WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:01.120 Amen. 00:00:01.360 --> 00:00:01.840 Amen. 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:02.479 Good morning. 00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:05.040 Forrest Coleman, lead pastor here at Multiflop. 00:00:05.120 --> 00:00:06.240 If I've not met you, welcome. 00:00:06.480 --> 00:00:07.440 Glad that you're here today. 00:00:07.599 --> 00:00:08.240 Feel it. 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:08.880 Home. 00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:12.800 We got to celebrate our grand opening last Sunday. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:19.600 Woo! And we are just a month shy of two years old as a church. 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:23.199 And I think most of my shoes are older than our church. 00:00:23.440 --> 00:00:30.879 Um, but all I know is this is that those who come the week after the grand opening, those are the real ones. 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:34.399 So you all are the real ones right now for being here this morning. 00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:35.439 Thanks for being here. 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:39.759 I'm excited about uh this is a lot of growth that's happening right now. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:45.439 This in the last three weeks, we have had eight new team members join volunteer teams here at our church. 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:47.759 Praise the Lord, which is amazing. 00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:54.640 And last Sunday, uh, we had multiple people who made decisions for baptism that's gonna be coming up soon. 00:00:54.719 --> 00:00:56.479 So can we just praise the Lord for that? 00:00:56.719 --> 00:01:00.079 Woo! Man, um, some of those stories are gonna be great. 00:01:00.159 --> 00:01:05.519 And I'm thankful this morning to get to uh partner with the Academy with the donations of uniforms. 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:07.840 So thank you to you all who are able to do that. 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:10.879 And also, it's uh this is pretty neat. 00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:28.159 Um, on Thursday this week, we're gonna get to partner and partner with Collins Lane Elementary School, that's just Miller Elementary School behind us, as they have their uh cougar caravan that they're gonna be hosting in our uh in our parking lot on Thursday evening as they're gonna give away different resources to kids and families from their school. 00:01:28.319 --> 00:01:33.760 And one week in, we're being able to partner with two local schools in the last week. 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:35.359 Is that amazing or what? 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:44.400 And yet to use our space, place, or even our parking lot to be able to be a blessing and encouragement to our community. 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:46.319 And I'm just so thankful for that. 00:01:46.480 --> 00:01:50.799 You can find out more about that on uh the the app that we have, our church center app. 00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:54.159 Um, you can go to signups and find out about that for for Thursday. 00:01:54.319 --> 00:02:05.680 Also on the app is a place um and you guys know uh that we're able to do the things that we do and the blessing to the community because many of you are giving right now consistently and generously. 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:08.240 So for those of you who are giving, thank you so much. 00:02:08.479 --> 00:02:10.479 And you can find that on the app as well. 00:02:10.719 --> 00:02:12.560 Way to easily and conveniently give. 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:15.919 As we give and bring our tithes, give our offerings back to the Lord. 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:21.360 And I'm just thankful for what God is doing and what he's going to continue to do. 00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:24.960 And so if you're in the house today, you're new, welcome. 00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:29.759 Uh, there also in the house today are some uh some crazy people. 00:02:30.159 --> 00:02:33.840 And uh some of those crazy people, it's okay, there's no judgment zone here. 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:39.439 Um, you're welcome here, and those crazy people I'm talking about are people who like to run and jog. 00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:44.719 I don't know if that's you out there, if you're the 5K person or half marathon, marathon person. 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:49.759 All of y'all are nuts that you just want to get out there and just run and run and run. 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:51.039 I can't stand that. 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:57.680 I my wife is one of these crazy folks who loves to run and do the 5K and the half marathon, all that stuff. 00:02:57.759 --> 00:03:08.879 And and and it just gets wilder and wobber because you have the 5K, that's kind of for like normal, and then and then you've got the marathon runners, and then you have this really crazy group of people called ultra marathon runners. 