Devoted To Loving God Series

Devoted to Loving God

James 1:16-18

With God’s help, we can be devoted: putting God’s love at the center of our lives.

SLIDE #1

INTRODUCTION

• Today we wrap up our four-week series on the subject of being devoted to God.

• How does one foster an attitude of devotion to another person?

• Remember, the word DEVOTED is defined as follows, zealous or ardent in attachment, loyalty, or affection.

• If I choose to be devoted to someone, what would be a helpful trait for me the possess so I can be devoted to them?

• What keeps a couple together after years of marriage when life is on the downhill slide, all the fun and games have turned into watching your loved one slowly fade away either mentally or physically?

• What is it that keeps one devoted to their spouse, no matter how bad things get?

• Love. Love can lead us to do things we never thought we could do.

• When you love someone or something, you have a devotion to what you love.

• The things and people I love, I am devoted to them. GO CARDINALS! Well. Maybe next season.

• We all need to realize that love is a choice; it is a choice we make.

• I believe as our love grows deeper, so does our devotion.

• This is why you see a couple who have been together for years, be there for each other when their health is failing.

• Why do we love someone? Do we just do it for no reason?

• There are usually reasons we love someone.

• In our passage, James puts perspective and foundation to all he has taught us about faithfulness, staying on course, and not wavering: God is the giver of good gifts, and he does not change.

• The life God calls us to is good; his plan and promises span eternity and cannot be shifted or toppled like a shadow, like a boat on the waves.

• When we keep our eyes on God’s love, we will not be deceived.

• Today I am going to share three reasons we can be devoted to loving God.

• God gives us every reason to be devoted to loving Him.

• Let’s turn to James 1:16-17 together!

SLIDE #2

Bible Verse

James 1:16-17 (CSB)

16Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.

17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

SLIDE #3

We can be devoted to loving God because…

1. I. God is the giver of good and perfect gifts.

Explanation

• One of the ways God shows His devotion and love to us is by the fact that He is the giver of every good and perfect gift!

• In the first part of verse 16, James tells the readers to STOP being deceived. The verb tense of this statement is a command to stop doing something they were already doing!

• The first phrase of verse 16 either applies to the previous verses or the verses that follow.

• If it refers to the previous, Then James is telling the folks not to be decided into thinking that God is leading them into temptation.

• If it refers to the following verses, then the prohibition deals with thinking that God would give anything other than that which is good and perfect.

• I lean toward this referring to the previous verses, which then leads into verse 17, where James explains that God does not lead people into temptation, but rather what God gives to people is good and perfect.

• God’s nature prohibits him from doing evil toward humanity. He is consistent in giving only good and perfect gifts. Holloway, G. (1996). James & Jude (Jas 1:16–17). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub.

• God’s character of a giving God was introduced to us by James in verse five when James spoke of God wanting to give wisdom to those who ask Him generously.

• We can be devoted to loving God because He is devoted to giving you what is good and perfect.

• The use of the word GOOD refers to the act of giving, while the second word PERFECT emphasizes the gift itself.

• God’s act of giving is GOOD, which implies that the act of God giving is good in general; the act is profitable for those who receive them.

• The word PERFEC Tis a word that means complete, mature, full-grown. When God gives gifts, they lack nothing.

• Recently we put together a new puzzle, and the end of all the work we put into putting the puzzle together, there was a piece missing!

• Have you ever had that happen? It is such a letdown. It feels like we did not complete the puzzle. It was very frustrating for me.