Sermons

In the wilderness, Jesus is confronted with temptation and he is confronted with a choice.

Each temptation offers him the opportunity to do and be something different: to satisfy immediate hunger, to prove himself through performance, or to gain power through compromise. Beneath each test lies a deeper question: Will he choose what is easy, or what is faithful? What is harmful, or what is holy?

This text reminds us that temptation always carries a choice. In moments of pressure, desire, or vulnerability, we are invited to decide who we will be. Will we respond in ways that nourish life and align with God’s truth, or in ways that offer quick relief but lasting consequence?

During this Lenten season, we get to reflect on our own wilderness spaces and in the  face of challenges, there is a choice in every moment.  

Speaker: Rev. Ciara Simonson

February 22, 2026

Matthew 4:1-11

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