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:12.800 I don't know if you've heard of them, but they're the ones, the regular marathons, 26.2 miles. 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:32.080 The ultra marathons are a hundred miles of running that they do all these different continents, these crazy people who get out there, and the the most extreme of all of these is somebody I've been following for the last year, this guy named Russ Cook, and Russ right now is is running the entire length of Africa. 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:40.400 He's been running for uh 303 days uh at an average of about 40 to 50 miles a day. 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:44.319 That's almost two marathons every single day that he's running. 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:58.080 He's he is thus far in the last 303 days, uh, he has run 8,130 miles, which is the equivalent of running from New York to LA almost three times now in the last 303 days. 00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:09.039 He's raising money for charity, he's got 51 days left, but it is like crazy to think about what he's what he is doing and running that every single day. 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:14.159 And I think about the fact that uh I pulled a muscle sneezing one time. 00:04:17.040 --> 00:04:21.439 And here this guy is running two marathons every single day. 00:04:21.519 --> 00:04:25.120 You can you can you imagine all he's gone through of running the entire length of Africa? 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:29.519 Don't know what's ever been done before, but uh he'd been robbed, I think, multiple times now. 00:04:29.680 --> 00:04:31.279 Now they have police escort wherever they go. 00:04:31.360 --> 00:04:33.759 Their van, their team van was stolen. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:41.439 He got separated from his team at one point and ended up deep in the jungle of Congo, like two hours away from his van. 00:04:41.839 --> 00:04:45.519 Uh he uh they've countless blown tires. 00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:49.920 Uh they've had all kinds of problems at every single border that they go to. 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:55.120 Uh at one point in the very beginning, his body was shutting down and he had to get medical treatment. 00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:59.199 Nevertheless, here as it's continuing to go and continuing to run. 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:00.720 It's absolutely nuts. 00:05:00.879 --> 00:05:03.519 Uh, anybody ever heard this you hear it all the time? 00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:04.959 No pain, no gain. 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:11.680 Maybe it's on the wall of the gym that you go to or the gym that you went to the first three weeks of January. 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:14.720 But what what what does it what does it mean? 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:17.920 Well, well, to grow your muscles, you you have to tear them, right? 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:24.319 You have to you have to lift heavyweights, you have to do something, you have to have some tearing going on in the muscles for them to build back stronger. 00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:32.399 And so, in order for you to gain strength, in order for you to have endurance, you have to endure some pain in order to get there. 00:05:32.480 --> 00:05:39.120 And I think about the endurance that it takes for Russ Cook as he's running all the way across the length of Africa. 00:05:39.279 --> 00:05:46.959 And there's there's it there's an aspect to our life that as we go through our life, we're gonna experience pain. 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:54.480 And not every bit of that pain is bad, but some of that even ends up happening for our good and for our growth. 00:05:54.560 --> 00:06:09.519 And as we are looking at this new series that we're in called Growing Pains, even in the midst of the hardship and the challenges that we're going through, it's still possible for us to have peace. 00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:16.079 Now, something that's very popular that I hear right now is people uh that are starting to say this, say, I gotta protect my peace. 00:06:16.319 --> 00:06:25.279 I need to stop going to that place, I need to get rid of this, I need to do, I need to start, I need to cut that person out of my life, I need to stop going to that church because I gotta protect my peace. 00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:32.720 But here's the thing, what we know is that peace is not the absence of turmoil, it's God's presence in the midst of it. 00:06:33.439 --> 00:06:47.519 So even if you're even you're thinking like, oh, I'm gonna protect my peace, you're not gonna be able to bubble wrap your life enough that there's not gonna be at some point some pain, some turmoil, some challenges, some difficulties that you're gonna be walking through. 00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:52.240 But at that point, are you gonna be walking alone or with the God of the universe? 