Opening Video: Shindler’s list movie clip – I could have done more!
Series: Come Alive in 2025
Thesis: We need to come alive in 2025 and we do this by prophesying life into that which is dead and then asking the breath of Life from Heaven to enter that which is dead. We do this so people know the resurrection power of the Lord. Then we put our Words into Action – Why? Because every action matters too!
Scripture: Ezekiel 27:6b “…I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the?Lord.’”
Series outline:
1. Every Moment Matters
2. Every Word Matters
3. Every Action Matters
Sermon: Every Action Matters
Thesis of Sermon: Faith in Jesus brings trials and tribulations but it’s okay because if you hear the truth and do the truth you will persevere through the trial and grow up in your relationship with the Lord. Trials combined with faith will mature us and complete us! This is called putting faith into action! So, let’s put our faith into action for the glory of the Lord and for inward joy in the difficult circumstances of life.
Key verse of book: James 1:22 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
Tag line; Just Do It!
Message of James: The message of the book is “Let’s do it – live the faith – Do it – put it into action! The half-brother of Jesus is speaking to the scattered Jewish Christians across the middle east – they were scattered right after Stephen was killed. James tells these Christians and us today you have to do more than just talk about your faith you have to put your faith to work for the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven. In other words, what you do with your faith matters in the here and now and in eternity!
Scripture James 1:1-27
1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.
Trials and Temptations
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
8he is a double–minded man, unstable in all he does.
9The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.
10But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wildflower.
11For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls, and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.
12Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
13When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full–grown, gives birth to death.
16Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers.
17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.
Listening and Doing
19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
20for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror
24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Introduction:
James the ½ brother pf Jesus was called “Camel Knee’s’ because his knees became deformed for always praying on his knee’s!
James is my favorite book of the New Testament – It is filled with encouragement and the message to not just hear sermons! Christianity is more than just hearing what the Word of God says – but – we actually must do it! The first verse I ever memorized was James 1:22 “Be a doer of the word and not a hearer only deceiving yourself.” I heard the Lord shortly after my conversion experience ask me the question: “Mike are you going to just be a listener or are you going to go to the next level and be a doer?” I choose to do it for Jesus – So this is my challenge to you this morning -“Let’s Do it for Jesus!” Let’s put our faith into action! By the way I have never looked back on that decision – to “Just do it!”!
James is a powerful book if you internalize it and apply it to your relationship with the Lord. My wife even memorized the whole book when she was in Bible College – it’s message is very clear don’t just listen to the Word of God – Do it! Maybe that is why my wife is such a hard worker for the Kingdom! She is the hardest working person I know!
By the way yesterday was her birthday!
T.S.- So, let’s dive into James chapter 1 and discover some amazing choices and truths from this chapter of the book: Remember we are talking today about how every action matters!
1. We put faith into action when we persevere under hardship, grief, trauma, and trials.
a. James the brother of Jesus gives us practical insight into to how to handle the storms that will come rushing out of the night and into our lives. He gives good sound advice on what to do and what not to do during spiritual and physical hurricanes and severe storms.
i. The reality of life is this - Reality Check - times of trouble and difficulty will blow across our paths. It is a fact of life! Most of God’s saints have known times of trouble in their lives. Life on earth always must deal with a phenomenon called storms. They blow in –they blow out – they upset the sunshine of life and most of us have learned that we must deal with them. We need to just press through them because we know the sun is always shining on the other side.
ii. Real life Illustration: I recall a couple of summers back when we were driving across the country, and we kept running into severe storms. I off course never quit driving – I just pressed on through the down pours and the lightening then we would eventually break out of the storm bank and drive into the sunshine. It was always so refreshing and relieving to break out of the storm. I remember thinking to myself these storms are like life’s storms they blow in and blow out. If you stay on your path, you eventually drive out of the storm and into the light. The key is just press on through the storm.
1. This is making every action matter – because this is putting your faith into action!
iii. Illustration from pastoring: I once had a few people leave a church I was pastoring because they were upset with a sermon I preached. My sermon was on the book of Job. They said that they left because Christians do not have to suffer.
