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James 1:5 - "Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously, and it will be given to him."
MATURITY MARK 3 - PEACEMAKERS NOT TROUBLEMAKERS
James 1:19-20 – Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, 20 for man’s anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.
GOD HAS GIVEN US HIS WORD TO HELP PREPARE US AND MATURE US AS JESUS FOLLOWERS.
James 1:19-21 - Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger, 20 for man’s anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. 21 Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and evil, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save you.
Greek word for Therefore is DIO. Meaning, "therefore, that is why, for this reason.
Warren Wiersbe says Jesus shares 4 kinds of Soil (hearts):
HARD HEART, did not understand or receive the Word, produced no fruit.
SHALLOW HEART, was very emotional but had no depth, produced no fruit.
CROWDED HEART, no repentance & sin crowds out the Word, produced no fruit.
FRUITFUL HEART, receives, believes & allows the Word to grow, produces fruit.”
WHAT IS THE POSTURE OF YOUR HEART TOWARD GOD'S WORD?
Hard Heart? Shallow Heart? Crowded Heart? Fruitful Heart?
James 4:1-2 - What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from the cravings that are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war.
Galatians 5:19-21 - Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar.
WHEN WE FIGHT AGAINST GOD'S WORD, WE BEFREIEND THE WORLD, PUTTING OURSELVES AT WAR WITH GOD, & OTHER BELIEVERS.
James 4:4 - Adulteresses! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy.
"PEOPLE REBEL AGAINST GOD'S WORD BECAUSE IT TELLS THE TRUTH ABOUT THEM AND THEIR SINFULNESS."
- WARREN WIERSBE
"Many have lost sight of God’s thoughts and desires. In their compassion for people, they have ignored the holiness of God. They have forgotten that what God feels about an issue dwarfs what any human feels.
In an effort to be sensitive to others, we often lose sight of {or distort} God's truth. When we do this, we no longer help people but damn them. True compassion takes into account far more than what a person feels today; it takes into account what he or she will feel on judgment day."
- Frances Chan
John 15:18–19 - 18 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you.
IT'S ONLY IN FULL & HUMBLE SUBMISSION TO GOD’S WORD THAT WE ARE ABLE TO LIVE OUT GOD'S WILL.
James 4:6-7, 10 - 6 But He gives greater grace. Therefore, He says God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 7 Therefore, submit to God. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.