00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:57.040 And you get to make that decision, you get to make that choice. 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:11.279 And you may even came in the room today and and you've been going through some hard stuff, and maybe even right now, as I'm I'm talking about this, you're starting to think about the different pain points that are in your life right now that you're going through, and and you're wondering what it is that you're supposed to do. 00:07:11.519 --> 00:07:27.199 My friend Jay, uh, this uh last week, he was here last Sunday, grand opening, and um on he was sitting right here, and on Thursday, he celebrated uh his most recent scan of being cancer free from brain cancer. 00:07:27.360 --> 00:07:29.279 I was here this last Sunday. 00:07:30.639 --> 00:07:32.639 He's been cancer free for about a year. 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:35.199 He's gone through all the different treatments. 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:45.519 And um, I was expecting him to be here this morning, but he uh he he messaged me and said that last night he ended up going to the hospital because he had a seizure in his sleep. 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:52.240 And he's not here this morning because he's going through pain. 00:07:52.959 --> 00:07:56.240 He's going through some turmoil. 00:07:56.720 --> 00:08:09.439 And as we take a look at the passage of scripture this morning in the next three weeks, we're gonna be walking through uh a book of the Bible of someone who experienced plenty of pain. 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:13.519 It's specifically for what he believed. 00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:21.920 And it's this the New Testament writer of the book of James, the brother of Jesus, Hebrew name Jacob. 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:35.279 But we're gonna look over the next few, the next two weeks this morning of out of the book of James as he gives us some instructions about what it looks like for us to grow in our faith with the Lord. 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:43.919 And it's at the backdrop of the fact that James is the brother of Jesus, he knows what he's talking about. 00:08:44.879 --> 00:08:49.120 Uh, you could never convince me that my older brother was the Messiah. 00:08:49.279 --> 00:08:53.279 I love him dearly, but you could never convince me of it. 00:08:53.679 --> 00:08:58.080 But James not only was convinced, but then became a leader in the early church. 00:08:58.159 --> 00:09:17.360 And a few weeks back, we were going through the book of Acts, and actually we came to this point in Acts chapter 15 when James and his wisdom he spoke these words as an encouragement to the Jerusalem church and those outside of Jerusalem, the the believers, and he said, let's not make it difficult for those who are turning to God. 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:32.240 And he drops that wisdom them, and then and then in this this whole book that we get from James, it's just it's just overflowing, overflowing with the wisdom of God. 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:38.000 It's overflowing, line after line after line. 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:41.360 This is how it starts, James 1. 00:09:41.679 --> 00:09:54.879 And he gives this greeting to the believers that he's writing to, which are all these Jewish believers who now scattered all across, not just Jerusalem, but but the different areas uh around the known world. 00:09:54.960 --> 00:10:02.240 And he says, Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:06.799 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 00:10:06.879 --> 00:10:07.840 So let it grow. 00:10:08.080 --> 00:10:13.120 For when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:18.240 Verse 5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:20.559 He will not rebuke you for asking. 00:10:20.879 --> 00:10:24.720 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:26.240 Do not waver. 00:10:26.399 --> 00:10:33.600 For a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:39.039 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 00:10:41.200 --> 00:10:48.080 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. 00:10:48.399 --> 00:10:51.519 James is already getting up in our business right now. 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:54.080 From the very first lines. 00:10:54.639 --> 00:11:05.200 Because he tells us that we should consider it great joy when we're going through trials and difficulties and tribulations. 00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:09.120 And I don't always know exactly how to do that. 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:16.320 But you think about this writer, James, and he's saying that we should have great joy and struggle. 00:11:16.399 --> 00:11:19.519 It's at the backdrop of the fact that in 62 A.D. 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:22.720 he was martyred for his faith. 00:11:23.039 --> 00:11:24.399 He was killed. 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:28.559 And it endured all kinds of persecution at the time. 00:11:28.720 --> 00:11:32.159 So as he's writing this, he's saying, consider it pure joy. 00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:36.399 Consider it great joy, my brothers and sisters, when you go through trials. 