James Pt. 8: Worldliness / Godliness

Hope Fellowship Church Oct 28 – Nov 3, 2018 ========== James:Worldliness / Godliness James is a book of timeless wisdom for practical living. It tackles real issues and struggles, that we will face in life, like temptation, wisdom, self-control, anger, arrogance, suffering, and so much more. James challenges our character and calls us to action directed by our faith. James takes principles and makes them practical. ========== James 4:1-4 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 1. Conflict is not external but rather internal. Our lives tend to grow in one of two ways or a combination of both. · By the grace of God, we’re aware of the goodness of God in our lives. · We see all the blessings of our lives as something we’re entitled to. When lacking gratitude, we tend to grow in entitlement and contempt. James 4:5-6 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 2. The Jealousy of God and a greater volume of Grace. Romans 5:20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, James 4:7-10 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. 3. How are we to respond to God’s greater volume of Grace? · We resist the Devil. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. · We pursue God. · We're serious about sin. James 4:11-12 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? 4. We become an expert, not in the weaknesses of our brothers/sisters but their strengths. [Image] Stay up to date on Hope events! https://imageproxy-cdn.youversionapi.com/640x640/https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/mushroom-event-images-prod/27448925-1538745271068.jpg Generosity You can give online by clicking the link below. We thank you so much for all of your generosity! http://www.hopeinanderson.com/generosity Thanks for Joining Us! Thanks for being with us this week. To find out more about Hope, check out our website. http://www.hopeinanderson.com