James 1

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WHY NOT ASK GOD?

November 17, 2023

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking” (James 1:5 NLT). It seems self-evident that the one who lacks wisdom would ask the all-knowing God for help. Yet, asking God is often the last choice, rather than the first. Prayer is

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” (James 1:2 NLT).

November 17, 2022

MOVING TRIALS FROM THE SAD COLUMN TO THE GLAD COLUMN James described the spiritual mindset that the Christian should have when facing trials. What is this mindset? “Great joy.” Not happiness, which is based on external happenings, but “great joy,” which comes from within and is the fruit of the Spirit for the believer that

“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God” (James 1:5 HCSB).

November 17, 2021

WHY NOT ASK GOD? It seems self-evident that the one who lacks wisdom would ask the all-knowing God for help. Yet, asking God is often the last choice, rather than the first. Prayer is often only considered after every other human resource is exhausted.   But why not ask God first? Perhaps it’s because of

“Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:15 NKJV).

November 17, 2020

ONLY GOD CAN HELP US WITH OUR OVER-DESIRE The Greek word translated “desire” is “epithumia,” which literally means “over-desire,” or “over-heated desire.” It might also be translated as “lust.”   Desire itself is not evil. God created us with desire. No one has to teach a baby to cry for its mother’s milk. It is

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” (James 1:2 NLT).

November 17, 2019

MOVING TRIALS FROM THE SAD COLUMN TO THE GLAD COLUMN James described the spiritual mindset that the Christian should have when facing trials. What is this mindset? “Great joy.” Not happiness, which is based on external happenings, but “great joy,” which comes from within and is the fruit of the Spirit for the believer that

“Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:15 NKJV).

November 17, 2017

The Greek word translated “desire” is “epithumia,” which literally means over-heated desire or lust. Desire in and of itself is not evil. God has desires. But God’s desires are under His control, while ours are not. We desire over-much and we become over-heated in wanting, so we take shortcuts and we overeat and we overindulge and we over-do-it in getting things, but our over-desire cannot be fully satisfied because it wants over-much. James is graphic in describing this over-desire as a womb conceiving and giving birth to sin. And sin, as a growing thing that when mature “brings forth death.”

God has given us “every good gift” (James 1:17), yet we desire the gift over the Giver. However, when we receive the “word of truth” (James 1:18), which is the gospel, we are born again of the Spirit of God. And His Spirit gives us His desires and grants us self-control over our “over-desires.” Being born again, we begin to desire the Giver more than the gift.

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (James 1:2 NKJV)

November 17, 2015

James describes the spiritual mindset that the Christian should have when facing trials. What is this mindset? “All joy.” Not happiness, which is based on external happenings, but joy, which comes from within and is the fruit of the Spirit for the believer that abides in Christ. And not partial joy, but “all” joy. Pure and whole joy that comes from the knowledge that God is sovereign and that all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom.8:28). This mindset is a choice of the will, one that can be “counted.” The Greek verb here is in the imperative middle voice, meaning that one is to command oneself to choose joy. Like an accounting term, one can choose to move their emotional response to trials from the sad column to the glad column. Rather than seeing trials as a reason to be discouraged, count them as a reason to trust God all the more.

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves” (James 1:22 NLT)

November 18, 2014

Not just hearers only, but doers of the Word. Many enjoy a good sermon and think how good it is that the person next to them is getting it. Yet a few will hear the Word and repent in tears, not worrying about those around them. Don’t let the Word go in one ear and out the other. Do what it says.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5)

November 17, 2013

Do you need wisdom or understanding? Ask God. Open your eyes to the Lord and His Word. He is a God who freely gives. He wants to reveal Himself to you. He will give wisdom and more… He will give Himself. In most situations that’s the wisdom we most need– that God is with us.

“You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires” (James 1:19-20)

November 18, 2012

Speaking before listening is like lighting anger’s fuse. Many an argument might be avoided by listening before speaking. Once anger is lit, angry words are spoken that can never be taken back. Two ears, one mouth = double your listening, cut your speaking in half. Are you listening?