00:11:37.360 --> 00:11:45.679 I think about Paul as he's writing the book of Philippians from jail, and he says over and over and over again, have joy in the Lord. 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:48.639 Rejoice in the Lord from a prison cell. 00:11:48.879 --> 00:11:55.440 And the way that we do that is because for us as believers, our joy is in Jesus. 00:11:55.759 --> 00:11:58.399 See, joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. 00:11:58.559 --> 00:12:04.399 It's one of the, in the, in the line that the Holy Spirit gives and imparts to you when you become a follower of Jesus. 00:12:04.639 --> 00:12:12.720 Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control of those fruits of the Spirit is what your life as a believer should be producing. 00:12:13.039 --> 00:12:19.600 And so we don't just have a mere happiness as believers that are connected to, well, how do we feel today? 00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:22.159 What are circumstances like? 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:23.200 Is life up? 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:24.720 Is it down right now? 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:40.399 Instead, we know that we have the God of the universe who loves us and cares for us, and in doing so, will produce a joy out of us that is completely disconnected from our present circumstances, but instead looking forward to the circumstances it will be one day. 00:12:42.879 --> 00:12:49.519 When in this passage, what James says that if you do these things, then you are going to be perfect or complete. 00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:52.559 The picture of that Greek word is whole. 00:12:54.639 --> 00:12:56.639 That you're going to be a whole person. 00:12:57.360 --> 00:13:01.679 Not divided, like he says, between the world and God. 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:25.840 And when we have that divided spirit and divided mind, where we've got one foot in and one foot out of our relationship with God, that that person, when you're divided in that way and you're not fully receiving the joy that God wants to give you, that's the point where you shouldn't even expect for the good things to happen and the blessings to come because you're not there. 00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:35.919 We talked last few weeks about Esther and all this adversity that she came up against and the adversity that she experienced. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:39.840 And you and I, we experience adversity as well in life. 00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:48.480 And I wonder what it is, what is supposed to be our response to when the trials and the turmoil comes? 00:13:48.879 --> 00:13:50.720 What are we supposed to do, God? 00:13:51.039 --> 00:14:02.720 I don't know about you, but I know for me, many times when things aren't going my way or things aren't happening the way that I want to, or I'll fall into line, or there's big troubles in my life, I'm tempted to say this, God, why me? 00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:04.799 Why right now? 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:07.440 Why this circumstances? 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:08.559 Why, why, why? 00:14:08.720 --> 00:14:14.399 And what we actually in these situations should be asking instead of why is what? 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:20.480 God, what do you want to tell me and teach me through this situation? 00:14:22.639 --> 00:14:25.519 Because I know that trials are going to continue to come. 00:14:25.679 --> 00:14:27.360 I'm not going to have this carefree life. 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:29.600 So, God, what are you trying to teach me? 00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:34.879 And what do you want to do in me through this circumstance and trial that I'm going through right now? 00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:52.000 And what James instructs us to do, which is such a gift, is he tells us that our response to adversity is that we get to ask God for wisdom in the midst of the adversity that we experience. 00:14:52.799 --> 00:14:57.440 We get to ask in the face of adversity for God's wisdom. 00:14:57.679 --> 00:15:05.519 He said, God, who's our generous God, that if you ask for wisdom, that he's not going to hold it back. 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:08.960 But instead, he's going to give it to you. 00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:17.840 I think it's interesting that the book of Proverbs, which is the one of the wisdom books of the Old Testament, in a lot of ways, I think that James is kind of the Proverbs of the New Testament. 00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:20.799 It's like every line is something that you can chew on. 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:30.879 And the same way, in Proverbs chapter 8, just like the church is is is uh is talked about in the scripture uh as as her, as the church God's bride feminine. 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:38.639 For some reason, in in Proverbs chapter 8, wisdom is also talked about in person as lady wisdom. 