The book of James...
We started going throw the book of James at club this Tuesday. This is a letter written by James that is found towards the back of the New Testament. Its not very long, but its packed full of practical wisdom that can help us live Christ centered lives.
Like we said the other day, why read a book without knowing its purpose? The purpose of James is to practically remind us as Christians how to faithfully pursue a life that authentically loves Christ and chooses to live for Him. As humans, we are sinners, therefore, this is something that we must choose to follow on a daily basis! So join us as we dive into the book of James this semester and strive to live lives that daily point to Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Notes from club...James 1:1-8
James describes himself as a "bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ," in verse 1. When we hear the word "servant" we immediately think of someone who is forced to work against their will. This is not the type of servant that James is referring to. So what is a bondservant?
bondservant - someone who freely chooses to give up his/her rights and service to someone else, a person who is devoted to another person's interests instead of their own
So James was basically saying in his opening verse, t that he was choosing of his own will to devote his life to the will and purpose of Jesus!
Then in verses 2-8 james talks about trials. He tell us to "consider it joy, when you encounter various trials." Crazy thought, huh? To be joyful when bad things happen? But there are a couple things that we want you to take away from these verses...
1. James says "when" trials come, not IF they come. So if you are follower of Jesus, then you can go ahead and expect trials.
2. Trials are not all bad! Trials are ways that we can strengthen our faith. They are also ways that the Lord can reveal Himself to us and to other people around us.
3. We serve a God who helps us! Verse 5 talks about how we should ask God for wisdom. What's incredible guys, is He promises to give "generously and without reproach!" This is a really neat thought because remember as sinners, we have gone against the way God intended us to live. But in His grace and mercy, He not only offered us salvation through the cross BUT He also offers us wisdom, if we ask Him!
4. When you ask...ask in faith! Doubt and faith cant go hand in hand. The Bible uses the example that a man who doubts is like a man who is tosses back and forth in the sea. So when you ask...have faith!!
Here are a couple questions to think about as you re-read these verses this week...
1. James in verse one mentioned that he is a bondservant of God, meaning that his entirety belongs to God. Would you say that every part of your life belongs to God?
2. Phil shared the story about Pastor Haralan Popov from the book Tortured for His Faith. In his account Haralan faced many trials yet always found joy in his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? How can we have the same joy when we face various trials in our life?
3. When faced with trails where are we to look to for assistance according to James 1:5-8?
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