Good morning, CHURCH!

Welcome to FFM where we love God, and we love people.

Are you ready to be equipped today?

Let me see your Bibles.

Let’s pray.

Let’s go to the book of Proverbs 14:12 NKJV for this week’s wisdom Vaccination.

This Week’s Wisdom Vaccination Proverbs 14:12 NKJV

There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Whatever WAY you choose to go with this life you have, it’s going to lead to somewhere.

It would be wise to make sure that the WAY you are going is the right way.

You might need to spit before you start going somewhere.

Have you ever heard that saying?

I’m sure you all have heard of avalanches.

There is not a great chance that you will die in an avalanche.

I can say that with confidence because the (CAIC) Colorado Avalanche Information Center has a database which keeps statistics.

Roughly 25 to 30 people die every year in avalanches.

But if you ever find yourself in one, before you start trying to dig your way out, make sure you spit first.

There was someone who was once found dead in an avalanche and the report said that before they died, they tried to dig their way out.

But they ended up digging themselves 30 feet deeper in the wrong direction.

So, before you start digging, clear some snow from around your face and spit.

Depending on which direction the spit falls, will determine which way you need to start digging.

Because even under snow, gravity still takes effect.

There was a way that seemed right to that person digging, but it led to death.

So, just like you might want to spit before you start digging;

you might want to get in the word of God before you start mapping out the WAY you go in this life.

Today I’m starting a series titled:

The Character of a Real Christian

Today’s message title is:

I’m better having gone through it.

Just because something’s not good to me;

doesn’t mean it’s not good for me.

Today we are going to start a journey through the book of James.

James the author has been compared in some ways to Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

I’m sure you remember, Dr King fought against racial injustice and for equality of all human beings.

This mirrors the fight that James had against financial injustice and for the abuse, the haves had for the have nots.

The theme of the book is an emphasis on vital Christianity characterized by good deeds and faith that works.

James’s message is: those who have truly been saved through the gospel must manifest that salvation in practical ways through their lives.

This book was written initially to the Jewish Christians and perhaps the believers in Jerusalem scattered abroad after the death of Stephen. (Probably before AD 50.)

James’s message to them and thusly to us is one of encouragement and practical guidance on living out our faith in the face of trials.

Let’s jump right in.

James 1:1 NKJV

James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:

Greetings.

Through his greeting and opening we can make a connection to who he was talking to and to the times and the afflictions they would have been facing by looking back at Acts chapter 8 verses 1-3.

Acts 8:1-4 NKJV

Now Saul was consenting to his death.

At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him.

3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.

We ourselves may not be facing the same extreme persecution that the Christians that this was written to were facing but we are facing our own.

If you profess to be a real Christian, you know the kind that stands firm on what God says in His word, you will be hated on, by all kinds of people.

(LGBTQ, PRO CHOICE GROUPS, PRO SIN GROUPS)

If you find yourself facing these kinds of persecutions, James has some words of encouragement for you.

They come something like a new year’s resolution that leads you to a gym membership for the first time in your life.

(You are going to experience a range of feelings, tiredness, hunger, soreness,

but it will be good for you because you get stronger and in better shape.)

James 1:2 NKJV

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

James begins with a challenging statement. (Count it all joy.)

This does not mean that Christians should enjoy suffering and persecution.

But we should find joy in the knowledge of what these trials can produce in our spiritual lives.

Trials and difficulties are inevitable in the Christian journey, but they are also opportunities for growth.

How can trials and persecutions be opportunities for spiritual growth?

James 1:3-4 NKJV

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.

James explains that these trials test the believers' faith, which in turn produces “patience” (or endurance).

This endurance, when fully developed, leads to spiritual maturity, making a person “perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

In other words, enduring hardships with the right perspective leads to growth in character and faith.

When you find yourself laid up in a hospital room facing a life-threatening situation it does nothing good for you physically.

But spiritually, you realize your dependency on God and that without healing and health you can do nothing.