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:46.559 Now, I don't know, guys, if there's a lesson in there for us that wisdom in the scripture is uh referred to as her. 00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:48.799 Um I don't know, guys. 00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:53.279 Maybe we should, you know, take a little note from the scripture there. 00:15:55.440 --> 00:16:07.679 But in Proverbs 8, as it talks about wisdom, it says that wisdom is more valuable than rubies. 00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:14.480 The wisdom of God is more valuable than priceless jewels. 00:16:15.600 --> 00:16:22.720 And James goes on to say in the following verses that that riches of this world that eventually they're gonna fade away. 00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:39.360 The things that we pursue, the riches that we pursue, the career that we pursue, the degree that we're pursuing right now, all those things that they're going to fade away eventually, but that the wisdom of the Lord will remain forever. 00:16:43.519 --> 00:16:47.440 We get to go to our generous God. 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:56.000 And in the midst of our circumstances, ask for him to tell us what to do. 00:16:57.360 --> 00:16:59.919 And then he actually will. 00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:02.799 He actually will. 00:17:05.440 --> 00:17:11.519 You know, the Bible also says that there's wisdom in a multitude of counselors. 00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:16.720 You know, not everybody should be a counselor. 00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:25.200 That verse says wisdom, there's wisdom in a multitude of counselors. 00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:30.000 Not everybody in your life fits the bill of that counselor. 00:17:30.880 --> 00:17:41.039 The Instagram feed of all the people with the microphone and the podcast that wants to tell you how to live your life and what you to do and tricks and habits and life hacks to blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. 00:17:41.279 --> 00:17:43.200 Not everybody should be your counselor. 00:17:43.759 --> 00:17:45.759 But who is it that should be your counselor? 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:54.079 It should be a person who knows the wisdom of God, who knows his word and has gone through some things. 00:17:56.559 --> 00:18:01.839 See, God says that if we ask for wisdom, he's not gonna hold back from us. 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:10.160 And James goes on to say in verse 12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. 00:18:10.480 --> 00:18:13.680 You ever uh heard that verse or you heard the statement? 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:16.799 Um, uh God helps those who help themselves. 00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:18.640 So that's not actually a verse. 00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:20.160 It's not in the Bible, okay? 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:27.119 But this one is, and it says, God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. 00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:32.640 So that one is just something that's you know, your grandma crocheted onto the thing. 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:35.279 But this is actually in here. 00:18:35.440 --> 00:18:44.559 This is actually in the word, it's actually a verse that says, You're gonna be blessed if you patiently endure testing and temptation. 00:18:45.039 --> 00:18:49.920 Afterward, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 00:18:50.079 --> 00:18:52.960 And remember, when you're being tempted, don't say, God is tempting me. 00:18:53.200 --> 00:18:57.359 God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone. 00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:02.640 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:05.599 These desires give birth to sinful actions. 00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:09.279 And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to what? 00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:10.240 Death. 00:19:12.079 --> 00:19:14.319 Don't be misled. 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:19.039 Don't be disled, brothers and sisters. 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:34.240 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God, from God our Father, who created all the lights in heaven, and he never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:56.559 James tells us patiently endure, patiently endure the testing and the temptations, the trials that are gonna come. 00:19:58.640 --> 00:20:08.480 Walking with God in the recognition that every good and perfect gift comes from Him. 00:20:08.720 --> 00:20:16.559 You know the last thing I want to do when things are not going right in my life is think about all the other things that are going right. 00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:21.519 God, thank you for the breath that's in my lungs right now. 00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:25.519 God, thank you for the family that you've given me or blessed me with. 