The Truth of the Gospel
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Colossians 1:1-8
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The Prayer of Faith
Our study from the book of James has been intensely practical. We have much to work on as we live out a “Faith That Works.” James does not suggest that we earn our salvation by works. However, he argues that if salvation is genuine, we will think differently, act differently, and look differently than the unbelievers. He also gives clear instructions on how to do it.
Lift Up Your Head
Today, we will be thinking about encouragement and discouragement. This is a struggle we are familiar with. Life is difficult. We face many challenges, some from the outside and some from within. What should we do when we are discouraged? Where can we find more strength? How can we get out of bed to face another day? These are hard questions we struggle through when life is difficult.
Payday is Coming
It is so good to be here; thank you for being with us. We look forward to another powerful and practical lesson in James. Today, we begin James 5, titled “Payday is coming.” The lesson teaches us to think long-term and realize that this life is not all there is. Most of us know what payday is, but have you considered a “payday” for your life?
You’re Going to Do What?
In our text for today, James warns us about the danger of making plans that exclude God. Our study today is from James 4:13-17. The message's title is “You’re Going to Do What?”
Are You Getting What You Want?
Thank you for being here; it is good to be with you as we continue our study in James. Today, we start chapter 4. The title is a question, “Are You Getting What You Want?” Think about that, are you? What do you really want? We are very good at justifying ourselves and making Scripture say what we want it to say so we can have our way. Here is one example of the gymnastics someone used to “get what he wanted.” In Matthew 18:19 Jesus said, “If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.” He said all you have to do is get someone else to pray with you for what you want, and it’s done; God will answer. Imagine if that was the way it worked! That would be chaos real soon.
Words of Wisdom
It is a privilege to be with you again today; thanks for being there. This is our third lesson in a row dealing with our words. Last week, we learned about a monster, our tongue, and two weeks ago, it was “Watch Your Mouth.” Today’s title is “Words of Wisdom,” we look inside: What is the source of our words? This lesson is divided into two sections. Earthly wisdom and heavenly wisdom. As usual, James's teaching on these two topics is unambiguous, and he uses many descriptive words to describe both types of wisdom. Anyone who thinks straight will want the wisdom from above. Yet, we find ourselves gravitating toward earthly wisdom and experiencing the negatives that come with it.
The Monster Tongue
Today, we will study James 3:7-12. This section is not a pleasant one. If you isolate it from the rest of the chapter, it’s downright depressing! Yet it’s written for our instruction, and we dare not ignore it. I’ve titled our study “The Monster Tongue.” Maybe you think I’m exaggerating to refer to the tongue as a monster, but once we get into this text, you’ll see that it’s not exaggerated.
Watch Your Mouth
As you have heard me mention, James is full of practical wisdom, and today’s lesson is no exception. This lesson is about how we use our tongues and words. Most of us do this often daily; almost every interaction we have with other people involves talking, but how usually do we think about our words? And how much do we think about the impact of our words on other people?
Show Me Your Faith
It is good to be with you again today. Thank you for being there. Our study in James has brought us to the middle of chapter 2. Today’s lesson is the section where James discusses faith and works. This discussion is big, and it is hard for us to keep these two balanced. One extreme says, “We are saved by faith, and our works are meaningless.” The other side says, “Works are a must this is how we are saved.” I know that, on this subject, I must be cautious about which words I use and how each sentence is constructed. Relax. I will not say it must be this way or that way.
Who’s Judging Whom
Thank you so much for listening; we are honored to be here and look forward to learning from God’s Word together. Every day is a good day to study the Bible. Today, we will be thinking about judging others. Here where we live, what Jesus said in Matthew 7 has become very common and often quoted. This is where Jesus says, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” Many times, this verse is used to say, “You can’t tell me what to do; that’s judging.” If there is sin pointed out in someone’s life, the response is. “Stop judging me; the Bible says don’t judge.” This is the wrong way to use this verse; Jesus did not say this at all. The next question is, then, what did Jesus mean? And what is proper judgment? These are good questions; I'm glad you asked. The Bible teaches this subject in many passages, but the passage we will look at is James 2. If you can, please follow along in your Bible. Pastor J Mark will give us three standards for judgment. Let’s listen and learn together.