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James 4:13-17 (NASB) 13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. 17 So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin. Two big problems with making plans & decisions apart from seeking God’s will: 1) It is foolish to act like you are in control of the future (4:13-14) 2) It is arrogance and evil to neglect God’s will (4:16-17) How to make plans & decisions in honor of Christ: 3) Seek the Lord’s will in everything you do (4:15)

James 4:11-12 (NASB) 11 Do not speak against one another, brothers and sisters. The one who speaks against a brother or sister, or judges his brother or sister, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you, judging your neighbor? It is serious sin against God to speak against or stand in judgement over others. 1) The Command(s) – 4:11a (& b) 2) The Reasons for the Command(s) – 4:11b-12  

John 14:19 (NASB) 19 After a little while, the world no longer is going to see Me, but you are going to see Me; because I live, you also will live. Psalm 16 (NASB) 1 Protect me, God, for I take refuge in You.2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord;I have nothing good besides You.”3 As for the saints who are on the earth,They are the majestic ones; all my delight is in them.4 The pains of those who have acquired another god will be multiplied;I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,Nor will I take their names upon my lips. 5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;You support my lot.6 The measuring lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;Indeed, my inheritance is beautiful to me. 7 I will bless the Lord who has advised me;Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.8 I have set the Lord continually before me;Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;My flesh also will dwell securely.10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.11 You will make known to me the way of life;In Your presence is fullness of joy;In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Acts 13:35 (NASB) 35 Therefore, He also says in another Psalm: ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.’    

James 4:7-10 (NASB) 7 Submit therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God and He will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. Being in close(r) relationship with God involves dealing with your pride and sin in much humility. 1) Some Pointers for closer closeness to God (4:7) 2) The Importance of real repentance (4:8-9) 3) A Promise to the wholly humble (4:10)  

Romans 8:18-27 (NASB) 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only that, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, through perseverance we wait eagerly for it. 26 Now in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. I. Believers are called to suffer and struggle (8:18)II. Creation suffers (8:19-22)III. The believer longs for deliverance (8:23-27)  

James 4:4-6 (NASB) 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says to no purpose, “He jealously desires the Spirit whom He has made to dwell in us”? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” God calls us to be faithful to follow Him and His Word above the ways of the world. 1) The Rebuke of Worldliness (4:4) 2) The Reference to the Word (4:5) 3) The Reminder of the Way Forward (4:6)  

James 4:1-3 (NASB) 1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is the source not your pleasures that wage war in your body’s parts? 2 You lust and do not have, so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures.

James 3:13-18 (NASB) 13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, free of hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. To foster harmonious relationships in life, put on true godly wisdom and put off false earthly wisdom. 1) You must behave with godly wisdom for peaceful relationships (3:13, 17) 2) If you act with worldly “wisdom”, conflict will be the result (3:14-16) 3) Peaceful relationships require hard/heart work (3:18)

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NASB) 24 and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, 25 not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Ephesians 4:3 (NASB) 3 being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 1 Timothy 4:13 (NASB)  13 Until I come, give your attention to the public reading, to exhortation, and teaching. __+__

James 3:1-12 (NASB) 1 Do not become teachers in large numbers, my brothers, since you know that we who are teachers will incur a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to rein in the whole body as well. 3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their whole body as well. 4 Look at the ships too: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are nevertheless directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our body’s parts as that which defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. 8 But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a figure tree, my brothers and sisters, bear olives, or a vine bear figures? Nor cans salt water produce fresh. Four Helps in controlling our tongues to honor Christ 1) Realize that God holds you accountable for your tongue (3:1-2) 2) Recognize the potentially destructive power of your tongue (3:3-5) 3) Acknowledge that your tongue is (humanly) untamable (3:6-8) 4) Know the source of your tongue’s inconsistencies (3:9-12)

James 3:1-12 (NASB) 1 Do not become teachers in large numbers, my brothers, since you know that we who are teachers will incur a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to rein in the whole body as well. 3 Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their whole body as well. 4 Look at the ships too: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are nevertheless directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines. 5 So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among our body’s parts as that which defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. 7 For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. 8 But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in the likeness of God; 10 from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. 11 Does a spring send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? 12 Can a figure tree, my brothers and sisters, bear olives, or a vine bear figures? Nor cans salt water produce fresh. Four Helps in controlling our tongues to honor Christ 1) Realize that God holds you accountable for your tongue (3:1-2) 2) Recognize the potentially destructive power of your tongue (3:3-5) (To be continued next week.)    

James 2:20-26 (NASB) 20 But are you willing to acknowledge, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless? 21 Was our father Abraham not justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was Rahab the prostitute not justified by works also when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. The genuineness of your faith in Jesus Christ is proven by your works. 1) It is foolish to believe that a faith without works is saving faith (2:20-25) Real Faith Example #1 – Abraham Real Faith Example #2 – Rahab 2) Faith without works is dead faith (2:26)

James 2:14-20 (NASB) 14 What use is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 In the same way, faith also, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. 18 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” 19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. 20 But are you willing to acknowledge, you foolish person, that faith without works is useless? God wants you to evaluate whether your faith in Jesus Christ is genuine or not. 1) Faith without good works is not true, saving faith (2:14-18) 2) Faith with only head knowledge about God is not true, saving faith (2:19-20)

Psalm 127: 3-4 (NASB) 3 Behold, children are a gift of the Lord,The fruit of the womb is a reward.4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,So are the children of one’s youth.  

Luke 22:17-20 (NASB) 17 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, which is being given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in My blood. 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (NASB) 16 Is the cup of blessing which we bless not a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is the bread which we break not a sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Since there is one loaf, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf.