James 1:2

Facts:

1.	What attitude or state of mind does James suggest is appropriate when we encounter various trials?

2.	To consider something as joy is moving away from the feeling level of our existence and the next verse will tell what realm of our existence the ability to consider something joy is moving you into. Faith

Interpretation: (Context)

1.	Look at three and four--2 minutes communicate with one another. The reason Christians don't have to lose their mental and emotional health is because they understand something very beautiful about what is going on when they experience trials.

app/aside:	By the way, How do many people react to trials? Typical reactions to serious trial.

1ctd	What is the reason behind the ability of xians to move from feeling to faith during trial. You have 2 minutes to demonstrate your willingness to communicate with the person next to you.

process: testing; of faith, to develop patience, that you may be perfect and complete, --what other words do we have?

2.	Look at all the adjectives. All of these terms suggest that the final result of Xians having the right attitude toward trials is what? That we may be like Jesus Christ.

3.	In order to have this Christlike character what does it take? It takes the right attitude toward trials!

App:	I want to be mature

Facts:

Verse 5 (very misquoted)

1.	What characteristics of God are mentioned here. He is a generous God who gives to all without finding fault.

2.	And what is it we are urged to ask for? wisdom

Interp: context:

1.	Why does James introduce a thought like this in the middle of the discussion he's having? What kind of wisdom is he obviously referring to? Give me James's exact words. Wisdom that enables the believer to consider his trials as joy.

app:	What might you do if you considered it as joy? praise God for it and that through this experience I have the privilege of becoming more like Christ.

Is anyone here encountering more trials than usual? What should that be telling you? yes, but all of these are what I call "human-centered" responses. What about God Himself? What else would you like to tell me about God Himself? He must love us a lot. God doesn't want to go thru eternity w/ out me. (He must love us a lot to permit the things that shape us and mold us in order for us to enjoy the privilege of living w/ Him for eternity?)

Trial story? Rogue wave? Personal? Bike theft? Paul and Silas?

Facts:

aside	If anyone lacks this wisdom to consider their trials as joy, is it available?

aside	Yes. Why, then, are there so many immature Xians? who are not resolving differences like mature individuals, who are not coping with life's stresses, who appear to be losing their mental and emotional equilibrium when the pressure builds up?

If not understanding God's mercy comes out do aside on assurance1

Facts:

1.	Why? What does James say? look at the next verse. If you're planning to ask for this kind of wisdom, how should you ask? v. 5,6 let him ask in faith without doubting: for he that doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind let not that man expect to receive anything from the Lord

2.	If you come doubting while you ask for wisdom to count your trials joy, what can you expect? James? You cannot expect to receive anything.

3.	There's a certain condition from obtaining the wisdom of God. What is that condition? v. 8 Double-mindedness.

4.	Doublemindedness produces what? Instability. Yes, I've often wondered why there are so many unstable professing Xian. People who will talk to you about God, say they believe in God and are trusting in God, but are showing signs of mental or emotional instability. The roots of instability lie in, "Double-mindedness."

Aside on assurance2--

5.	What is double-mindedness? Asking while doubting. Not just holding two opinions. What are the two aspects of double- mindedness? ask and doubt

Interp:

What is it about double-mindedness (asking while doubting) that leads to instability? One of the most signif principles of mental health you will ever encounter.

I can always tell when I am talking to unstable person. (mistake, bus, killed, lost?) Not a statement of one who understands the issues of salvation, emphasis is on human perf. and chance, not on what God has done.

This will show what you know about human nature. We've just been studying this in Sabbath school, so you should all be able to answer this. What natural law is at work which causes double- mindedness to lead to instability in human beings. It has to do with our very nature. Take a couple mins and discuss.

"house divided." We are to be whole we are in image of God and God is not fragmented.

What do we know about our nature as humans. What elements make up a human being? Physical is one aspect mind is another, spiritual aspect, and social, with God at the center. What happens if two of these areas should conflict? For instance if someone hurts me, and my mind is saying, "I know the right thing to do is to go and forgive that person, but my body does not back it up by carrying out the action?" What does it do? It sets up a conflict between two of these areas, and destruction ensues. Do you know which area is always the first to go? the mind

I don't even have to have these elements in direct conflict. I only have to get out of balance. Loafing pastor story.

So if I know the right course of action, what am I going to do by the grace of God even if my feelings tell me to the contrary, in order to preserve my own stability? I'm going to do it.

the man who cut me off. the person who I have a grudge against. I undermine my own stability when I harbor any grudge.

Context:

Read the rest of ch1

What are three things in ch 1 were James's reader were doing that a double-minded person (ask while doubting) might do? Take two minutes and make a list at your table.

13-21 attribute to God blame for tempt, which comes through self, when He's always source of good, and get angry.

22-25 hear and not do

v.26 self-deceived, consider rel. but don't hold tongue.

Each of these is an illustration of double-mindedness. Let's start with the person who blames God when tempted.

Facts:

1.	What actually is the origin of sin in the life? v.14 we have the beginning of the process. each one is tempted when carried away and enticed by his own lust/desire

even though your desire is for Jesus you may find another law within you making war with the law of your mind. Rom 7:23 Only becoming converted even allowed me to see that these sinful desires. It is a false expectation to think that for the Christian there will never be another desire.

What does happen? New mind, but still feel promptings of sin in flesh. The beautiful thing for Christians to understand is that the mind has the power when strenghtened by the spirit to do what? Control the body, but tragedy of tragedies, many are letting the body control the mind. God works on the controlling factor. It is a miracle to have a new mind in a body that is still feels the pull of sin. This leads to a serious conflict! The unconverted don't have conflict!

Lesson? We don't have to be bound by our desires. Why not? You can choose a new master. Slave of Christ or of sin. Good news is that whoever is trusting in the death of Jesus, what will God give them? New mind. = Jesus is my Master.

2.	What does desire do? dragged away and enticed, when desire has conceived! (Pregnant issue)

Define:	What can you ladies out here tell me about the verb conception:	something harbored, two things have to come together

what does it mean spiritually? I would have to agree with the temptation for conception to take place.

You can have the desire, but you have not sinned until conception takes place.

?What are the two things that come together?

app.	What would Christians want to become very intelligent about? Desire, but the question is will I permit it to conceive? See the process: Desire, conception, gives birth to sin

When conception takes place it is almost inevitable that what will take place. If you want to not sin, where to break up process, before conception, spiritual contraception!!

Don't think that you are going to change this process all that easily. Most of you are all too familiar with this process. It keeps springing up. Does that mean you are cut off? No, it is desires springing up, but they do not have to lead to conception.

Summarizing now,

Desires are the root of what? What can they lead to?

Conception. If we permit a desire to conceive it can give birth to what? Sin, Sin can lead to death.

What is the one thing God gives to Christians? new desires! Does that mean another kind of thought could never come to a Christian? Unless there is someone who's about to be raptured, they're so holy. Those desires have made little patterns in our minds, they pop out at the least desirable time.

But today's passage addresses the issue of changing these patterns.

intro:

Is it possible to establish new patterns? By the grace of God, the Christian does something to establish new patterns.

Facts:

1.	Look at verse 22. What two things must go hand in hand together? hearing and doing.

Notice what two aspects of our being, mind. Doing involves action, body. Many have become Christians, but haven't addressed this issue, heard lots of things, but haven't always acted. That leads us to what condition that James has already identified. Which leads to instability. This is a dissection of double- minded, hear and not do.

Double-minded people are in what condition? Unstable

and he brings in an illustration here. v.23 This is remarkable!

mirror

Interp:

1.	How is it possible for a person to look in a mirror and to go away and to immediately forget what they look like. Serious question 'cause many are doing it today. 2 minutes What are the factors? Whole condition is called, what? self-deception and a vital issue is at the root of it!

Factors:

1.	has to do with quality of look superficial or intent

2.	One sees self, another sees perfection and liberty.

2.	If you see perfection and liberty in the law, who are you seeing?

ap1	What does the avg person see in law? bondage How do they feel? Might want to forget what you've seen, why? It comdemns.

ap2	What is 2nd seeing differently? Perfect law. Many of us think law is flawed--what sort of law is it that is impossible to keep? So what is a person seeing when the look into law if they're finding liberty?

(What is blessing if one is blessed in what they're doing)

The only way to be blessed in doing law is to see it not as a list of requirements, but as something that gives freedom, and

the only way to see law as something that gives freedom is to see the Perfect Life of Jesus in my place so I am not trying to keep the law as a list of requirements to be saved!

The law is not a list of things you can do to be saved, but when you see that Jesus has given you His perfect life, the law becomes a way to create new pathways, new habits, new ways of life which bring great blessing. As long as I am trying to measure myself by the law, however, I will come up short, feeling condemned, and will quickly want to forget what it says, or deceive myself into thinking I am keeping it by narrowing my lifestyle. That's back to self deception, but we don't want to be self-deceived. That's why by faith, we are going to act on what the word of God says, even if our feelings are saying don't do it! When we act on principle, God gives us the power to do it, and we are blessed in what we do. Ex: Crossing red sea. Roommies working it out.

