God Wants You to Grow

Our associate pastor, Mark Schmitz, preached on James 1:2-4 Sunday. It’s a popular topic for sermons, but one I feel I need to hear over and over!

James 1:2-4 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Pastor Mark began by reminding us that we believe in the sovereignty of God. That His hand is in everything that happens in our lives. He went on to say that healthy things grow and that God wants us to grow.

Our faith shows up when we face the unplanned events in our life. People watch how we go through trials. In order to get through them the right way we need a firm foundation. We need to know God, His promises and have a relationship with Him.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

We also need to ask ourselves if we are truly saved.

2 Corinthians 13:5 5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

Once we are saved and in a relationship with God, He begins to grow us. To perfect us. To fill us with the spirit. Being filled with the spirit is letting God have free reign over our lives. Being spirit filled is confirmed by our service to others.

God also wants us to be submissive.

1 Peter 2:13-15 13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.

And God wants us to have a positive attitude no matter what we are going through, because it reflects our faith in Him. His goal is not our happiness, but our joy and our joy is based not on our circumstances, but our relationship with Him. Our attitude is a choice!

Know upfront that trials are inevitable, but they are an opportunity to show how strong our faith is. The more we depend on God, the stronger it is.

Always remember James 1:12 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

To read more on these verses visit: James 1

An Evening with Walk in the Word’s James MacDonald

James MacDonald of Walk in the Word http://www.walkintheword.com/ has been on a bus tour this spring and John and I went to his worship service in Hendersonville, NC last weekend.

The message was Why Trials from James 1: 1-6

1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

This book was written by the brother of Jesus, yet he calls himself a bondservant of God and Jesus. He was writing to believers who were scattered and suffering. So he gets right to the heart of his message.

Consider your trials joy.

To understand this you have to have the right definition of joy. It’s not happiness. It’s a supernatural delight. It’s one of the gifts of the Spirit. Joy in God Himself!

God knows us perfectly and loves us infinitely. And He’s working out His plan for us: in the person of God, the purposes of God and in the people of God. That is certainly a reason for joy!

To count (or consider) it all joy means you need to think about it. When you are thinking about your trials ask yourself, “Why am I here?” “What is the purpose of my life once I’ve been saved?” James says it’s to display the superiority of a Christian life well lived. That’s why Christians have trials. God allows trials so we can show people the difference between a follower of Jesus Christ and someone who isn’t.

When you stand strong through the trials of life you are displaying the superiority of a life lived in God. God trusts us with the big stuff!

Eternity is racing upon us and the Bible says our trials are a light and momentary affliction. They should be our opportunity to show the world how awesome God is.
They are also a testing of our faith and they produce patience.

James says we should ask ourselves these questions:

Do you believe God is in control when something awful happens? (Even when you can’t see it or feel it.)

Do you believe God is good? (His disposition toward you is to bless you even if He has to hurt you awhile to make you a better person. God is interested in conforming us into the image of His Son.)

Are you willing to wait, by faith, until you see how God is working this out all together?

And finally James said we need to stay in the trial for as long as it takes. Don’t give up, don’t run, don’t complain or lash out. Trials produce transformation. We have to go through the whole thing to get the full effect. There is power in waiting.

Verse 4 says if you let it have its full effect on you you will be perfect and complete: lacking nothing. God is trying to rid us of the self-inflicted misery. Embrace the trial.

Verse 5 says if you lack wisdom ask God. This is about the trial. Ask God what you are supposed to learn from it. And God will give you insight.

Verse 6 says to ask in faith. You have to really want to know.