1. And I was preaching a false doctrine saying they did!
a. They honestly believed that if you had enough faith you would never face trials, grief, troubles, storms or difficulty in your life.
b. I was amazed at this philosophy of life and Christianity. Why? Because as I read and study the Bible I have discovered over and over that we are constantly reminded that trials, trouble, storms, heartache, tragedy will come into Christians lives.
i. No one is exempt from these storms of life. No one!
ii. The key is put your faith in action when the storm comes!
2. I have sat and pondered this thought also, “Man I wish I could honestly say that as a Christian you will never have to face trials, tribulations, or storms.” But I cannot say it because I would be a liar if I said that. And I will give an account of every word that I preached!
3. Jesus himself promised us that we would face storms in this life. Listen to his words in John 16:32, 33: “But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my father is with me. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
b. When our faith is activated in storms something happens around us and in us!
i. We see through God’s eyes.
ii. We get wisdom and insight from God that we did not have prior.
iii. We get encouragement.
iv. We get peace even in the storm.
v. We get tenacious about who we are in Jesus and what He can do.
vi. We are even told in this chapter that joy can be present even in the middle of trials and tribulations.
1. Crazy right!
2. Trails – tribulations come in this life so you can put your faith in action!
c. When we persevere through hardship and bring faith instead of fear, we go through a growth spurt in our spiritual lives.
i. Hardship and trials cause us to grow if we don’t give up or quit!
1. When you quit – give up – your faith is no longer in action!
ii. We also grow in these trials if we don’t blame God for them! Nor should we get angry with Him for the hardship!
1. James reminds us that good gifts come from Heaven – God does not tempt us with evil – all these bad things that happen are from the sin nature of this world and the yielding to sin by the cultures and communities we live in.
2. Can you hear me for a second: Put your faith in action and quit blaming God!
d. James tells us to make sure that we have the right attitude amid the storm.
i. The key to overcoming it is to have the right attitude. James 2:3, 4: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
1. Attitude determines if you will be an overcomer or become a defeated individual who cannot put their faith in action.
a. Harold Sherman, wrote a book How to Turn Failure Into Success. In it he gives a “Code of Persistence”
i. I will never give up so long as I know I am right.
ii. I believe that all things will work out for me if I hang on until the end.
iii. I will be courageous and undismayed in the face of odds.
iv. I will not permit anyone to intimidate me or deter me from my goals.
v. I will fight to overcome all physical handicaps and setbacks
vi. I will try again and again and again to accomplish what I desire.
vii. I will take new faith and resolution from the knowledge that all successful men and women have had to fight defeat and adversity.
viii. I will never surrender to discouragement or despair no matter what seeming obstacles may confront me. (Maxwell, 105).
b. You can decide to persevere and endure, or you can decide to quit and give up.
i. This all relies on your willingness to press on into a mindset of Christian maturity. James reminds the church that trials are opportunities of growth in Christ.
ii. This attitude relies on your perception of trouble.
iii. This attitude relies on how you deal with storms that hit unexpectedly.
iv. You can decide to look at life through the lens of Joy or Sorrow.
1. You can take action or roll up in a ball and pretend it will pass by!
2. John Maxwell said in his book The Winning Attitude that attitude toward life is the difference between success and failure in life.
a. He states, “Do you feel the world is treating you well? If your attitude toward the world is excellent, you will receive excellent results. If you feel so-so about the world, your response from that world will be average. Feel badly about your world and you will seem to have only negative feedback from life” (15).
b. He tells the story of the 2 buckets:
i. The story of the two buckets underlines this truth. One bucket was an optimist, and the other was a pessimist. “There has never been a life as disappointing as mine,” said the empty bucket as it approached the well. “I never come away from the well full but that I return again empty.” “There has never been such a happy life as mine,” said the full bucket as it left the well. “I never come to the well empty and not go away again full.” (16).
T.S. – We put faith in action when we persevere through trials – especially with the right attitude.
