Temptation?

Pierre here...

We just started a lecture series on Temptation and Sin at our church, which I'm quite excited about as I've really been struggling with my views on both, especially as they relate to ethics and morality. Suffice it to say, my operating paradigm has degraded into non-existent and currently I'm living day-to-day trying to make sense of inclinations (as I'll call them) and decisions.

I'll be a little more specific. It seems like I hear the word temptation used a lot, especially in the Christian world, but often in varied levels of importance (as I see it). For example, people say they are tempted by something appealing, like a good food that may not be healthy, or a really good deal on a purchase they maybe don't need. But in my mind, those wouldn't be matters of sin. Is that a misuse of the word temptation or am I downplaying the importance of every decision in life? And then, people use it in a way that makes more sense to me, as in being tempted to do or say something hurtful to another, or act in a way that assumes in my mind that no one or no thing is more important than me. Maybe another way to ask it is, is temptation always about sin? I'm "tempted" to say yes. But if so, that means I just misused the word in that last sentence... unless answering that question affirmatively was sin (and I really don't think it was).

Is there a difference between temptation and impulse or provocation? Is every inclination or impulse a matter of temptation?

I'm curious how you'd define temptation.