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:26.960 Thank you for the children that I have. 00:20:27.359 --> 00:20:29.920 God, thank you for the employment and the income that I have. 00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:33.599 God, thank you for the driveway over the steps up to my door. 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:38.079 God, thank you, Lord, that I have food to eat. 00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:39.920 Thank you, God, for the gas in my car. 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:42.640 Those aren't the thoughts that I normally have. 00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:47.839 I'm normally just worried about whatever the things that are not going right. 00:20:50.240 --> 00:21:02.400 But James tells us to patiently endure and recognize the fact, acknowledge the fact of all the good and perfect gifts that have come from above. 00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:07.519 And when we do that, we begin to develop this aptitude for gratitude. 00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:09.359 You've heard attitude for gratitude? 00:21:09.759 --> 00:21:14.640 It's not just, I'm not just talking about like, okay, I'm gonna choose to like my job today. 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:16.960 Okay, we're all here, we're gonna have a great attitude. 00:21:17.039 --> 00:21:19.839 Y'all have been a part of those conversations at work, right? 00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:23.839 We're gonna have an attitude, everybody has a great attitude today. 00:21:23.920 --> 00:21:29.599 No, this is not just like, oh, a fleeting thing that I'm gonna say, okay, yes, I need to be happy right now. 00:21:29.680 --> 00:21:45.680 I need to, but no, this is like you're developing an aptitude for recognition of the blessing that you're walking in, and in doing so, you're understanding and you're uncovering the blessings that God is giving you that you could be taking for granted right now. 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:49.680 You could be taking them for granted presently. 00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:59.279 But instead, we get to walk patiently, not alone, but with our God. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:04.960 The next verse he says that you are his prized possession. 00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:09.599 You are his prized possession. 00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:13.599 And he wants to walk with you. 00:22:14.079 --> 00:22:15.680 And he loves you. 00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:22.319 In the midst of the trial, in the midst of the challenge, in the midst of the adversity. 00:22:24.480 --> 00:22:31.200 God cares for you and what's happening in your life. 00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:34.400 And wants you to walk patiently with him. 00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:36.880 He goes on. 00:22:37.119 --> 00:22:39.920 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters. 00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:45.759 You must be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:49.519 I think that verse is for all the men in the house, me included. 00:22:51.279 --> 00:22:54.720 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 00:22:55.200 --> 00:23:04.640 So get rid of the filth and the evil in your lives and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:06.480 Verse 22. 00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:09.599 But don't just listen to God's word. 00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:12.160 You must do what it says. 00:23:12.400 --> 00:23:17.279 Otherwise, you're only fooling yourselves. 00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:23.119 And then James gives this analogy of someone who goes and looks in a mirror. 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:27.839 And as soon as they walk away from the mirror, they forget what they look like. 00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:36.480 You ever been searching high and low for your sunglasses only to realize they're on the top of your head? 00:23:37.200 --> 00:23:44.160 You ever been tearing up the house, looking for your keys only to find them in your pocket or in your purse? 00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:55.920 Not being patient enough and slowing down enough to pay attention to where it was the last time that you put them or where they are. 00:23:56.960 --> 00:24:15.680 And God is saying, don't just read these words and let them go in one ear and out the other ear, but instead know them so that when you walk away, they're still in your mind and still in your heart and still overflowing out of you that you're going to produce the desires that God loves. 00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:21.440 He goes on to say. 00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:55.039 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God, the Father, means caring for orphans and widows and their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:16.319 Set your heart, set your eyes on God's word, what he says, what he teaches, and in doing so, it will set you free. 00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:22.559 And it will lead to you being blessed. 