3 Keys To Surviving Tough Times Series

James: A Faith that Works

James 1:19-21

3 Keys to Surviving Tough Times

Introduction – Sailors Perished Due to Faulty Rescue Equipment

In August 2000, 118 Russian sailors perished when the Kursk nuclear submarine suffered an underwater explosion and became disabled in the depths of the icy Barents Sea. High-level Russian sources recently told Time magazine that some of the men could have been saved had rescue gear aboard the Russian submarine been tested. According to studies done after the mishap, 23 surviving crew members rushed to a floating rescue capsule located in the rear of the submarine. But the capsule failed to disengage and surface because of mechanical problems that existed from the time the sub was commissioned. It seems the ship's completion was behind schedule and "orders from the top" demanded that shortcuts be taken to make the construction deadline. One such shortcut was failing to test the capsule to see if it could handle the pressure of a rescue procedure.

There are no shortcuts in living a committed Christian life. God doesn't offer shortcuts in growing your character. Trials, tests, and temptations will shape who you are and how you behave. It’s what’s on the inside that counts. Time magazine (6-3-02), p. 18; submitted by Greg Asimakoupoulos, Naperville, Illinois

Your response to Trials (1:2-12)

Your response to Temptations (1:13-18)

Your response to the Truth (1:19-27)

Your Teachability

Ask the question: Am I teachable?

“People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing.” Will Rogers

In your personal life

Men have 2 ears but 1 tongue, that they should hear more than they speak. The ears are always open, ready to recv instruction; but the tongue is surrounded w/ a dbl row of teeth to hedge it in, & keep it w/in proper bounds. Rabbinical teaching

Listen to the conversation of the world…Dialogues of the deaf “ Paul Tournier

In your public life

In your professional life

In your spiritual life

Your Purity

Infections in the spirit

Drop the rags

Soiled, dirty garments

(Continuously, consistently, conspicuously)

Dump the filth

Discard the trash

Your Humility

Is your humility like the man who wrote the best-selling books, "Humility and How I Attained It" OR "The Ten Most Humble Men in the World and How I Chose The Other Nine."

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less.” Rick Warren

It’s an attitude!

It’s an offer!

It’s a choice!