

Good Vs. Evil

With the fall of Adam and Eve both good and evil forces were introduced into the world. It’s like there are two armies, one good, and one evil.

• Who is the head of the Good Army?
• Who is the head of the Evil Army?
• Who will eventually be the winner in this battle?
• Jesus will win. It’s not really even a close fight. Christ and his forces will eventually overpower Satan and his army, and banish them forever!

We know who will win. The question is, whose side will we be on?

Making Choices

Each of us has two forces acting upon us. We have the Light of Jesus Christ, which leads us to do good things.

On the other hand, Satan and his followers will try to get us to choose evil.

Each of us has been given a gift from God to decide for ourselves what choices we will make.

We will always have our freedom to choose for ourselves what our actions will be.

He will never take that choice away from us.

What happens to us when we make a good choice?

• We know we will choosing to follow Jesus, and be on his side.
• We will feel good about ourselves
• We know that what we are doing is pleasing to God
• We will be happy

What happens when we choose to do evil?

• Our conscience feels bad
• We get in trouble
• We will have to face the consequences of our bad decisions.
• We will be miserable.

When we are trying to choose good from evil, we always need to remember that if we choose good, we will find happiness. If we choose evil, we will find misery.

The choice is always yours to make.

The Temptations of Christ

After Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan, he went into the wilderness to commune with God. He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.

Near the end of his fast, Satan came tempting him:

Read Scripture
Matthew 4:2-4
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Imagine how hungry you would be if you hadn’t eaten for 40 days and nights!

What was Satan trying to get Jesus to do?

• He is trying to get him to give in to his bodily appetites.
• One way Satan tries to get to us appeal to the things that are pleasing to the body.
• He wants us to use, or abuse our bodies in ways they were not intended to be used.
• One of the main responsibilities we have in life is to learn how to control our bodies, so that we use them in the way that God intended.

What was Jesus’ response to the devil’s temptation?

He said that it was more important for him to keep God’s commandments, than it was to satisfy his hunger right at that moment.

Eventually he would end his fast, and eat. But it would be on his terms, not on Satan’s terms.

Read Scripture
Matthew 4:5-7
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

How is Satan trying to tempt Jesus this time?

• He is appealing to Jesus’ pride.
• He wants Jesus to show off to others so he can prove how important he is.

Does Satan ever try to tempt us in this way?

• Do you do things that you think will be impressive to others?
• Do you do things because you think they are cool?
• Show others how cool you are?
• Do things to please others so they will accept you.

Who should we really worry about pleasing?

• If we are pleasing to the Lord, does it really matter if we please others?
• Eventually all our friends, and those that we were trying to impress will fade away, but the Lord will be there always and forever.
• One day we will have to stand before God, to be judged of how we have lived our lives here on earth.
• Satan’s big lie is to get you to forget about doing what is pleasing to God, and get you to do things that that might seem important right now, but will be of no worth when we stand to be judged of God.

Read Scripture
Matthew 4:8-10
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

What is Satan trying to tempt Jesus with this time?

• He promises power, fame, fortune.
• He is trying to get Jesus to fall down and worship the false gods of this world – the riches, treasures of the world, like friends and others, will also fade away after this life is over. Worshiping a false god of any will prevent us from having the joy and happiness that we might have otherwise had.

Read Scripture
Mark 8:36
36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Summary

• Remember that there are two forces in the world, good and evil.
• It is always up to us to choose which side we will follow
• There will always be consequences to our choices, whether good or evil.
• We can gain strength by starting to do good things. Good things will become easier and easier, as we gain more experience in choosing to do good.
• Remember that we will have to one-day stand before God to give an accounting of our lives.

We are not alone in this fight. God is always there for us. The Light of Christ shines forth throughout the earth. There is no place so far away, that God cannot reach you. He is always there to give you guidance, and lead you back to Him.