00:25:24.559 --> 00:25:32.319 And so as we are following God's word, we're going to be walking in his way. 00:25:33.119 --> 00:25:37.680 We have to align ourselves with God's way for our lives. 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:39.440 See, we need it to know it. 00:25:39.519 --> 00:25:51.599 And so I over the next couple of weeks, I would love to encourage you that as we're going through the book of James, I would love for everybody who's in here over the next couple of weeks to read the five chapters of James with me. 00:25:51.839 --> 00:25:52.160 Okay? 00:25:53.119 --> 00:26:00.240 You have to grab a Bible, you know, you may have to get on your Bible app on your phone, the New Testament, the book of James. 00:26:00.400 --> 00:26:10.160 And over the next couple of weeks, as we're going through this, I would love for you to be reading it along with me because here's just some of the things that we're going to look at and that he talks about in those five chapters. 00:26:10.480 --> 00:26:15.039 And this is just dripping with this wisdom from God. 00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:30.640 Favoritism versus love, genuine faith, the tongue, condemning others, telling the truth, the arrogance of wealth, the danger of wealth, patience and endurance, faith-filled prayer, true versus false wisdom, a divided heart, and restoring others, just to name a few. 00:26:31.200 --> 00:26:40.079 And I'm I the way that I think that a lot of folks approach God's word. 00:26:50.559 --> 00:26:52.480 Oh, but I don't like that. 00:26:53.039 --> 00:26:53.599 And you know what? 00:26:54.400 --> 00:27:00.720 I'll take this verse right here on the menu, and I'll take a slot of that, but broccoli, no way. 00:27:01.200 --> 00:27:02.400 Not eating that. 00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:05.839 Can you change out the asparagus to something else? 00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:09.519 Going through the menu. 00:27:10.720 --> 00:27:16.559 Just picking and choosing what you feel like that you like. 00:27:16.799 --> 00:27:23.599 But what God's word, what it's actually like, is like a manual. 00:27:24.319 --> 00:27:32.400 See, uh uh a few uh a few weeks ago, I went out in the morning to get my car, and you've had this experience before. 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:35.279 I turn my car on and it doesn't turn on. 00:27:35.519 --> 00:27:36.559 Battery's dead. 00:27:36.880 --> 00:27:41.359 So there's something, I'm like, okay, what am I gonna do? 00:27:41.599 --> 00:27:44.000 Well, I'm gonna call my friend Dave. 00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:47.920 So Dave rolls up into the driveway. 00:27:48.000 --> 00:27:49.359 I'm like, hey, can you jump the car? 00:27:49.519 --> 00:27:50.480 Something's going on. 00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:52.559 Uh radio, it's not turning off. 00:27:52.720 --> 00:27:55.359 And so it's it's it's run my car battery down. 00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:58.000 I'm beginning to calculate all the time. 00:27:58.079 --> 00:27:59.680 The car's gonna have to go to the shop. 00:27:59.839 --> 00:28:01.039 So I'll be there a couple days. 00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:05.519 I've been calculating all the hundreds of dollars that it's gonna cost to be able to fix. 00:28:05.599 --> 00:28:10.480 And then Dave says, Well, give give me the manual. 00:28:11.359 --> 00:28:12.960 I was like, you know, the what? 00:28:13.359 --> 00:28:20.960 He's like, yeah, the manual that's in your glove box, that's in all of your glove box that none of you know is in there, but tells you every single thing about your car. 00:28:22.240 --> 00:28:23.519 And I'm like, yeah, yeah, for sure. 00:28:23.680 --> 00:28:37.839 So I get get the manual, and we go through, we're we're we're looking through there, and we find the fuse for that, and we're looking at the manual, and we we pull the fuse out, and then we we put the other fuse in there, and voila! It was fixed. 00:28:39.119 --> 00:28:42.640 And I say we, it was more Dave who was doing all that. 00:28:45.279 --> 00:28:48.720 But what was crazy is that the fuses literally come with the car. 00:28:48.960 --> 00:28:50.640 There's extra fuses in the car. 00:28:51.119 --> 00:28:52.559 The fix was free. 00:28:53.680 --> 00:29:08.480 The fix to my car, it was free, and in the same exact way, the fix that God wants to produce in your life right now, it is completely free because of the finished work of the cross and Christ Jesus and what he did for you. 00:29:08.640 --> 00:29:16.160 The fact that he died, and three days later he walked out of the grave alive, and we know him, can walk with him, experience him now. 00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:18.960 2,000 years later, the fix is free. 00:29:21.359 --> 00:29:34.079 And and and James tells us right here be careful, but set your face on God's perfect way, and you'll be set free. 00:29:35.440 --> 00:29:37.039 You'll be set free. 00:29:37.920 --> 00:29:49.359 So for the person who's walked with God for many, many years, know his word to be set free. 00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:56.799 And for the person who's come into the room today, and you come in this morning and you don't know, uh, you don't even know anything about this church deal. 00:29:56.880 --> 00:29:58.079 It's like, I'm just gonna try this out. 00:29:58.160 --> 00:29:59.359 I don't know if this is really for me. 00:29:59.519 --> 00:30:33.920 I want to tell you right now that there is a fix that Jesus so desperately wants to give you right now and walk with you in all the trials and the turmoil and the challenges that are gonna happen in your life, that it's gonna produce a wholeness that one day that you're gonna walk into eternity with Jesus, and he's gonna receive you because you have taken the free gift that he gave you and received it and asked for forgiveness from what you have done and sinned against him that he bought for you on the cross. 