2. We put faith into action when we control our anger, and control our words.
a. Having the determination to refuse to be the one who explodes in the pressure moments of life helps us manage the pressure cooker of life (Proverbs 17:14, 19).
i. We must make sure that we are not the instigators of strife and quarrels in our pressure cooker times of life.
ii. Sometimes we are our own worse enemies when in comes to developing a place of peace and contentment in our lives.
iii. We actually get under pressure and then blow up at others and create more pressure and more trouble.
b. Scripture Comparison:
i. Proverbs 17:14 (NIV) “Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.”
1. Proverbs 17:14 (Message) “The start of a quarrel is like a leak in a dam, so stop it before it bursts.”
a. Many of us if we desire to have a house filled with peace and tranquility need to stop busting open the dams of resentment and anger toward others.
b. Put your faith in action by handling situations with the wisdom and patience from God!
ii. Proverbs 17:19 (NIV) “He who loves a quarrel loves sin; he who builds a high gate invites destruction.”
1. Proverbs 17:19 (Message) “The person who courts sin, marries trouble; build a wall, invite a burglar.”
a. We also need to quit building walls around our relationships to keep others out and keep our precious gifts to ourselves. This only invites problems and thieves to break in and steal what we have decided to withhold from others.
b. We all need to manage our relationships better by communicating with each other with respect and with empathy. This is putting your faith into action!
c. I have counseled too many people who think that relationships are all about who wins the arguments or who gets in the last word.
i. The modern way of thinking and living is creating so much pressure in people’s lives that they are starting to snap and live lives filled with anger and resentment.
1. C. Leslie Charles says that the American Psyche is headed for a pressure cooker explosion because she sees a society that is getting angrier and angrier and more self-centered every day. She says many have bought into the belief of the “The Cranky Code” of conduct: (Not faith in action) but (Sin in action)
a. I am entitled to what I want when I want it.
b. My time is important, and I should not have to be inconvenienced by others.
c. I have the right to be impatient or rude when other people are behaving stupidly.
d. I am entitled to special privileges because I am who I am.
e. I’m a taxpayer; I own part of this road and I have the right to drive as fast as I want.
f. I not only have the right to pursue happiness, I deserve to be happy and I’ll do whatever it takes to achieve it.
g. I’m entitled to cheat a little bit in order to get ahead. If I don’t take advantage someone else will, and then they’ll be a step ahead of me.
h. I work extra hard but don’t get paid for it so I’m justified in helping myself to a few “souvenirs” from my office to offset what I am rightly owed.
i. I’m too busy to mince around with false politeness and should be able to tell people exactly what I think without having to worry about their feelings.
j. I must be more in the know than everyone else so I can stay one up on them; otherwise they may take advantage of me.
k. I deserve the newest, the biggest, the best, and the most. It’s my right.
l. I’m going to die one day so I may as well get as much as I can right now.
m. So what if I’m rude-I never have to see this person again, so what difference does it make?
n. My opinions and views are more valid than anyone else’s.
o. My emergencies take precedence over anyone else’s emergency.
p. The world is unfair and opportunities are limited, so I may as well get all I can while I can, regardless of who or what stands in my way.
2. She adds, “Though clearly non-Christian in origin, these belief statements can honestly reflect the flesh patterns of believers as well-though we may be very reluctant to admit it” (178, 179 Getting, Anger Under Control)
a. I agree with her observations that we are living in a Mad, Mad world and it’s headed for an explosion.
d. So many people today try to deal with pressure by unleashing their wrath onto others and in turn create more problems and more pressure into their lives.
i. Redford and Virginia Williams, in their book Anger Kills , adapted the work of Friedman and Rosenman to the problem of anger. In their research, they show how those with a hostile personality are more prone to coronary heart disease” (26, Getting Anger Under Control, Anderson).
