We’ve Spent 10 Days,

  • LOOKING at James 1:2-4, 3 verses, to correctly see what God SAYS.
  • Learning how to use GODcha.
  • Becoming familiar with some of the different skills to help us correctly see what God says.

Today, we want to Wrap it up!  

  • Review all we have LEARNED.
  • LIVE it out! Apply it to our lives.

Open your App to the Book of James. 

Work in Split View >

NOTE:

If you don’t have GODcha Get It >

Or, you can use your hardbound Bibles and follow along.

You can print off this post and put in a Notebook!

 

Do You Remember Why James Wrote This Letter?

You can answer this!

Remember the 3 points.

 

Let’s Pray

Oh Lord, as we come to Your Word today to bring everything together, please help us to hear what You are saying.  Let us understand what You are teaching us.  Oh, and Lord, may we walk away letting these Truths change our lives. Thank you!

 

LOOK at James 1:2-4

We have become familiar with certain skills,

putting them into practice

as we went directly to the Word of God

to see what God has to say about:

trials and the testing of our faith, giving us a biblical perspective. 

 

Before we dig in,

Again, did you notice how many times you read verses 2-4 this week?

What did that reading, over and over, do?

Let’s Get Started?

READ 

Yes,

Read James 1:2-4 once again with a questioning mindset.

Now Let’s Wrap  Up: 

How to Endure Trials

 

Open the Deeper Discovery

Deeper Discovery Tutorial >

 

Let’s Check Out GODcha’s

 3rd LEARN/LIVE Questions

3. Do you understand that God tests our faith with trials?

What is the purpose of trials?

What are you to consider, know, and let them do for you, CR?

 

Try to Answer on your own.  

And then we will Answer together.

Keep in mind James’ purpose in writing this letter.

We know his emphasis is on:

a faith that does the Word

vs.

a faith that is dead and useless.

 

To Answer, Let’s Sum Up What We Have Discovered. 

What Have We LEARNED

We LEARNED:

The Purpose of Trials is God’s way to test our faith.

  • God brings the trials.  (Paul was given a thorn by God, and He would not remove it.)
  • Trials prove if our faith is real.  (Do we have a saving faith or a dead faith?)
  • What we do through a trial will show the genuineness, strength and patience of our faith.

 

 What Else Have We LEARNED

We LEARNED:

These verses to believers, unfold 3 things that are required to persevere through trials.

1. We are commanded to consider it all joy.

There is no joy in pain, but as we process the trial we are going through, we can consider the trials and pain with all joy if we [look ahead] at what God is doing.

We See that:

Like a refiner’s fire the trial burns away the yuck of our sin.

We are learning obedience through the process.

God is perfecting us, bringing about perseverance, proven character, and hope.

This perfection is the joyful blessing that we are considering

True Faith: Looks ahead, having an attitude of joy!

 

We LEARNED:

2. We know [understand in our minds], trials come to produce endurance [patience; perseverance].

We see we are to know!

We Know God: 

Who is Sovereign has designed a plan for us.

Takes us through a process to produce endurance [patience, perseverance, bearing up under].

Never gives us more than we can handle or anything we cannot endure.

We Know We:

NEVER take our way of escape!

Can endure, continue in His Word, and hold fast until the end.

We Know:

Endurance is being produced.

True Faith:

Knows God is at work!

Knows God knows what He is doing!

Trusts Him!

 

We LEARNED:

3. We are commanded to let endurance have it’s perfect result.

We see we are to let God work!

Let God work that perfect result, for us to be perfect and lacking in nothing.

Let God make us what He wants us to be – like Christ.

Let God bring us to maturity.

We See: 

We Are To Press on to perfection.

God Will perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish us!

True Faith: Lets God do His work!

 

Let’s View the #3 LIVE Questions

DO NOT Skip This!

It all will have been a waste of time if you don’t hear and respond to God.

LISTEN to God by His Spirit

3. What trial I am facing?

What am I doing as I go through this trial?

Am I grumbling and complaining?

Or, facing it head on by running to God, dependent on God?

Respond to God…LIVE it out!

 

As We Consider These 3 Requirements

Let’s LISTEN….

a. How do I obey the command, consider it all joy?

b. How does knowing that trials are a test of my faith to produce endurance help me persevere?      

c. Do I take my way of escape, or am I willing to let trials bring endurance (patience/character)?

d. What are my trials showing me about myself?

e. How are my trials doing their perfect work (making me more like Jesus)?

Respond to God…LIVE it out!

 

Oh, You Did Fantastic!

Once again, do you realize nobody told you what the text says or means?

Nobody told you what to believe or think.

You didn’t guess or come up with speculations to answer the questions.

You LOOKED at what God SAID, discovering what He means.

You Discovered Truth for Yourself!

 

Oh, aren’t you excited?  Do you hunger for more?  I so pray you do!

 

That’s a Wrap!

Wrap Your Head Around Truth!

Life is hard!

Are you trying to ignore the work God is trying to do in you?

I know it may be difficult, but I want to encourage you to embrace where God has placed you!

You now know He is at work, desiring that you lack nothing!

Trust Him, He knows what He is doing!

Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, and rejoice,

Knowing you will look a little more like Jesus when you come out the other side!

 

Meditate on why God tests our faith and the 3 things that are necessary to persevere through your trials.

What have you learned about yourself?

Is there some action God is requiring of you?

Do you need to confess and repent?

 

Record this Review in Your Notes

I would encourage you to put this Review in your Notes.

If time – to type it helps you use another means of burying these truths down deep in your heart.

If not enough time – copy and paste.

You will also want to enter the personal things God has touched you with!

Video Tutorial>  Notes Tutorial >

 

Turn What We Have LEARNED into Prayer

Perhaps. . .

HEAVENLY FATHER, thank you for Your Truth that is revealed in Your written Word. Thank you for opening up our understanding and helping us to prepare for trials.  We must remember trials are common.  They will come.  Oh, help us to remember this when they come suddenly, without warning.  Help us to see how and why we can have a joyous attitude as we go through trials. You meet us daily with countless reasons to be grateful and glad, full of hope and full of rejoicing.  In our trials empower us and lead us to obey this command, and find our way to joy by thinking of Your love, Your forgiveness, and our hope of eternity in Your presence.   May we look forward to that perfect joy that will be ours when we meet You face to face.  Oh Father, help us to know.  Give us an understanding mind. Help us to remember that our trials come from You, and they come to produce endurance and strength. Help us to trust You through it all!  And Father, do strengthen us and help us to let You work as You purify our faith, making us more and more like Christ. Remind us Lord that You are making us perfect and lacking in nothing. We so love You and are so grateful for Your care! Thank you for hearing our hearts.  We ask these things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!

 

I am so proud of you!

 

Rest tomorrow and worship God! May you consider it all joy in your trials, and may the Lord enable you to persevere, knowing He is conforming you to His image.

Meet you in a couple of days: to unpack the the next paragraph, James 1:5-12.

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