All of a sudden you are more spiritually conscious of your need for the LORD.

That’s when Psalm 34:19 means so much more to you.

Psalm 34:19 NKJV

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

In verse 4 when James says let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing, he is saying:

Perfect in the sense of mature or complete, not that you’ll be sinless.

It is a call to spiritual maturity, where trials lead to deeper trust in God.

Lacking nothing indicates that through the process of growth in faith, believers find sufficiency in God, even in difficult circumstances.

If your sufficiency is in God, then a lack of God is a lack of sufficiency.

So, you can have all the resources that you need and still be in lack.

But you can be short on resources and be lacking nothing because you KNOW God.

James wanted them and wanted us to know that facing difficulties turns out to be a good thing for us because it produces a maturity and completeness that we otherwise may never get to.

And it gets us to the end of ourselves!!!

I’ve heard so many sports reporters ask Patrick Mahomes the same questions they used to ask Tom Brady.

“How is it that you seem to never worry when your team is behind, and you almost always seem to get them back into the game?”

And they usually respond with something like, “I’ve faced these adverse situations so many times and we’ve overcome them, so I always have confidence that we can do it again.”

James is saying the same thing.

Once you’ve faced adversity and come through on the other side, it builds a confidence in your God that there is nothing He can’t get your through.

It’s amazing that some people have more confidence in Patrick Mahomes to bring them back from adversity than Christians do for God to bring them through.

There is one thing that James points out that you’ll need when facing adversity to get you through it.

James 1:5-8 NKJV

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.

7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;

8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Recognizing that enduring trials requires wisdom, James encourages believers to ask God for it if they feel they lack understanding.

And God promises to give wisdom generously and without reproach.

The English word reproach that we use comes from a Greek word (on-i-did’-zo)

It means that God won’t view you as guilty and deserving of whatever you’re going through.

Wisdom here refers to the ability to navigate life’s difficulties with a godly perspective.

So, it’s not just about being wise enough to get through what you’re facing.

It’s about getting through it and learning what God wants you to learn through it.

When we face things we have Romans 8 in the front of our minds.

Romans 8:28 NKJV

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Lastly, I wanted to point out that to get the wisdom from God needed when going through something you must ask God in faith.

Look at verses 6 and 7 again.

James 1:6-7 NKJV

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.

7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;

James adds a condition for asking for wisdom: it must be done in faith, without doubting.

He uses the metaphor of a “wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind” to describe a person who doubts.

Doubt here refers to a lack of confidence in God’s goodness or ability to answer prayer.

- The person who doubts is unstable because they lack the firm foundation of trusting in God.

- James says such a person should not expect to receive anything from God because their doubt undermines their prayer.

- Faith is central to receiving from God, as it reflects trust in His nature and promises.

In closing, the key takeaways from the opening of the book of James are:

 Joy in Trials: We should have a positive perspective on suffering, seeing it as an opportunity for spiritual growth rather than something to be avoided, resented or to resent God.

Trials, while painful, serve a greater purpose in developing spiritual maturity.

 Endurance and Patience: Faithful endurance through trials produces a more complete, mature character in the believer, shaping us to rely more on God and less on ourselves.

 The Need for Wisdom: James recognizes that handling trials well requires divine wisdom, which God gives generously.

As Christians we are encouraged to seek God's guidance in prayer when we face challenges.

 Faith vs. Doubt: A central message is the necessity of faith in approaching God. Doubt reveals a lack of trust in God’s goodness, while faith leads to stability and the ability to receive from God.

James stresses that a divided, double-minded person cannot experience the fullness of God's blessings.

 Whole-hearted Trust in God: To live a stable and fruitful Christian life, believers must have an unwavering trust in God.

This involves trusting in God's wisdom and timing, even when circumstances are difficult.

If you’re watching online or here in the room, I have a very important question to ask you.

What is Holy Spirit saying to you right now?