1. According to Anderson he says, “Anger- Is a matter of life or death!”
2. Anderson states, “Anger: an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured” (1).
a. He speaks about how deadly it is and the necessity to make sure it is kept under control.
i. A person who likes to quarrel likes to heap a pile of problems onto a relationship.
ii. They like to open up the flood gates and saturate the other person with their toxic water.
iii. This breaking of the dam causes havoc and destruction in a relationship.
iv. The truth is anger is a choice and being venomous with our words is allowing our flesh to rule our lives.
v. “Speak when you’re angry — and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret” (from Steve Shepherd).
vi. He that loves to start quarrels and controversies loves to roll in sin.
vii. A person who is always at the center of problems is a person who loves to be involved in sin.
e. I have noticed that some people just always seem to be in the middle of conflict. It’s as if they love to role in the sin of conflict.
i. He builds a wall in front of them and refuses to deal with the problems of their relationship in life is heading for destruction.
ii. Our Proverbs writer reminds us that we cannot build a wall around us we do have to interact with others, so isolation is not the answer in dealing with pressure is to communicate effectively without causing fights and quarrels.
f. Here are some steps to defeating anger and strife:
i. Admit you have an anger issue quit living in denial.
ii. Take responsibility and decide to manage it.
iii. Repent to the Lord for you uncontrolled anger.
iv. Pray and ask Him to help you manage it.
v. Renew your mind with sources that will help you to control your tongue and your attitude in life.
g. To help manage the pressure cooker times in life we must evaluate our reactions to the pressures of life and adjust if necessary.
i. Then we must also make sure that we live a life filled with truth and not sin.
T.S. – We put faith in action when we control our tongues and our anger in the pressure cooker moments of life – when we do this we find freedom in His Spirit.
3. We put faith into action when we leave the realm of just listening to God’s Word and actually start doing it in our everyday life!
a. A while back I shared the illustration of how the Bible paints the different levels of relationship people have with Jesus: Let me remind you of them: In the Bible we discover 6 levels of relationship with Jesus and with others according to Robert Crosby: Listen to these 6 levels of relationship: (This is all about how much you have ignited your faith into action)
i. The crowds – Jesus drew a crowd – impressive crowds 10,000 or more people would come hear Him and see Him. This represents the outermost ring of association with Jesus and the least commitment to Him. Crosby states, “The crowds represent those who follow Jesus to the places of watching and listening” (The One Jesus Loves, Page 13). John 12:19
ii. The 5,000 – the next level of relationship is found in the crowd that Jesus touched and helped. See John 6:1-15. Crosby notes, “The 5,000 represent those who follow Jesus to the places of feeding and healing.”
iii. The 70 or 72 – this level of relationship with Jesus gets closer to the heart of God. A select group rose up out of the crowd to share and participate in the ministry and mission of Jesus. They leave the level of observation and enter in serving and participating with Jesus in ministry. See Luke 6:12-13. Crosby states, “The 70 represent those who follow Jesus to the places of working and serving.” See
iv. The 12 – then out of the crowd arises a band of brothers a close knit group that hangs with Jesus, see Luke 6:12-13. The 12 represent those who walk with Jesus, to the places He leads them, they leave all to follow Him.
v. The 3 – we discover out of this group of 12 emerges 3 who are even closer to Jesus. These 3 saw, heard, and experienced the most with Jesus. The 3 represent all those who choose to be closer to Jesus and follow Him to places of glory and places of suffering for the mission.
vi. The 1 – in Scripture one person rises up to be the closest to Jesus during His earthly ministry. He sat next to Him at the Last Supper, he hung on every word of Jesus, He was at the cross when all others fled, he was given the task by Jesus at the cross to care for His mother Mary, he was given a Revelation that would inspire the world. His name you may be thinking is John.
1. Each one of these levels of relationship are very important to Jesus but in each level of closeness is an invite to come closer to Him! Jesus says, “Come on take another step closer, it will be amazing!”
a. The great invitation from God is to draw near to Him – come closer to Him – Yes, the one who sits on the throne in Heaven wants you to come closer to Him, Yes, the one who created the universe with the stars and the milky way – wants you to worship Him not from afar with words and rituals but face to face in an intimate way! The followers of Jesus should want to be in only one place and that is closer to Jesus each day.
b. Robert Crosby states from his book The One Jesus Loves, this: The Bible shows Jesus to be more than a messenger of doctrine. Instead, the Gospels give us a broad tapestry of people’s experiences with Him and their encounters of Him. Resounding within each of the four accounts of His life and ministry, from Matthew to John, is an appeal reverberating with this message: Get to know Him! Come closer” (page 21).
b. Doing verse listening:
i. The Bible tells us to listen to God - I am told through my research it is emphasized 347 times!