If after break.

Summarize Yesterday we spoke about putting actions before (feelings). The way to do that is to look intently in the mirror of God's law, and to see ourselves as we really are and then by faith to act upon what we see. Anyone who has acted?

Someone may have looked into mirror and said, "I don't believe God can save me, I'm too wretched." But despite your feelings, you've said, "God promised that He would accept me just as I am. And I believe it, even if I don't feel saved." I hope someone's done that! Anyone experience conviction? Anyone who's been acting on it? You may have looked into the mirror, and you've seen that you were out of harmony with someone else, and the spirit convicted you in this area, so what did you do? Despite feelings that said, "I didn't start this, I'm the innocent party!" But because God said, "Go and be reconciled to your brother, even though I don't feel like it, what am I going to do?" I'm going to do it, because that's the picture of God that's motivating me.

Let's open to one of the most exciting chapters in James. We're going to discover today what it means to keep the law! In this chapter he says if you break the law in one point you're guilty of all. How many people are punishing themselves because they do not grasp what james is saying. Look at last verse of 1 ... and to keep oneself unstained from world. (tragedy that someone put in a chapter division, having just mentioned about not being polluted by the world, he then gives an ilustration of what it means to be polluted by the world. Take minute and read 1-7. In what sense were they in danger here of being polluted by the world? attitudes, we think of adultery or moral lapses, but what is James's concern?

Facts:

1.	What were the believers in James's day engaging in? discrimination

2.	Who were they favoring? rich

3.	What other characteristics of these people?

4.	Who contrasted with? poor

5.	How described?

6.	What form did the discrim take?

Interp: context

1.	In context, what does he say you are really doing if you are engaging in favoritism?

2.	Why is discrim breaking law? Most people think keeping law means not commiting adultery and coming out on Sabbath, but here he says you can come out on Sabbath to keep the law and be breaking it by your attitude when you come out!

law rep char of God and God is no respecter of persons. Sinners have privilege of coming to God just as they are, regardless of sex or wealth. We are all reduced to the same common denominator before God. Disc is a violation not in the external sense, the letter, but in the spirit because law reflects his char. You could be serving God, sitting in a nom committee and select indiv on the basis of what? educ, prominence, position in community.

Ruth story: at funeral: "I feel good 'cause last 2 years not discrim against.

What does discrim do to body?

Read verse 8 1 min

2 min discuss. What does James mean when he says that loving your neighbor as yourself is the fulfilling of the law?

law is God's char, God is love, if not loving neighbor, not loving self.

Only one kind of self-love! Not like self-esteem movement.

The only way the law can ever be fulfilled is if I reveal the char of God to others. I can keep a checklist, but if I don't love others, the law condemns me.

What beautiful principle has come through? Summarize.

Lawkeeping is more than rules, it is revealing God, illustrated in what arena? Nondiscrimination: testimonies?

2:12-13 read aloud also 14 (powerful message in last half of chapter)

Facts:

1.	The law is described as what kind of law? liberty

ap.	How do most people view the law? requirements, impossible task--devil's argument,

How many people do I know who could praise God for the law of liberty, most see it as a burden or fall into trap of checklisting.

2.	He calls it the law of liberty! And he says it in the context of judgement. Judgement will be merciless to which people? those not showing mercy

3.	Why? Because mercy triumphs over judgement.

Interp

1.	From the context, what does it mean to be judged by the law of liberty? Judged by your love for others. You mean I can't just keep a checklist of rules and be scot-free in the judgment?

2.	Is this a stiffer judgement or a more lax judgment than what we traditionally think. Which is more difficult, to not go to work on Sabbath or love a homosexual? With which of these issues does James say our judgment is concerned? What principle right here in James 2 must a person understand if he is going to be able to have mercy on other sinners? mercy triumphs over judgment. They must have experienced themselves the mercy of God. There is no other way to have mercy on others.

3.	If mercy triumphs over judgment, why will judgment without mercy be shown to those who have not shown mercy?

In the context, who does James talk about who is in danger of receiving judgment without mercy? Is there anyone in the context who is not showing mercy?

What does he say about that person's faith? it is professed, but it is dead.

Let's look at the illustrations he gives of faith with or without works. first illust 15,16; 21,22; 25 All illust of a person who understand a faith that works.

Look at those three illustrations and tell me what they reveal about a person who has a faith that works, which is the kind of faith that a person has who understands the law as a law of liberty.