Sermon Central
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James
Contributed by Garrett Tyson on May 19, 2022 (message contributor)
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1. What Kind Of Person Do You Want To Be? (James 1:1-12)
Contributed on May 19, 2022
James encourages us to be all-in for God, responding "in faith" to testings, and steadfastly live in faithfulness toward God and people.
Who do you want to be? (James 1:1-12) Today, we begin a new series on the letter of James. The sort of weird thing about teaching on James, from my perspective, is that I've done this before. Maybe 10 years ago, I preached through James in two little churches in Kulm and Medina. I'm ...read more
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2. What Does God Desire For Us? (James 1:12-27)
Contributed on May 24, 2022
The good news, is that God gave birth to the church-- a people/kingdom who live rightly toward God, and others. God doesn't want us to sin.
Let's start today by simply rereading last week's verses. James 1:1-12: (1) James, of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, a slave. To the twelve tribes-- to the ones in the dispersion: Greetings. (2) All joy consider it, my brothers, whenever various testings/trials you encounter, (3) ...read more
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3. Show Love, Not Favoritism (James 2:1-13)
Contributed on May 27, 2022
Favoritism is a tricky thing. But we need to copy God's example, in honoring the poor. Also, my first crack at unpacking "kingdom" in light of Scot McKnight's book Kingdom Conspiracy.
Let's start today by reading James 2:1-4: (1) My brothers, don't, with partiality, hold the faith of our glorious Lord, Jesus Christ. ["w/partiality" =focused] (2) For suppose someone should enter your assembly with a gold ring on his finger, with fine clothing. Now, also a ...read more
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4. There Is Great Benefit To A Working Faith (James 2:14-26)
Contributed on Jun 6, 2022
So add good works to your faith.
This morning we find ourselves in James 2:14-26. Let's start by just reading James 2:14: (14) What is the benefit, my brothers, if faith, someone says he has; ["faith" is focused in Greek] now, works, he doesn't have. ["works" is focused] That faith isn't able ...read more
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5. Becoming A Single-Tongued People (James 3:1-12)
Contributed on Jun 12, 2022
The power of the tongue, the dangers of the tongue, and the necessity of controlling the tongue. If this is hard, asking God for wisdom is the key (James 1:4).
Let's begin today by reading from James 3:1 (and a part of verse 2): (1) Not many of you, teachers, should become, my brothers, knowing that greater/more intense judgment we will receive. (2) For in many ways, we all stumble. One of the highest callings, for the building up of God's ...read more
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6. Who Is Wise And Understanding Among You? (James 3:13-18)
Contributed on Jun 24, 2022
The answer, in truth, is my mother-in-law. James redefines for us what true wisdom looks like.
Who is wise and understanding among you? (James 3:13-18) In our passage today, James opens up a new section by asking a question. So let's start, the same way. James 3:13: (13) Who [is] wise and understanding/knowledgeable among you? When you look around this room, at the people who are a ...read more
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7. What Do You Crave? What Does God Crave? (James 4:1-10)
Contributed on Jul 5, 2022
The verses make best sense through non-Western eyes, in a non-Western church. So talked about an African church plant. Also, on how/when to ask God for money.
Today's passage, James 4:1-10, was a real struggle for me at first. These verses, read as a whole, read as a response to a specific problem within the church, really don't make sense within the context of Western, white, evangelical Christianity. The way we tend to view the church, and ...read more
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8. A Church Without Undercurrents (James 4:11-12)
Contributed on Jul 9, 2022
A challenge to stop speaking evil of one another.
Today, we are going to work through just two verses from James 4, verses 11-12. These verses have their own little introduction and conclusion, and sort of stand alone. Let's start by reading just the first sentence in verse 11: (11) Don't speak evil of one another, brothers. In my ...read more
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9. What Does God Think About Our Plans? (James 4:13-17)
Contributed on Aug 1, 2022
We can make plans, but God expects us to be flexible, and willing to set them aside, for Him. We delight in God, living in faithfulness to Him. We don't delight in stuff.
Today, our focus will be on James 4:13-17. One of the interesting things about this passage is that there two pretty different ways of reading it. Both approaches take the verses seriously. Both issue a call, and a challenge, that the church needs to hear. But they differ in what exactly that ...read more
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10. God Will Drain The Swamp (James 5:1-11)
Contributed on Aug 9, 2022
James encourages us, that the day of the Lord is coming, and God will free us from our oppressors-- from the swamp.
The past three weeks, we've focused on James 4. The central, overriding idea in this chapter is that God expects his people to have whole-hearted commitment to himself. We have to choose between friendship with God, and friendship with the world. We can't try to have it both ways. God ...read more
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11. God Will Heal You (James 5:12-20)
Contributed on Aug 18, 2022
Advice for when you're suffering, happy, or sick.
Let's start today by reading James 5:12: (12) Now, above all, my brothers, don't take an oath, either by heaven nor by earth, nor any other oath. Now, your "yes" must be "yes" and your "no," "no," in order that under judgment you don't fall ...read more