1. But there is more to Christianity than just sitting in a chair listening over and over and never doing it!
ii. So, what does it mean to do the Word?
1. It means we look after widows and orphans in distress.
a. Help people out who are in need!
b. Put your faith in action by giving some of your money to help people out who are hurting.
2. It means keeping our-selves from being polluted from the world of sin.
a. We have many that do the Social Gospel but don’t keep themselves from being polluted by the world.
i. In other words, we need to work hard for the Kingdom to do good but also protecting our hearts from the influence of the world.
ii. We are not just to sit around and listen, but we are to go out and do stuff for the Lord.
1. James 1:22 stresses this point, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
2. Do the Word by guarding your heart from sin – be active in protecting your mind and heart.
iii. What is a Christian supposed to do? I reply something!
1. He is to take what He knows about God and put it into action.
a. Rick Warner states, “Beliefs are not worth much unless they are translated into actions.”
b. Action is to be the ear mark of the Christian’s life.
c. When apathy settles into the Christian life then the Christian starts to drift away from the Lord like the Christians in Laodicea.
d. In Revelation Laodicea reflected an apathetic church – or Christian. Laodicea the church that is always asleep.
i. See (Rev. 3:14-22 NIV)
iv. James wrote the book of James to warn believers about the importance of having actions that reflect the image of Christ that lives in them.
1. He gives hard hitting –very specific practical instruction to help us all live the authentic Christian life Jesus wants us to live.
2. Peterson states this about the book of James:
a. The letter of James shows one of the church’s early pastors skillfully going about his work of confronting, diagnosing, and dealing with areas of miss-belief and misbehavior that had turned up in congregations committed to his care. Deep and living wisdom is on display here, wisdom both rare and essential. Wisdom is not primarily knowing the truth, although it certainly includes that; it is skill in living. For, what good is truth if we don’t know how to live it? What good is an intention if can’t sustain it” (563)?
T.S. – When we decide to follow the message of James and become doers of the Word of God we start building a Culture of Honor – A culture that honors God and honors each other in the Body of Christ!
4. What is the culture of Honor?
a. Romans 1:18-21: God’s Wrath Against Sinful Humanity
i. 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.
ii. Dishonoring God will bring the Judgement of God on you! But honoring God will bring His blessings on you!
b. If we want to Come Alive in 2025 and see our church and school Come Alive in 2025 then we need to create a culture of honor!
i. When we use our time for the kingdom and don’t waste it and we speak words of life to others we start creating a culture of honor! We must be intentional about this!
ii. Cultivating a culture of honor requires intentional actions and attitudes. It involves speaking words of encouragement, showing appreciation, and recognizing the contributions of others. It also means addressing conflicts with grace and humility, seeking reconciliation and understanding.
iii. A culture of honor means we are actively creating and building a place where individuals are consistently valued, respected and built up.
1. Honor means to hold in high esteem to regard with great respect, to revere.
a. God first and others! As a Christian honor should be our way of life! Honor is a biblical teaching – a key teaching!
i. Romans 13:7: 7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
ii. 1 Peter 2:17: 17 Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
iv. We need to honor the people we serve. We need to honor that place you serve at. We need to honor others around us. We need to honor leadership!
