James 10 Jul Trials Wisdom over Circumstances 1:1-12 17 Jul Temptations Knowing God 1:13-27 24 Jul Royal Law Mercy over judgement 2:1-13 31 Jul Taste and See Psalm 34 7 Aug Doctrinal strife 3:1-18 14 Aug Faith's obedience 2:14-26 21 Aug Faith's gentle wisdom 4:1-12 28 Aug The end in mind 4:13-5:12 4 Sep Faith's patience 5:13-20

Do not judge, or you too will be judged Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. --Matthew 7:1-2, 7-8, 13-14

This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Deuteronomy 30.19-20

James 4 1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud     but shows favor to the humble.”

Thank God for his written Word to us 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. 11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? Thank God for his written Word to us

The Pursuit of Wisdom: a problem, a choice, and a solution James 4.1-12

Genesis 3: The woman saw that the fruit of the tree Genesis 3: The woman saw that the fruit of the tree . . . was desirable for gaining wisdom. James 3: But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace will raise a harvest of righteousness.

The Problem – James 4.1-3 -Our own desires and passions within us Matthew 5 You’ve heard it said, Do not murder. But I tell you if you have hatred in your heart toward a brother or sister, you’ve committed murder.

A Choice and A Solution – James 4.4-6 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity with God? Therefore anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

A Choice and A Solution – James 4.4-6 ‘Adulterous’ ‘the world’ The choice: friendship with the world or friendship with God The solution: God gives us more grace!

A Call to Repentance – James 4.7-10 10 verbs: submit, resist, draw near, wash, purify, grieve, mourn, wail, change, humble yourself A detailed picture of repentance

A Reminder of Our Place in the World – James 4.11-12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbour?

The Pursuit of Wisdom: a problem, a choice, and a solution James 4.1-12