00:30:34.240 --> 00:30:34.880 For you. 00:30:35.359 --> 00:30:48.559 Today can be the day that you ask Jesus to save you, to set you free, to cleanse you, that you can walk in unity with him. 00:30:49.279 --> 00:30:51.200 That can happen for somebody today. 00:30:51.359 --> 00:30:53.119 I pray that it does. 00:30:54.160 --> 00:31:01.839 And for those of you who are in the room, who you've done that, you did that maybe a few weeks ago, a few months ago, a few years ago. 00:31:05.599 --> 00:31:18.960 I think we all should anticipate some growing pains so that others, more people, can get free as well. 00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:27.200 That what we have, that we're willing to show it, we're willing to share it. 00:31:27.519 --> 00:31:30.079 We're willing to say, hey, will you come with me? 00:31:30.240 --> 00:31:35.519 Will you be a part of what's going on here at this place? 00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:42.799 I have a conversation with you about how life is going and the difficulty you're going through right now. 00:31:42.960 --> 00:31:45.440 Let me tell you, the fix it's Jesus. 00:31:47.599 --> 00:32:12.079 So if you would bow your heads with me right now, all across the room, God, I pray right now for people who are following you, who, God, are walking with you, Father, that Lord, right now, God, that you would, in the midst of whatever pain that they are experiencing right now, Holy Spirit, would you, just as you've promised, would you comfort them? 00:32:14.799 --> 00:32:23.359 It may be a loss, it may be a health situation, it may be things aren't going right in school, career. 00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:37.119 God, I pray, Lord, for every person right now who's walking with you, that God, they would have a daily request for your wisdom. 00:32:37.519 --> 00:32:39.440 God, we know you're not going to hold back. 00:32:40.400 --> 00:32:57.759 And Father, right now I pray, God, all across the room, anybody who's come into this place today, who has not received you as Savior, who's not received the free gift that you purchased for them on the cross, has not received salvation from you. 00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:04.880 That today would be that day, that they would not wait another day to begin to receive the fix that's free to them. 00:33:06.480 --> 00:33:17.920 That Lord, as they walk with you, God, that you will change them, change them to be God more like you, one day ultimately be with you. 00:33:18.640 --> 00:33:30.799 Today, all across the room, if you're in the room today and and that's you, that you need to receive the free gift of salvation, I ask you right now to pray to God, pray, God, save me. 00:33:33.279 --> 00:33:43.680 Jesus, I believe that you're the Son of God, that you died on the cross for my sins, and that you are raised to life. 00:33:44.319 --> 00:33:51.759 Forgive me, cleanse me, so that I can be in heaven with you one day. 00:33:52.240 --> 00:33:57.359 I give you my life as you gave yours for mine. 00:33:58.559 --> 00:34:00.319 Thank you for saving me. 00:34:01.279 --> 00:34:04.160 All across the room, nobody looking around. 00:34:04.319 --> 00:34:12.239 Today, you prayed that to receive salvation, to walk with God today, is your moment that you did that. 00:34:12.480 --> 00:34:16.719 I'm gonna ask you to so that I can see you and acknowledge you. 00:34:17.199 --> 00:34:28.639 For just I'm gonna count to three and for you to raise your hand if you prayed that today, and I can lock eyes with you as a sign of your decision and what you've said before the Lord today. 00:34:28.719 --> 00:34:31.760 If that's you today, raise your hand in the count of three. 00:34:31.920 --> 00:34:32.239 Ready? 00:34:32.480 --> 00:34:34.000 One, two, three. 00:34:34.400 --> 00:34:41.599 Anybody in here today to receive Christ as Savior? 00:34:43.679 --> 00:34:46.320 Father, we thank you, God. 00:34:46.800 --> 00:34:50.800 We thank you, Lord, for the work and the power of your salvation. 00:34:51.679 --> 00:35:02.639 God, that your free gift that you've given to us, God, that today, Father, that Lord, we receive it, we we we experience it, we take it, and God, that we live it. 00:35:02.800 --> 00:35:10.559 And so, Father, I pray all across the room right now, Father, that you would do a mighty work in and through us. 00:35:12.320 --> 00:35:24.639 Father, we would be the ones who carry your name from these doors out into the world as your faithful followers. 00:35:24.880 --> 00:35:26.400 In the strong name of Jesus. 00:35:26.559 --> 00:35:28.639 Everybody said, Amen, amen. 00:35:28.719 --> 00:35:30.559 Church, will you stand together as we sing?