1. Code of Honor and the Knights of the Roundtable!
a. The honor code of the Knights of the Round Table was the Code of Chivalry, which emphasized bravery, loyalty, and generosity. The code also included protecting the weak, respecting women, and fighting for good.
b. Principles of the Code of Chivalry:
i. Protect the weak: Defend those who cannot defend themselves, such as widows and orphans
ii. Be merciful: Show mercy to those who ask for it
iii. Be honest: Speak the truth and keep your word
iv. Be generous: Give to others and be hospitable
v. Be loyal: Be faithful to your pledged word and to your country
vi. Be brave: Fight for good and against evil
vii. Be courteous: Respect women and be gallant toward them
viii. Be humble: Place concern for others above personal wealth
ix. Be hospitable: Be hospitable to everyone according to your ability
1. Oath of the Knights of the Round Table - The knights renewed their oaths to follow the code of chivalry at the Christian feast of Pentecost each year.
v. The truth is you cannot honor and respect others if you don’t first honor God! Romans 1;21
1. Your honor God – by worshipping Him, by revering Him. – these change you from the inside out!
2. You honor God by giving to the Kingdom and to the needy!
3. You honor God in your prayers and others too!
4. You honor God in fasting!
a. Matthew 6:1-18
c. Sadly, the culture of honor has fallen on hard times in our society – so what has replaced it? Dishonor and Disrespect!
i. Share the face book post: What has slowly slipped awa y in the last 20-30 years in our society?
1. The answer’s were:
a. Honor for others
b. Respect for others
c. Manners – politeness
d. Honesty
i. Honor is a heart and soul attitude which manifests itself through how we use our time, how we use our words and how we act on a daily basis!
ii. A biblical truth is Actions even speak louder than words!
1. “Actions speak louder than words” is an idiom that means actions are more important than words. It can be used to describe when someone's actions don't match their words.
2. Examples:
a. "He keeps saying he loves me, but actions speak louder than words".
b. "She keeps promising that she'll finish the project next week. It's been three weeks already and, well, actions speak louder than words".
c. "Don't tell me how to do this; show me! Actions speak louder than words".
Conclusion and message of James:
What do we need to know from the message of James?
Answer: James tells us that faith is put in action a when we persevere through the trials and grief of life, when we control our anger, when we start doing things for God rather than just listening to His Word.
Why do we need to know this this Biblical truth?
Answer: Many Christians live in deception about faith and works, they live in bondage to their sins, they live in apathy to God’s truth – the very truth that set them free!
What do we need to hear this message and then do it?
Answer: They need to put their faith in action – in trials and tribulations, in anger and pressure cooker moments and by listening to Gods Word and then going out and doing it!
Why do we need to do this as The Body of Christ?
Answer: I believe if the church gets the message – of James – in other words - if it starts doing it – then the truths of James will usher in a great awakening in our world and community today.
Summary of the message from James:
We need to persevere through the trials and grief from life and in the midst of it get His inner joy.
We need to control the pressure moments of life with faith and not anger so we find freedom in the Spirit.
We need to put faith into action – we need to listen and do to be what God has called us to be.
Conclusion: Do you want to Come Alive in 2025? Then do the following!
• Make sure you live your life knowing - Every moment Matters!
o Invest your precious time in eternity!
o Use your time wisely!
• Make sure you know that - Every Word Matters!
o James wants us to understand that our tongues wield supernatural power and if we do not keep them tamed-bridled and under control they will lead our lives right into the pit of Hell.
o The tongue left to itself will cause a forest fire of evil and destruction!
? We need the Holy Spirit to guide us with Wisdom from above to gain control of every situation and disagreement.
o Our words have the power to give life or death!
o Our words have the power to bring forth blessings or cursing.
• Make sure we practice that - Every Action Matters
o Are you creating a culture of honor or dishonor?
o We need to make sure we honor God first then he adds the rest!
o The Bible exhorts us to live a life with honor!
o Building a culture of honor means actually creating an environment where the individuals are consistently valued and respected.
o Honor means to “Hold in high esteem, to regard with respect, to revere.” We do this first to God and then to each other.
o 7 principles of honor – actions that create a culture of honor!
? Integrity- Words and actions Align
? Loyalty- Faithfull to God and then to others
? Courage – You face difficult situations with bravery and faith
? Respect- You value others with dignity and courtesy and see them through the eyes of Jesus
? Responsibility – Taking ownership of our sins and actions and words!
? Selflessness – prioritize God first than others over yourself.
? Justice- Strive for fairness and equity, rescue those who need delivered!
Show video Shindler’s list – Conclusion of the movie!
