Flushing Out Favoritism
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James 2:1-9
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The Mirror of the Word
A mirror is a valuable item if it is used properly. Mirrors are used in telescopes, binoculars, and other tools that help us see into places that aren’t large enough for visual inspection. Mirrors also help us see ourselves as we are, at least on the outside. They show us what other people see when they look at us and help us maintain our grooming and hygiene. In our text, James 1:22-27, God’s Word is likened to a mirror. James points out the possible responses by those who look at themselves in the mirror of God’s Word. For this reason, I’ve titled the message “The Mirror of the Word.”
Overcoming Temptation
In our previous study, we looked at James 1:12-16. From those verses, we discussed the subject of “Understanding Temptation.” We learned that while God has a design for our temptations, He is not their source. Our temptations come from our desires. Satan delights in exploiting our desires to drive a wedge between us and our Heavenly Father. Satan uses our desires to bring us into bondage and then accuses us to the Father because of our failures.
Understanding Temptation
Today’s study is from James 1:12-16. In this section, James teaches us the proper understanding of temptation. He doesn’t say, “If you’re tempted.” He accepts temptation as a reality by saying, “When you’re tempted.” This is consistent with the rest of the Scripture.
God’s Wisdom Workshop
Last week, we began our study in James. Today, in our second lesson, we find a theme woven throughout the book: God’s wisdom. It comes up right here in the beginning, and later in chapter 3, there is a specific section about it. In this short book, wisdom is often mentioned; if we want to be wise, we better pay attention. This wisdom will never be outdated, and you don’t have to worry about some discovery being made that renders it obsolete. It won’t happen; this is a timeless truth.
The Potential of Trials
Our opening text is James 1:1-4. James echoes Jesus' teaching that trials and suffering are expected in our Christian experience. Our text outlines our response and the benefits we can anticipate. If you and I want to develop a faith that works, we must understand the need to strengthen our faith by testing. I’ve titled the message “The Potential of Trials.”
Are You in the Faith?
Thanks so much for joining us today. We are honored to be with you and look forward to studying God’s Word together. Today’s lesson is our last lesson from II Corinthians. So, we will look at chapter 13. If there is any teaching from II Corinthians you missed or would like to hear again, no problem. We would love to help you with it. You can find it online at heraldsofhope.org. We do our best to keep our teaching here accessible. Today, our title is a question: Are you in the faith? Let’s follow Pastor J Mark to chapter 13 as we finish our study of II Corinthians.
The Conundrum of Love
Many in our world have a distorted understanding of love. To them, love is irresistible, fun, and delightful. I’ll love you, and you’ll love me. We’ll live happily ever after. There’s a sense in which that can be true. But it’s also true that love is hard work, painful, and exhausting.
Delighting in Your Disability
Think about your own life. Usually, the areas of our greatest passion are areas where we have been wounded or experienced great difficulty. It is just like God to use these areas in our lives to help others going through similar circumstances. This is not us; it is God at work, and Paul sums it up perfectly in this powerful verse: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
“A Fool for God’s Glory”
What matters more than your reputation? What are you willing to do in this life, no matter what others think? Are you willing to be a fool for God’s glory? How can we do this? Let’s go with J Mark to the last half of II Corinthians 11 and learn from this passage.
A Godly Leader’s Judgment
In our last time together, we learned a lesson in leadership from Paul. Today our title is A Godly Leader’s Judgement, someone is probably thinking, “Another lesson on leadership, well this won’t apply to me.” Not so fast, before you go there, think about what leadership really is.