We’re going through Lent spending time every day, not alone but with Jesus in the desert, not empty but full of his Spirit, not resting but wrestling with the things that get between us and God, not relying on ourselves but trusting in God to win every battle thanks to what Jesus did.

Matthew 4:4

Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’

What is surprising about Jesus' response here?

Is it as defensive as we might be when undermined, questioned, or accused about our identity and integrity?

Is Jesus replying on the enemy's terms, at their choice of battle location, or reframing the battle with a bigger, better way of seeing things?

What does it mean to live on God's word? Is it just about the Bible, or something more - perhaps something we can find explained in the Bible, a foundation of all creation, including us?

What can we find in the Bible to help us reflect on who God says we are? (Join us in exploring, and find a list if you'd like one at severnchurchbristol.org/lent)

We're inviting you to spend a few days reflecting on this before we look at another trial in our next episode.

We’re going through Lent spending time every day, not alone but with Jesus in the desert, not empty but full of his Spirit, not resting but wrestling with the things that get between us and God, not relying on ourselves but trusting in God to win every battle thanks to what Jesus did.

Matthew 4:2-3

After fasting for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, ‘If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’

How different do we feel when we are hungry? Are we our best selves? Our worst selves? Which of those is closer to who we really are?

What is Jesus being tempted to do here? Is it just about bread?

What about the word "If" here? How much is that doing to try and undermine Jesus? Can we relate? How does it feel for our identity or integrity to be questioned?

How would we respond?

We're inviting you to spend a few days reflecting on this before we look at Jesus' response together in our next episode.

Over the next six weeks, we're going to spend time with Jesus in the desert - a place where he was taken at a pivotal point in his life to face a spiritual battle before he began his ministry.

The story we have of this battle takes the form of a conversation between Jesus and God's enemy, Satan, "the devil".

In this introduction, we look at the whole story and how it fits into the bigger stories of the gospel and the Bible as a whole.

The desert was not just a difficult, desolate place. It was the front line of a battle, seen as a dumping ground of isolation, prison for demons and a stronghold of evil, the opposite of good life.

Jesus was not heading there for a peaceful retreat but to engage in battle, and he looked to readers of this story like a leader. For a Jewish audience, he would have sounded like Moses who spent 40 days fasting on Mount Sinai before receiving the Jewish law. Others will have noticed that Luke put this story after a family tree which linked Jesus to Adam, everyone's ancestor, and wondered if Jesus could succeed where Adam and Eve failed in dealing with temptation.

It's hard for us to find 40 days away from our normal lives, but can we find some time every day in Lent to spend with Jesus in the desert? Can it help us to see ourselves, our relationships and our purpose in the world a different way and get us ready for Easter, where Jesus finishes the battle?

Upcoming episodes (one per week every Wednesday):

• Episode 1 - the bread trial - what the devil said
• Episode 2 - the bread trial - what Jesus said
• Episode 3 - the temple trial - what the devil said
• Episode 4 - the temple trial - what Jesus said
• Episode 5 - the world trial - what the devil said
• Episode 6 - the world trial - what Jesus said

Find more about Lent and Easter at severnchurchbristol.org/lent